Plant-Based Juniors

Plant-Based Juniors Evidence-Based Guidance for raising healthy, conscious babes. By Whitney English, RDN and Alex Caspe
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09/02/2026

Back-to-school dinner inspiration: Crispy Chick’n Caesar Salad Pita Pizzas 🍕🥬 say that one ten times fast 😂

This one checks a lot of boxes for us: something the kids think is fun, plenty of plants, a good source of protein, and most importantly, something we’re genuinely excited to eat too!

Because we don’t do the “kid food” and “adult food.” 1 family, 1 meal 👍

We start with a whole wheat pita and a creamy cashew Caesar spread, add crispy Abbot’s Chopped Chick’n, then pile on cold crunchy romaine, and crispy kale.

I love having Abbot’s - Plant & Protein-Rich Foods on hand for meals like this because it’s convenient, made with 100% real food ingredients, and adds plant-based protein and iron to the meal. Find it in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Target, and other grocers. 

Here’s how to make it! 👉

Set oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and lightly coat with oil. Add the Chopped Chick’n and sauté until thoroughly crisped & browned - about 6 to 8 minutes.

While chick’n cooks, combine the following in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth 👉
* ¾ cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes if your blender isn’t really powerful )
* 1/2 cup water + more as needed to thin out
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 4 teaspoons capers or caper brine
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 small garlic clove
* ½ white miso (optional but adds good flavor)
* Salt and pepper to taste

Add 2 cups washed, dried, and chopped kale leaves to a baking sheet. Toss with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and massage until evenly coated. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Place two pitas on a baking sheet and distribute ~1/2 of the cashew spread between the two pitas. Top with Chick’n.

Add pitas and kale chips to the preheated oven. Cook kale chips for ~5 minutes, until crispy. Keep a close eye to ensure they don’t burn. Cook flatbread for 10 minutes.

Top flatbread with 1/2 cup chopped romaine, kale chips, and remaining dressing.

Option to add plant-based parmesan and diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

Save this one for your back-to-school dinner rotation. ❤️

Let’s chat iron! It’s important for ALL kids and, because iron in plant foods isn’t as well absorbed as iron in animal f...
08/31/2026

Let’s chat iron! It’s important for ALL kids and, because iron in plant foods isn’t as well absorbed as iron in animal foods, it’s a nutrient of focus for PB kids.

It’s not hard to get enough iron- iron is abundant in a plant-based diet, but it’s also found in foods that not every kid likes— whole grains, tofu/tempeh, beans, nuts/seeds. For selective eaters, this can be more of a challenge (and why we love fortified foods)

Getting more than the RDA can be a good way to ensure absorption is met, though the best way to improve absorption is pairing iron with vitamin C.

It’s why our PB3 plate focuses both on iron-rich foods AND vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables. If you use this guide to meal planning, then you’re already focused on maximizing iron intake!

Here’s a few sample days of what this looks like in practice!

What iron questions do you have? 🤔

08/25/2026

ALL diets are supplemented in some way, and if you’re eating a plant-based diet (vegan, vegetarian, plant-predominant) then yes, supplements are part of a well-planned diet.

Some are a must (B12) and others are conditional depending on age and what else is in the diet (iodine, vitamin D)

Your kids don’t need greens powders, those insane “growth vitamins” that I cannot believe are marketed to kids, probiotics/prebiotics (for the vast majority) and so many others that you get served on every scroll of this app 🤡

B12 is nuanced! If taken from a single daily source, like say a supplement, you need MUCH higher amounts because of absorption. Our supplement guide goes into this in detail along with recs for daily, weekly dose rates.

The others are conditional based on diet— our guide also goes into detail of what to consider!

Our FREE Supplemnt Guide is on our website, or comment SUPPLEMENT and we’ll DM you the link to download. 💊

The back-to-school grind is on! 🎒 One thing that helps me maintain my sanity is planning and prepping ahead so at least ...
08/20/2026

The back-to-school grind is on! 🎒

One thing that helps me maintain my sanity is planning and prepping ahead so at least meal times can go a little more smoothly.

Here are a few recipes I made to get ready for this week 👉

* Blueberry & Strawberry Oat Muffins
* Chickpea Salad
* Kale Chips
* Air-Fryer Tofu
* Overnight Oats
* Chia Pudding

Comment “BTS Prep” and we’ll send you all the recipes! 👍

I got an email last week from a mom who was overwhelmed by the whole WEEKNIGHT DINNER STESS and how did we manage it? 🙋‍...
08/17/2026

I got an email last week from a mom who was overwhelmed by the whole WEEKNIGHT DINNER STESS and how did we manage it? 🙋‍♀️

And the truth is that some nights are more fun dinners and some nights really are canned refried beans and tortillas and melted cheese and that’s also A-OK! And then I also shared what I do to make cooking every night a reality and what that looks like in my house. 🏡

This may not work for you, it’s what works for me. But if you’re also feeling overwhelmed that your family wants to eat dinner each night (and lunch and breakfast and so many snacks too!!) then maybe these will help you.

And, because I miss when IG used to be a community— what tips did I miss and what works for you to help other parents!? 👇

08/13/2026

These common feeding approaches may seem benign but they can contribute to picky eating 👉

❌ Open-ended meal requests.

If you’re used to asking your child, what do you want for dinner? Try swapping for a close-ended question. Do you want pasta or burritos tonight? Open-ended questions allow your child to pick the same meal over and over again (fueling pickiness) or set them up for failure if you decline. Allowing them to pick the meal - with set parameters - helps you work in new and learning to like foods while giving them some autonomy.

❌ Forcing kids to finish their plate.

Pressure backfires. Forcing kids to eat food they don’t want to eat usually results in them eating less in the long run.

❌ Not offering safe foods.

While it might seem like offering a favorite food at all meals is caving to their demands, putting at least one thing they know and like (a “safe food”) on the plate helps to reduce anxiety at meals and increases the chances they’ll try the other foods that you’re working to expose them to.

❌ Offering late afternoon snacks, even healthy ones.

Yes, they’re hungry after school or camp. No, they don’t need a protein bar 30 minutes before dinner. Too many snacks total or serving them too close to main meals decreases kids hunger and increases the chances they’ll reject meals. Even if the snack is something “healthy.”

Want more tips for raising adventurous eaters? 👧 Sign up for our free 5-day pediatric nutrition email course at the link in our bio! 🙌

I had a “aha” moment the other day, when making one of my kids a sandwich for lunch. 🥪 “Why don’t you ever want sandwich...
08/11/2026

I had a “aha” moment the other day, when making one of my kids a sandwich for lunch. 🥪
“Why don’t you ever want sandwiches for school lunch?”

“Because they are too soggy when I eat them at lunch.”

It felt like such a silly thing to realize, but of course she rejected sandwiches when I packed them for lunch but would happily eat them at home.

So, as we are gearing up for back-to-school season (and packing lunches everrrrrry single day 😅) here are our favorite NON-SOGGY options. 👏

What did we miss!? 👇

08/06/2026

Store-bought plant-based yogurts typically cost about $2-3 per single serving container, or $8-12 for 4 containers 🥣

This recipe costs just $6.48 - about $1.6 per 4 servings.

Silken tofu (16 oz): $3.49
Frozen mango (2 cups): $2.99 🥭
*Prices used from Target

Plus, it’s packed with nutrients we want kids to get more of like protein, healthy fat, and calcium.

Comment YOGURT and we’ll DM you the recipe! 🙌

08/04/2026

It might be basic, but it works almost every single time. 🥒 This took me about 10 minutes to cut and make a quick ranch dip (recipe on our website 🖥️ plantbasedjuniors.com)

What’s your kids go-to dip? 👇

07/30/2026

Hi, I’m Whitney 👋 I’m a mom and a dietitian and I serve cereal….multiple times a week.

Cereal gets a bad rap and parents who serve it are often made to feel lazy or not thoughtful. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Cereal can be the smartest move you can make on a busy morning. It’s quick, it’s easy, and when paired with protein-rich milk and produce, it’s a super nutritious option.

Here’s what my kids eat a few times a week 👉

Oat-based, unsweetened o’s cereal 🥣
Berries 🍓
Unsweetened, fortified soy milk 🥛
H**p seeds 💚

Even without the h**p seeds (which add about 3 grams of protein), this breakfast serves up 10 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber - which is over 50% of the daily value for protein for both my kids (5 and 8).

So save your sanity and serve cereal for breakfast, if your kids like it.

And send this to a friend who needs to hear she’s still a good mom for serving cereal! ❤️

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