Counter Argument

As studies show, a vegan diet is appropriate for at all stages of the life cycle, however, some nutritionists say that vegetarian diets do not provide proper nutrition for children and may lead to serious health problems or cause a death. Nina Planck’s article published in the New York Times says that protein deficiency is one danger of a vegan diet for babies. Furthermore, Planck states that weaned babies and toddlers need plenty of protein and calcium which cannot be obtained from a plant diet. A former vegan herself, Planck says she concluded that “a vegan pregnancy was irresponsible. You cannot create and nourish robust baby merely on foods from plants” (Planck 1). However, Planck is identified as a food writer and expert on farmers market, her article condemning vegan diet contains serious errors concerning the adequacy of plant food. Amy Joy Lanou who is a senior nutrition scientist in Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is definitely and absolutely opposed to Nina Planck’s opinion. She says that the main reason why the baby died was not providing breast milk, soy-based baby formula or any other kind of nutrition. Besides, she strongly emphasizes that “well-planned vegan diets are healthful for pregnant mothers and their infants, as well as for older children, according to a large body of scientific research” (Lanou 1). According to her opinion, it undoubtedly can be said that there is a lot of nutrients with animal origin that easily can be replaced by vegetarian ones without causing a harm to people’s health.