If you’ve ever sat in a pediatrician’s office clutching your baby, feeling 100% confident in your choice to raise them plant-based—only to walk out questioning everything—you are SO not alone. Been there, lived it, still living it.

When I first told my kid’s pediatrician that we were vegan from day one, I got the look. You know the one: eyebrows up, a concerned tilt of the head, and that little pause before the lecture starts. She said, “Well, we’ll have to keep a close eye on things. Kids really need milk for calcium and meat for protein.”

My stomach dropped. I’d done the research. I knew a well-planned vegan diet is perfectly healthy for kids. But in that moment? I felt like I was failing my child before I’d even left the exam room.

And it didn’t stop there. At every appointment, I’d get the same grilling. But the worst moment? When I glanced at my child’s medical record and saw “Vegan Diet” listed under Allergies. Wait, what?! I’m sorry, since when is choosing to eat plants the same as an anaphylactic reaction? That was my tipping point—the moment I realized that not only are many doctors misinformed, they’re also not exactly open-minded.

Why Are Doctors So Clueless About Vegan Kids?

Here’s the thing that blew my mind (and will probably blow yours too): doctors are taught shockingly little about nutrition in med school. Like, barely a semester worth. A study in the journal Academic Medicine found that U.S. medical schools provide on average 19.6 hours of nutrition education across four years of medical school. Let that sink in. Less than 20 hours. And when nutrition is taught, it’s often outdated or overly influenced by—you guessed it—Big Dairy and Big Meat.

So while my pediatrician was quick to warn me about my “risky” choice to raise a vegan child, she probably couldn’t have told me the iron content of lentils vs. beef if her life depended on it.

Myth-Busting: What the Science Actually Says

My inner researcher kicked in (because let’s be real, moms are basically private investigators when it comes to their kids), and here’s what I found:

• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics—the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals—says that “appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and older adulthood.” (source)
• A 2021 study in Pediatrics compared vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous kids and found that vegan kids had better heart health markers and were less likely to be overweight. (source).
• Cow’s milk? Not the miracle food it’s hyped up to be. Multiple studies have linked high dairy consumption in kids to increased risks of acne, ear infections, and even certain cancers later in life (source).
• And protein? Total non-issue. Beans, tofu, lentils, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, and seeds are all packed with plant protein that’s absolutely sufficient for growing bodies.

How I Navigated the Pushback

After the whole “allergy” fiasco, I knew I had to get more proactive. Here’s what helped me stay confident and advocate for my family:

1. I Switched Pediatricians: Yep, I fired my doctor. I searched for one who was either vegan themselves or, at the very least, respected our choice and keeps the convo evidence-based instead of fear-based.
2. I Came Prepared: At every visit, I brought a short list of my child’s daily food intake, plus any supplements (hello B12, D3, and a little omega-3). This instantly shut down a lot of the noise because… receipts!
3. I Set Boundaries: If the conversation started drifting into guilt-tripping or misinformation, I gently but firmly said, “I really appreciate your concern, but we’re confident in our plan and have done extensive research. Can we focus on today’s checkup?”
4. I Built a Support Network: Online groups, local vegan families, and plant-based dietitians became my lifeline. Because honestly? Community makes a huge difference when you’re going against the grain.

The Deeper Problem: Close-Mindedness

It’s one thing for doctors not to know. It’s another thing entirely when they aren’t open to learning. I get it—medicine is a high-stakes job, and no one wants to recommend something they don’t fully understand. But brushing off decades of solid research just because it’s not the “norm” is, frankly, lazy and dangerous.

When my daughter started school, her health forms still listed “Vegan Diet” under allergies, despite my best efforts to correct it. I ended up writing a letter myself explaining that this is a lifestyle choice, not a medical condition, and attached references from reputable medical organizations. It shouldn’t be this hard—but here we are.

The Payoff: Thriving Plant-Based Kids

Fast-forward a few years, and guess what? My kid is thriving. We’re talking off-the-charts healthy: strong, energetic, rarely sick, and (bonus) a total veggie-lover. Our meals are colorful, balanced, and fun—think rainbow wraps, lentil stews, and the best homemade vegan mac and cheese you’ve ever tasted.

When people (and yes, still some doctors) express concern, I now smile and say, “We’ve got this covered.” Because we do.

Final Thoughts

If you’re raising plant-based kids—or thinking about it—know this: you’re not crazy, reckless, or depriving your child. You’re raising them with intention, compassion, and a ton of thoughtfulness. And while the system might not be fully caught up yet, you’ve got science—and a whole lot of badass parents—on your side.

And to the pediatricians out there? We love you, but it’s time to hit the books. Our kids deserve nothing less.