Vegan Nutrition with Marty Davey

Marty Davey is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition from Marywood University. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that the chemicals in American meat made them unsellable to Europeans. She and her husband have raised their son as a vegan. She teaches nutrition and has a private practice specializing in assisting clients transitioning to a plant-based regime step by step. Her website is martydavey.com

Are meat analogues an appropriate substitute for meat based baby food? Can you puree them the same way? My son is about the age to start 'meats' and I am adamant about his being raised without animal products, and his grandparents are raising a rather large stink about it, saying soy based meat substitutes won't meet his nutritional needs. His pediatrician is also being less than supportive and not very forthcoming with answers.

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I'm going out on a limb here. I am not supportive of meat analogs, however, not for the reasons purported by the grandparents and your pediatrician. I side with Dr. John McDougall on this. Let's start with answering your question.

Is there sufficient protein in these foods for my child's development? Yes. Soy has been declared a "total" protein by the American Dietetics Association. The grain, quinoa, has now attained the same status. Why not use mashed tofu?

Can you puree them in the same way? Yes. The grandparents referred to in your question are stating an old theory. I even heard a chef recently state that meat has essential amino acids not found in plant foods. People still believe you have to eat "complimentary proteins." These theories got their final coffin nail in the late 1980's, scientifically speaking, but people love to hold on to whatever makes them comfortable with their lifestyle. Even Dr. Benjamin Spock stated that a vegan diet was better for children than an animal based one. According to Dr. Michael Greger, MD, the American Pediatric Association stated how healthy a plant-based diet was versus a meat-based. There are whole generations of vegans. If you read VegNews, they had an article on families of intergenerational vegans.

In fact, here are some bonuses for vegan children:

They:

eat more fiber
eat more fruits and vegetables
have higher concentrations of all nutrients and minerals than their meat-eating buddies
have a lower risk for obesity and hypertension
have a lower risk for Type I Diabetes
have a lower risk for cardiac diseases
tend not to eat too much protein—too much protein causes calcium excretion through the urine and stresses kidneys

Anyone who, after finding out I'm a "V" word, asks me where I get my protein I know is clueless about nutrition. But, you have to love them anyway. So, you can be a snot and ask where do they get their fiber, or you can say, I get it from the same place those little animals like chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, horses, rhinos, giraffes, elephants and gorillas get theirs ? plant foods.

Back to the meat analogs.
Here's my problem with meat analogs. It is not, why-would-you-want-to-stop-eating-meat-and-yet-want-to-eat-fake-foods-just-like-what-you-eschew. It is soy isolates. By soy isolates I mean defatted soy flour, organic textured soy flour, textured vegetable protein, isolated soy protein, soy protein concentrates, and soy concentrates. I do not mean edamame, tofu and tempeh.

There have been studies showing that 40 grams of these foods can act like casein on cancer cells. Casein is a protein in cow's milk. If you want to grow cancer, just put some casein in your Petri dish with the cancer cells. It is a party. Personally, I don't need this. And the aforementioned 40 grams is the amount for an adult. One thing that we have learned from research on children is that they are not small adults. Due to the fact that they are growing, their nutrition needs and uses are different. So, I can't tell you how much is okay for a child. We don't have the research.

What is 40 grams of protein isolate? The web address listed below takes you to a table on Dr. John McDougall's website. This table will give you examples of 40 grams of protein isolates.

What about my kitchen? I have a few burgers that I use a couple of times a month. I have frozen soy hotdogs and deli slices around for my son's lunch when I'm pressed for time. My meatless loaf is made with a sausage product. But again, I use them sparingly. Not daily or weekly.

Many vegan dietitians have no problem with these items. In fact, they are encouraged because the products are fortified with B12 or other nutrients. I think it is better to use grain and legumes in their more natural state. The synergy of a whole food is lost when you break it down and process it into convenience merchandise. Nor do you need to create a palate for your child steeped in artificial textures and high sodium content. I know I repeat myself for anyone who has attended my presentations, but here goes—real food doesn't come in boxes.

The take home message: Get a copy of the VegNews article and Dr. Spock's book for your next meeting with these naysayers. Decorate your kitchen with jars full of different colored beans and grains. Have a field day with the different spices and cook books from around the vegan world.

Your child is embarking on the fantastic journey of food discovery-its colors, temperatures, textures, smells. You get to set the course. The most interesting journeys begin with thinking outside the box.

Everything you want to know about soy isolates: http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/pdf/pdf050400nl.pdf

Get your own personal nutrition consultation with Marty here.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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