Researchers Assess Health Risks and Benefits of Vegan Diets in Kids

As more families adopt meat-free meals for health, ethical, or environmental reasons, questions linger about their impact on growing bodies. Children need precise nutrients for bone development, brain function, and energy. This study compared lacto-ovo-vegetarians (7,280 kids including dairy/eggs), vegans (1,289 excluding all animal products), and omnivores (40,059 eating meat) across growth, nutrient intake, and health markers from 59 studies worldwide.

Researchers pooled data on everything from height and BMI to cholesterol levels and vitamin status. Vegetarian kids ate more fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium than meat-eaters, but lower energy, protein, fat, B12, and zinc. Vegans faced even steeper shortfalls, especially in calcium, iodine, and B12 without fortified foods or supplements. “B12 levels were inadequate without help, and vegan calcium intake was particularly low,” noted co-author Dr. Jeannette Beasley from New York University.

Despite gaps, plant-based kids shone in health metrics. They had lower total and LDL cholesterol—key for heart protection—and were leaner, with reduced BMI, fat mass, and body weight. Vegetarians were slightly shorter with lower bone density, while vegans showed similar trends, but overall growth remained normal when diets were balanced.

While cross-sectional studies limit some conclusions, the evidence supports plant-based eating as viable—and potentially superior for hearts—when thoughtfully managed. Families get the green light, but with a clear roadmap to avoid pitfalls.

REFERENCE: Sofia Lotti, Giona Panizza, Daniela Martini, Wolfgang Marx, Jeannette M. Beasley, Barbara Colombini, Monica Dinu. Lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan diets in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of nutritional and health outcomes. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2025; 1 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2025.2572983