Children can eat vegetarian and grow as they should, if the diet is planned around four things: iron from pulses and wholegrains with vitamin C alongside, protein from eggs, dairy, beans and tofu, B12 from dairy products or a supplement, and vitamin D drops as for all children. Here is what is needed, and twelve vegetarian dinners children actually eat.
More and more families eat vegetarian a few days a week or entirely, and more and more children come home from förskola (municipal preschool, from age one) saying they do not want to eat animals. Both are fine. It takes a little more thought than meat and potatoes, but not much, and most of the thought is keeping beans in the house.
Four things to keep an eye on
| Nutrient | Why | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | Children grow and need a lot; a shortage causes tiredness | Lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, wholegrain bread, oats, pumpkin seeds, fortified cereals. Vitamin C alongside, milk not alongside. |
| Protein | A building block, but harder to run short of than you would think | Eggs, milk, yoghurt, cheese, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts and seeds (ground for small children) |
| B12 | Only found in animal foods | Milk, cheese, eggs. Fully vegan children need a supplement, always. |
| Vitamin D | Bones, immune system | Vitamin D drops for all children as advised by BVC (the child health clinic every family is enrolled in), fortified milk and plant drinks, oily fish if the child eats fish |
Omega-3 is also worth a mention: rapeseed oil in cooking, and walnuts or linseeds for those old enough. And energy: vegetarian food is often less energy-dense, so small children need fat in their food, oil, butter, avocado, nut butter.
Energy and portions
What most often goes wrong with small vegetarians is not the protein, it is the energy. Vegetables, lentils and wholegrains fill you up quickly on a small amount, and a two-year-old who is full after half a decilitre of lentil soup has not had what they need. The answer is fat and density: a knob of butter in the porridge, oil in the soup, cheese on the pasta, avocado on the sandwich, an extra egg. And more meals: snacks do more of the work in a vegetarian diet than in one with meat. How much a child needs at each age is in our guide to Food for children.
Twelve vegetarian dinners children like
- Pancakes. With cottage cheese and berries. Protein, calcium, no arguments.
- Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese. Lentils in the sauce if you like; they disappear.
- Tacos with beans. Black beans or kidney beans instead of mince, same spices. The children build their own.
- Vegetarian meatballs. Ready-made from the freezer, with pasta and ketchup.
- Cheese omelette. Five minutes. Bread and cucumber on the side.
- Lentil soup with bread. Red lentils, carrot, stock, blend until smooth. Children eat blended what they will not eat in pieces.
- Falafel in pitta bread. Ready-made falafel, yoghurt sauce, cucumber. Finger food.
- Quesadillas with beans and cheese. Fry, cut into triangles.
- Rice pudding (risgrynsgröt). Milk, rice, cinnamon, apple sauce.
- Pasta with broccoli and parmesan. Oil, lemon, done.
- Pizza with cheese and sweetcorn. Ready-made base, the children add the toppings.
- Chickpea stew with coconut milk and rice. Mild, creamy, yellow. Works from age two.
A week that adds up
| Day | Dinner | What makes it complete |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pasta with lentils in the tomato sauce, grated cheese | Iron from the lentils, pepper sticks on the side for the vitamin C |
| Tuesday | Tacos with beans | Sweetcorn, cucumber and tomato mean the children take vegetables without thinking |
| Wednesday | Cheese omelette, bread, cucumber | A quick day. The egg provides B12 and protein. |
| Thursday | Lentil soup with wholegrain bread and butter | The butter and bread provide the energy the soup lacks |
| Friday | Pizza with cheese and sweetcorn | It is Friday. It does not need to be healthy. |
| Saturday | Chickpea stew with rice | The coconut milk provides the fat, the rice fills them up |
| Sunday | Pancakes with cottage cheese and berries | The children's favourite at the end of the week, so there is something to look forward to |
Breakfast and snacks
Dinner is only one of five meals. Oat porridge with butter and milk, fil (Swedish soured milk) with muesli, egg on a sandwich and wholegrain bread with cheese do more for iron and protein over a week than any dinner. A good vegetarian snack is a wholegrain sandwich with cheese or hummus, a bowl of yoghurt with nuts or seeds for children over four, or a boiled egg sandwich. Water to drink, so that milk does not crowd out iron absorption at mealtimes. More ideas in our guide to Breakfast for kids.
Vegan: what is different
Without eggs and milk, the simplest sources of B12, calcium and protein disappear, and then they have to be actively replaced: a B12 supplement always, fortified plant drinks and fortified yoghurt instead of dairy products, tofu, beans and lentils every day, and more fat than you would think. Livsmedelsverket (the Swedish Food Agency) says a vegan diet can be given to children, but that it requires planning, and for children under two the margins are small. Talk to BVC before you start, not after, and ask for a referral to a dietitian if they offer one.
Förskola
Most förskolor offer vegetarian food if you ask, often without a certificate. Vegan may require a conversation with the kitchen. Ask what they serve in a normal week, so that you know what your child has had before dinner.
Common mistakes
- Replacing the meat with nothing. Pasta with tomato sauce is not a vegetarian dinner until there are beans, lentils, egg or cheese in it.
- Milk with the meal. The calcium in milk inhibits iron absorption. Water with dinner, milk with breakfast.
- Talking about it. Children who are told the food is healthy, vegetarian or high in protein eat less of it. Serve it, say nothing.
- Too little fat. Vegetables and pulses are lean. Oil, butter, cheese and avocado are not cheating, they are part of the diet.
- Buying supplements instead of asking BVC. Vitamin D drops, yes. The rest after a conversation.
How we do it with our families
Several of the families we work with eat vegetarian, and the nanny cooks according to the family's diet without making a thing of it. She knows there are beans in the tacos on Tuesdays, and she does not tell the children it is healthy. Denise, who has been with us since February 2024, makes the lentil soup while the five-year-old sits on the counter pouring in the lentils, because a child who helped cook eats what was cooked. She puts out pepper sticks on the side, not because a table says so, but because that is what the child reaches for first. On the note she writes what was eaten and what was left over, so the parents know what is needed for the evening snack.
Would you like a nanny who comes the same days every week and whom the children know? Book a free first meeting with the nanny in your own home, and we will work out a quote for your hours.
Read more: Food children actually like · Food for children · Constipation in children · Prices
Frequently asked questions
Can children eat a fully vegetarian diet?
Yes, with a little planning. What matters is iron, protein, B12 and vitamin D. Lacto-ovo vegetarian, with eggs and milk, is easy. Fully vegan requires a B12 supplement and ideally a conversation with BVC or a dietitian, especially for children under two who need a lot of energy in a small volume.
Where do children get iron from without meat?
Lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, wholegrains, green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds and fortified cereals. Eat something with vitamin C alongside, such as pepper or orange, and the iron is absorbed better. Avoid milk right at mealtimes, as it inhibits absorption. Water with meals and milk at breakfast and the evening snack solves it.
Do vegetarian children need supplements?
Vitamin D drops like all children. If your child does not eat dairy products or eggs, B12 is needed. Iron only if BVC has found a deficiency. Ask BVC; they follow up with weight and height and can take a blood test if they are unsure. Do not buy supplements on your own initiative for a child who is growing as they should.
What is the easiest vegetarian dinner children like?
Pancakes, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, tacos with beans, vegetarian meatballs, omelette, lentil soup with bread. Most children do not notice the difference unless they are told it is vegetarian, and those who are told rarely care as long as the food looks the way it usually does.
What do we do if our child suddenly refuses to eat meat?
Take it seriously and keep it simple. A child who has decided not to eat animals should not have to defend it at every dinner. Swap the mince for beans in the dishes you already cook, make sure eggs and milk stay in, and tell the förskola. Most children who choose vegetarian do it out of compassion, and that is worth meeting.