I’m offering a series of classes which I am teaching out of my home here in Portland, OR. The series is called: Cooking for Little Vegans, and there are four classes in total: Vegan Pregnancy, First Foods, Vegan Toddler, and Raising Your Sous-Chef.

Vegan Pregnancy explores issues of central importance to vegan mothers, including: meeting your increased protein needs and the best foods to do so; vegan prenatal vitamins and supplements; discussing your diet with your doctor, family, and friends; and how your nutritional needs will change over the course of your pregnancy.

In the First Foods class, we discuss not only the first foods which your child will eat when she starts solids, but the first foods that you will want to eat post-partum, particularly if you are nursing. We will also address common issues of the first year, such as colic, low weight babies, and the practical aspects of transitioning your child from breast or formula to solids.

Vegan Toddler is the most discussion-focused of the four classes, as toddlers and their eating habits (or lack thereof) pose unique problems and challenges. We will discuss a few techniques for moving your child towards a more balanced diet, and learn how a toddler’s palate differs from yours, and why she might reject a food one day that she has loved up to that point.

Parents with children of all ages can benefit from the Raising your Sous-Chef —even if you don’t consider yourself to be much of a cook. We will talk about role modeling a love of and a respect for whole foods and a plant-based diet, and how to get your child involved from a very early age in the process of feeding your family. Taking the time to teach your child basic food preparation and kitchen skills is an investment which will pay off every day for the rest of his life

The class schedule is:

Vegan Pregnancy: Saturday, January 23, 5:30-6:45 PM.

First Foods: Saturday, January 23, 7-8 PM.

Vegan Toddler: Saturday, February 27, 5:30-6:45 PM.

Raising your Sous-Chef: Saturday, February 27, 7-8 PM.

If you won’t be able to make any of these classes, I will be starting the series over again in April and May, so you haven’t missed your only chance to take the class.

You can take as few or as many of the classes as you’d like. You can also buy the series of classes as a present for a pregnant friend or family member.

I am keeping the class size small (ten people maximum) to foster intimacy and discussion, and also because I have a teeny-tiny living room, so if you’d like for me to reserve a space for you at one of the classes, please email me at joannavaught@gmail.com. The class fee is $20 per person, or $30 for a couple. Please specify in the body of the email which class(es) you would like to attend.