Is a vegan diet appropriate for infants/toddlers when they start solid foods, and can they thrive on it? 

Although I do give my son meat on occasion it isnt something they need. As long as you are providing other sources of protine your baby can most certainly thrive! My son is 31 lbs at 18 months and his meat intake is VERY rare. He is healthy and happy and developing normally so if thats the choice you want to make for your baby go for it!

Christine, just a note worthy disclaimer from the 2nd website: 

"Although not for everybody, a vegan diet does indeed have many health benefits, and if planned appropriately, it can be a healthy diet for children. Parents, especially if they are vegans, can feel reassured that they can raise their kids to be vegans too. The article mentions that children raised on a vegan diet are 'sick less often' and that the breast milk of women on a vegan diet is 'void of many toxins and pesticides,' and that this may give 'a vegan baby an even better chance for short and long term health.' These comments are the opinions of the author and have not been confirmed by medical or scientific studies. The purpose of this article is more to teach parents on how to safely raise a child as a vegan and not to convert all parents to this type of diet.......health benefits led Dr. Spock to recommend a strict vegan diet for all children over the age of 2.  This proposal created a lot of controversy, but not because experts disputed the health benefits of a vegan diet, but rather because they thought that parents might not take enough time and effort to plan a vegan diet that included enough calories, minerals and nutrients to ensure optimal growth in their children. Some areas that you should pay special attention to if your child is on a vegan diet include:....."

Dr. Spock - I would suppose that that's Dr. Banjamin Spock.  He's a well known pediatrician and author. He's got quite an interesting bio, doesn't he?

Erin Pavlina (author of the article), the psychic?

Caroline Sawtell wrote:

Thank-you for the links Christine.

My husband & I are vegetarian and we are not planning to introduce meat to baby.  Right now, he is only 10 months old. So far, his main source of protein (other than what he gets in breast milk) is from a small yogurt portion he eats each day. Initially he liked pureed beans, but has recently stopped eating them. I have also tried to introduce tofu but with no luck yet (he just closes his mouth and shakes his head). I'm sure that this will sort itself out eventually as his taste buds and tummy develop with age......but does anyone have fun / interesting ideas on how to introduce meat alternatives to pre-todlers / todlers? 

That's a very good question, esp for that baby age.  Have you tried Tempeh? I think there's lots of it in the health food section. Have you tried TVP's (Textured Vegetable Protein) yet.  Its like an all around item for any vegetarian dish, I would suppose.  My in-laws prepared some traditional Buddhist dishes from it and it was good!  Maybe your little one would like it too.

First, it’s important to know how much protein they need.

I believe babies up to 1 year should get about 15 g of protein a day.

Healthy 1-to-3-year-old children need 0.55 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, which means the average 29-pound toddler needs 16 grams of protein each day. That's the guidlene now : min 16 gramms.

That’s not that much so it’s very easy to achieve without having to give meat. While on formula, they get enough anyway.

I am raising my babies vegetarian, they have always been very “big” for their age and even now at 13 months my daughter is 26 pounds and my son is 25lb. They are very healthy as well, so I think it’s a misconception,  and there are plenty sources of protein.

A chicken breast contains 21 g of protein while a cup of lentils almost 30!!!

This is what I feed mine so far:

Lentils: Contain 40g of protein in a cup (192g). High in iron and dietary fiber too, lentils are easy to prepare. Taste amazing when pureed and very smooth. Also taste awesome when combined with sweet potato.

Chick Peas: Contains 18g of protein in a cup (164g). Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are delicious if you mash 'em up.

Quinoa: Contains 22 g of protein in one cup (cooked). Cook quinoa just like rice and eat it as a replacement for rice. It will take about 10-20 minutes to cook and it will plump up nicely. Use 1 cup of quinoa grain per 2 cups of water. Sooo good with some tomato sause.

Tofu: Contains about 20g of protein in a 1/2 cup (126g). Tofu has almost no taste of its own, it combines well with either fruit or vegetables to make a creamy puree. Great with mashed banana or cooked pear.

Also almonds, bagels, cheese, oats, Yogurt...

Hope this helps ,

Oh and for iron, for now I just feed rice cereal which has 100% of daily recommended dose in just 5 tbs.