What My Plant-Based 2-Year-Old Eats in a Day

 

When Baby V was 16-month-old, I wrote this post about what she eats in a day. Well, my baby girl is now 2-years-old (cue the mom sobs) and she’s grown up and changed so much since that post that I wanted to give an update on what she’s eating these days!

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Goodbye nursing

The major change since my first post is that Baby V is no longer nursing. She weaned at 19 months, and that was a major change for us for many reasons, one of the biggest being that we no longer had nutrient-packed breastmilk to rely on for her to get all her vitamins and healthy fats in.

Without breastmilk, I had to start paying extra attention and making sure her diet was filled with protein, fats and a variety of vitamins- but this wasn’t really difficult because Ross and I eat a very well-rounded diet (hello, all the colors!) and she eats what we eat!

The weaning process was very slow and drawn out for us. At the end, she was only nursing for a minute or two in the morning and/or at night, and she would ask for sippy cups of almond milk during the day, so there was no dramatic transition to milk “substitutions.” I did notice that as soon as she stopped nursing, she started asking for high-fat foods like avocado and coconut yogurt, which makes sense because breastmilk has so much fat. Isn’t it amazing what we can learn when we listen to our cravings??

Hello, hungry girl!

With breastmilk out of the picture and Baby V getting older and bigger, she started eating way more food! Some days it seems like she eats just as much as Ross and I do, and there have been times where I’m truly astonished that she’s asking for seconds and thirds at dinner. Usually that goes along with her taking longer naps and sleeping later in the morning (yay!) so I know it’s part of a growth spurt.

We also have days where she’s totally disinterested in food and has a very small appetite. I never stress if she doesn’t want to eat because it could be from any number of reasons that she’s not able to express. She usually looses her appetite when she’s teething, and she seems to lose interest in eating when she’s really tired.

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Her meals & schedule

Over the past 2 years, Baby V’s daily schedule and mealtimes have shifted more times than I can count. We went through a major transition this summer when we moved to our new house and Baby V started school. Her naps, night sleep and meal schedule went completely haywire (aka she didn’t sleep or eat enough and we were all very frazzled), but we’ve fallen into a new routine and everyone is very happy now.

Here’s what her day and meals look like at age 2:

Wake-up: 6:30- 7:00am (She’s always been a 5:30am wake-up kind of gal, and I pray to the toddler sleep goddess that we can stick with 7am!!)

Breakfast: 7:30am

Morning Snack: 10:00am

Lunch: 12:00pm

Nap: 1:00-3:00pm

Afternoon Snack: 3:30pm

Dinner: 5-00- 6:00pm (On days where she’s really active she often gets hungry earlier and asks for dinner closer to 5pm.)

Bedtime: 7:00pm

Baby V does really seem to love having a routine, and I think it makes her feel secure when she knows what’s usually going to happen throughout the day. Now, I’m realistic that this schedule could change any day! In fact, I’m sure we’re going to be thrown for a MAJOR loop when Baby #2 arrives, so I’m really trying to savor these last few months where I’m only juggling one kid’s schedule!

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What she eats

For the most part, Baby V eats what Ross and I eat. I don’t believe in making “kid food” because kids are people too! I am SO not about cooking multiple meals for a dinner that we’re all going to sit down to together. I’ve learned that she really does want to eat the same thing that Ross and I are eating, which makes sense because she’s learning all about how the world works from us and she seems to spend a lot of energy observing us and trying to do the things that we do.

That said, there are definitely some foods and flavors that her little palette does not seem to be ready for. She doesn’t like anything spicy, and there are still a lot of textures that she has trouble chewing, like sautéed kale or many raw vegetables.

Here’s a rundown of her favorite meals:

Breakfast

Weekday breakfast- we pretty much always have smoothies and/or oatmeal for breakfast during the week. They’re just too easy! The ingredients change with the seasons, but we’re very much creatures of habit in our house.

• Smoothies. She LOVES smoothies and starts talking about wanting a “smoo smoo” as soon as she wakes up in the morning. I take advantage of this, and use her daily smoothie as an opportunity to get tons of nutrients in. For now, it seems that I can throw anything in- raw greens, flaxseed, chia, beans- as long as theres a little fruit to sweeten it up. Lately we’ve all been loving this pumpkin pie smoothie and I always add a handful of greens to it.
• Oatmeal. Ross makes oatmeal almost every weekday morning. At the very minimum, we top it with yogurt, peanut butter and banana, but Baby V’s favorite iteration is this carrot cake oatmeal.

Weekend breakfast 

• Yogurt with fruit. She loves this cashew yogurt and this coconut yogurt.
• Waffles. We all love these everything bagel waffles (Baby V is still unsure about the carrot “lox) and these cornbread waffles.
• Pancakes. I make these for her with blueberries instead of chocolate chips. I’ll even throw cooked lentils or quinoa into the batter for extra protein and she still loves them.
• Tofu scramble- we also love it for dinner!

Lunch

Baby V is at school for lunch 3x per week. Scroll to the next section for a peek at what I pack her for school!

If it’s not a school day, we usually go out to a restaurant for a lunch date together 1x per week (it’s really cute!), and she’s always a very adventurous eater at restaurants! She loves restaurants as much as her mama, and she’s always happy to try anything I order for us.

If we’re at home, lunch is usually leftovers from last night’s dinner or a sandwich.

Dinner

• Pasta- Baby V and Ross LOVE their pasta. We usually use chickpea or brown rice pasta, and we’ll keep it simple with marinara sauce or make sweet potato mac n cheese.
• Hearty Soup- Baby V really likes thick pureed soups (like hummus soup and spinach soup), and I’ve found that they’re a great way to get veggies in that she normally doesn’t like the texture of (like broccoli).
• Sweet Potatoes- My girl will eat sweet potatoes in any shape or form. I always roast a big batch of sweet potatoes to keep ready in the fridge incase we need something to eat extra quickly. For an easy meal, I’ll stuff roasted sweet potatoes with lentils and avocado and drizzle tahini on top.
• Chili- Baby V loves beans, so chili is always a big hit. Here’s my super easy crockpot chili (I keep the spice level low for her), and we also do the sweet potato chili from my cookbook all the time.
• Anything with lentils- I’m thrilled that Baby V is thrilled by lentils since they’re such a great way to get protein and fiber in. We’ll often make a lentil bowl with whatever roasted veggies we have around.
• Tofu- She seems to like tofu most ways I prepare it (especially the baked tofu from my cookbook), but she’s not quite a fan of tempeh yet, unless it’s crumbled into something like chili.
• Veggie Burgers- I’m always experimenting with different veg burger recipes, and they’re almost always a hit with Baby V. Some go-to’s are this lentil mushroom burger and the harvest burger from my cookbook. I also keep Dr. Praeger’s burgers in the freezer as a backup dinner!

Snacks

• Fruit- any kind!
• Freeze dried fruit (these bags have saved me many times)
• Avocado toast
• Raisins
• Hummus and carrots
• Crispy chickpeas- I either make these savory with salt, garlic and onion powder or sweet with cinnamon. Just toss the chickpeas with spices and a little olive oil, then roast at 400°F until crispy!
• Blueberry and Apple Pie Larabars

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Want to see the exact recipes that my entire family loves? Click here to download my free guide, 40 Toddler-Approved Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner!

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School Lunch

I mentioned above that Baby V has lunch at school 3 days a week. Here are a few photos I shared on Instagram Stories (see this highlight for even more!) showing her lunch.

As you can see, it’s usually some combination of a sandwich (her school is peanut-free so I usually do something with almond butter/fruit preservers or avocado/hummus), leftover roasted vegetables and fruit, and the small jar is her snack. We’ve got a lot of sweet potato and apples because it’s the season, but all summer her lunch was filled with berries!

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Q+A

On Instagram, I asked if you have any questions about what Baby V eats or cooking for a plant-based family. Here are the Q’s with my answers!

Q: How do you get your child to eat veggies without hiding them in food?

A: I don’t make a big deal about the veggies being different than anything else on her plate. Ross and I try to lead by example, so she sees us eating and enjoying vegetables and doesn’t seem to think they’re any less exciting than anything else.

Since she started with solids, I’ve always had the mindset that I would offer her a variety of flavors and textures and let her explore them at her own pace. I’ve found that even if she doesn’t want to try something at one meal, she’ll eventually get curious about it if it keeps showing up on our plates and she sees us eating it.

That said, there are some vegetables that she’s really not into at moment. She seems very weirded out by the texture of broccoli, so that’s one that I end up pureeing into soups, etc. I really don’t stress if she refuses something beause I think it’s all part of her growing and learning!

Q: Do you feed her any cheese/dairy substitutes?

A: She LOVES yogurt! We do a lot of cashew and coconut yogurt (I like these two brands since they’re super delish and aren’t loaded with sugar). She also loves homemade vegan cheese (like cashew cheese) and we do store-bought vegan cheese in moderation. Her favorites are Daiya’s smoked gouda, Kite Hill chive cream cheese and anything from Miyoko’s.

Q: What do you do if Baby V refuses to eat what you give her?

A: I try to take a deep breath and chill! Of course, it’s frustrating when she doesn’t want to eat something I just spent time making (or worse- when she dumps her plate over!) and I know she’s going to be hungry, but at this age it’s often unclear why she’s refusing things. She may be teething or not feel well and not have the words to express it. Or she may just not be hungry!

If she refuses something, I usually do not offer her something different. That’s a habit I don’t want to form! An exception to this is if she genuinely tries something new and I can tell she really just doesn’t like it.

Q: How do you deal with unsupportive extended family when it comes to veganism?

A: I’ve been vegan for so long now (11 years!), that any issues family members had in the early days are long gone, and luckily we haven’t had to deal with any criticism or unwanted opinions about what Baby V eats.

When I first stopped eating animal products, I had some family members give me a very hard time. It ranged from them making fun of me for eating “weird bird food” to expressing genuine concern that I wouldn’t be able to get all the vitamins and nutrients. Over time, they saw first hand that I actually ate a huge range of food, and they watched my health improve dramatically. They also tried the food I cooked and realized it was totally delicious and I really wasn’t depriving myself! It took a few years, but everyone in my life is totally supportive of the way that our family eats.

If I did have people in my life voicing unwanted opinions about what they think Baby V should be eating, I would treat it the same way that I’ve learned you have to treat most things with parenting: block out everyone else’s opinions and listen to your gut about what you think is best for your child.

Q: How do you ensure they get enough probiotics?

A: Just like me, Baby V LOVES fermented foods! I don’t worry about supplements because we eat tons of fermented foods that are naturally full of probiotics. Baby V loves sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha and yogurt.

Q: Is she 100% vegan, and will she continue to be when she is older?

A: As of now, she is 100% vegan. As she gets older, I plan to continue educating her about why I choose not to eat animal products, and let her make her own decisions about what she wants to eat.

I’m realistic about the fact that at some point she’ll probably get curious about the food that her friends eat and want to experiment with non-vegan foods. I never want her to feel like she has to lie to me about eating something that’s not vegan or feel any shame about food! I certainly hope she’ll want to join me in following a plant-based diet, but I’ll be accepting of her decisions no matter what.

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Now I’d love to hear from you! In the comments, add your questions or share your kid’s favorite plant-based meals so we can get even more ideas for dinner!