The majority of the leading causes of death in the Western world (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer) start in childhood.
If we're serious about preventing these diseases, we need to start with our kids!
Here are some resources to learn how:
Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide: An informative and easy-to-follow plan to get you started.
Pediatric Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide: A child-focused supplement to the original Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide, which is filled with a tremendous amount of information and provides a wonderful summary of the benefits of a plant-based diet for children. Available for purchase or download
Available for free download and use.
Please credit the author.
Milk Comparisons Chart - compares the macronutrient makeup of breast milk, cow’s milk and various plant based milks.
Serving Sizes for Plant Based Kids - recommended serving sizes for each food group by age.
Feeding Vegetarian and Vegan Infants and Toddlers - handout from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They have other helpful articles on vegan and vegetarian diets for kids and teens on their website as well.
Nutrition for Kids: A Dietary Approach to Lifelong Health – A pamphlet on plant-based nutrition for children from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
Eating Well: Vegan Infants and Under 5s - A comprehensive resource from First Steps Nutrition out of the UK on vegan nutrition for kids.
Plant Based Juniors - PBJ’s was founded by Whitney and Alex, both dietitians and Moms. Their combined resources, articles and you tube channels offer a complete guide to plant-based prenatal and pediatric nutrition.
Healthy Human Revolution - Founded by Dr. Laurie Marbas, HHR offers educational courses, podcasts and lots of great resources on WFPB nutrition for the whole family. Downloadable articles include a cookbook for kids, a course on raising healthy eaters and a free article entitled ‘57 Tips To Get Kids to Eat Vegetables’.
The Ultimate Guide to Raising a Vegan Child - An online video series from Plant Based News (PBN), Dr. Gemma Newman, and family practice doctor in the UK and Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of PCRM.
The Doctor Yum Project - A nonprofit organization based in Virginia, founded by pediatrician Nimali Fernando to teach patients and families about the benefits of healthy eating.
Veggie Fit Kids - Started by Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster, a pediatrician, wellness coach and Food for Life Instructor. She practices out of Nourish Wellness in Yakima, WA.
Raise Vegan - The world’s largest online vegan pregnancy and parenting community. They offer a newsletter, articles, recipes, community support and more.
NutritionFacts.org – Dr. Michael Greger is a physician, author, and speaker who scours the world’s nutrition research to bring you free daily videos and articles that are excellent short summaries of the latest research on nutrition. Visit his Facebook page and sign up for daily emails.
Vegan Health - a project of Vegan Outreach. They have tons of evidence-based articles and summaries on the health benefits of a vegan diet, specific nutrient needs and other concerns. There is a whole section on pregnancy, infants and children. Vegan health is run by 3 vegan dietitians and experts in the field: Jack Norris, Ginny Messina and Reed Mangels.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – Led by Dr. Neal Barnard, this team of physicians, dietitians, and scientists work with policymakers, industry, the medical community, media and the public to “create a better future for people and animals.” They offer a free 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program based on Dr. Barnard’s research and also have a section on nutrition for kids.
Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center – Dr. John McDougall is a physician and nutrition expert who has studied, written and spoken out about the effects of nutrition on disease for over 30 years. He offers a free online program, nutrition app, Facebook page and more.
T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies – Learn about plant-based nutrition from the author of The China Study. You will find in-depth articles, educational courses, tons of recipes and other resources.
Forks Over Knives – This is the web site from the movie with the same name. They also maintain a Facebook page and have a great recipe app.
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease – Backed by the irrefutable results from Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.’s 20-year study proving changes in diet and nutrition can actually reverse heart disease. You’ll find news stories on diet and health, videos, testimonials and more.
Engine 2 Diet – Created by Rip Esselstyn, a former world-class professional tri-athlete, and the son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., this site is all about fully embracing tasty, nutritious, whole, plant-based foods without sacrificing energy, stamina or fitness.
Jeff Novick – Dietitian and nutritionist Jeff Novick’s insightful and humorous approach to nutrition and health has helped thousands worldwide make the transition to healthy living. You’ll find Q&As about plant-based nutrition and healthy living, DVD’s, articles, blogs and more.
The Plant-Based Dietitian – Julieanna Hever, RD is a passionate advocate of the miracles of a whole food, plant-based diet. She’s the host of Veria Living Network’s "What Would Julieanna Do?" and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition.
Naked Food – The Naked Food company offers everything from blog posts, interviews, a magazine available by subscription, Facebook page and cookbooks. All whole food plant-based nutrition!
Nourish: The Definitive Plant Based Nutrition Guide for Families – Dr. Reshma Shah and Brenda Davis, RD have written the most thorough and up to date overview of plant based nutrition for kids of all ages. It includes tons of practical advice for feeding your family and lots of recipes.
The Vegucated Family Table: Irresistible Vegan Recipes and Proven Tips for Feeding Plant-Powered Babies, Toddlers, and Kids – Raise happy and healthy plant-powered children with more than 125 family favorite recipes by Vegucated film creator Marisa Miller Wolfson, plant-based chef Laura Delhauer, and parents in the vegan community.
Healthy Eating for Life for Children – Put out by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), this excellent book presents a complete, sensible, plant-based eating plan for all ages, starting during pregnancy.
Dr. Attwood’s Low-Fat Prescription Diet for Kids – Dr. Charles Attwood lays out the benefits of plant-based eating for kids and includes a section on ‘kid tested’ plant-based recipes.
Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right – Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live, discusses how a whole food, plant-based diet prevents both diseases of childhood and the chronic diseases of adulthood. He also includes a chapter with kid-friendly recipes.
Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet – Dr. Michael Klaper published one of the earliest resources for vegans families in 1991! A practical guide to creating good health without the use of animal products during pregnancy, lactation, and in growing children.
Vegan for Life – A comprehensive guide for optimal plant-based nutrition. Registered dietitians and long-time vegans Jack Norris and Virginia Messina debunk some of the most persistent myths about vegan nutrition and provide essential information about many commonly asked questions.
Becoming Vegan – Many consider this the 'bible' of vegan nutrition. Internationally acclaimed dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina provide nutritional guidelines for every stage of life, including pregnancy and infancy.
The China Study – Drs. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas Campbell. An excellent overview of the evidence behind plant-based nutrition, including the groundbreaking China-Cornell-Oxford Project. For many people, this book is their introduction and spark to transition to a plant-based lifestyle.
The Starch Solution – Dr. John McDougall’s ground-breaking book dispels the myth that carbohydrates are the enemy and explains the benefits of a starch-based diet.
Proteinaholic – Dr. Garth Davis, a bariatric surgeon, explores our culture’s obsession with meat and protein and the health consequences.
How Not to Die – Dr. Michael Greger, founder of NutritionFacts.org, explains how the vast majority of premature deaths from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle.
Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples – by journalist John Robbins. This book explores the aspects of healthy aging across the world, including a plant-based diet.
Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes – Dr. Barnard explains that diabetes need not be a life-long chronic disease! Contrary to most medical advice, diabetes can be cured with diet.
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure – Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. Great review of the evidence of a plant-based diet to prevent, treat and even reverse heart disease.
Forks Over Knives – Documentary featuring Dr. Campbell and many other experts. A good summary of the research and the strong ties between nutrition and health.
Cowspiracy – Documentary focusing on the huge and unsustainable environmental impact of animal agriculture.
What the Health – The producers of Cowspiracy focus on the link between consumption of animal products and health and why haven’t we heard this before?! Featuring many experts in the field.
Food, Inc. – Oscar-nominated documentary looking at the US food industry and the effect of animal agriculture on the environment and human health.
Vegucated – Documentary following 3 meat and cheese loving New Yorkers as they adopt a vegan diet for 6 weeks in an attempt to improve their health.
PlantPure Nation – Documentary following activists, including Dr. Campbell, as they fight corporate lobbyists and promote and benefits of a plant-based diet.
Forks Over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue – Documentary featuring Rip Esselstyn, his firehouse and their experience with a plant-based diet.
Lindsay Nixon:
The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, Happy Herbivore Light and Lean, Happy Herbivore: Holidays and Gatherings, Happy Herbivore Abroad
Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook
Oh She Glows – Angela Liddon
The Vegetarian Diet – Julieanna Hever
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook - Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s wife, Anne, and daughter, Jane.
Dreena Burton:
Let Them Eat Vegan, The Everyday Vegan, Plant Powered Families, Vive le Vegan!, Eat, Drink & be Vegan
LeAnne Campbell:
The China Study Cookbook, The China Study Quick and Easy Cookbook
Naked Food Cookbook – Margarita Restrepo
Plant-Powered Kitchen – Dreena Burton is a mother of 3, cook and author with an excellent collection of realistic, easy, family-friendly recipes. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram to see pictures of the school lunches she makes for her girls. Join the Plant Powered Families Facebook group to connect with other families enjoying a WFPB lifestyle.
Forks Over Knives – Over 230 delectable plant-based recipes! Sign up for their email list and receive even more recipes.
The Happy Herbivore – Lindsey Nixon is another powerhouse in the plant-based recipe world. Lindsay posts tons of simple, easy-to-follow recipes on her blog for beginners and everyone else. She is always creating new ways to help people transition to a whole food, plant-based diet.
One Green Planet – With new daily recipes, they gather information from other websites based on theme categories like the best vegan cheesecakes and recipes for a vegan Thanksgiving. One caveat: many recipes might have oils, but they’re easy to modify.
The Engine2Diet – As a former firefighter and professional athlete on a plant-based diet, Rip Esselstyn provides a great resource for people who need healthy foods that provide lots of energy.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – Offers a delicious Recipe of the Week and includes a nutrient analysis for each one.
Plant Based Diets in Medicine – a compilation of research articles on plant based nurtition. Great for physicians and other healthcare providers.
Plant Based Data – Over 1000 peer reviewed articles organized into reference lists and cataloged by topic.
Plant Based Health Professionals – UK group with tons of resources, handouts and courses available on their website.
Lifestyle Medicine: A Brief Review of its Dramatic Impact on Health and Survival – article by Kaiser Permanente
Nutrition Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets – article by Kaiser Permanente
Podcast Episodes
Nutrition Rounds with Dr. Danielle Belardo - April 1, 2019
New Normal Project with Dr. Andrew Davies - Dec 3, 2019
Veggie Doctor Radio with Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster - Jan 12, 2020