Isa is my hero
From Isa's livejournal post about Nina Planck's op-ed article: "But this op ed piece by Nina Planck really bugged me. I wrote a response to it elsewhere, but I'm posting it here for good measure.
For starters, Nina Planck, is not a doctor or even a nutritionist. She is a business woman whose business is selling meat and dairy to people, including her book about why meat and dairy are good for you.
There are plant sources for DHA yet she chooses to omit that fact. She does say that plant sources for essential amino acids are "inferior in quantity and quality" but offers no evidence of this. Probably because there is actually no evidence of this. Humans can synthesize enough DHA from eating plant sources rich in Omega-3s, like flax seeds. So if the mom is eating her omega-3s and breast feeding, DHA levels should be sufficient and free of mercury and other toxins that a fish-heavy diet would surely contain."
I love Isa. Her recipes are incredible and her writing is peaceful, inclusive and friendly. I buy her cookbooks and read her site because she sets a great example.
The thing is, how can anyone say with such certainty that vegan diets are impossible for infants, when so many healthy infants are raised on vegan diets? Whether or not soy formula and vegan breastmilk is "the best" is up for debate. I don't know the answer to "the best" question-- I'm not sure anyone does. But why bash vegans? There's no evidence that a well balanced vegan diet is detrimental. It can be. Sure. So can a meat-inclusive diet.