We adopted an alkaline vegan diet about 5 months ago when I found out my mother was ill. I wanted to change my own eating habits to a much more healthier alternative all while being a motivation to my mother so that she can find it easier to adapt to the change as well in order to improve her own health. While transitioning I bumped into a few hurdles along the way because I happen to have small children in the home as well as older ones that can be quite picky. Here are some tips to get them to transition to a vegan diet with ease.
Include your little ones in meal preparation
When you let your children take part in the preparation and cooking process not only does it allow them to learn life skills that they can take with them in the future, but it also gives them a deeper appreciation for the food being prepared since that took part in creating it. Most children are eager to help out and learn how their meals are prepared. It’s a learning process as well as another way to spend time with your little one. My youngest children love helping out in the kitchen and when I’m getting ready to prepare meals they rush to the kitchen asking if they can help. It is such a joy to see them so happy and willing to learn and help out.
Give them “guided” choices
This one is really simple but often overlooked. Allow your little ones to pick the meal, but instead of asking “What do you want for dinner?”, which often leads to unhealthy selections such as “pizza!” for instance. I normally give them guided options. So instead of asking “What do you want for dinner? I ask “Do you want mushroom meatloaf or native stew?” Once the meal is decided then go back to tip #1 and let them help you prepare it.
Educate them
This works best with older children, but you can also tailor it to a smaller child’s understanding. Try explaining to your little ones why eating a vegan diet is better and give them examples of why. I like to use youtube as a source of information as well as explaining it. We sat down and watched a few videos explaining how beneficial an alkaline vegan diet is vs a traditional one and this really helped a ton.
Prepare kid-friendly vegan meals
When I first started this lifestyle I remember trying a breakfast quinoa bowl recipe I found online. My children did not like it very much. The recipe was clearly tailored to an adult’s taste palette. Since that dreaded day, I have since discovered Ty Conscious Kitchen as well as Blended Abode. Both of these bloggers have excellent recipes that are kid friendly and I especially love Ty Conscious recipe ideas because they are tailored for a larger family.
I hope this helps anyone struggling to get their little ones to transition. If you found this helpful or have any questions concerning transitioning your children to a plant-based diet please leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you.
