Do We Have to Be Plant-Based to Be a Patient of Yours?

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It’s a question I’ve been asked more than once: “Do we have to be plant-based to be a patient at Ozark Pediatrics?”

The short answer is absolutely not.

If you know me, you probably know that I have a strong interest in lifestyle medicine and the role our everyday choices can play in our long-term health. I believe in the science behind the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, positive social connection, and avoidance of risky substances.

And yes, when it comes to nutrition, I personally believe strongly in the health benefits of a predominantly whole-food, plant-based diet.

But my role as your child’s pediatrician is not to tell your family how you have to live.

My role is to bring you the best science-based information I can, help you understand it, answer your questions, and work with your family to make the healthiest choices that are realistic for you.

Every family who walks through our doors is different. You have different traditions, schedules, budgets, beliefs, challenges, and goals. I respect that. Good medical care should never be about making a family feel judged because their life doesn’t look exactly like mine.

What I will do is continue to share what the research tells us.

I’ll encourage kids to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other nutrient-dense foods. I’ll talk about the importance of movement and play. I’ll ask about sleep. I’ll talk with teenagers about stress and mental well-being. I’ll encourage families to spend time together, build strong relationships and create healthy habits that can follow children into adulthood.

Sometimes we may talk about changes that could improve a child’s health. Those conversations aren’t about perfection. They’re about giving families information and helping them decide what they can realistically put into practice.

One of the things I love about pediatrics is that we have an incredible opportunity to influence health before many chronic diseases ever have a chance to develop. Small choices made consistently throughout childhood can become habits that last a lifetime.

So no, you don’t have to be plant-based to be our patient.

You don’t have to eat like I eat.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before you walk through our doors.

Come as you are.

I’ll keep bringing you the science, and together we’ll keep working toward the same thing we’ve always wanted for your child: a healthy childhood and the strongest possible foundation for a healthy life.

— Dr. Craig Keever