Hi! Its been a while since my last post. I took a break during the holidays while my whole family was in town and hoped to get back to writing the week after New Years. And then—we got the flu. We are back on the mend though and it’s time to get back to business! Please forgive my late New Year’s Resolution themed post—at least its still January!
Its been one year since I made the decision to switch myself and David (and the majority of Irving’s meals) to a plant based diet. It has been a year filled with questions—both from myself and others. One year in, though, after lots of research, reflection, and listening to our bodies, and I feel confident that we made the right decision.
Having fun at the park, collecting leaves!
Our initial push to make a plant based switch was based on some concerns that David might have some dairy allergies. He’s been vegetarian since conception, and when he was about 6 or 7 months old we started introducing dairy products. After every exposure he would have hives covering his face. Seeing this happen a few times made the choice pretty easy for me. I was going to give veganism a shot. And once I got the hang of it, it really wasn’t very hard. At least at home. Dining out was another story, but I feel comfortable with that now too!
Here’s David at 9 months old eating some cow’s milk yogurt.
The redness around his eye developed within 30 minutes of eating the yogurt. He got hives wherever dairy came in contact with his skin.
I’ve heard some funny comments over the past year, and I’m working on patient, kind responses. I was once told “I have no problem with those who feed their kids a vegan diet as long as they can do it healthfully.” Kind of supportive (I know that was the intent), but does that imply that the typical child’s diet of chicken nuggets and mac and cheese is healthy? Or maybe that just suggests that eating a diet of processed veggie nuggets and French fries isn’t healthy (I agree)!
I’ve also been cautioned about giving David too much fruit because the sugar and acidity might be hard on his tummy—while at a kids’ party where the other kids were eating hot dogs and cheese. While it’s true that some fruits are more acidic than others, I’m not worried that David will eat too much fruit to the point where he is sick.
Others have been concerned about David’s growth, and would he get enough calories and fats for brain development. I have to admit that a year ago I wondered the same thing, but still proceeded cautiously. Now I look back and think how silly it was to wonder if David would be able to meet his nutritional needs on plants alone. After a year of reading and researching, and simply observing my little buddy I am confident that he is healthy and eating the best foods for him. One example—he often turns down cookies in favor of fruit! Really? Is this my baby? Our bodies really do know what is best for us, and if we listen to them, we will make good choices. I think that might be my New Years’ Resolution this year—to try to eat more like David, substituting fruits for desserts, and eating less sugar all around. I think he’s on to something.
Here’s my healthy, happy, almost 2 years old vegan baby at the park last week! I’m looking forward to his 2 year well check in 2 weeks and I’ll update this post then.
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