Raising children is already a massive challenge—layering on a more restrictive diet only makes it tougher. Kids are picky by nature, and when you limit their food choices, it’s harder to ensure they’re getting enough calories and a broad enough variety of nutrients. The primary goal for children's diets should be simple: plenty of vegetation like fruits and vegetables first, then nuts, seeds, and sprouts if there are no allergies, and finally, animal protein when necessary.
Eggs are a great protein source for children, but adults should eat them in moderation to protect the liver. Cow’s milk, however, should be off the table completely—it weakens a child’s immune system, no matter how normal it’s made to seem in society.
When it comes to animal proteins like chicken, the modern food industry has turned it into one of the dirtiest, most toxic foods available. Chickens are raised in horrendous conditions, fed junk diets loaded with corn and chemicals, and pumped full of antibiotics. When you eat industrial chicken, you're eating everything they ate and absorbed at the time of their death. If you're going to eat animal protein, clean sourcing is non-negotiable—for your health, the animals' dignity, and the planet.
In an ideal world, infants would thrive on breastmilk for their entire first year. But breastfeeding is physically and emotionally demanding for mothers, and not everyone can meet that challenge. Those who can, however, benefit enormously: breastfeeding boosts oxytocin production, strengthens the parasympathetic nervous system, and creates deep emotional bonding.
As kids transition to solid foods, it’s important to introduce natural options like mashed avocado, apples, pears, peaches, and stone fruits—without immediately seasoning them with salt, sugar, or spices. Doing so preserves a child's natural, healthy relationship with food, rather than overstimulating their taste buds and setting them up for a lifetime of cravings and disordered eating.
One of the biggest roadblocks to a healthy child’s diet isn't the food itself—it's the grownups. If two parents don’t agree on a child’s diet (say one wants vegan, the other doesn’t care), it can turn into a major source of stress. From experience, rigidity only backfires: making food a battleground creates lasting emotional issues around eating.
When my first daughter was young, we hired a dietitian to help teach healthy eating at home. But her mother wasn’t interested enough to stick with it. Later, when I had my daughter on weekends, I relied on quick frozen foods (thank you, Amy’s) because she was already accustomed to a diet rich in animal products.
With my second daughter, it was another uphill battle—her diet was mainly pizza, cheese, and white pasta. I did my best to get healthier options into the mix, but negotiating every weekend was exhausting. Life became even more complicated with a blended family: vegan at one house, fast food at the other, constant flip-flopping of habits.
Finally, with our youngest, Nova, my wife and I were fully aligned. Nova has been raised vegan from the start, and although it's not easy, it's been worth it. Even on a vegan diet, you have to be extremely careful: too little fruit, too little variety, and the child will end up with deficiencies. Fruit, cooked starchy vegetables, and a wide array of plants must be central to a child’s diet for proper metabolism, immune support, and energy—not an obsession with protein or fat.
And about sugar—let’s be clear. We're not afraid of the natural sugar in fruits. What we are avoiding like poison is refined, highly processed sugar, which overstimulates children's nervous systems, pushing them into chronic stress and anxiety. The same hyperstimulated state that junk food causes can signal danger to a child’s brain, setting the foundation for future mental health issues.
As kids grow, food becomes more than fuel—it’s comfort, relaxation, stimulation. It shapes their moods, hormones, and mental health. Helping them build a healthy relationship with food is non-negotiable, and it starts early.
One big mistake parents make is thinking a "little bit" of junk food won't hurt. But it does. Giving a toddler candy or cake is like giving them a sip of alcohol—they’ll love the way it makes them feel, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless.
When we go to birthday parties, we bring a dozen vegan cupcakes to share—made with better ingredients whenever possible—to avoid isolating our child but still protect her body from garbage foods. It’s a compromise that works.
Modern life has made feeding kids properly feel confusing and overwhelming. But a few hundred years ago, there were no grocery stores packed with processed junk—kids ate whatever was available: breastmilk, grains, fresh fruits, and whatever the environment could provide. Now, surrounded by endless “choices,” we have to be even more careful.
It's not about going back to the Stone Age. It’s about filtering out the 70% of modern food that’s garbage. Your child’s diet should be rooted in simple, real foods, not entertainment disguised as meals. Junk food, cow’s milk, and refined sugars should be treated like the toxins they are—not casual indulgences.
Your child deserves better. You deserve better. And it’s not too late to start.