num_pages: 109
description: Vegan parents-to-be will be inspired and reassured by Dr. Klapers compelling, well-documented arguments in support of veganism during pregnancy, lactation, and childhood. For me, the most valuable part of the book was the extensive collection of parents' stories and photographs of healthy, happy children. Dr. Klaper provides not only helpful food guides (to replace the omnivorous "4 Food Groups") but also details food sources of nutrients which may be of greater concern to vegans (protein, iron, calcium, B12). I would have liked to see a discussion of how to cope with "morning" sickness (for me it lasted all day) and finicky toddlers. Why do books for omnivores say "don't worry if all you eat is soda crackers for the first trimester" or "don't worry if your toddler eats nothing but Cheerios for a week" but books for vegans make it seem like we must always eat a widely varied, perfectly balanced diet? Because this is an older book, some of the advice (e.g. breastfeeding, use of juices, introduction of solids) does not reflect current knowledge. This book is still definitely worth having on hand, but I would suggest supplementing it with the more recent _Becoming_Vegetarian_ by Vesanto Melina et al. Thanks to Dr. Klaper's encouragement, I resisted pressure to feed my baby meat. He is now a tall, intelligent, healthy, sturdy, lively, loveable two-year-old, and vegan!
language: English
title: Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet
titlecomplete: Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet
genres: Vegan, Vegetarian, Nutrition, Parenting
ratings_count: 12
publisher: Gentle World