8 minhands-on
253 cal·20 g protein
Quick
Crispy Tofu Fingers
$1.22 per serving·28 min total
Plant-based families
Feeding kids plant-based, without the guesswork.
Cook one dinner for the whole table and serve it the way each kid eats it. Here’s what babies, toddlers and picky six-year-olds actually need, and the meals they’ll actually eat.
By age
What changes as they grow.
Toddler · 1 to 3 years
From about 12 months, toddlers can eat almost everything the family eats, cut small and seasoned mildly. Their appetite swings a lot from day to day. That's normal.
- Protein a day
- 13 g
- Their portion
- ⅓
- Meals + snacks
- 3 + 2
Of an adult serving. 1,000 to 1,400 cal a day.
- Three meals and two or three snacks
Small stomachs need food often. A snack is a mini meal, not a treat.
- Fortified soy or pea milk
After 12 months, unsweetened fortified soy or pea milk has the protein, calcium and vitamin D closest to dairy. About 16 to 24 oz a day. Rice, almond, oat and coconut milk are too low in protein to be the main milk.
- Don't cut the fat
Under 2, fat fuels brain growth. Nut and seed butters, avocado, tofu, hummus and olive oil are your friends.
- Watch the fiber
Lots of beans and whole grains can fill a toddler up before they've eaten enough calories. White pasta, white rice and plain bread are fine too.
- Picky eating starts here
Around 18 months to 2 years, kids get wary of new foods. It peaks between 2 and 6. It's a stage, not a failure.
How PBB works for families
One dinner. Every age at the table.
Nobody has time to cook twice. Kid-friendly recipes show how to serve the same meal to a baby, a toddler and a big kid, with their portion worked out.
Creamy Stovetop Mac
451 cal · 31 g protein a serving
Baby
6 to 12 months
Cook the pasta extra soft and skip the salt. Small shells or elbows are easiest to pick up.
Toddler
1 to 3 years
Serve as is. Stir in a few peas once they like the mac.
160 cal · 11 g protein
Kids
4 and up
A kid classic. Serve broccoli on the side, or mixed in once they're used to it.
250 cal · 17 g protein
Kid favorites
Shapes they already love.
Nuggets, mac, pasta, muffins and French toast. Plant-based versions of what kids already eat are the easiest switch.
7 minhands-on
Stephanie’s pick
Stephanie’s pick451 cal·31 g protein
Quick
Creamy Stovetop Mac
$2.23 per serving·15 min total
8 minhands-on
428 cal·16 g protein
Quick
Nugget Night Snack Plate
$2.45 per serving·23 min total
12 minhands-on
556 cal·24 g protein
Quick
Sneaky Veggie Red Sauce Pasta
$1.55 per serving·22 min total
10 minhands-on
173 cal·6 g protein
Quick
Banana Oat Mini Muffins
$0.52 per serving·25 min total
10 minhands-on
327 cal·15 g protein
Quick
French Toast Sticks
$2.35 per serving·18 min total
15 minhands-on
251 cal·14 g protein
Weeknight
Lentil Meatball Bites
$0.77 per serving·37 min total
4 min
201 cal·12 g protein
In a pinch
Green Monster Smoothie
$1.39 per serving
The picky-eater playbook
It’s a stage, not a failure.
Picky eating peaks between 2 and 6 in every kind of family, plant-based or not. These ten rules come from feeding research, and they take the fight out of dinner.
- 1You decide what, when and where. They decide whether and how much.
Your job is to serve good food at regular times. Their job is to decide how much of it to eat. It takes the fight out of dinner.
- 2Put one safe food on every plate.
Something they always eat, like bread, rice, pasta or fruit. Nobody goes hungry, and the new food has less pressure on it.
- 3It takes 10 to 15 tries.
A touch, a lick or a bite that gets spit out still counts. Keep serving it calmly without asking them to eat it.
- 4Serve it pulled apart.
Same meal, separate piles. Nothing touching is a real thing for kids, and it's easy to give them.
- 5Dips make everything better.
Ketchup, hummus, BBQ sauce, plant ranch or guac. A dip turns a strange food into something they can try.
- 6Start with shapes they know.
Nuggets, mac, pancakes, pasta, quesadillas and tacos. Plant-based versions of what they already like are the easiest switch.
- 7Change one thing at a time.
Their usual mac, then mac with peas, then mac with broccoli. Small bridges, not big jumps.
- 8Hide it and show it.
Blend veggies into sauces for the nutrition. Also put some veggies on the plate where they can see them, so they learn.
- 9No bribes, no clean plate.
Dessert isn't a reward, and nobody has to finish. Pressure makes kids eat less of the food you want them to eat.
- 10Eat together and eat the same thing.
Kids copy you. If they see you enjoying the tofu, they'll try the tofu eventually.
What growing kids need
The nutrients to get right.
Kids aren’t small adults. Two of these need a supplement or fortified food every day. The rest come easily from a varied plate.
Vitamin B12
Every dayFor the brain and blood. Plant foods don't have it reliably, so every plant-based kid needs a source.
A kids' B12 supplement or drops, or fortified soy milk and cereal every day. Breastfeeding? You need to take B12 too.
Vitamin D
Every dayFor bones. Most kids get too little whatever they eat.
Pediatricians recommend vitamin D drops for breastfed babies. Fortified soy milk and some sun help older kids.
Omega-3 (DHA)
For brain and eye development.
An algae-based DHA supplement, plus ground flax, chia, hemp hearts and ground walnuts.
Iron
Toddlers are the age most likely to run low.
Beans, lentils, tofu, fortified cereal. Serve with vitamin C (berries, oranges, tomato, peppers) to absorb more.
Iodine
For thyroid and brain development.
Iodized salt in family cooking once they're past the baby stage. Ask your pediatrician about a supplement.
Calcium
For growing bones.
Fortified soy milk and yogurt, calcium-set tofu, broccoli, tahini and white beans.
Zinc
For growth and immunity.
Beans, oats, pumpkin seeds, nut butters and tofu.
Calories and fat
Plant foods are filling and low in calories. Small kids can fill up before they've eaten enough.
Nut and seed butters, avocado, tofu, hummus and olive oil in every meal. Some white pasta and rice is fine.
Lunchbox builder
One from each. Done.
A protein, a carb, a fruit, a veggie and something fun. Tap any box to change it, or shuffle the whole thing.
Nut-free school? Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter. Always pack an ice pack.
Choking hazards under 4
- Whole nuts and big seeds. Use smooth nut butter spread thin, or ground nuts.
- Globs of nut butter. Spread it thin or stir it into oatmeal.
- Whole grapes, cherry tomatoes and blueberries for young babies. Quarter them lengthwise.
- Plant hot dogs and sausages cut in coins. Cut them lengthwise into strips.
- Raw hard veggies and apple. Steam or grate them until 4 years old.
- Popcorn, chips, hard crackers and whole beans for babies. Smash beans flat.
Allergens, early
Offering peanut, sesame, soy and wheat around 6 months, and keeping them in the diet, can lower the chance of a food allergy. Peanut butter thinned into oatmeal and tahini stirred into hummus are easy ways to start.
If your baby has eczema or a known allergy, talk to your pediatrician before starting peanut.
The hard part isn’t the food
What to say, and to whom.
Your pediatrician
Go in with a plan, not a question.
Many doctors haven't had much nutrition training, so bring your plan. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says well-planned vegan diets are appropriate for every stage of life, including infancy and childhood.
“We're raising her plant-based. Here's our plan for B12, vitamin D and DHA. Can we check her iron and growth at each visit and adjust if needed?”
Grandparents and sitters
Give them a short list, not a lecture.
People help more when it's easy. Hand them five things your kid eats that they can grab at any store.
“Here's what he eats at your house: pasta with red sauce, PB and banana toast, bean and cheese quesadillas with plant cheese, plant nuggets, and any fruit. Thank you for helping!”
The other household
Pick your battles.
If your kid eats differently at a co-parent's or a friend's house, keep food neutral. Kids shouldn't feel guilty or caught in the middle. What they eat at home with you still counts.
Parties and school
Bring the treat.
Keep a few plant-based cupcakes or cookies in the freezer and send one to parties. Ask the school whether you can leave a stash with the teacher for birthday days.
Plant-based parents
Families who've done it.
Raising plant-based kids?
Share your family’s go-to meals and help other parents get started.
Educational, not medical advice. Every child is different. Talk with your pediatrician or a registered dietitian about your child’s growth, supplements and allergies.
FAQ
What parents ask
Is it safe to raise kids plant-based?
Yes, when it's planned well. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the largest group of nutrition professionals in the US, says well-planned vegan diets are appropriate for every stage of life, including pregnancy, infancy and childhood.
Well-planned is the key part. Kids need a reliable source of B12 and vitamin D, plus iron, calcium, iodine and omega-3 from food or supplements, and enough calories and fat to grow. Tell your pediatrician your plan so they can track growth and check iron.
Will my kid get enough protein?
Almost certainly. Kids need less than most people think, about 13 g a day for toddlers, 19 g for ages 4 to 8 and 34 g for 9 to 13. A cup of soy milk has 7 to 8 g, a few tofu fingers about 10 g, and a bean quesadilla 12 g or more.
Plant-based kids should aim a little above those numbers because plant protein is digested slightly less well. The bigger risk for small kids is too few calories, so keep fats like nut butter, avocado and olive oil in every meal.
What milk should my toddler drink?
Under 12 months, breast milk or infant formula only. Soy-based infant formula is the plant-based option. Plant milk isn't a safe main drink for babies.
After 12 months, unsweetened fortified soy milk or pea milk is closest to dairy for protein, calcium and vitamin D. About 16 to 24 oz a day is plenty. Rice milk isn't recommended for little kids because of arsenic, and almond, oat and coconut milk are too low in protein to be the main milk.
Does my kid need supplements?
B12 is the one every plant-based kid needs, from a supplement or fortified foods every day. Vitamin D drops are recommended for all breastfed babies, and many kids need some vitamin D in winter.
An algae-based DHA supplement is a smart add. Iodine and iron are worth asking your pediatrician about. Dosing depends on age, so ask them for amounts.
My kid is a picky eater. What do I do?
Keep serving the family meal, pulled apart if they need it, with one food they always eat on the plate. It can take 10 to 15 tries before a kid accepts a new food, and a touch or a lick counts.
Start with shapes they know, like nuggets, mac, pasta, pancakes and quesadillas. Use dips, let them help cook, and skip the bribes and clean-plate rules. Our Family page has the whole playbook.