Vegan Diet - Healthy?

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Today I was talking to a preteen and her mother about nutrition, and her mother explained that the family follows a strict vegan diet (no dairy, eggs, or meat). The mother was actually a raw vegan or raw foodist, and she only eats unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Do you think a vegan diet is healthy enough for growing kids and teenagers?

P.S. I am not criticizing any type of alternative diet as I am a lacto vegetarian (no meat or eggs, yes dairy).

You bet it can be healthy. Here is the position paper from the ADA that supports appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan diets for all stages of development.

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm

I was vegan for well over a decade and am still mainly vegan but now eat some dairy and eggs out of convenience. Since vegans are a small population, there are a lot of misconceptions. And anything one vegan does wrong tends to make the whole group look bad in the eyes of the public. For example the previous poster that mentioned their cousin having a SFD baby and them following a vegan diet.

If any of you are interested, look up some information on the studies of children raised in the 1970's and 1980's on "The Farm", a vegan community in Tennessee. The growth of the children was followed and they were normal in height and weight as compared to non vegan children. Below is the abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2771551

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Interesting thread.

If anyone wants yet another set of opinions, I'll enter my own :)

*If a diet is well-balanced in needed nutrients, then it's well-balanced, period. How one derives the nutrition is of less concern than THAT the nutrition is consumed. If it is properly ingested (right combinations, whatever) then so be it. KEEPING that diet well-balanced, however, is the key. And motivation is everything. if an individual is eating this type of diet only because they don't have a choice (as in the case of a young teen who does not do the family shopping and cooking) it's not going to work out too well--he/she will find a way to circumvent that for sure.

*Anyone sticking to ANY type of diet limitation is going to be challenged to eat well and balanced. I tend to prefer a high-protien, low-carb plan to maintain my weight; people constantly criticize my choice and tell me I "can't" be healthy like that. This from people who take far FAR more sick days than I do (I'm hardly EVER ill). It's comical, actually, when you look at it from that perspective. My kidneys are normal and healthy, thanks, and yes I do prefer the burger without the bun, with a small salad on the side and you can keep the peach cobbler.

*I like to eat meat. I like to eat vegetables. I like to eat dairy products. I wish I balanced them all better, but I'm like MOST people in that I'm sure I don't. I probably should eat more fruits and veggies in general. I probably should eat more beans. I probably should....you get the picture.

*People who feel for the causes of animals are not to be condemned for their choices, however I do feel for the causes of humans more. Perhaps that makes me selfish, don't know, don't really care I suppose. A vegan diet is not the order of the day for lunch in urban subsidized school lunch programs. It isn't cost-effect I imagine, and won't meet the nutrition needs of the kids most efficiently. I'd rather give them a meat and/or dairy product and KNOW they'll eat it and be healthier for it, than give them something they DON'T find appealing (therefore, don't eat) and have it thrown out.

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*People who feel for the causes of animals are not to be condemned for their choices, however I do feel for the causes of humans more

I just have to point out ... this is something of a compulsion to me ... that people *are* animals ... and that human rights and non human rights are not necessarily mutually exclusive. That is to say, caring about the causes of non human animals doesn't mean someone doesn't care about the causes of human beings as well.

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I just have to point out ... this is something of a compulsion to me ... that people *are* animals ... and that human rights and non human rights are not necessarily mutually exclusive. That is to say, caring about the causes of non human animals doesn't mean someone doesn't care about the causes of human beings as well.

Ok, I get it, and I suppose I'm compelled to respond. I didn't say they ARE mutually exclusive, and I don't think humans should not care about animal causes. But I do see times to make a distinction.

So to clarify: if I have a limited amount of extra funds to spend on a charitable cause, it's much more likely to go toward special education and/or health needs for children than on increasing sanctuaries for the snow owl or on vaccinating puppies.

Snow owls are nice, as are puppies, and I'm sure people will spend $$ on them--given a greater amount of disposable income, I would too. But since the disposable income isn't exactly fabulous, it gets spent on the children first and foremost.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Nothing wrong with that RNsRWe. All of my charity limited budget goes to my UU church and our causes for human rights for migrant workers, the homeless and helping people around the world earn a livable wage through fair trade practices, to name a few - human causes all. I still can help animals by having a peaceful animal-free plate for my meals. The same as we can do things to help the planet which are inexpensive. Being single my grocery budget might be higher than if I had a family so I splurge on organics and other expensive stuff, but I know vegan families on a budget don't necessarily break the bank feeding their family either.

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Tweety, I do appreciate what you're saying. I think I'm being misread a bit as being non-caring about animals because I don't follow anything remotely vegan myself. If others wish to do that, that's fine (which was the point of my original post on this thread--to each his own). My desire to eat meat does not equal a desire toward propagating animal cruelty.

I do get a sense, though, both from reading this thread and having various conversations with vegans I've met, that there's a tendency toward the 'holier than thou' kind of thinking....that while I am to respect their choice to NOT eat/wear/use animal products, they are free to condescend toward MY choice to do just that. As if I am less enlightened, etc etc.

Your peaceful animal-free plate is of your choosing, and I take no issue with it; I am glad to see you support human causes as well. But I like to think I can eat my cheeseburger pretty peaceably, too :)

Living a vegan lifestyle certainly doesn't have to break the bank. But I also do know people (with families) who have to choose foods based primarily on price and availability, and might choose something organic and forgo others because of cost.

I guess where I'm coming from is this: anytime proponents of one philosophy view the 'other side' as being foolish or wasteful, it tends to limit the amount of interest the 'other side' has in listening.

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Specializes in Medical.

Like RNsRWe I'm happy for other people to eat whatever it is that's right for them. I have noticed (in RL as well as AN) a few restricted diet folk (vegan, vegetarian, Atkins...) being condemnatory of other people's diets, but more often - with the exception of food police for fat people, which is a whole other thread - it seems to be omnivores declaring that exclusionary diets like veganism can't possibly be healthy/safe/sound, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

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Indeed...

I forever have to field questions about how I can eat all that rabbit food. How I can get enough protein and how healthy could I really be eating this stuff.

Meanwhile, the person asking me is eating a double quarter pounder with cheese (sans the bun) and wondering why they aren't losing weight or reducing their cholesterol.

;)

Sometimes people just won't get it. They only believe what they see. Shrug. 60+ lb weight loss, sever drop in bad cholesterol levels, increase in energy, better looking skin, overall better mood. Sometimes 'real' results are all the argument you need.

Of course, while one eating style may be better than another it doesn't make those that follow the eating style better than another person.

Also, some people can stay healthy on a poor eating style. It's not 'just' about the food. A lot comes into play.

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No, I'm a hippocrite. I advocate the vegan lifestyle, but am more of a flexitarian. I eat most of my meals at home and pack my lunch and those meals are always vegan. I buy leather free shoes and belts, and use vegan soaps, candles and plant-based household cleaners that arean't toxic. I even go so far as to choose gum without glycerin and mints vitamins without a gelatin capsule. My dogs are vegan as well. However, when eating out I dabble in ovo-lacto vegetarian fare when available, and if not convenient even eat meat. Thus I stay away from labeling myself. As the holidays have ended and there are less sweets and parties I tend towards vegan more than during the holidays.

Again, I acknowledge my own hippocrisy.

Over the last 15 years, I've become relatively well-educated on vega/vegetarian nutrition. It's actually not hard to get good nutrition - variety is the key - lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains (breads, pasta, brown rice and things like quinoa), beans and legumes to include lentils. and soy products like tofu and tempeh, healthy fats like olive and canola oils, avacodo and nuts. I take a vegan multi-vit and includes B12, and supplement with a vegan-made omega3 fatty acid with DHA. Living in Florida there's plenty of sunshine for me to get while walking the dogs several times a week.

I have a coworker whose daughter is extremely allergic to dairy and eggs. Her mom breast fed her. She's so allergic the mom couldn't even eat eggs or dairy during breastfeeding. The child is now four, extremely healthy and hasn't outgrown her allergies yet, and thriving without dairy. It takes a little work and commitment from mom.

It takes A LOT of work! :) Dairy is in EVERYTHING from bacon to McD's french fries. Casein is used as an emulsifier in many 'vegetarian' cheeses. I have never in my life had such a challenge as researching food allergies, the numerous aliases under which these ingredients hide, and finding foods free of all 5 of the foods to which my son is allergic. Dairy and wheat by far are the most challenging. In everything, under many, many names. It's now a way of life for us, though.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
It takes A LOT of work! :) Dairy is in EVERYTHING from bacon to McD's french fries. Casein is used as an emulsifier in many 'vegetarian' cheeses. I have never in my life had such a challenge as researching food allergies, the numerous aliases under which these ingredients hide, and finding foods free of all 5 of the foods to which my son is allergic. Dairy and wheat by far are the most challenging. In everything, under many, many names. It's now a way of life for us, though.

My coworker with the child now says she can walk down a grocery store aisle quickly and get what she wants, but at first found it very challenging. Why is dairy in "veggie" cheese anyway. Guess the same reason cow stomachs are in regular cheese. LOL

I do get a sense, though, both from reading this thread and having various conversations with vegans I've met, that there's a tendency toward the 'holier than thou' kind of thinking....that while I am to respect their choice to NOT eat/wear/use animal products, they are free to condescend toward MY choice to do just that. As if I am less enlightened, etc etc.

I'm afriad I have to agree with you to some extent. Vegans can be some of the most judgemental, arrogant, holier than thou people around. Some even stick their nose up at vegetarians with a "I"m veggier than thou" attitude. Now the raw food vegans are sticking their nose up "I'm more veganier than thou" and they are extremely irritating.

However, since many of them are coming from a moral and ethical standpoint I can appreciate how hard it must be to believe one's lifestyle and diet to be superior and to not come across that way when being an advocate.

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It takes A LOT of work! :) Dairy is in EVERYTHING from bacon to McD's french fries. Casein is used as an emulsifier in many 'vegetarian' cheeses. I have never in my life had such a challenge as researching food allergies, the numerous aliases under which these ingredients hide, and finding foods free of all 5 of the foods to which my son is allergic. Dairy and wheat by far are the most challenging. In everything, under many, many names. It's now a way of life for us, though.

Yeah, I thought I was eating vegan for a while, and a vegan friend of mine told me about all the "hidden" dairy in many of the products I was eating. Now, I try to eat vegan, but there are always those dairy products that sneak by me, so I am technically a lacto vegetarian.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
L I have noticed (in RL as well as AN) a few restricted diet folk (vegan, vegetarian, Atkins...) being condemnatory of other people's diets, but more often - with the exception of food police for fat people, which is a whole other thread - it seems to be omnivores declaring that exclusionary diets like veganism can't possibly be healthy/safe/sound, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

I considered going vegetarian for a while. The many I self-righteous vegetarians/vegans that I encountered changed my mind.

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