Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

I have a two year old son who will not eat most food. He is still nursing, but my milk is drying up so I fear he is not getting a whole lot from me. I have researched all the websites and books on picky eaters and have spent hours looking at different menu ideas. None of these suggestions work for him, he just simply does not like food. I know how to cook and bake so I am certain it is not due to how I prepare the food. I worry about his growth and weight gain, he has remained at the same weight now for a year. He is in the 25th percentile for both height and weight and looking at my and my husbands baby books I can see that he is much smaller then we were and my daughter. I know kids grow at different rates, but when do we start considering it might have something to do with nutrition? Its important to note that he was a big baby, almost 9 pounds. He gained weight quickly and was quite fat off my breast milk. Once he became mobile he obviously slimmed down a whole lot, but is he getting enough nutrients to grow correctly with my dwindling milk supply? I don't want to feed him dairy, but he does not seem to like any of the vegan sources for protein, iron and calcium. What does a vegan do in this situation?

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In this situation, any caring parent, as you obviously are, should take the child to a pediatric expert to determine if your son has Failure to Thrive (FTT). Rest assured, FTT has many possible causes or no obvious cause at all, and a vegan diet does NOT predispose a child to this condition (in fact, intolerance to milk protein HAS been implicated as a possible cause). Some children simply don't like to eat; they have small appetites, they prefer doing other things, or they are easily distracted. Other children might experience discomfort upon eating (due to a gastrointestinal condition or other problem) and refuse food to avoid pain. There are other possible causes as well.

A FTT expert can help figure out reasons (if any) for your son's low intake, and can help you develop strategies that work for the family, designed to get your son's growth back on track. Because low nutrient intake is a cause for concern in growth and development, please make that appointment sooner than later.

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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