Weaning vegetarian/vegan style (anti-allergenic) - any tips???

[MamaTama]

My DS is now 8 1/2 months old & has been tasting food since about 5 months & eating it for real since around 6 months.

I'm a lifelong vegetarian & want to bring him up the same way but am finding the weaning process a bit difficult.

I know quite a lot about adult nutrition & have applied this to my own diet with good results (I am very seldom sick & have no long-term health problems) but as far as feeding an infant is concerned am not very confident that what I prepare for him will meet all his needs (calories, vitamins, minerals & protein).

I was previously asthmatic but got rid of it using a combination of vegan foods & practicing yoga breathing techniques & also had bouts of eczema & psoriasis in my earlier years which have thankfully now disappeared. My father has severe hayfever & my sister & her daughter both have allergies too, added to which there is also a history of allergy in his father's family so with this in mind I have decided to play safe & not introduce any of the main allergy-provoking foods (particularly peanuts & other tree nuts, dairy products, wheat & soya) to my son's diet too soon.

This didn't cause any difficulty during the first stage of weaning as I was giving him mostly fruit & veg purees & brown baby rice porridge, but as the weeks go by I am becoming concerned that he is not getting adequate amounts of the essential dietary elements.

He has been fully BFed since birth & I plan to continue for as long as possible up to about 2 years, but I am aware that as time passes my milk has less & less nutritional value.

I've bought several books about raising vegetarian babies & toddlers but as far as I've been able to gather most advocate introducing milk & other dairy products &/or tofu at this stage to meet growing protein requirements. I have recently read a couple of articles about non-fermented soya products & the oestrogenic content of ordinary soya derived foods which have caused me to be extremely cautious about feeding it to Jahleel, especially at such a young age.

At present I usually give him some sort of porridge type meal for breakfast (rice, quinoa or millet so far) with different fruit purees (& sometimes the cooking water from sweet-tasting veggies I've boiled or steamed for him the day before).

Lunch isn't fully established yet but he snacks on rice cakes & spelt crackers with a piece of fruit to nibble on (he's teething so I think this is as much for the comfort as for the actual eating) around noon/early afternoon depending on what we're up to. I give him similar things during the day but it depends on his mood whether or not he accepts or rejects them!

In the evening he has veg puree (I'm trying to make these rougher mash type texture but sometimes he refuses them unless they're smooth). I'm also finding this hard as he hasn't shown much enthusiasm for more savoury tastes & I'm aware I should now be aiming to guide him towards eating things that I myself would normally eat. I've tried cooking non-wheat pasta for him with a tomato sauce but he hated it, ditto for mashed beans. He has taken a small amount of brown rice grains when I was eating a wholefood sushi ball but literally only 4 or 5 grains at a time & he soon decided he'd had enough.

I know that finger foods are important but he sometimes refuses to try them, instead either throwing or flicking them off his high chair tray before he's even tasted them. I understand that babies like exploring textures etc. with their hands so am not unduly concerned or upset when he squashes things between his fingers etc. but I've watched so much good food go to waste all the while wondering if he's going to end up with some kind of deficiency.

I'm still BFing on demand & the frequency & quantity of milk feeds varies a lot but since he won't often drink much water or weak herbal teas I'm happy to continue with that, especially with the warmer weather as I don't want him to be dehydrated. Think I'm going to start offering him diluted juice with his meals soon though so maybe that'll replace some of the BM he's currently taking.

The Health Visitors at the clinic I go to are very conventional & do not know much at all about veggie/vegan nutrition so I don't expect too much info or support from them.

What I'd really like is to hear from real people who have had & overcome similar issues or who know a bit more about the theory & practicalities of negotiating this important transition who can advise me what to do...

Sorry for the long post but I figured if I was going to ask for help I should give as much background as possible. I already put this up on the general food topic board so have had a few responses but the more the better!

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies!

I fully respect that you want to be a vegetarian/vegan but don't you feel your children should be allowed to choose if they want to be? For such a young child I wouldn't be at all inclined to put them on an all vegaterian diet for health reasons tbh.

I've swayed to and from being a vegetarian for years and don't eat any red meat for my own health reasons, but my dd (1yo) isn't old enough to factor out major food groups. She needs all the nutrition she can get so I'll give her anything to eat that is healthy, even if it is meat because it's a major food group, and an important one.

Not judging you at all, my sister is a fierce vegetarian and I respect her wishes, as I respect yours. Just curious. Is it a dislike for preparing meat that is swaying you to raise you lo a veggi?

Thanks Riven for the encouragement, I really appreciate it.

Just to be clear, I myself was raised as a vegetarian from birth but my mum gave both me & my sister eggs & (cow) dairy more or less from the time we were weaned off the breast as well as the standard 'hippy' fare of the 1970s.

I had a bit of a junk food rebellion in my early teens (just to p*ss my mum off really & fit in with my peers) but still didn't take it as far as eating meat & by the time I left school & home I was back on much the same type of foods as I had been reared on in the first place.

My sister, who's 2 years younger, did the same when she started high school but has ended up a total omnivore with a real passion for meat, poultry, fish & other seafood, & has chosen to feed her daughter, who's now 9, similarly.

As for my mum, she remarried to a guy who ate quite a lot of red meat & after a while she gave in & started to have the same meals as him instead of having to prepare 2 seperate dishes every evening, a decision she has since admitted she sorely regrets & is now in the process of returning to a vegetable & fish-based diet.

Perhaps it's worth mentioning that they (my mum, stepdad & sis) have also had a host of health issues over the years, some of which can be linked to their diet, which just goes to prove that eating meat isn't always the safer, more balanced or better option, particularly considering all the nasties that get into non-organic meat etc.

I went vegan in my early 20s whilst living in the Caribbean (I know, what am I doing back in London?!) & stayed that way for 7 or so years. My previous asthma & eczema totally cleared up & I had a sense of wellbeing & vitality that I had never experienced before. I now sometimes have goats' or sheeps' milk yoghurt & cheese but not very often & am seriously considering going back to being a total vegan again in the not too distant future.

In direct response to your post LookattheLottie, I strongly believe that it is both possible & preferable to eat a healthy a diet which has not involved taking the life of another animal (which after all is what we are!) It is absolutely not necessary & I just feel that vegetarian food is more wholesome & nourishing on all levels including the spiritual. I think there is quite enough violence in the world without inflicting more on largely helpless creatures just to sustain ourselves on a physical level.

Not meaning to sound preachy, but you asked so I'm explaining to you why I've chosen to do what I'm doing. Both moral & ethical as well as health considerations haved shaped my judgement in this matter & it is not something I take lightly. With all due respect, what Riven said is right: every parent is choosing how to bring up their offspring & it is my decision to give my son a solid foundation based on my own principles which he will be free to embrace or reject as he gets older. I'm not condemning you for opting to feed your LO meat, each to their own.

That said & in answer to your question I will absolutely not be preparing any meat for my DS at any time, but should he express the wish to eat it whilst still living with me I will have to find a way to accommodate this, maybe allowing him to eat it outside the home (I feel so strongly about it I couldn't bear to have meat in my fridge, storage containers or cooking pots). Maybe that sounds a bit extreme to you LATL but having never had dead flesh in my kitchen I'm not about to start now!

Anyway, what I really want is some tips on meeting Jahleel's nutritional needs & recipe ideas for moving slowly beyond the puree stage (he has finger food too already but I mean more meal type savoury fare.) The vegan stipulation for him is to reduce the chance of him developing allergies so no dairy for at least the 1st year of his life & maybe beyond if I can be sure he'll be getting everything he requires from a vegan diet...

Thanks again Riven, I might well be in touch to pick your brains soon, not literally of course!

Just for starters, any info on suitablility of hemp protein powder for infants?

My two have had no meat or fish at all since birth. They have had dairy produce from an age that was suitable. DH is a veggie zealot (his words!) but not vegan. I respect his views as their dad, and his wishes in how he wants his bairns values to be formed.

I think, TamaMama that you have so much knowledge on this subject that you shouldn't worry too much. Our firstborn, DS was a picky, fussy, pathetic eater - and still is. I worry that it was my worry about getting the right nutrition into him that contributed to this. However, he's healthy and active, so I'm trying to get more laidback about it. He's 4. I am MUCH more laidback with DD (2 next week). She eats everything in sight and always has done. I can't really give you advise about a vegan diet, but a good piece of advice I got was that no child in the developed world will voluntarily starve, so as long as you're offering what you know is good, nutritional food don't worry

My current issue is now that DS is starting to go outwith the home into situations like nursery, I'm getting pressure about 'what if he wants to try the meat option at snack time?' I'd be interested in hearing from veggie-brought-up children like you (or your mum) as to how to deal with this. My response is, try to distract him but if he wants to, let him, but please tell me.

Sorry I've hijacked your thread a wee bit, but I really don't think you need to be concerned!!

I am impressed by how much knowledge and thought you are putting into this. I have three healthy children and am weaning a baby at the moment - all are vegetarian. I agree with Riven - feeding meat is no more a choice than not doing it, and if you go down that route, religion, clothes, haircuts etc start to become 'choice' issues!
Any ideas on breakfasts (61/2 mths old) gratefully received. Am using veg, lentils, fruit, yoghurt for other meals, and a bit of tofu.

Maybe you've already seen these, but the vegetarian society and vegan society have factsheets on food for veggie and vegan infants.

www.vegansociety.com/people/lifestyle/families/parenting/vegan_children/

http: //www.vegsoc.org/info/vegan-nutrition.html

I found these helpful with weaning veggie (not vegan) children, my sister's babies (who I looked after a lot) were mainly vegan so we got quite used to vegan baby food.

have to say dsis's vegan babies were two of the most robustly healthy children I knew. And not at all thin.

I used quite a lot of fortified cereals - cereal + milk (breast or soya) + fruit and you've really got most of the essential nutrients for the day.

Can you specify the cereals? Sorry - can I use weetabix etc? Just printed off a recipe from Veg Society but will use the links as well - thanks.

We had Ready brek, weetabix, and a variety of cereals from the local wholefood shop baby range. There were some good ones but I've forgotten the names, sorry. Things without salt and sugar and additives in.

Glad this is turning into an interesting & useful thread for more than just me, hopefully it'll be a longstanding & active discussion with lots of contributors!

Thanks Fennel for links: I already saw the vegan society one but TBH found it a bit confusing/contradictory. I'll be sure to check the Veg Society site asap though!

Finona: thanks for the ego boost , reassurance, & also the advice to maybe relax a little about this. I just want to do the best I can for Jahleel you know, but I can also see how me worrying about it might be subconsciously picked up on by him with undesirable results!
I can't remember there ever being a problem when I was little at nursery or whatever, but recall at school the other kids waiting every day for me & my sister to open our packed lunch boxes to see what would be in them this time! There were however fierce arguments between my mum & her mum (who would try & feed us the standard working class Northern fare of black pudding, bacon & sausages with white processed bread & dripping, butter & refined sugar sandwiches & the like whenever she got a chance.) Luckily I never wanted it but I think my sister did eat all of the above when out of mum's sight, mum's got the internet now so I only hope she doesn't read MN!) As for nursery etc. I think your plan is a good one if you & your DH are happy with that, otherwise maybe make sure you put extra interesting/tasty treats in a special food bag for DS to take with him so he's more than happy to stick to his own stuff (involve him: ask him the day before what he fancies for snacks for the next day & make it fun. He could even go & choose a nice colourful packed lunch-type box or whatever so he really feels good about it)!

Riven: I'm not going to be using soya for a while yet either (allergy watch, both my family & DS's dad's are prone!), nor nuts nor wheat for same reason, but might try to improvise a Shepherdess-type Pie sometime soon. Any other ideas?
I'm hoping to find out about whether or not hemp protein is ok for babies as it really is a superfood in every sense of the word. Good on you for not succumbing to the mass-produced gunk they market for tube fed children (& adults, which your DD will one day be!). I used to be a youth worker & had several young people attending our playschemes & after school clubs who were tube fed & the smell of some of the stuff they were given was truly vile. I looked on the label of the can more than once & was shocked & puzzled to see a host of artificial flavourings & colourings added to the already questionable list of ingredients.
Hemp is most definitely suitable for children. It has easily digestible Edestin plant protein, all 10 essential amino acids including 2 which are particularly beneficial to LOs, a perfect ratio of omega 3 to 6 essential fatty acids, antioxidants chlorophyll & vitamin E, other vitamins including a decent amount of B6, minerals (particularly high in magnesium & iron) & dietary fibre. It can be mixed with fresh juices, smoothies, shakes & all sweet & savoury recipes although it's best not heated above body temperature to preserve all the nutrients.

Morethanmum: I've made baby rice (instant), quinoa & millet porridge (made from flakes I got from health food shop, much cheaper than the other stuff packaged especially for babies & just as good) for my Ds so far, all of which are very nutritious & easy to prepare (the 2 latter ones do need cooking but not for too long, if you have a clean coffee grinder or food processor with an grinding attachment you could probably get it to be finer & more powdery & therefore quicker to cook, either way we're talking a matter of minutes). If not, just blend them when cooled a little for a smoother consistency if baby doesn't take to the slightly mealy texture. Have you tried cornmeal? In the Caribbean that's what most people feed infants & I like it made with coconut milk for that tropical taste...

Hope this helps!

MMM!!!

riven I love that site and have made many a lovely meal from the recipes.. Mamatama we are a vegetarian family but don't eat dairy either so our diet is mainly vegan based. Ds is 10 months old and we are bringing him up as vegan. He loves his food SO much and is pretty much eating what we are.

Favourites are mild beany chilli with rice or quinoa, Chick pea and spinach curry with sweet potato mash, roast vegetables in any combination, rice pudding made with coconut milk and cream. He has had some tofu but isn't all that keen.
I ate meat until my early 20's but graduaually reduced it as I became more aware of the process of intensive farming and the treatment of animals. I ate only free range and organic produce for a while but eventually stopped eating meat. I gave up dairy in the early days of BF DS as he was very unsettled and collicky.. I don't miss it at all and if anything our diet has been far more varied and interesting now that we don't rely on cheese for everything.

hello! i love this thread - i am veggie from birth, and my dd (6 months) is too, so far.

however, DH is from a meat loving family and i know there will be pressure to give her meat as time goes on. i want to avoid this for as long as possible, though, and am so happy to find all these great ideas on here

ideas-wise - we eat lots of west indian food, so my plan over the next few months is to take out the chilli (hard as that will be) and just give non spicy versions to DD. A good book for veggie/vegan west indian food is Delicious Jamaica, by Yvonne McCalla Sobers. It's something a bit different and tasty (lots of coconut milk based things in there!), useful when you can't do the whole meat and 2 veg thing - obviously not meant for babies, but most recipes are easy to adapt

i also use quinoa a lot already, blended into purees and plan to use it in place of pasta etc soon. i have the same problem as you in that DH's family are wheat and dairy intolerant so am trying to avoid things in addition to meat...

Any cheesecake left for Mamatama??? Or was it toooo good to save me a piece til I got back???

Thanks Riven for the link to Parsley Soup & to Mmelody for the input too (your list sounds much like what I ate pre-DS but I now find I don't often have time to cook much for myself but once he starts showing more of an interest in 'proper' meals I'll definitely be offering him all of what you suggested.)

Interesting Pinata, are you West Indian yourself or do you just like the food?
Jahleel(DS)'s father isn't around but he's 1/2 Jamaican & 1/2 Bajan (his mum is from Barbados) & I've lived a few years in the Caribbean & travelled a bit there too, although it seems like a lifetime ago now!
So as well as giving him a taste of part of his cultural heritage I'll be indulging a passion of mine too (I have quite a few West Indian friends from different islands & have learnt to recreate traditional dishes from watching & helping them in the kitchen but also I love to give food my own spin by keeping true to the seasonings but switching the usual ingredients for less obvious ones.)
Is the book you suggest totally vegetarian/vegan? There are a few good ones about about but even if meat & fish are included you can either skip those recipes or substitute something in its place. I've got a really nice one by the Guyanese cook Rosamund Grant called African & Caribbean Cookery. What I love about it is that she has lots of stories to tell in between recipes about where they actually come from & about cultural traditions connected with the food & a glossary of ingredients which may be unfamiliar to some readers. There's another great book based on Rastafarian 'Ital' (vital) cuisine which has quite a lot of delicious raw or semi raw dishes but I think (hope!) it's still packed up after our house move: I'll let you know if/when I manage to find it, ok?

Another question related to my original post:
anyone found a non-wheat based pasta that actually tastes 1/2 decent & doesn't have a wierd texture? I've tried a few with a view to giving some to Jahleel as finger food & later chopped up as a meal but they've all been totally gross.

This thread is all over the place: isn't it great?

I love this thread! I made apple muffins for breakfast yesterday from the veggie society, maybe we should start a veggie thread for raising children? Recently, my friend (I was absent) allowed my ds (2) to eat pepperoni and found it hilarious that he loved it (allegedly) which I find shocking...
I am going to go to our health food shop tomorrow and haunt the aisles. It is q hard to find time to cook a 'proper' meal with four of them, so I do end up using veggie sausages and baked beans sometimes...

Muffins- mmm, sounds delicious!!!
Won't be attempting that for a while tho, DS just started crawling & looks like he'll be walking soon, so most of my time devoted to him. Plus my kitchen isn't fully functional yet (we moved a couple of months ago but being on my own with him means I rarely get a chance to do any big jobs), still I've rustled up some nice things with my juicer, hand blender & an old 2 ring portable stove borrowed from a friend of a friend. I only have a Baby Belling (through choice) anyway, but I find I can cook most anything on/in it! Any more BB devotees out there? [wink}
That's disgusting that your friend did that & even worse that she was laughing about it. What did you say to him/her when you found out?
I feel for you trying to cook from scratch for 4 LOs but maybe if you batch cook (assuming you have a biggish fridge freezer) & get into making rice, pasta, couscous etc. in bulk you can eat it hot the 1st day then season it differently the2nd & even 3rd (e.g. plain rice with curry then veg stir fried rice then rice salad)... Then you're just jazzing up the basic stuff each time which is much less labour intensive.

hi mamatama - yes the book is totally veggie and actually mainly vegan. it does contain some soya based things, but there are loooots of tasty recipes in there for curries, drinks, sauces, sweet things etc etc. i've got a few different west indian cookbooks (including ones with meat dishes) but this one is the best i've come across, partly helped by the fact that the recipes are in that easy american format of "half a cup of this, one cup of that"

DH is jamaican and i am veggie but love west indian food - so i use this book and recipes i've got from his family and our friends over the years.

the downside from a weaning point of view is that we are entirely addicted to scotch bonnet chillies in this house and don't tend to eat things that can be just pureed and given to DD. i may well give the coconut/cornmeal combo a go though, although DH is scarred for life by his cornmeal porridge experiences, or so he says...

I'll look up the book your recommended - sounds tasty. and definitely let me know what the other book is called, too

No offense to DH's mum but cornmeal is sooo delicious. My Godson I-Zel virtually lived on it for months as an infant & I eat it even now as an adult! Worth a try anyway, just get it nice & smooth & creamy & see what your LO thinks...

I'm going to try & get hold of that book, sounds fantastic!

Thanks.

you're very welcome - enjoy.

i will give the cornmeal a try - it sounds very tasty. i think DH is just being dramatic. he's no porridge fan at the best of times...