Bringing Up a Vegan Baby: Meet Angelina

Angelina and her mother Anna in Cambridge, England (Dec. 2008) [photo by Sirirat Lim]

Angelina has been vegan since birth and is a very happy, healthy and contented child. She is pictured here at twenty months with her mother, Anna.

Both of Angelina's parents are vegan and they wanted to give their daughter a good, healthy start in life by avoiding products from the slaughterhouse and the dairy industry. So Angelina does not eat meat, fish or any animal by-products.

“Although cow's milk is great for calves,” says Angelina’s father, Roger, “we don't think it’s a suitable food for human beings.”

Anna's pregnancy went well and she had no problems with the birth. In fact, Angelina was born at home and was drinking her mother's milk within ten minutes of her arrival. She was breastfed exclusively for the first seven months of her life and then solid food was gradually introduced.

“Angelina enjoys her food and loves her fruits and vegetables,” says Anna.

“She is a particular fan of apples, bananas, pears, goji berries, avocados, grapes, cucumbers, courgettes [zucchini], tofu, rye bread, hummous, quinoa, rice, potatoes, pasta, broccoli, fruit bars, vegan yoghurt and vegan ice cream.”

As well as not consuming meat, fish and dairy products, the family also avoids the use of leather, wool and other animal-based materials. Angelina wears comfortable, cruelty-free alternatives and, as you can see here, her shoes are very fashionable!

Vegan shoes for small children are not that easy to find in Britain, so Angelina’s Hungarian grandmother, who is the former deputy manager of a shoe factory near Budapest, had the two beige, leather-looking pairs of shoes in the picture made especially in Hungary.

Roger and Anna are very happy about their decision to bring up their daughter on the vegan diet.

“Veganism is a philosophy based on respect and compassion,” says Roger.

“It is a lighter and more loving way of life, and teaches children to respect other animals and the world around them. And through loving and respecting others, we feel that Angelina will also learn to love and respect herself.”