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Anyone else with a single vegetarian in the family?


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I need tips, tricks, recipes, links, anything!

 

My DS decided last Friday that he'd like to be a vegetarian. He's 7. He has no particular reasoning behind it, and I strongly suspect it's a phase, but he believes he'll be healthier (he's already got the immune system of an ox, but never mind) if he avoids meat. I would like to encourage him for as long as he's interested, but I'm at a loss. I have plenty of lunch ideas, and of course breakfasts are nice and simple... dinner is where I get stuck, especially because DH, DD, and I are still meat eaters. DH in particular hates tofu and many soy-based products.

 

I go grocery shopping on Thursdays, so we're still eating off this week's menu. Since he told me last *Friday* that he was vegetarian, I've been a little less accommodating than I'd like to be. Last night I served pot roast, and DS ate the veggies with gravy and had some bread and butter. Tonight the rest of us are having crab cakes, and I've made a corn salad to go with it. I've told DS that he is welcome to add beans and cheese to the corn salad and make himself some tortilla wraps.

 

I don't like the idea of having to make an entirely separate meal for DS, and to be honest I don't have the time, but I'm not sure what else to do. I hate the idea of convenience foods even more. I plan to pick up some Boca burgers at the store tomorrow so we can all have hamburgers together, and I have spaghetti on the menu, but beyond that, I'm getting a tad flustered. Curries and stir-fries are all that are coming to mind, and those get old after a while, too.

 

Any ideas? I also have no clue what brands of fake meats are good, how to cook them properly, etc., so ANY advice is more than welcome. This is completely untrodden ground for me.

 

TIA!

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I wouldn't make a separate meal for him. And I wouldn't do a lot of labor-intensive things at first, in case it is just a phase. Can you keep some beans in the fridge for him to eat at dinners instead of the meat?

 

I would slowly create a freezer stash for him. Make some beans this week that he likes. Freeze half or so in individual portions. When you make meatless meals, make a little extra of the main dish so you have leftovers, either for the next day at dinner or lunch, or to stick in the freezer for another time. Next week, make a different kind of beans (or lentils, or peas, etc.), and freeze some of those in individual portions. After a few weeks, you'll have a variety of beans and meatless main dishes that you can pull out to add to his meals instead of the meat that the rest of the family is eating.

 

I'm not a big fan of fake meats. If his goal is to be healthier, I really wouldn't recommend most of them.

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I would feed him a larger meal at lunch. Then, he can eat the sides dishes with the rest of you at dinner and have a healthy snack before bed time (if you do that). That will get him the same amount of calories in day, but lighten your work load.

 

Somehow, it's easier to eat vegetarian with lunch choices. Sandwiches, salads, fruit, veggies, that sort of thing.

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I'd try to beef up (poor choice of words, I know) the veggie sides for a bit and use this as an opportunity to teach him how to cook. At his age he can make some pasta, rice, beans, salads, and basic stir fries. He can then make himself a small main course (or bulk cook and freeze the extra in single portions for later) and share the veggie sides with everyone else.

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My older dd decided at four that she didn't want to eat animals. I always have salad and raw veggies at dinner. If I make something that she can't eat she will have a salad and maybe a pb&j or hard boiled eggs. When I make pasta I just make sure if the sauce has meat to spoon her out a portion of the sauce first. Casseroles, lasagna and such I either divide into two smaller pans and make one without meat or I leave a side of the dish without meat. Sometimes I will make her a baked potato (since its easy) or some brown rice if I know we're having something I can't change. We don't do the fake meats either. She's pretty healthy and when she has her blood checked she's perfect so I guess she's getting all she needs. Good luck!

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I am the lone vegetarian in my family:). I actually am unable to process meat protein, so this is a health issue for me. The benefit is my family eats a whole lot healthier. Mealtime can be a bit complicated for us because my YDS is also allergic to dairy (has an epi for it).

 

What I found was easiest to do for us (you should not have to go to this extreme) is find vegan recipes. This is my base item, then I add meat to it for those who can have it, dairy for the others. Since you would only be omitting meat, you could start with a vegetarian recipe. A good vegetarian cookbook is anything from the Moosewood Restaurant line. They are awesome! Most of these are super good without fake meat in them, my meat loving husband is fine with many of them without any meat added. It is also easy to add meat back in as well!

 

Example: Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce. You can add meat for those who eat it very easily and make it a meat sauce, but leave the vegetarians simply marinara plain. With our family, everyone can have cheese topping except DS. So it works out and I do not have to make anything separate.

 

P.S. gravy is not vegetarian if it is made from the pot roast drippings :lol:. So it sounds like he is only opposed to the actual piece of meat?

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We had a year like that around here. I learned to cook vegetarian main dishes which would work as side dishes for everyone else. We switched to high protein noodles. We gradually changed to the focus of our meals. What started as an accomodation for a sensitive child benefited all of us. We now eat meatless at least twice a week. The once-vegetarian decided that there were some meat dishes she missed too much. We respected her choices and all learned some better eating habits.

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I am down to a single one at home. When we had several is was easy to make meatless meals and then add a small meat portion for hubby and I. Now we make blended meals that are mostly veggie amd starch once again with a small amount of meat for hubby and I. A regular meal might consist of two veggies, and then pasta, potatoes, rice, stuffing, bread, etc. They might also have a salad and then some fruit. When we are making something like lasagna or other cassarole dishes like that we make two versions,one with meat and one without. Pizza can be ordered how ever you like it. My kids like bocca burgers and veggie hot dogs for grilling. They are also capable to making a sandwich, Easy Mac, Ramen Noodle or some such thing if they are still hungy. The two that are still veggie about sevem years and they have stuck with it. I am very supportive of it though as it really does seem to be a strong ethical belief of theirs. The won't even buy leather or other animal products.It seemed so hard at first but after I got used to it I have found that it is much easier this way. On nights when hubby is away we frequnrtly eat raw with no cooking at all.

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I grew up vegetarian, but most of my friends ate meat. Their parents always tried to be accommodating, best they could. Can you get him to specify what kind of veg*n he is? Will he eat dairy/eggs? fish? As an adult I met lots of people who would say they were vegetarian, but what they really meant was they no longer ate meat. For some folks, they meant "red meat" (only, whatever LOL). I was never served gravy, and have never eaten it even as an adult -- I have no clue what is in it, but I'm guessing it's not vegetarian.

 

There are so many meatless meals that you already make, or can easily adapt. I married a carnivore, and we used to make half-and-half lasagnas (half meat, half without meat, one container). Tacos, burritos, and other build-it-yourself meals can easily feed a veg*n and a meateater.

 

Beans and rice are always an easy fix, and there is so much variety to be had. Our favorite is red beans and rice. Soups and chilis are easy enough to prepare (as a side dish or appetizer for you, and an entree for him) - just be sure to use a veggie base or broth.

 

Pasta is an easy one, too. If you make a main meatless pasta dish (e.g., primavera -- tossed with broccoli, spinach, peas) topped with white or red sauce, you could saute chicken pieces or meatballs separately and add to the meat-eating plates. If he'll do cheese, pizza or mac/cheese. Soup with cheese sandwiches.

 

What about kabobs? A traditional meal for you (maybe using the roast meat?) just served a bit differently! Roast some veggies and thread a skewer, some with meat and some without.

 

I never made a separate meal for my husband (once we had kids our house went meat-free entirely -- I didn't allow it in the house at all, whereas pre-kids I didn't care what he ate I just wouldn't prepare it for him.) I always adapted existing recipes to accommodate his desire for meat. Maybe this would be a great opportunity to expose your son (-selves and spouse?) to new foods -- there are so many grains, beans, and veggies that people skip over but are typically found in ethnic veg*n dishes! It could serve as your son's main entree and a side for your meat-centered portion.

 

My kids' dad feeds them vegetarian at his house, and his standby is one of those 90-second pouches of cooked rice and a can of beans. Then he steams a side of frozen broccoli and calls it a meal. He always has each component on hand for those last-minute "shoot, I have to feed the kids dinner!" moments. I'd consider that or something similar over the analog/fake meats. Those are really bad, unless a once-in-a-huge-while emergency type of of situations (IMO).

 

My kids don't eat fake meats or we only eat soy in traditional forms (tofu cakes, tempeh, miso). You don't have to rely on fake meats or over-processed soy products, but it might make for an easier transition in the beginning.

 

Instead of hamburgers, try tempeh. It's intimidating, but needn't be! Similar enough texture, not difficult to prepare. Instead of crab cakes, try bean patties. I make these by the dozen and freeze individually - can be used as a burger patty or chopped into taco meat consistency. Heck, you could make corn cakes or spaghetti cakes with the leftovers from other meals so he'd still have some kinda cake on his plate LOL.

 

Pick up a vegetarian book from the library, flip through it for ideas and use those ideas to adapt your family favorites. You may also get ideas from THIS book, which my MIL gave to me when I got married :)

 

Kudos to you for embracing his beliefs. Even if it IS just a passing phase, your respect will go far in nourishing his soul!

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Yep.

A vegetarian does not need to eat tofu or other soy products to eat well. Just feed him whatever you are making...without meat. If it's pasta, don't add meat to his sauce, and sprinkle extra cheese on it if you are worried about protein. He can eat all the other stuff..veggies, potatoes, salad, whatever.

Stir fry-- just pull his veggies and rice/noodles out before you add the meat.

Mexican- tacos or burritos for dinner etc, just don't add meat to his. Or let him make his own. Kids can put their own items on their own tortillia and in their own tacos.


I have not found it do be difficult at all to tweak meals. My vegetarian also enjoys a giant salad. I make salads almost every day, so we're good there. If I add avo, beans, seeds, nuts, or cheese, it's absolutely a complete meal.

One thing I would ask is why he wants to be a vegetarian. I knew a child who wanted to be one because of weight loss (yes even little kids get the message about being fat, even if they are not). It was an eating disorder in the making. That said, I am all for vegetarian food and will 100% support anyone in my family who wants to eat healthy, whole foods. I embrace it, although I do not dig fake meats or GMO soy.

Edited by LibraryLover
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P.S. gravy is not vegetarian if it is made from the pot roast drippings :lol:. So it sounds like he is only opposed to the actual piece of meat?

 

Pretty much. I didn't even think about the drippings until after the gravy was all over his veggies, and then I didn't say a word because he probably wouldn't have eaten it. Bad of me, probably, but he didn't think about it, either, and I know I'll remember next time! When I bought him a can of minestrone the other day, I did at least remember to check the label to make sure it used vegetable stock instead of beef. Baby steps.

 

I've asked him (and DH has asked him) a couple of times now why he wants to be vegetarian, and his answers have been strictly, "Because I want to" and, "Because it'll be healthier." He does not plan to eat any fish but is quite happy with dairy and eggs.

 

I'm glad to hear that so many folks don't use the fake meats. I really wasn't looking forward to that part, though I don't mind buying the Boca burgers because when we go to Red Robin, that's what my kids - both of them - usually wind up ordering because they like them. So I know those will get eaten.

 

He does love to cook, and I've tried to have at least one meatless meal per week for a long time, so the transition shouldn't be too bad, and I think he'd love preparing some meals for himself in advance. I'll definitely be checking out the web sites and cookbooks, because even if this is a phase, more meatless options are always a good thing. This might help me branch out into more things (like tempeh!), too! I'll be printing off this thread and would love to hear more ideas if anyone has any!

 

THANK YOU! :D

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Since you would only be omitting meat, you could start with a vegetarian recipe. A good vegetarian cookbook is anything from the Moosewood Restaurant line. They are awesome! Most of these are super good without fake meat in them, my meat loving husband is fine with many of them without any meat added. It is also easy to add meat back in as well!

 

Example: Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce. You can add meat for those who eat it very easily and make it a meat sauce, but leave the vegetarians simply marinara plain.

 

:iagree: The whole veggie thing is pretty simple when you really break it down. Regarding thinner things like spaghetti w/marinara, don't be afraid to beef it up (:tongue_smilie:) with lots of sauteed veggies like mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, and extra seasonings. See, what I've found out from being the only vegetarian here is that my carnivorous family eats because they like the flavor. If you ramp up the flavor by adding more spices and bulk up the meal with "meatier" veggies (mushrooms, eggplant, kidney beans, etc), they really don't know what's going on and don't complain much. Granted, on pot roast night, you won't be able to fib your way through that, but on a night such as that, be sure to place some of the veggies (carrots, potato, celery that usually accompanies the roast) in a separate pan in the oven, then add some cheese chunks and rice or some such thing, or even saute some mushrooms and onions to go along with it.

 

I would suggest (as I believe others already have) having him go to the library and check out vegetarian cookbooks and choose things that look good to him. Have him study and understand the veggie pyramid so he knows what he needs to do to get enough nutrients, especially as a growing boy, because it's really easy to fall back on bread, pasta, rice, etc to fill up, and that's really not good.

 

Also, I hate tofu. We rarely eat boca burgers and the like. They are not necessary to a healthy vegetarian diet, they're just easy. Have him dig around on some of the recipe sites to find a good veggie burger recipe, freeze them and he can pull one of those out on burger night. Like I said earlier, once you cover it up with all the fixin's (ketchup, mustard, onion, pickle, or salsa, avocado, sprouts), you don't even know what the heft (the burger) is, and you're still satisfied.

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I like to call DH a "recovering vegetarian". He still prefers vegetarian meals several times a week while I prefer meat. So I tend to do what others have suggested - make a "base" dish and garnish with meat or spices or whatever. Green beans come to mind immediately (because I just bought them for dinner tomorrow). I cook the beans with sautéed onions, add some tomato paste, pepper paste, and water - let them cook down until they're cooked in a nice rich tomato broth. I cook "stew" meat with salt, pepper, and onions separately and then mix-n-match. I will usually cook the meat in bulk in advance and freeze in small batches. Then all I have to deal with at dinner time is the vegetables and the rice or bulgur or bread. If DH is in a "meat" mood I cook the whole meal together. If not, I keep the meat separate and just add it for me and DD.

 

Hope that made sense - I'm having a bad day writing and talking for some reason....

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One mistake many new vegetarians make is that they do not consume enough calories. If he feels tired, shaky, or starts losing weight, he is not eating enough. Nuts, nut butters, and avocado are good calorie dense foods. Eggs and whole milk dairy products are also calorie dense.

 

You don't need to buy fake meats. You can find many homemade veggie burger recipes online. One of the simplest is to mash cooked chickpeas, add garlic and spices, then form into patties. Bake on a greased cookie sheet or pan fry. (If you make the patties small, you have falafel.)

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I've told my kids they aren't allowed to be vegetarians until they know how to cook their own meals. Making special meals (without a medical reason) would send me over the edge. I think I'd be more flexible if I had fewer kids...I'd probably experiment with having the whole family go veg for a while. But there's nothing wrong with saying, "No, you may not decide to eat in a substantially different way than the rest of the family while you are still a child." If you are so inclined. Just wanted to throw that out there.

 

Barb

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I agree with most of the pp except that I do buy the fake meat stuff almost every week-mostly for convenience. I hate it when I see what her choices are if she forgoes the meat entree if there is no easy alternative, so it is just easier to have something on hand. She hates the Boca brand-prefers Morningstar. Special note for gf folks: there is a wheat-free brand available from the health food store of Kroger. We mix things up. One week the bbq ribs, next the fake bacon, etc. All of my girls like what my youngest calls "sausage legs" (links).

 

She has been veg for almost 4 years, so I am used to it. She is veg for ethical reasons. My Mom and little sister are vegan, so she had some encouragement from them.

 

Also, when I am out of the "pre-fab" options, I revert to breakfast for supper or pb and j. Some nights a mama just is too tired to think hard!;)

 

Lakota

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my 10 yo decided in January she wanted to be vegetarian for no real reason. although as time has gone on, she has decided she doesn't want to hurt the poor animals. I had no idea she could give up chicken nuggets.

 

Anyway, I do cook separate meals for her. Or at least a veggie version for her. I buy all the meat substitutes. All of my kids actually like the meat subs and sometimes, we do that alone. But whatever I'm cooking, I just do a smaller version of the same meal with the veggie meat sub.

We like Morningstar brand. We also do a lot of non-meat meals too. She eats cheese and eggs so that's helpful.

 

http://www.morningstarfarms.com/

 

I find my local grocery has more options in the veggie/organic type food department than say when I grocery shop at walmart.

 

She definitely eats much healthier now but it's definitely not without much effort on my part. But I see it as her way of expressing her own identity and who I am to quash her self-expression.

 

Good Luck!!

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My DD12 is our lone vegetarian. I will cook special meals for her because I am proud that she has followed her conviction through so wholly. She became vegetarian at 9 and is very thorough...no gelatin, no shortening, no bouillon bases. She does eat our free range eggs, though not store bought, and she does drink the raw milk we buy. I do buy the fake meats on occasion, not usually the tofu based ones though. We are lucky to have a whole foods to go to that has all kinds of choices. She gets a tofurky and mushroom gravy at Thanksgiving. She can make her own seperate dinners when I ask her too. We are not huge meat consumers anyhow so I only have to accommodate her a few times a week. She feels strongly about this and I want her to know her voice is heard even when it goes against what I practice.

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I wouldn't make separate food for him. He can eat the veggies and salad and bread and whatnot and just not eat any meat. It's a skill he'll have to develop if continues to be a vegetarian, as most people he encounters will not be vegetarians and they will not prepare special food just for him, nor should they be expected to (some will, 'cuz they love him, but they shouldn't be *expected* to).

 

Don't plant bombs for him, though, like seasoning the green beans with bacon drippings, or using chicken broth in the rice instead of water. Bacon drippings and chicken broth are still meat. :-)

 

Be thankful he hasn't decided to be vegan, which is what my dd did for awhile: no animal by-products at all, like butter or honey or cheese. That was tough. :tongue_smilie:

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  • 2 weeks later...
My DD12 is our lone vegetarian. I will cook special meals for her because I am proud that she has followed her conviction through so wholly. She became vegetarian at 9 and is very thorough...no gelatin, no shortening, no bouillon bases. She does eat our free range eggs, though not store bought, and she does drink the raw milk we buy. I do buy the fake meats on occasion, not usually the tofu based ones though. We are lucky to have a whole foods to go to that has all kinds of choices. She gets a tofurky and mushroom gravy at Thanksgiving. She can make her own seperate dinners when I ask her too. We are not huge meat consumers anyhow so I only have to accommodate her a few times a week. She feels strongly about this and I want her to know her voice is heard even when it goes against what I practice.

 

 

My DD10 did this when he was 6. He flirted with it before, but then at 6 he just stopped completely. He is also now like your DD12- researching the names of non-vegetarian additives and avoiding those as well. He does like the 'burger' type fake meats though. That's the only one he'll do. It took us a while, but we've figured out ways to include his meal patterns. I got a subscription to Vegetarian Times, and that has been a lifesaver at times. There's a lot of things we'll try for ourselves too from that mag.

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Timely thread! My almost 8 y.o. on Monday decided to become a vegetarian because she thinks it's mean to the animals to eat meat/poultry/fish. We were already eating "flexitarian" (mostly plant-based with small amounts of poultry & fish) so it isn't a huge deal.

 

One cookbook I really like is Almost Vegetarian by Diana Shaw. It's OOP but worth trying to find a copy since each recipe has 2 versions, one vegetarian and one with poultry or fish. There's a similar book that looks interesting called The Flexitarian Table by Peter Berley but I haven't gotten a chance to actually look at it.

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My dds decided to be vegetarian for health reasons awhile back (6-9 months) and now we all are eating that way. For awhile we were trying to eat primarily raw but have gone back to cooked food. I'm happier (raw is SO time consuming!) and my boys are happier. I've got a great book from the library called How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. It's a huge, excellent resource -- lots of recipe variations & ideas.

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