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Here you can read about our various local grass-roots campaigns to realize Podrska’s vision of self-empowerment and compassion for human and non-human animals.
All our Local Campaigns.
Our various local grass-roots campaigns to realize Podrska’s vision of self-empowerment and compassion for human and non-human anim
Animal Advocacy at Podrška
At Podrška, we believe that animals deserve more than survival they deserve freedom, respect, and the right to live without fear or exploitation. Our advocacy speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves, and our work is driven by one clear message: how we treat animals shapes the future of our world.
From wildlife losing their habitats to industrial farming, animal suffering is deeply linked to our everyday choices especially when it comes to food. That’s why our primary goal is to influence diet change by encouraging communities to embrace plant-based eating as a path to compassion, health, and environmental protection.
We rely on humane education as our core tool fostering compassion, critical thinking, and behavioural change through continuous community engagement. Our work begins with learning, and grows through support. Key humane education projects include school campaigns (conscious choices and veggie kids), university clinics, community workshops, gardening projects, and cooking classes.
We believe that real change takes time, which is why we prioritize consistent follow-ups including home visits, mentorship sessions, check-ins with schools and communities, and peer-led support to ensure that the values and choices we promote are sustained.
To strengthen our message and reach the wider public, we complement education with direct advocacy. These actions help challenge harmful systems and expand visibility for animals. Key direct advocacy actions include street outreach, billboards and media, peaceful protests, public marches. While these efforts raise immediate awareness, our long-term impact depends on building understanding through education and nurturing it through ongoing support.
At Podrška, animal advocacy is more than a message it’s a movement built on learning, action, and accountability. We are committed to influencing not just opinions, but lifestyles rooted in kindness and sustainability. Every meal, every classroom, every conversation is an opportunity to choose better for animals, for people, and for the planet.
We’re not just asking people to care we’re building the support they need to live it. Join us and let’s grow lasting change together.
Humanitarian Work
At Podrška, we work closely with communities to meet basic needs, protect children, and support those facing hardship. Our humanitarian efforts focus on the everyday challenges that many families face from children going to school without meals or materials, to girls missing class due to lack of access to menstrual hygiene products.
We take a holistic approach that prioritizes care, prevention, and dignity. Rather than offering one-time solutions, we invest in long-term community support. Two of our main priorities are keeping girls in school through the distribution and local production of reusable sanitary pads, and improving food and nutrition knowledge among children and families. By hosting pad-making sessions and equipping girls with the resources they need, we help reduce stigma and prevent school dropout. Our food and nutrition efforts include providing school and community meals, running basic, and supporting school and home gardens all aimed at helping families make healthier, affordable choices.
Beyond this, our work also addresses emotional well-being and social challenges. We run school-based awareness campaigns on bullying, depression, and drug abuse, providing young people with tools to navigate difficult situations. We also distribute scholastic materials, offer basic skills training in literacy and digital learning, and create safe spaces through sports and group activities that promote healing and inclusion.
To reach even more people, we also carry out community-based outreach such as pad-making workshops, back-to-school campaigns, food drives, and child safety forums. We work in partnership with teachers, health workers, and local leaders to make sure the support is relevant and rooted in the realities of each community.
What guides us is simple: care should be close, consistent, and community-led. Whether it’s helping a girl return to school with dignity or supporting a family to grow their own vegetables, our work is about providing steady, respectful support that lasts.
This is what humanitarian care looks like at Podrška practical, responsive, and grounded in the needs of the people we serv
Child Program
At the Podrska Foundation, we’re deeply committed to helping children in need through our child welfare program. Our Child Program is designed to provide essential resources and support to vulnerable children, especially those who are orphans or living in poverty. We believe that every child deserves a safe, healthy, and happy childhood, and we’re dedicated to doing everything we can to make that a reality.
Our team works directly with children in need, providing them with food, education, healthcare, and emotional support. The program raises awareness of children’s rights such as gender equality and equal opportunities. In particular, we ensure that girls not only go to school but also stay in school and acquire an education through our stay-in-school campaign. We know that these children face many challenges in their daily lives, and our volunteers are always there to lend a helping hand.
Through our child welfare program, we’re working to create a more just and equitable society for all. We believe that by supporting vulnerable children, we’re not only helping them, but also strengthening the communities in which they live. We’re proud to be part of a global movement for social justice and sustainability, and we invite you to join us in making a difference. Whether you’re a donor, volunteer, or supporter, your involvement can make a real and lasting impact on the lives of children in need.
Compassionate Feeding Program
At the Podrska Foundation, we are driven by a simple yet profound belief: that a hot meal can be more than sustenance: it can be a lifeline, a source of comfort, and a beacon of hope. Our Compassionate Feeding Program embodies this belief by reaching out to the most vulnerable communities and offering them hot, nourishing plant-based meals.
We’ve chosen to provide plant-based meals as a symbol of compassion not just for people, but for animals and the planet too. A plant-based lifestyle represents a sustainable, ethical, and healthy way of living that aligns with our core values.
Over the years, our program has touched the lives of countless individuals and families.
We couldn’t achieve any of this without the support of people like you. Your financial contribution directly helps us provide meals to those in need.
Education/ Sponsorship Program
At the Podrska Foundation, we believe that every child deserves access to quality education, regardless of their background. Our Education / Sponsorship program provides early education for children and women who may not have had the opportunity to attend school otherwise. We know that education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a better future for all.
For just $50 per month, you can sponsor a child’s education. This sponsorship covers the cost of a health checkup, daily plant-based breakfast and lunch, school fees, and occasional school-related materials such as textbooks, bags, and uniforms. By sponsoring a child’s education, you can help ensure their long-term welfare and enable them to reach their full potential.
Our team of dedicated volunteers works tirelessly to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for every child. We believe that education should be accessible to all, and we strive to make it a reality for the children in our program. We provide educational materials, books, and learning aids to help children learn and grow, and we offer counseling services for teenagers and empower women through education. With your help, we can continue to provide access to quality education for children and women in Uganda, and create a brighter future for all.
Conscious choices - Plant-Based School Campaign
Conscious Choices is Podrška’s vibrant campaign created specifically for secondary schools, with one clear mission to inspire dietary change through critical thinking, creativity, and youth-led advocacy.
The campaign brings humane education into classrooms and schoolyards in ways that are interactive, artistic, and deeply thought-provoking. At its heart, it encourages students to question the food systems they inherit, reflect on ethical and environmental consequences, and take action toward healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.
What Makes It Unique
What sets Conscious Choices apart is its deep investment in student voices. Through debates, creative writing, performance, and spoken word, students don’t just learn they lead.
A key feature of the campaign is the Conscious Choices Magazine, a youth-created publication showcasing essays, poems, artwork, and articles written entirely by students. These pieces reflect real learning, critical questions, and a vision for a more compassionate future.
We also host the Conscious Choices Podcast, where we engage in one-on-one conversations with young people to explore personal journeys, challenges, and strategies that influence diet change. The podcast is an inclusive space that values diverse voices and real experiences.
Hands-On Learning
Our humane education model goes beyond theory. Students engage in:
• Workshops on Ethics and Nutrition
• Live Plant-Based Cooking Sessions
• Student Research Projects on food, climate, health, and justice
• Organic Gardening, where students learn to grow plant-based food sustainably
These activities show students that dietary change is not only possible — it’s practical, empowering, and deeply connected to their communities.
Why It Matters
Conscious Choices is more than a school campaign. It’s a movement to build a generation of informed, confident young activists who care about animals, people, and the planet. Students are encouraged to think critically, act boldly, and lead change that lasts a lifetime — starting with what’s on their plate.
Get Involved
Are you a student, teacher, or school leader?
Bring Conscious Choices to your school!
• Request a workshop or magazine copy
• Tune into the podcast
• Start a school garden
• Submit a student-written piece
• Host a debate, protest, or outreach table
In addition to classroom education, we also aim to create animal rights clubs within the communities where our schools are located. These clubs will serve as a space where students, teachers, and community members can gather to learn more about plant-based living, share recipes, and discuss the importance of animal rights. By promoting a plant-based lifestyle beyond the classroom, we hope to create a culture of compassion and sustainability that extends far beyond the walls of the school.
However, lack of funds has limited our ability to expand this program and establish more animal rights clubs in surrounding communities. We are currently seeking donations and sponsorships to help us reach more schools and establish more clubs. With your support, we can create a ripple effect of positive change, inspiring more people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle and care for the welfare of animals.
School Feeding Program
Our School Feeding Program is all about providing much-needed nutrition to children in Uganda, who might otherwise go hungry throughout the school day. Our team of dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that children in the program receive a daily mid-day meal lunch, consisting of plant-based foods that are both healthy and delicious.
For many of the children we serve, these meals are the only consistent source of nutrition they receive, and the program has a significant impact on their ability to learn and thrive in the classroom. We believe that every child deserves access to nutritious food and the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their circumstances.
Through our school feeding program, we not only provide meals, but also education on the importance of healthy eating and how to prepare nutritious meals using local ingredients. Our team is committed to making a positive impact in the lives of these children and their communities, and we are grateful for the opportunity to do so.
Peaceful Demonstrations and Public Action
At Podrška, we believe that real change happens where the public can see it. That’s why peaceful demonstrations and public marches are a key part of our direct advocacy work.
Our protests are non-violent, organized, and focused on raising awareness. They bring attention to the industries and practices that cause suffering to animals, damage the environment, and often go unchallenged in everyday life.
What We Protest
We organize public actions to expose cruelty, exploitation, and unsustainable practices in several industries:
We have protested against the leather industry, highlighting the cruelty behind the use of animal skins for fashion and accessories.
We’ve challenged the dairy industry, exposing the cycle of forced pregnancy, separation of calves, and the commodification of milk.
We actively protest the fish industry, which is often overlooked in conversations about cruelty. Fish are hauled from their environments in painful, suffocating conditions and killed by the millions, despite growing evidence that they feel pain and distress.
Each demonstration whether a march through town or a protest outside a supermarket is designed to challenge public assumptions and inspire change.
A Purpose Behind Every Action
Our protests are not acts of anger. They are acts of responsibility. Each one is planned as part of a larger strategy to:
• Raise public awareness of hidden exploitation
• Put pressure on industries and institutions that benefit from animal suffering
• Involve students, youth, and local communities in activism
• Distribute clear and informative educational materials during outreach
Be Part of It
Our demonstrations are open to anyone who believes in a more compassionate and sustainable future. You can march with us, help design visuals, create literature, or support from behind the scenes.
Podrška’s peaceful protests are about showing up, speaking out, and reminding the world that injustice must be addressed in the open, together.
Through over 15 workshops, Project Grow has already impacted 500 households in areas like Nansana, Kakila, Wakiso, Kabale, Kosovo, and Gganda, with a goal of reaching 10,000 households. These workshops provide participants with the knowledge and resources to grow their own vegetables, fruits, and herbs, fostering independence and sustainability.
We also host hands-on demonstrations at our office demo garden, where participants learn to cultivate crops, create compost from organic waste, and recycle materials for sustainable gardening. In each session, we distribute free seeds and seedlings to ensure participants can put their new skills into practice immediately.
Key Features:
- Workshops for Everyone: Whether space is limited in urban slums or ample in rural areas, Project Grow’s techniques are adaptable to any environment.
- Teamwork for Success: We encourage participants to form groups, ensuring mutual support and increasing success rates.
- Free Seeds and Seedlings: We provide the materials needed to start, with follow-up support to ensure long-term growth.
- Income Opportunity: By teaching sustainable farming, participants can sell surplus crops, improving their financial stability.
- Animal Rights Awareness: Along with promoting plant-based diets, Project Grow raises awareness about the exploitation of animals in industrial agriculture. Participants learn the importance of cruelty-free lifestyles, both for their health and the environment.
At the intersection of food security and animal rights, Project Grow ensures that individuals can access healthy, plant-based foods while making compassionate, informed choices that protect the environment and respect animals. Join us in creating a brighter, more sustainable future for all.
Project Grow
Environmental Initiative to Empower At-Risk Ugandans
Project Grow is a program that empowers individuals to make a positive impact on the environment and their own well-being. Through this program, we provide valuable knowledge and resources to participants, giving them the tools to make informed choices about adopting a sustainable cruelty-free lifestyle.
By teaching individuals how to recycle their organic waste into compost, they can reduce their carbon footprint and create a natural fertilizer for growing healthy, nutritious food at home. This not only benefits the environment but also provides an opportunity for individuals to improve their own health by incorporating more plant-based foods into their diets.
In addition, Project Grow has the potential to create a source of income for participants through the sale of surplus crops. This is a great opportunity for those who are looking to supplement their income while contributing to a more sustainable future.
At the heart of Project Grow is the belief that everyone deserves access to healthy, sustainable food, and that by working together, we can create a more just and equitable food system for all. Join us in this important work and help us build a brighter, more sustainable future for our communities.
Veggie Kids
Veggie Kids: Grow, Save, Share
Teaching children compassion through gardening, food, and kindness
Veggie Kids brings together school gardening, plant-based eating, and humane education for primary school children across Uganda.
Through simple, hands-on activities, children learn how to grow food using sacks or recycled containers, explore the importance of being kind to animals and the planet, and enjoy healthy plant-based meals made from familiar, local ingredients.
In each school, we work closely with teachers and pupils to set up small gardens, lead story-based lessons, and organize creative projects like art, drama, and food tastings. The program also includes Plant-Power Days where children get to enjoy and share nutritious plant-based snacks, reinforcing what they’ve learned in class and in the garden.
At the end of each school term, pupils participate in a showcase through performances, exhibitions to share their knowledge with their school and families. These events are joyful, proud moments that celebrate learning, creativity, and community.
Veggie Kids is more than just a school project it’s a way of shaping how children think about food, animals, and their role in caring for the world around them. With every garden planted and every story shared, we’re nurturing a generation of thoughtful, compassionate young people.
Green Space
Not every community has trees. Not every child grows up near green, healthy spaces. At Podrška, we’re changing that one tree, one schoolyard, and one neighborhood at a time.
Our Green Spaces program focuses on turning unused, dry, or neglected areas into thriving green environments. We work directly with local residents, schools, and youth groups to plant trees, restore soil, and create spaces that bring shade, fresh air, and life back to the community.
This work isn’t about short-term planting events. It’s about building long-term ownership. Community members especially young people are involved in every step: from preparing the land to choosing what to grow, and learning how to care for it. Whether it’s a line of shade trees along a dusty path, a small food garden beside a school, or a community composting spot, every Green Spaces site is created with local purpose.
Through this program, we:
• Improve air quality and reduce extreme heat
• Support native biodiversity with indigenous trees
• Create peaceful, useful spaces for learning and play
• Teach composting, organic gardening, and land care
• Strengthen local climate resilience from the ground up
We believe that restoring the environment doesn’t start in boardrooms it starts with people on the ground, working together, growing something real.
If you’d like to help us plant more trees, support school-based green clubs, or transform a forgotten space in your area, we’d love to work with you.
Cooking Classes
These hands-on workshops are more than just cooking lessons; they are a transformative experience designed to empower individuals to make informed plant-based choices. Our classes equip participants with practical skills, providing them with the confidence to prepare delicious, nutritious plant-based meals using locally sourced ingredients.
The sense of community we foster in our cooking classes is equally important. As participants share their cooking experiences and stories, they build connections that encourage open discussions about dietary changes, animal rights, and sustainable living. This supportive environment makes the journey to a vegan lifestyle more enjoyable and sustainable.
At Podrška, we celebrate the rich culinary traditions of Uganda by incorporating local ingredients and recipes into our classes. We want our participants to know that veganism is not only feasible but also deeply rooted in our culture. Our cooking classes aim to show that plant-based meals can easily fit into everyday life, reinforcing the idea that a vegan diet is both accessible and delightful.
Through our cooking classes, we hope to inspire participants to explore new recipes, embrace a healthier lifestyle, and connect with their community. At Podrška, we are committed to supporting each individual’s journey toward a more compassionate and sustainable way of living.
Community Workshops
Community Workshops – Learning Through Action, Growing Through Community
At Podrška, our workshops are the first step toward long-term change in communities. Rooted in compassion and humane education, these workshops create space for honest conversations about food, health, animals, and the environment.
We organize these sessions directly within communities at schools, churches, public centers, and wherever people gather. The goal is to make moral and ethical knowledge accessible, hands-on, and locally relevant.
Our workshops cover a range of topics, with a strong focus on humane and nutrition education, including how diet impacts health at every stage of life. Participants take part in plant-based cooking classes, where they prepare and share meals using meat alternatives and locally available vegetables. With humane education, helping communities understand how animals are treated in industrial food systems and why it matters. Environmental concerns, such as the impact of industrial farming and the need for sustainable practices, are also part of the discussion.
The workshops are also the starting point for introducing communities to Project Grow. Once the basics are in place, our Project Grow team steps in to offer deeper training in organic farming, home gardening, and long-term food security. Communities continue to receive support as they shift toward healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.
But our work doesn’t stop at the workshop. After each session, our volunteers conduct follow-up household visits. These visits offer personal support, encourage families to try plant-based meals, and help reinforce what was learned. They also allow us to answer questions and guide households in making informed, lasting dietary changes.
Our workshops are part of a larger process of education, empowerment, and community care. They help people connect their choices to the bigger picture and take action in ways that benefit their families, animals, and the environment.
Street Outreach
Bringing the Message to the Streets
At Podrška, our work doesn’t stay behind closed doors. We take it to the streets into markets, bus parks, and busy walkways where people go about their daily lives. In places like Nabweru, Nansana, Nakawa, and Lugogo, we set up outreach tables and speak directly with the public about the realities behind animal agriculture and the power of plant-based living.
Using footage that shows what happens inside industrial farms and slaughterhouses, we open up real conversations. People stop, watch, and talk. These are not lectures they are human exchanges, rooted in truth and compassion. Our goal is to offer information that many have never been exposed to before, and to do so respectfully.
We often accompany these conversations with free food sampling and live cooking demonstrations, showing how plant-based meats can be prepared simply and tastefully using local ingredients. These sessions offer something hands-on and practical. People see how to make everyday meals without animal products, and they get to taste the results for themselves.
We also invite those who are inspired to take a step further. Many choose to sign a personal pledge to reduce or eliminate animal products from their diet. This moment of commitment is important and it doesn’t end there.
Those who sign pledges are connected to Project Grow, where they can dive deeper into organic gardening, nutrition, and compassionate cooking. We continue to support them through follow-ups, resources, and ongoing invitations to workshops and cooking classes.
Street outreach is one of the most honest and effective ways we connect with people. It’s face-to-face, heart-to-heart activism simple, clear, and built on trust. Over time, it changes minds, sparks new habits, and grows a culture of compassion in communities across Uganda
Participants who sign vegan pledges during these interactions are encouraged to attend Project Grow, where they can learn about organic farming practices and take part in our vegan cooking classes. We make sure to follow up with those transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, offering them support and resources to ease their journey. This ongoing engagement ensures that the pledges lead to lasting lifestyle changes.
The success of our outreaches thus far demonstrates the power of grassroots activism in influencing public attitudes and promoting compassionate living across Uganda.
University Student Engagements
Our university outreach clinics are designed to challenge how students think about food, animals, and the environment with the central goal of inspiring meaningful dietary change. We do this through a powerful mix of humane education and direct advocacy, including campus protests, marches, and bold demonstrations that demand attention and spark conversation.
We currently operate in six universities across Uganda: Makerere University, Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Kyambogo University, Kabale University, Metropolitan International University, and Ndejje University. Within each of these, we’ve established Podrška Chapters that serve as organizing hubs for students committed to ethical, environmental, and health-focused change.
Our on-campus outreach is hands-on and engaging — we set up information tables, organize stage activities, and hold face-to-face conversations with students about their everyday choices. One of our strongest tools is the humane education workshop, where we go beyond theory to include sessions on ethics, nutrition, and live cooking. These workshops give students a chance to reflect on the consequences of animal use and exploitation, explore healthy and accessible plant-based foods, and learn how to prepare them in practical, interactive cooking sessions.
To deepen critical engagement, we also organize structured debates and open dialogues on key topics such as animal agriculture, climate change, and wildlife conservation. These conversations help students connect the dots between what’s on their plate and the wider world around them.
Through this combination of education and direct action, Podrška is cultivating a generation of students who not only think critically but act boldly — using their voice and their choices to create a more just and compassionate future.
We accomplish this by establishing Podrška Chapters at universities, which serve as hubs for student activism. Currently, we have successfully set up chapters at Makerere University Business School, Makerere University, and Kyambogo University. Through these chapters, we organize debates, demonstrations, vegan outreach programs, and other community-focused activities.
By establishing these university chapters, we ensure that students are consistently involved in organizing and participating in activities such as movie screenings, workshops, street activism, and vegan academic clinics. These initiatives raise awareness about issues such as animal abuse and the importance of adopting a plant-based lifestyle, with the goal of inspiring dietary changes and greater compassion for all living beings.
Furthermore, such debates offer opportunities for students to join our broader initiatives, enabling them to contribute to causes that align with their values. Through these efforts, we aim to educate a generation of compassionate advocates who will continue to push for animal rights, wildlife protection, and environmental sustainability.
WASH Campaign – Clean Starts, Safe Spaces
In many of the communities we work with, children grow up without access to basic hygiene, clean water, or safe sanitation. At Podrška, we meet this challenge head-on not through temporary fixes, but through practical care, education, and long-term commitment to dignity and health.
In the seven schools where we currently operate, our WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) campaign is creating cleaner, safer learning environments for hundreds of children. We don’t just talk about hygiene we make it part of daily life.
We provide free haircuts, nail trimming, and grooming sessions, helping children feel clean, confident, and cared for. We teach proper toilet use and basic hygiene skills through child-friendly sessions on handwashing, body care, and safe sanitation. These small actions build strong habits that carry into homes and communities.
To address the bigger challenges, we are also working with school leadership to construct clean latrines and water stations, ensuring that students have safe spaces to wash and relieve themselves. This is especially important for girls, who often miss school due to lack of access to proper sanitation during their menstrual cycles.
Our hygiene work is tightly connected to education and wellbeing. When children feel safe, clean, and included, they show up, they learn, and they thrive.
We need your help to do more.
Your support can help us build more water points, provide sanitation supplies, train hygiene mentors, and expand this life-changing work to more schools. Whether you’re an individual, a school, an organization, or a donor your contribution brings us one step closer to safe, healthy learning spaces for all.
Partner with us. Sponsor a school. Donate a latrine. Support a child’s dignity.
Stay in School – Supporting Education
At Podrška, we believe that every child deserves the chance to complete their education with dignity, safety, and support. But in many communities, especially in rural Uganda, school attendance is disrupted by poverty, gender-based challenges, and the lack of basic resources.
The Stay in School campaign exists to change that.
We work directly with schools, families, and communities to support children who are at risk of dropping out. Our focus is especially on girls, who often miss school due to lack of access to menstrual products or safe sanitation. To address this, we distribute reusable sanitary pads and train girls on how to make them, giving them the confidence and tools they need to stay in class.
Beyond pad distribution, our campaign tackles other everyday barriers to education. We provide scholastic materials, create support systems within schools, and carry out follow-up visits to children’s homes. Our volunteers build trust with families and make sure each child we reach has someone looking out for them, both in and out of school.
We also work to make school a safer, more supportive environment. Through anti-bullying sessions, mental health awareness talks, and mentorship programs, we aim to give students the emotional and social support they need to learn and thrive.
The Stay in School campaign i is about building a foundation for long-term change where children, especially girls, can stay in school, dream bigger, and build a future of their own choosing.
If you’d like to support or collaborate on this campaign, we welcome you to be part of a growing effort to keep children in school and protect their right to learn.
Donations
Regular Donations: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=WHWRKLN5AJRHU
Patreon account https://www.patreon.com/podrskafoundation
Donations to specific projects can be made to our Donorbox campaign pages:
Vegan Food Program: https://donorbox.org/vegan-food-program
The Child Program: https://donorbox.org/the-child-program
The Lady Program: https://donorbox.org/the-lady-program
If you are unable to support us financially we appreciate you taking the time to share this project on social media or directly with friends, family and colleagues.
General Infos:
Science-based sites that inform the statements made above
https://www.preventionofdisease.org/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-right-plant-based-diet-for-you
https://nutritionstudies.org/whole-food-plant-based-diet-guide/
https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/vegan-toddler-healthy/#gs.41iz9q
https://www.nutritiousvida.com/blog/dietitian-raising-vegan-children