Supplement Recommendations

If there’s one question we get over and over again, it’s what supplements are recommended for
plant-based kids? While it’s important to take into account individual factors, here is a general
overview of our recommendations for supplementation and the products we prefer. This is not an
exhaustive list of supplements, simply the ones that we like and use with our own children.

Iron
Proper iron intake is extremely important for all stages of the life cycle. In infants and children, severe
anemia may result in delayed growth and long-term problems for development and behavior. Iron is
the most common nutrient deficiency in both children and adults­—regardless of diet. We don’t say this
to scare you, but to highlight the fact that all parents should focus on including iron-rich foods in their
children’s diet and supplementing when necessary.

At birth, term babies have accumulated enough iron to meet their needs until about 4-6 months.
At that point, reserves dwindle and children need to obtain iron from the diet. Formula is already
supplemented with iron, but iron is very low in breast milk. Therefore, the American Academy of
Pediatrics recommends that all exclusively breastfed babies receive an iron supplement from 4-6
months until they begin to consume enough iron-rich first foods.

PBJ Approved Supplements for Infants + Children

• Wellements Organic Iron Drops
• NovaFerrum Liquid Iron
• Renzo’s Iron Strong Dissolvable Tablets

PBJ Approved Supplements for Adults

• Floradix
• Rainbow Light Iron Tablets RDA for Adequate Intake of Iron
• Garden of Life Healthy Blood Recommended
Age
Amount
0-6 months 0.27 mg
7-12 months 11 mg
1-3 years 7 mg
4-8 years 10 mg
9-13 years 8 mg
14-18 years 15 mg
Pregnancy 27 mg
Lactation 9 mg
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Vitamin D
Our skin generates vitamin D from cholesterol using UVB rays from the sun. However, most of us
(especially babies covered in sunscreen) aren’t getting enough vitamin D from the sun alone. The
primary sources of vitamin D in the diet are fish and fortified cow’s and plant-based milks, which may
or may not be on a PBJ plate.

Because direct sunlight exposure is not advised for infants and vitamin D is very low in breast milk, the
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies who are exclusively or partially breastfed
receive a liquid supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D per day. This can be provided via an oral dropper
or a finger, directly into your infant’s mouth.

Research also shows that supplementing mom’s diet with 6400 mg/day of vitamin D may be sufficient
to raise vitamin D levels in breast milk to an equivalent amount, but we don’t see any reason why
parents should not directly supplement their child. Fully formula-fed babies should receive all the
vitamin D they need from the formula but once they start solids may need to supplement if they are
not getting enough via fortified foods.

PBJ Approved Supplements for Children

• Carlson Baby’s D3 Vegetarian Drops (400 IU, unflavored + MCT)
• LiveWise Naturals D3 Vegan Drops for Baby (400 IU)

PBJ Approved Supplements for Adults

• Nordic Naturals D3 vegan (1000 IU)

RDA for Adequate Intake of Vitamin D

Recommended
Age
Amount
0-12 months 400 IU
1-18 years 600 IU
Pregnancy 600 IU
Lactation 600 IU

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Iodine
RDA for Adequate Intake of Iodine
Iodine is an important nutrient for growth
and metabolism. It is found in small amounts Recommended
Age
in plant foods (depending on soil conditions) Amount
but the main dietary sources are seafood,
0-6 months 110 mcg
dairy, and iodized salt. Specialty salts such
as pink Himalayan or sea salt are not iodized. 7-12 months 130 mcg
Therefore, adults and children on a whole
foods, plant-based diet are at a high risk of
1-3 years 90 mcg
iodine deficiency. 4-8 years 90 mcg
Babies will receive all of the iodine they need 9-13 years 120 mcg
from breast milk or formula but after age 1,
those on a strict plant-based diet should 14-18 years 150 mcg
receive a supplement containing iodine (see 19+ years 150 mcg
our multivitamin recommendations below)
or ensure proper iodine intake through Pregnancy 220 mcg
fortified options like iodized salt. We don’t
Breastfeeding 290 mcg
recommend adding any type of salt to
food for babies <12 months of age as their
kidneys aren’t mature enough to process it.

B12
Plant foods are not a reliable source of B12 and therefore all vegans and predominantly plant-based adults
and children must supplement this important vitamin or ensure adequate intake through fortified foods.
Claims that B12 is found in spirulina, seaweed, barley grass and other vegan foods are inaccurate.

Because of the low absorption rate of B12, doses much higher than the RDA are needed to meet needs.
Pregnant plant-based women should supplement with at least 25 mcg/day, and take an additional supplement
if their prenatal does not contain this amount. Breastfeeding plant-based moms should supplement with
30 mcg B12/day in order to ensure enough B12 is transferred to baby through milk. Formula-fed babies
will receive all they need from formula.

Once a baby is fully weaned, they will need to receive their own B12 supplement or multivitamin. As
there is no upper limit for this water-soluble vitamin and fortification processes can be inconsistent, we
recommend supplements for all plant-based children versus trying to meet needs through fortified foods.

Vitamin B12 can be found in several forms in supplements: cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin,

adenosylcobalamin, and hydroxocobalamin. Some research in adults shows that the bioavailability of these
forms is similar, but other research suggests that higher amounts of the methyl and adenosyl forms are
necessary to achieve adequate intake. Research in children is sparse and mainly done on the cyanocobalmin
form. However, this form is less likely to be found in individual B12 supplements and while we err on the
side of caution with recommending a cyanocobalmin supplement, all B12 forms are OK.

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 Recommendations for B12 Supplementation
Age RDA Twice Daily Daily Twice Weekly
1–3 years 0.9 0.8-1.5 mcg 10-40 mcg 375 mcg

4–8 years 1.2 1.0-2.0 mcg 13-50 mcg 500 mcg

9–13 years 1.8 1.5-2.5 mcg 20-75 mcg 750 mcg

Source: VeganHealth.org

Unfortunately, we've yet to find an individual B12 supplement that we like in the dose appropriate for
vegan children. We give our children an age-appropriate multivitamin contain B12. However, we know that
not every child wants or needs a multivitamin.

In that case, the following B12 supplements are recommended. Since they are larger doses, we recommend
supplementing twice weekly.
• Mary Ruth's Vegan D3 + B12 (gummy)
• Garden of Life B12 Spray
• Pure Vegan B12 Spray
• Goodbloom B12 Liquid (can adjust dosing for smaller amounts)

Baby Multivitamin
Not every baby needs a multivitamin. However, a multivitamin can serve as a form of “insurance” especially
for certain nutrients of concern on a strict plant-based diet like iodine and B12. If your child already eats
an iron-rich diet, then you likely want to choose a multivitamin without iron.

We have yet to find a multivitamin that is perfect for meeting the needs of plant-based babes, but here are
a few that we think come close. All of these contain B12.

PBJ Approved Supplements

• NovaFerrum (liquid)
• NovaFerrum + iron (liquid)
• Zarbee’s Multivitamin with Iron (liquid)
• Renzo’s Picky Eater Dissolvable Tablet
• Freeda Chewable Vitalets
• VegLife Vegan Kids
• Country Life Baby Care

Prenatal
• Rainbow Light First Thousand Days Series
• Thorne Prenatal
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA/EPA)
The long chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are only found in the diet in animal foods like fish,
eggs, and some fortified milk. Our bodies make EPA and DHA from the plant-based omega-3 fatty
acid, ALA. However, the conversion rate from ALA to EPA is only about 10% and from EPA to DHA,
less than 1%. DHA has been shown to be a critical nutrient for baby’s brain development and needs
are increased from the third trimester through the first two years of life.

We recommend that all pregnant and breastfeeding plant-based moms supplement with at least
200 mg/d and 300 mg/d of DHA, respectively. Whether strict plant-based kids should receive
supplementation of DHA after age 2, is up for debate. We think if kids are not eating fish or eggs,
supplementation can’t hurt given the known benefits of DHA for adults.

PBJ Approved Supplements for Children

• Nordic Naturals Vegetarian Baby DHA

PBJ Approved Supplements for Adults

• Nordic Naturals Prenatal Plant-Based DHA

Recommendations from the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations
6-24 months DHA: 10-12 mg/kg body weight
2-4 years EPA + DHA: 100-150 mg/d
4-6 years EPA + DHA: 150-200 mg/d
6-10 years EPA + DHA: 200-250 mg/d

American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendations

Pregnancy 200 mg DHA/day
Breastfeeding 300 mg DHA/day

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Probiotics
We don’t recommend probiotic supplementation for all infants and children but there are certain conditions
where research shows probiotics may be beneficial. There are limited studies around infant and toddler
eczema with probiotic use: some studies show no outcomes and others show little improved benefits,
especially when coupled with food sensitivities. Anecdotally, Alex lessened her son’s eczema with a
combination of the HLC probiotic powder mentioned below and GLA supplementation. GLA, or Gamma-
Linolenic Acid, has been shown to be effective in those with atopic dermatitis.

Research has shown that probiotics given during pregnancy may offer a protective role against
preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, vaginal infections, maternal and infant weight gain, and
allergic diseases.

To note, simply eating a whole foods, plant-based diet already puts you and your kids at a microbial
advantage as fiber is considered a “prebiotic,” meaning it feeds our good gut bacteria!

PBJ Approved Supplements for Baby

• Mommy’s Bliss Infant Probiotic Drops
• HLC Probiotic Powder (does contain milk powder. Baby B for breastfed, Baby F for formula-fed.)

PBJ Approved Supplements for Mom

• Nordic Flora Probiotic Woman
• Dr. Formulated Prenatal Probiotic
• Fem-dophilus by Jarrow