As a mother of three, I am very familiar with talking to a pediatrician about raising children on a plant-based diet. Here are a few tips I found useful when discussing plant-based eating with your pediatrician.
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If possible, find a pediatrician who is open to the concept of plant-based eating or, better yet, is a plant-based eater already. There are several websites that list plant-based doctors including:
https://www.plantbaseddoctors.org/
http://www.vegdocs.com/
http://plantbaseddocs.com/ -
If your doctor is not plant-based, don’t assume they will automatically be against how you choose to feed your children. You can tell them about the recent AMA (American Medical Association) resolution in June 2017 that requested “United States hospitals to improve the health of patients, staff and visitors by providing a variety of healthful food, including plant-based meals, and meals that are low in fat, sodium and added sugars,” and for hospitals to “eliminate processed meats from menus.”
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If they are concerned that your child will not be getting the nutrients they require, point them to either NutritionFacts.org or PCRM.org. Both are websites run by medical doctors that provide the latest research on plant-based nutrition. Provide your pediatrician with the website and ask them to do a little research about their concerns. Most doctors have fewer than 10 hours of nutritional training when in medical school and as a result, are not informed about the science behind plant-based eating.
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Finally, listen first to their concerns before you respond and keep everything in a positive light. Your responses may actually lead them to a plant-based diet!
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