Is a vegan diet safe for children?
The short answer
Professional bodies differ. The BDA supports well-planned vegan diets at every age, while ESPGHAN’s 2025 review finds evidence on normal growth inconclusive. Children following a vegan diet need dietetic support, B12 supplementation and regular monitoring.
The claim
“Children need animal products to grow properly. A vegan diet risks stunting and deficiency.”
Why this question comes up
- Rare but widely reported cases of malnourished children on badly planned diets.
- Growing children have high nutrient needs relative to their size.
What the evidence says
The Academy’s 2025 position covers adults only. DGE’s 2024 position makes no recommendation for or against vegan diets in children because evidence is limited.
Studies of vegan children find growth generally within normal ranges but sometimes slightly lower height and weight, and lower B12 and vitamin D status where supplements are not used.Source 1: How prevalent is vitamin B12 deficiency among vegetarians?Source 2: Vegan diet and nutritional status in infants, children and adolescentsSource 3: Vegetarian Dietary Patterns for Adults: A Position Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsSource 4: DGE position on a vegan dietSource 5: Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diet
Weighing the claim
What is true about the claim
- Serious harm has occurred in children fed restrictive diets without supplements, particularly around B12.
- Children's small stomachs and high needs make a bulky, low-energy diet a real risk.
What may be misleading
- Reported cases almost always involve neglect of basic planning, not a well-managed vegan diet.
- Children on unrestricted diets also commonly have deficiencies, for example of iron and vitamin D.
What remains uncertain
- Long-term outcomes for children raised vegan from birth; studies are small and short.
Bottom line
A vegan diet can be safe for children when parents plan it, supplement B12 and vitamin D, and get advice. It should not be done casually.
Evidence strength
Why this rating: Professional positions differ; the underlying studies of vegan children are small and long-term evidence is limited.
Some relevant studies exist but they are small, indirect, short-term or conflicting. The direction is plausible; the size of the effect is not settled.
Claims behind this answerEach claim has its own record with rating, methodology and sources.
Vegans need vitamin B12 from supplements or fortified foods; without one, deficiency is common and can cause lasting harm.
Yes. This is the one nutrient a vegan diet cannot supply on its own. A cheap supplement solves it.
Sources
Each source links to our record of what it found, its limitations and what we used it for, with a link to the original.
- 1How prevalent is vitamin B12 deficiency among vegetarians?
Roman Pawlak, Scott Parrott, Sudha Raj et al. (2013). Nutrition Reviews.
- 2Vegan diet and nutritional status in infants, children and adolescents
ESPGHAN Nutrition Committee (2025). .
- 3Vegetarian Dietary Patterns for Adults: A Position Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2025). .
- 4DGE position on a vegan diet
German Nutrition Society (2024). .
- 5Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diet
British Dietetic Association (2025). .
A note on health information. This page summarises published evidence for a general audience. It is not medical advice and cannot account for your circumstances. If you are changing your diet with a health condition, during pregnancy, or for a child, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.