Ask the Expert Series: Veganism for Kids and Adults 101

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Hi! I think the fact that evidence based research has repeatedly shown that human beings can have a fulfilling, disease free long life if they eat a well balanced plant based diet and keep away from animal products should be considered here. Moderation is subjective. It means different quantities for different people. To give an analogy, smoking in moderation (let us say, just 1 cigarette a day) for many years might not cause us lung cancer but we still consider it as an unhealthy practice because we are never sure when it might become a need of the mind rather than our body. Animal products have been shown to be addictive in several research. Meat, cheese, eggs when eaten, even in moderation, tend to become a part of our habit rather than what really our bodies need. Coming to the belief that animals are on earth so that humans can eat them, I would like to bring your attention to how and why these animals come here. In today's factory farming practices, farm animals are artificia

The journey of a parent trying to teach their children good habits is long and sometimes very tough. Convincing them to not eat what is not good for them and the planet might seem like an uphill task in the beginning. It is important for parents to motivate them in the right manner and not force them into anything. There are many videos and books available online which you can show to your children to help them understand the many sides of veganism. You can take a look at Bite Size Vegan on Youtube. It has some amazing stuff which are interesting and very kid friendly. But before all of this, I recommend 3 things that one must do to make sure that their children are on board: Practice what they preach! So eat how you want your children to eat. Make delicious, healthy vegan dishes available for them to try. And go slow with it. On the first day, you offer them some spinach leaves and expect them to lap it up then that will not happen. Expect failures and continue trying. It is wort

Hey Chervy :) It is true that vegans, children and adults alike, sometimes face problem with food availability at restaurants, airports, flights and even at private parties. At such junctures, it is totally up to the individual what they prefer to do. For example, when I was 8 months pregnant with my first child I had to take flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. The flight did not offer services to pre-book meals. Since the flight duration was really short, I did not think much. However, due to bad weather the flight got delayed by about 4 hours after we had already boarded the flight. I was pregnant and needed to eat but the airline offered chicken and fish only. After a thought or 2, I opted for rice with chicken curry and I ate it. I could not bite the meat pieces because that made me sick but I mixed the rice and curry! Similarly, when my daughter faces a situation where there is no vegan option available like at a friend's birthday party, she decides what she

Yes. A well planned vegan diet is not just safe but probably the best for growing children. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also deduces that vegan diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle. It specifically points out that pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence are included in this claim. The specific nutritional requirements for growing children can easily be met with planning, something that is always highly recommended from physicians and nutritionists.

Hi Jessica.. a variety of vegetables should be made a part of our daily diet - starchy veggies (like sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, green peas etc) and non-starchy veggies (brocolli, dark leafy greens, bell peppers, long beans etc). It is important to note that like every other diet, a vegan diet needs proper planning and the right balance of food belonging to each category from Whole grains, Legumes, Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts and Seeds. We can get all the nutrients, including vitamins and minerals (except vitamin B12 which is taken as supplement by vegans), in optimal amounts and reap the wonderful benefits of a vegan diet when we consume food belonging to each of these categories and eliminate all animal products as well as limit processed food from our diet. I hope i answered your question.

No. Adults and children who follow a well balanced vegan diet get all the nutrients they require in ample quantities for a healthy and strong body. DHA is normally fortified in eggs but they are found in certain fish like Salmon and Sardines. However, it is important to understand that focusing on just 1 or 2 nutrients in isolation in any food - while not taking their side effects into consideration can be dangerous in the long run. Eggs are extremely high in cholesterol. According to research, eating 1 egg is as bad as smoking 5 cigarettes as far as life expectancy is concerned. You can take a look at my website where I talk more about it. https://www.vegankeno.com/why-no-eggs

My post workout meals are high in nutritional value like protein and antioxidents. I would normally have a salad with with black beans or chickpeas, grilled tofu slices, mixed greens or cooked vegetables, a small bit of chia seeds with a cashew cream dressing. Sometimes I might take a green smoothie and after half an hour or so a high protein meal like I mentioned earlier. :)

Yes the movie received massive fan following from atheletes which is amazing news :)