Vegan Swaps For Kids: The Best Alternatives In Hong Kong To Tackle Allergies & Dietary Requirements

Private chef Divya Butani, aka The Veggie Wifey, shares her insight on the best vegan alternatives on the market for kids with allergies or dietary requirements.

While some nay-sayers question whether vegans get enough protein, the growing tribe of elite athletes who vouch for veganism may disprove that. Sometimes, due to serious food allergies, intolerances or trying to avoid the hormones and additives associated with eating meat, many families increasingly incorporate more vegan options into their meal plans.

Only three per cent of Hong Kong’s population are vegetarians or vegans as per a survey in 2020, but that number is rapidly growing. As a newbie to the plant-based lifestyle, it can be stressful to find healthy alternatives for traditional diet staples. Many alternatives to dairy, eggs and cheese are highly processed with several hidden additives that can do more harm than good for growing tummies. With 1 in 20 children in Hong Kong reported to have a food allergy (and that number seems to be rising), it’s time to be cautious about what kids consume.

To help support your family’s wholesome plant-based diet, here are kid-friendly vegan swaps that are accessible, affordable and healthy.

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Vegan Alternatives to Milk

There are an abundance of plant-based milks available in the market right now, with great options derived from rice, soy, oat, pea and nut milks.

When choosing plant-based milk for your children, it is important to look at the ingredients and choose one that is high in fat and protein — macronutrients essential for their growth and development. Additionally, some plant-based milks tend to use less of the main ingredient and put in additives to bind the ‘milk’ together. Watch out for ingredients like xanthan gum or guar gum as these are highly processed binding agents and have shown to cause some laxative effects in children.

I usually use fortified, non-GMO soya milk because it ticks most of the boxes in terms of taste, nutrition, accessibility and affordability. It is also the most versatile of the lot. When making vegan mayonnaise, it creates the same thickness as dairy milk. The next best alternative would be pea milk as that also has a good protein content, and is higher in calcium than regular dairy milk.

Making your own milk at home may be an option too. However, you should be mindful that some alternatives like cashew milk are not very high in protein, fat or calories for toddlers.

Read More: Children’s Food Allergies: Early Signs And How to Manage

Vegan Alternatives to Eggs

Depending on what you’re making, you may need egg substitutes. For example, a vegan ‘omelette’ or pancake can be made using chickpea flour, salt, water and veggies. This is a high protein alternative that is tasty too.

When baking cakes, there are a few substitutes that are child-friendly. For cupcakes, mashed bananas provide the best texture. For baked goods like brownies or cookies, pureed apricots are a good alternative. If you’d like to make these more nutritious for your children, grind one part chia or flax seeds and mix it with two parts water. These seeds are high in omega-3, calcium and iron. I would avoid applesauce as the store-bought variety have added sugar and several preservatives.

For lighter, fluffier cakes, using two parts arrowroot powder with three parts water is a nutrient-rich alternative to eggs.

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Vegan Alternatives to Yoghurt

Out of all the ones I have made my kids try, they love the texture of a light, creamy and slightly sweet coconut yoghurt most. Cocobellas is my go-to brand for vegan yoghurt, and you can add it to anything you need yoghurt for. They have natural, vanilla and mango flavours available in Hong Kong.

You can also make your own by scooping the white flesh of a fresh coconut (the coconut ‘meat’) and place it in a blender with a little of the coconut water. This creates a creamy, yoghurt like texture to replace dairy yoghurt. You can read more details here and see how I used this yoghurt to create delicious treats for the kids.

Other options like soy yoghurt are good alternatives, but are not widely available around many locations in Hong Kong.

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Vegan Alternatives to Cheese

Out of all the vegan alternatives, this is the hardest to substitute for kids because store-bought vegan cheese is extremely processed. Vegan cheese also has many additives and preservatives to provide its cheese-like flavour and shape.

In the vegan world, nutritional yeast is a well-known cheese-flavour substitute with a boost of nutrition. It is important to know that there are two types of nutritional yeast: fortified and non-fortified. Fortified nutritional yeast includes synthetic vitamins during the manufacturing process to increase nutrient content, while non-fortified nutritional yeast contains all the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals from the cell growth during fermentation. When making a purchase for your family, it is best to use the non-fortified nutritional yeast.

If you’d like to try vegan cheese, stores like Foodcraft, Neighbour Green and Vegan Market have extensive cheese varieties for you and your family to try.

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Vegan Alternatives to Butter

Like cheese, vegan butters are highly processed and can contain a lot of unnecessary ingredients for children. It can also be very high in sodium. Most vegan butters use a blend of canola, coconut or sunflower oil with some artificial flavouring and preservatives. There is also not an extensive variety of affordable vegan butters in Hong Kong.

For most recipes that call for butter, you can easily use oil as a replacement. The general rule of thumb would be one part butter to ¾ oil, and 1:1 when using coconut oil. The healthiest oils to use for children are ones that have a high smoke point, not very processed and low in saturated fats. Avocado oil, olive oil, sesame and flaxseed oil are some of the most suitable oils to support heart health, especially in growing children.

Having said that, oil should always be consumed in moderation and deep-fried foods for children (and yourself) should be limited.

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Alternatives to Nuts

This is essential for kids who have nut allergies. The most common allergens amongst children in Hong Kong are milk (including cheese and chocolate), eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, soy and wheat. Most schools have now adopted a nut-free policy to help protect those who have serious nut allergies.

To create the same crunch without nuts, I created a seed spread for my children that contains sunflower and pumpkin seeds. These two seeds are extremely high in protein, especially when roasted, and contain good fats for the kids. You can also use these seeds as a replacement for any recipe that calls for nuts.

Read More: Recipes For Picky Eaters: Snacks That Are Easy To Make & Eat

A Vegan Pasta Recipe That Your Kids Will Love

Most kids love pasta because of the generous oodles of cheese and butter. What can you make for a child who wants to or needs to follow a vegan diet?

Try this vegan pesto pasta. The vegan substitute for parmesan is nutritional yeast, and I’ve used Thai basil instead of Italian basil to get a different flavour profile. It’s easy to make and kids gobble it up (they don’t even mind the hidden veggies!) without missing the sprinkled cheese. Give it a go and let me know what you think!

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