Now, the immediate reaction is, “Are you raising your son vegan, too?” It’s sort of a loaded question, because chances are half the time the person is thinking about recent horrific news stories like this one: of emaciated children and self-proclaimed “vegan” parents (who in my mind are really just child abusers).

Or maybe they’re remembering the big flap at the New York Times, when food writer Nina Planck wrote an op-ed piece condemning veganism. (Her piece was promptly dismissed by several letter-writers, including a nutritionist; the Times’ own public editor criticized the piece, too.

So sometimes I hem and haw before answering, depending on the situation. But the answer is yes, my extremely healthy and vivacious almost-2-year-old is indeed vegan.

Here’s the catch: we’re smart about it. My husband and I are both longtime vegans who have had the ability and wherewithal to thoroughly research this topic. (After all, I worked as a trapeze instructor for seven years, vegan all the while, and you can’t maintain that level of activity without proper sustenance!) We’ve also spent time researching nutritional needs of infants and toddlers to make sure Tommy’s needs are all met. I work from home and am freakishly thrifty, so I make the time (and save the money) by doing some extensive meal-planning.

Here’s another catch: Tommy is another human being, just a little shorter than us (though he’s getting taller all the time!). We respect the fact that he will make his own choices as he gets older. Will we freak out if he samples the pizza or (heaven forbid) dairy-laden cupcake at a friend’s birthday party? No. But will we keep a vegan kitchen at home for the foreseeable future? Yes.

“Get to the point, you windbag,” you’re thinking. Here it is: We all get in menu ruts, vegans and omnivores alike. If you’re looking for some creative alternatives to the weekly meal plan, perhaps dipping your toe into vegan waters for a meal or two is just the ticket.

So wait, what’s a vegan?
Someone who doesn’t eat any meat or dairy, or otherwise consume things that come from animals. Some vegans also avoid honey. People become vegan for different reasons: to avoid getting heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other ailments; to protest the condition of farm animals; and to contribute less to the possible factors of global warming (the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization links factory farming to acid rain and greenhouse gas production).

The idea of eating less meat for both personal health and the environment is often reported across the globe. (The New York Times compares meat consumption to oil consumption; there are similar reports from the UK and Holland.)

Now, for the prickly subject of ethics. Even if an animal is treated humanely, some people who choose to become vegan for ethical reasons see animals as autonomous beings. As Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker says, “The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men.”

For me, being a vegan isn’t about deprivation, or control, or sadism, or blandness, or self-flagellation, or being high and mighty. It’s about eating joyously and healthily in a way that adheres to my ethical beliefs, pure and simple.

Is it healthy? Is it safe?
Why, yes it is! According to the American Dietetic Association, “Appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Vegetarians who don’t eat dairy products can obtain calcium from green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and collard greens and foods fortified with calcium. A healthy vegan/vegetarian diet is safe for both children and pregnant women.”

Surely you’ve seen all manner of fake meats in your grocery store, and they’re a great transitional item to keep around if you’re experimenting with vegetarianism; they’re also good for in a pinch when you’re too tired to cook. But as a rule, I don’t recommend that you base your or your child’s diet around them; they’re very processed foods and often high in sodium.

Some people automatically associate “vegetarian/vegan” with “organic.” If you can afford to, I encourage you to buy organic food, since it’s a consumer-driven industry: if a lot of people want and buy organic food, it will become less expensive so that more people can buy it. It must already be working: some grocery store chains have an in-house line of organic food, and the prices are on par with standard fare.

If you can afford to buy just a few things, go for those items mostly heavily doused with pesticides. According to the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group, those foods include peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines and strawberries. You can see the full list here.

The nitty gritty
Sometimes I get the follow-up question: how does your child get enough protein? Calcium? Iron? Vitamins? If veganism is known for being a low-fat, high-fiber diet, then what about all that extra fat and calories our sweet little cherubs need to thrive?

Good questions.

For much of the first year, many babies are vegan by default. After year one, keep the calories coming with breastmilk, avocados, seeds, nuts and nut butters. Olive and flax oils are good sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. (Breastfeeding vegans: take your vitamins!)

The non-profit Vegetarian Research Group offers a good guide with sample meal plans for children of all ages, courtesy Reed Mangels, the registered dietitian who co-wrote “Simply Vegan: Quick Vegetarian Meals” (Vegetarian Resource Group, 2006).

According to Mangels, it’s easy to make sure your child is getting enough protein. Some sources include peas, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts, whole grain breads and pastas.

And if you haven’t had quinoa before, give it a try. I’d like to award quinoa a gold medal for delicious awesomeness, and here’s why: this grain, which was a staple of the diet in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, is bursting with protein, a balanced set of essential amino acids (making it a complete food), fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Plus, it’s gluten-free! (My advice is to buy it in a box and follow the directions exactly when cooking it for the first time—it can be tricky for first-timers to get it right.)

For calcium, include fortified juices and soy or rice products, blackstrap molasses, collard greens, baked beans, tempeh, kale, soybeans, okra, cooked broccoli, and almonds are some sources. Tofu can be; check the label.

All children are at risk for iron deficiency; you can get it from fortified infant cereal, green leafy vegetables, dried beans and dried fruit. Infant cereal when they’re young; dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables when they’re older; eat something with vitamin C at the same time to increase absorption.

Vitamin B12 is common in many fortified foods, like soy or rice milks or breakfast cereals. It turns out that getting vitamin D is tricky for everyone, but vegan children can get it like most others do these days: limited indirect sunlight and fortified foods.

Will my kids actually eat that stuff?
Sure! Why not?

I’m lucky that my kid is definitely not a picky eater. So far, he adores quinoa and avocado and spinach and tofu and beans…but that’s what we’ve always served him. Like everything, modeling habits helps. So the next time you feel like being adventurous in the kitchen, make enough for the whole family!