Vegan food for kids
Well-planned vegan diets are appropriate for all stages of childhood according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the British Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada. 'Well-planned' does real work in that sentence, and it comes down to six nutrients plus enough energy. These ten meals are built for small appetites and short attention spans.
Key facts
- Recipes
- 10 with full nutrition estimates
- Average protein
- 15 g per serving
- Fastest recipe
- 5 minutes
- Cheapest serving
- $0.35
10 of 10 recipes
Crispy bean nuggets
Baked, not fried, and dippable — the format does most of the work.
- Protein
- 14 g
- Kcal
- 320
- Time
- 35m
- Cost
- $0.80
Ingredients and method
- 2 tins cannellini beans
- 80 g oats, blitzed
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika
- 80 g breadcrumbs
- Oil spray
- Mash the beans, mix with oats, flax egg and seasoning until it holds shape.
- Form nuggets, roll in breadcrumbs, spray with oil.
- Bake 20 minutes at 200 °C, turning once. Freeze raw or cooked.
Banana oat pancakes
Three ingredients, no sugar needed, and children can make them with you.
- Protein
- 12 g
- Kcal
- 350
- Time
- 15m
- Cost
- $0.55
Ingredients and method
- 2 ripe bananas
- 120 g oats, blitzed to flour
- 200 ml fortified soy milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Blend everything to a thick batter.
- Cook small pancakes on a medium heat, 2 minutes a side.
- Serve with berries and a little maple syrup.
Butternut mac and cheese
Squash and cashews make the sauce orange and creamy without any cheese.
- Protein
- 16 g
- Kcal
- 520
- Time
- 35m
- Cost
- $1.20
Ingredients and method
- 400 g pasta
- 400 g butternut squash
- 80 g cashews
- 300 ml fortified plant milk
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp mustard
- Salt
- Boil the squash and cashews together until soft, about 15 minutes.
- Blend with the milk, yeast and mustard until completely smooth.
- Stir through the cooked pasta; bake 10 minutes with breadcrumbs if you want a crust.
Hummus and dipper lunchbox
Assembly, not cooking. Protein, calcium and something to dip.
- Protein
- 13 g
- Kcal
- 430
- Time
- 10m
- Cost
- $1.00
Ingredients and method
- 4 tbsp hummus
- 1 wholemeal pitta
- Carrot and cucumber sticks
- Cherry tomatoes
- Handful of grapes
- Small flapjack
- Pack the hummus in a small pot so it does not coat everything.
- Cut the pitta into strips.
- Balance the box: dip, dippers, fruit, and one calorie-dense item.
Golden tofu fingers
Crunchy outside, soft inside, and 20 g of protein in a shape kids recognise.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Kcal
- 380
- Time
- 30m
- Cost
- $1.20
Ingredients and method
- 450 g firm tofu
- 4 tbsp cornflour
- 100 ml plant milk
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder
- Oil spray
- Cut the pressed tofu into fingers.
- Dip in milk, then the seasoned cornflour-breadcrumb mix.
- Bake at 220 °C for 22 minutes until hard and golden.
Make-your-own veggie pizzas
Children eat what they build. Use a bean spread under the tomato for extra protein.
- Protein
- 17 g
- Kcal
- 470
- Time
- 30m
- Cost
- $1.10
Ingredients and method
- 4 small pizza bases or pittas
- Tomato passata
- White bean and garlic spread
- Vegan cheese
- Sweetcorn, peppers, olives
- Spread beans then passata over each base.
- Let each child choose their own toppings — this is the point of the recipe.
- Bake 12 minutes at 220 °C.
Pea and mint fritters
Bright green and slightly sweet — a rare vegetable most children accept.
- Protein
- 12 g
- Kcal
- 290
- Time
- 20m
- Cost
- $0.65
Ingredients and method
- 400 g frozen peas
- 100 g chickpea flour
- Small bunch mint
- 1 spring onion
- Lemon zest
- Oil for frying
- Blitz half the peas with the flour, mint and 100 ml water.
- Stir in the whole peas and spring onion.
- Fry small spoonfuls 2–3 minutes a side.
Berry smoothie lollies
Fortified soy milk in a shape that counts as a treat.
- Protein
- 5 g
- Kcal
- 110
- Time
- 5m
- Cost
- $0.35
Ingredients and method
- 400 ml fortified soy milk
- 300 g frozen berries
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Blend everything smooth.
- Pour into lolly moulds.
- Freeze at least 5 hours.
Lentil cottage pie
The Sunday dinner version: lentils under mashed potato, freezes whole or in portions.
- Protein
- 19 g
- Kcal
- 520
- Time
- 55m
- Cost
- $1.00
Ingredients and method
- 300 g brown lentils
- 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2 celery sticks
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp miso or yeast extract
- 1 kg potatoes
- Plant milk and oil for mashing
- Cook the lentils with the vegetables, purée, stock and miso for 30 minutes until thick.
- Mash the boiled potatoes with plant milk and oil.
- Top, fork the surface so it crisps, and bake 25 minutes at 200 °C.
What to get right
B12 is the one that is not optional
There is no reliable plant food source. Every vegan child needs a supplement or consistently fortified foods — typically 5–25 µg daily depending on age and formulation. Talk to a paediatric dietitian for the right dose.
Energy density beats bulk
A high-fibre diet can fill a small stomach before it delivers enough calories. Add nut and seed butters, avocado, hummus, olive oil and dried fruit, and do not push wholegrain versions of absolutely everything for under-fives.
Calcium and iodine need naming
Use calcium-fortified plant milks (check the pack — organic ranges often are not fortified) and remember iodine, which plant diets are frequently short of. Iodised salt or a supplement covers it; sea vegetables are too variable to rely on.
Serve familiar shapes
Children accept new foods faster in familiar formats. Lentil bolognese, bean nuggets, chickpea pancakes and pasta bakes do more for acceptance than a plate of unfamiliar vegetables, however good the nutrition on paper.
Questions people ask
Is a vegan diet safe for children?
Yes, when planned. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that appropriately planned vegan diets are healthful and nutritionally adequate for all life stages, including infancy, childhood and adolescence. The conditions are reliable B12, adequate energy, and attention to iron, calcium, iodine, vitamin D and omega-3.
How much protein does a vegan child need?
Roughly 1.0–1.3 g per kg of body weight for younger children, slightly higher than adults per kilo. A day of soy milk, peanut butter, beans or lentils, and a tofu or bean-based dinner comfortably exceeds this for most children.
Which plant milk is best for children?
Fortified soy milk is the closest nutritional match to cow's milk for protein and is generally recommended for over-ones. Rice milk is not suitable for under-fives in several countries due to inorganic arsenic, and almond and oat drinks are low in protein.
What do I put in a vegan lunchbox?
Anchor it with a protein: hummus and pitta, a bean wrap, peanut butter sandwich, edamame or a slice of chickpea frittata. Add fruit, a raw vegetable with a dip, and something calorie-dense such as flapjack or trail mix so the box is actually finished.
Other meal hubs
Data: USDA FoodData Central; McCance & Widdowson's The Composition of Foods · Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.
Keep exploring
Pages connected to this one across swaps, ingredients, nutrients and meals.