3 Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for Children

Today, we're going to show you the best options to prepare vegetarian and vegan recipes for children, without neglecting their nutritional needs.

We’re going to show you a series of vegetarian and vegan recipes for you to prepare for your children, while still offering them a varied and nutrient-dense diet. Even so, it’s best during the first stages of life to avoid dietary restrictions in order to ensure the correct growth of little ones.

Therefore, if you want to start your children on a vegetarian or vegan diet, the first thing you should do is visit a nutrition specialist. It’s key to assess the nutritional situation of each one before implementing this form of feeding and then develop the most appropriate plan for your children, with the necessary supplements.

Having said all this, we’ll bring you 3 delicious and nutritious vegetarian and vegan recipes for children that you can add to the table. Take note!

Vegetarian and vegan recipes for children

Next, we’ll show you the best vegetarian and vegan recipes for children. They’re easy to prepare and contain a good amount of antioxidants and essential nutrients, all of which are key to development.

1. Hummus

Hummus provides many high-quality minerals. Among them, iron stands out, an element whose regular intake has been shown to reduce the risk of developing anemia in the medium term. In any case, it’s always advisable to consume it with a dose of vitamin C in order to enhance its absorption.

The ingredients you’ll need are the following:

• 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas
• 3 tablespoons of tahini
• 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• Chopped parsley
• Powdered sweet paprika
• Cumin powder
• Black pepper
• Salt to taste

First of all, you’ll have to peel the garlic clove. The central part is removed with the knife before placing the clove in the pitcher of a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Put a little broth from the chickpeas, spices, and salt, and mix everything well. The goal is to make a thick paste, but if you want to lighten the texture, just add a little more broth.

2. Pumpkin Soybean Soup

Seeds are an excellent source of fiber and this element improves the health of the digestive system, as evidenced by research published in the journal Nature Reviews. It’s important to cover the daily fiber requirements to avoid constipation and even reduce the risk of developing inflammatory diseases.

In this case, the following ingredients will be necessary:

• 4 1/4 cups of water
• 4 1/2 ounces of soybean seeds
• 7 ounces of pumpkin
• 2 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 leek
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Parsley
• Black pepper
• Salt

The elaboration is very simple. You have to start by washing the vegetables well before cutting them into cubes. Immediately afterward, water is heated in a pot and all of them are incorporated here, with extra virgin olive oil, parsley, black pepper, and salt.

Once the water boils, lower the temperature and let it cook for 30 minutes. After some time, it will be ready to consume, although it can also be passed through a blender to improve consistency.

3. Mushroom cream

Mushroom cream is a dish that is generally well-accepted by little ones and stands out for its concentration of antioxidant compounds. These elements help prevent the development of complex diseases and also block inflammatory mechanisms.

The necessary ingredients are the following:

• 17 1/2 grams of mushrooms
• 1 1/4 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 ounces of milk or cream
• 1 small onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

To begin with, you have to wash the mushrooms and fungi well (pay attention in order to correctly remove the remains of dirt). To continue, the stem part is removed and the onion is chopped. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the onion to fry for a few minutes.

Then, the mushrooms and fungi are added. Stir continuously so that they don’t burn. Once they release the water and reduce their size, pour the broth and let it cook for 10 or 15 minutes over high heat. All that’s left to do is puree the result with a blender and then return it to the pan, add the cream, and stir slowly to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Prepare vegetarian and vegan recipes for children

As you’ve seen, there are several vegetarian and vegan recipes for children that can be prepared for your family’s menu with a few ingredients in a short amount of time. They have many essential nutrients and several antioxidants, which is why they’re considered healthy. Of course, you’ll need to introduce them in the context of a varied diet.

To finish, keep in mind that the vegan diet is usually lacking in certain elements such as iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and even protein. Therefore, it may become necessary to supplement with pharmacological preparations to avoid deficiencies that interfere with the growth or development of little ones. Be sure to talk to a specialist before putting your child on a vegetarian or vegan diet.