Vegetarian And Vegan Weaning: What To Watch

We've taken the guesswork out of feeding your baby! Here are four yummy and easy to prepare vegetarian recipes for babies starting on solids.

A vegetarian weaning diet is entirely workable. A vegan one is workable too, with more attention, and there’s one nutrient where getting it wrong causes serious, sometimes permanent harm.

Vitamin B12 is the one you can’t leave out.

It occurs naturally in animal foods only. A baby weaned onto a vegan diet without a reliable B12 source, either a supplement or fortified foods eaten consistently, can develop a deficiency that causes lasting neurological damage.

Breast milk supplies B12 only if the mother’s own levels are adequate, so a vegan mother needs to be supplemented too.

If you’re raising a baby vegan, see a paediatric dietitian. This isn’t a formality. It’s the difference between a well-planned diet and a serious risk.

Getting enough iron

From around six months a baby’s own iron stores run low, and this is the point at which iron intake becomes the most important thing on the plate.

Plant iron is absorbed less efficiently than the iron in meat, so quantity and pairing both count.

Sources: lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, iron-fortified infant cereal, dark leafy greens, hummus, ground seeds.
Pair with vitamin C at the same meal: a little fruit, tomato, or capsicum. This substantially improves absorption and is the single most helpful habit here.
Watch for tiredness, pallor or poor feeding, and ask for a blood test if you’re concerned instead of assuming.

The rest of the checklist


Nutrient	Where from
Calcium	Fortified plant milks (in cooking under 1), calcium-set tofu, tahini, leafy greens, dairy if vegetarian
Vitamin D	A supplement. This applies to almost all babies here, vegan or not: indoor life and sun avoidance mean deficiency is common even on the equator
Omega-3 (DHA)	Ground flaxseed, chia, walnut butter; algae-derived DHA supplements for a vegan diet
Zinc	Beans, lentils, tofu, ground seeds, wholegrains
Iodine	Dairy and eggs if vegetarian; otherwise needs specific attention: discuss with a dietitian
Protein	Lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, ground nuts and seeds, plus eggs and dairy if vegetarian

The problem specific to plant diets

Plant foods are bulky. A baby’s stomach is small, and a diet built on vegetables and pulses can fill them up before they’ve taken in enough energy, which shows up as poor weight gain in a child who appears to be eating plenty.

The fix is to raise the energy density:

Add oil: a teaspoon of olive or rapeseed oil stirred into a purée or mash
Nut and seed butters, smooth and thinned
Avocado, full-fat yoghurt if vegetarian, coconut milk in cooking
Don’t go low-fat. Babies and toddlers need fat, and adult healthy-eating rules don’t apply to them

Milks

Breast milk or infant formula remains the main drink until 12 months. Plant milks aren’t a substitute, including soya, oat and almond.
Soya infant formula exists but should only be used on medical advice.
Small amounts of fortified plant milk in cooking are fine from around six months.
Rice drinks shouldn’t be given before five because of arsenic content.
After one, fortified soya milk is the closest nutritional match if dairy isn’t being used. Check it’s unsweetened and fortified with calcium.

Easy first foods

Lentil dhal, mild and mashed: cheap, iron-rich, and most babies like it
Tofu fingers, firm tofu cut into strips, lightly pan-fried without salt
Hummus without added salt, on toast fingers
Mashed avocado and banana
Steamed sweet potato, carrot and broccoli sticks, soft enough to squash between finger and thumb
Iron-fortified baby cereal with fruit purée for the vitamin C
Well-cooked pasta with a bean and tomato sauce

The usual safety rules still apply

No added salt under one, and no honey under 12 months
Whole nuts are a choking hazard until five. Nut butters, thinned, are the way to give nuts
Introduce allergens early, one at a time, from around six months
Always sitting upright, never unattended

Frequently asked questions

Is a vegetarian diet safe for a baby?

Yes, with attention to iron, and it’s straightforward if dairy and eggs are included. A vegan diet is also possible but needs more planning, and a paediatric dietitian is recommended, not optional.

What’s the most important nutrient to get right?

Vitamin B12 on a vegan diet. It occurs naturally in animal foods only, and deficiency in a baby can cause lasting neurological damage. It needs a supplement or consistently eaten fortified foods, and a vegan breastfeeding mother needs supplementing too so that her milk supplies it.

How do I make sure a vegetarian baby gets enough iron?

Offer lentils, beans, tofu, iron-fortified cereal, dark leafy greens and ground seeds daily, and pair them with a little vitamin C at the same meal: fruit, tomato or capsicum. That substantially improves absorption. Plant iron is less well absorbed than the iron in meat, so both quantity and pairing matter.

Why is my vegetarian baby not gaining weight?

Often because plant foods are bulky and fill a small stomach before enough energy has been taken in. Raise the energy density with a teaspoon of oil stirred into purées, smooth nut butters, avocado and coconut milk in cooking. Don’t use low-fat foods. Adult healthy-eating rules don’t apply to babies.

Can I give my baby plant milk?

Not as a main drink before 12 months: breast milk or infant formula only. Small amounts of fortified plant milk in cooking are fine from around six months. Rice drinks shouldn’t be given before five because of arsenic content. After one, unsweetened fortified soya milk is the closest nutritional match to dairy.

What are good first vegetarian foods?

Mild mashed lentil dhal, tofu fingers, unsalted hummus on toast, mashed avocado and banana, steamed vegetable sticks soft enough to squash between finger and thumb, and iron-fortified baby cereal with a fruit purée alongside for the vitamin C.

What to remember

Vegetarian weaning is straightforward. Vegan weaning needs a dietitian. That’s a real recommendation, not a disclaimer.

B12 is the one that causes lasting harm if missed. Iron is the one that needs daily attention, paired with vitamin C at the same meal.

And add fat. Plant diets are bulky, and a baby can fill up before getting enough energy.