January sees the return of “Veganuary”, the annual not-for-profit campaign encouraging and supporting people worldwide to try vegan diets in January, and throughout the year. But is it possible to meet the nutritional needs of babies, toddlers and pre-school aged children on a vegan diet? Dr Vicky Sibson, Director of First Steps Nutrition Trust shares expert advice drawn from their guide ‘Eating well: vegan infants and under-5s’.
It remains rare for young children in the UK to be vegan; e.g. a nationally representative survey of England conducted in 2023 found only 1% of 16–18-month-olds to be vegan (while 3% were vegetarian and 2% pescatarian). However, if desired, in high income countries like the UK where food is plentiful and there is a wide range of options available to ensure a complete diet, it is perfectly possible for infants and children to get all the nutrition they need from a plant-based diet alongside appropriate supplements. That said, it does take a lot of thought and careful planning.
The NHS suggests: “If you’re bringing up your baby or child on a vegan diet, you need to ensure they get a wide variety of foods to provide the energy and vitamins they need for growth”.
In typical UK diets, some essential nutrients are provided primarily by animal foods. Therefore, vegans must make sure they have adequate amounts of some unique foods that supply these nutrients or choose fortified foods or supplements.
Vegan diets can be safely given to infants and children providing that care is taken that all nutritional needs are met. Using fortified foods and some supplements will be essential.
In infancy, breastmilk provides all the nutritional needs in the first 6 months of life, as well as health benefits which cannot be replicated by formula milks, and breastfeeding is the normal way for all infants to be fed. Breastfeeding is recommended to 2 years and beyond. As a precautionary measure all breastfed babies are recommended to have a vitamin D supplement (vegan supplements are available). It is likely that parents who choose a vegan diet will be keen to breastfeed their children, and parents should be fully supported in this choice. All breastfeeding women should take vitamin D daily (vegan supplements are available) and vegan mothers who are breastfeeding should also make sure they include sufficient vitamin B12 and iodine in their diet, either through suitable foods that contain these nutrients or from a supplement.
There are no vegan infant formulas approved for sale in the UK. While soya formula was once recommended, this is judged unsuitable for use under 6 months of age and is no longer available. Plant-based formula milks can be purchased from overseas and at least one if now available in UK pharmacies, but these are either not in line with UK regulations or are intended for use under medical supervision by formula fed babies who are not able to drink standard infant formula due to allergy.
At First Steps Nutrition Trust, we provide a suite of practical, photographic ‘eating well’ guides for professionals supporting pregnant and breastfeeding women and families with babies and children up to 5 years of age. Among these is the resource: ‘Eating well: Vegan infants and under-5s’, which we updated in December 2025. This guide provides expert, practical advice for parents and carers raising their babies and young children on vegan diets. It is also relevant to early years settings needing to cater for these dietary requirements for babies and young children in their care. It shows the sorts of foods, and amounts of foods, that will meet the nutritional needs of the under 5s on these special diets.
The resource contains:
- a summary of the key principles of eating well for vegan infants and 1-4 year olds
- some example meals and finger foods to show how the nutritional needs of vegan infants can be met
- example breakfasts, snacks, savoury meals and desserts for 1-4 year olds, with recipes for the dishes shown in the photos, and
- additional useful information for anyone supporting vegan under-5s.
Our updated guide reflects the latest advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on plant-based drinks and from NHS on commercial baby foods, and the current retail offer for formula milks, plant-based drinks and supplements.
Do’s and Don’ts for parents considering a vegan diet for their baby.
DO carefully consider making a vegan choice for babies and young children and seek advice on vegan dietary choices and supplementation from a health professional.
DO provide a variety of foods to replace milk, meat, fish and eggs, not just soya-based products. A wide range of protein sources should always be offered.
DO seek specific advice from a health professional on vegan supplements to ensure appropriate use and dosage.
DON’T use a plant-based formula milk without medical supervision and take great caution buying infant formula on the internet that is not approved for use in the UK.
DON’T give under 1s plant-based milk alternatives to drink, and DON’T give young children sweetened or unfortified plant-based milk alternatives. This includes any organic products.
January 2026
Dr Vicky Sibson, Director, First Steps Nutrition Trust
To download a FREE PDF copy of our guide ‘Eating Well: Vegan infants and under-5s’ or any of our other 12 Eating Well guides, visit our shop. Donations are welcome. This guide and other selected Eating Well guides are also available for sale as hard copies in our shop.
For more information on vegan diets and lifestyles see https://www.vegansociety.com/.