Vegan kids are more than OK – ignore misleading headlines

A new study comparing children on different diets has been widely misreported in the press. The Daily Mail and the Telegraph ran alarmist headlines suggesting that vegan children are “shorter and skinnier” than their meat-eating peers. In reality, the research paints a far more positive – and reassuring – picture.

The study found that vegan and vegetarian children have healthy growth patterns, typically leaner body compositions and lower cholesterol levels. They tend to eat more fibre, fruit and vegetables and consume fewer unhealthy fats and processed foods. These are the very habits that support lifelong health.

Minor variations in average height or body mass index (BMI) were blown out of proportion by the media. Let’s remember that a lower BMI means a healthier weight range, not a problem – especially when excess weight and childhood obesity are soaring public health concerns in the UK. The researchers themselves warned against discouraging plant-based diets, highlighting that a balanced diet, including vitamin B12, can make vegan children thrive.

Far from being complicated, a balanced vegan diet is straightforward for busy parents with everyday fortified foods and an abundance of plant-based options. It supports kids’ wellbeing while reflecting values of compassion, sustainability and responsibility to the environment.

The real bad news is sensationalist journalism that distracts from the genuine problem: a food industry that promotes unhealthy meat, dairy and ultra-processed products instead of celebrating healthy, plant-rich meals. Vegan children aren’t ‘missing out’ – they’re simply growing up nourished by foods that protect their health and the planet.