ILiveInFlipFlops Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Sigh. I knew this was going to happen. I put a lot of thought and effort into making vegetarian recipes and buying yummy ingredients for salads etc. for the last few days, and she's vetoed all of them (though she did give most of them a fair try). She said, only half-jokingly, that she didn't want to be a vegetarian who eats vegetables, she just wanted to eat "not-meat." I really can't co-sign that! She wants to be vegetarian (and possibly eventually vegan) mainly for humane reasons, and I'm happy to support her along the way. We could all use a change in our eating habits, and eating more vegetables is a great start. But I can't allow her to exist on Terra chips and fake "meat" products and pasta and bread, can I? Oh, and vegan marshmallows. Those went over well too :lol: I would love any suggestions anyone has. Has anyone had a kid like this (or been a newbie veg*n themselves) who passed through this phase and branched out? I have a whole week's worth of vegetarian food planned, so she's going to be mighty hungry in a few days, I think! TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 How old? Old enough to make a decision on eating habits for humane reasons is old enough to figure out what to eat. Ask for a menu and help provide it. That's all I can suggest, because it doesn't sound very thoroughly thought-out (as is typical for kids/teens! lol). It was very nice of you to do all that work for her! Maybe starting out with a list of foods (organized by food pyramid group/nutrients?) would be good and just ask her to choose her favorites from each category. I think just having a list of choices will help her a lot. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 A friend's daughter is a "carb-atarian" too. She won't eat meat but doesn't want fruit or veggies either. They have found some drink mixes that have lots of vitamins and minerals and she has at least one of those a day. Other than that, she does eat dairy so she gets some other nutrients. Her mom has tried to introduce a lot of different grains - teff, quinoa, etc to boost nutrient intake. Other foods that she will eat: smoothies go over well - lots of frozen fruit and yogurt. I think they also put protein powder in it. Pb and almond butter Nuts and seeds 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyLady Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I was once a vegetarian who didn't want to eat vegetables. :laugh: But I was in my early 20s and at first, since I could eat whatever I wanted, that's exactly what I did. Then, a couple years later I came to my senses and realized just how poorly I was eating and literally forced myself to try new vegetables. Now I can proudly say I love most all of them! I don't know how old your daughter is, but with anyone, your tastebuds change over time. I would slowly introduce new vegetables to her and have her keep eating them over the course of a couple of weeks. Usually by about the third week a person will have grown to love the new food. If she still does dairy, you could try topping the veggies with butter (or a non-dairy version). It's not the healthiest, but that's how I started and now I prefer my veggies plain. She really just has to keep at it. Definitely don't let her get away with not eating her veggies. :) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I've known moms who made a list of daily servings and when a kid eats something, it's checked off the list. When a category has reached the max for the day, no more of that category can be eaten until the other categories have been fulfilled. For example, 5 carb servings, 5 veg servings, 1 fake meat serving, 3 fruit servings. If dd eats all her allowed bread and pasta servings by lunchtime, she's done with that category unless she eats the required fruits and veggies. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 If she plans to be a healthy vegetarian, she's going to need those veggies. Eating starches and fruits is not healthy long term. I also can't really support "fake meat" ... many are just chemically laden substitutes. I have had some very good ones, too. There are some wonderful recipes that incorporate lots of veggies, with lots of flavor. We made some incredibly delicious spring rolls this weekend...all veggies. My kids gobbled them up. She does need to be involved in helping plan her food, but if this is a choice she wants to make, she needs to learn what it means to be a healthy vegetarian, and help determine how she is going to get all of the vitamins and nutrients she needs. Vegetarians, just like anyone else, can become diabetic, obese, and vitamin deficient if they eat only "junk food." Just because something is labeled Vegan or Vegetarian doesn't mean it's healthy. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 blended soups smoothies veg hidden in pasta sauces When I was first vegetarian as a teen my mum was super supportive and it meant a lot to me! So, way to go mom! Good luck! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Give her some cash and take her to the produce stand or farmers market. Tell her she needs to buy veggies with it. Maybe give her a minimum number to buy. Then have her find the recipes to cook the things she picks. Grub is a good book. The recipes in Thug Kitchen are great if you take the language in the humor intended. My son has liked a kale and peanut noodle dish from Thug Kitchen, the breakfast greens from Thug Kitchen and the stir fry from Grub. My son doesn't want to be a vegetarian but he decided he wants to eat more veggies. It's new territory for him, despite the fact that I have always cooked liked this. Kids are weird. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 In my 20s, I was a vegetarian who didn't like many vegetables. But, I did like legumes.....so I would make veggie/bean soups and other veggie soups that I did like. I did like fruit, so I would eat it raw or make smoothies with it. Another thing that helped was taking this series of macrobiotic cooking classes. Not necessarily vegetarian (but nearly), but it introduced me to a lot of food/vegetables that I had never tried before. I wouldn't worry at this stage. I'd probably take her to the library for some good vegetarian cookbooks and let her get started in the kitchen. She'll find her way. I'll also add that if she wasn't eating vegetables when she was an omnivore, then she's still probably getting more fiber and other phytochemical though her vegetarian not vegetable diet anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 When my daughter decided to become a vegetarian, she had two rules: get your nutrition right, and don't inconvenience* me. We check a lot of books out of the library. She is not a vegetable lover but she is trying new things. One of her new favorite dinners is spinach salad with feta cheese and chickpeas. She has recently started adding grape tomatoes. She also makes smoothies - not green ones, just fruit so far. *I do try to come alongside her and make some vegetarian dishes with her, or side dishes to go with the meat my husband and son want. It's a process. In my experience, watching nieces and nephews grow up, they get over their veggie-hating ways over time. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 btdt myself as a veg*n since my late teens.The faux meats are fine. The starches are fine. Does she eat fruit?Are there any veggies she does like? Raw ones?Can you convince her of green smoothies? Frankly I still find it hard to eat enough veg so I drink mine in smoothies. I don't really love them but I don't have to love my food. I LOVE animals (that's why I don't eat them)The 3 big reasons for a veg*n diet are-health -environment -ethics/animal welfare At different times, different people will put more emphasis on a factor & will rank them differently. Once you start thinking about health, the vegetable intake goes up in importance. For the other 2, it's less important.I'd lay off the pressure, encourage the person to help plan meals/learn to cook or prepare various dishes, and relax. Remember to supplement B12 & if you're feeling really nervous, a multi. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I know lots of unhealthy veg*ns & I <3 'em all. I'd definitely rather people ate faux & processed than animals.If they don't value their own health, that technically only affects them. Eating animal products affects other sentient beings. Sure ideally, they'd be healthy too but if not, eating veg out of ethics & animal rights is a perfectly logical stance. *i know lots of unhealthy omnis (oh, I had to take out the apostrophe for the kittens but man, it looks wrong without it!) too. Nobody rags on those for some reason..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 When my dd decided to be a vegetarian, I tried several recipes and tried to work with her and the other family members who were not interested. It added work for me. We don't purchase much processed food, so that wasn't an option. So, I finally decided she was going to have to track her own food and nutrition requirements and prove she was getting the proper nutrition. She could cook her own meals (sometimes in addition to cooking when it was her turn for the family). She stuck with it for a while but soon grew tired of the effort. She said she will go back to it when she doesn't have to keep track of what she eats and can just wing it. I'm fine with that for an adult but not a growing child. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Tough call. Substitutes are fine, sugar is not--I wouldn't buy that. Eating processed foods affects us all and she needs fresh food, but for a kid 14+ I'd just keep offering tons of fresh fruit and let it go. For a younger child, probably eat your salad first then eat what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Uh well no I don't think I'd accommodate that. What is left for a vegetarian who won't eat vegetables?! I had a friend in college who was Vegan. She lived on garbage. Oreo cookies, chips, etc. She would brag about how healthy she was because she was eating Vegan. I never saw her even eat a vegetable. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 but meat is not a replacement for vegetables so I don't understand the hand wringing here. Anyone who doesn't eat any veg is at risk of poorer health & nutritional outcomes, it has nothing to do with where your primary protein comes from. does she eat beans, lentils, tofu, nuts? 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 One concern about the meat replacements is that they are often packed with soy protien. I didn't go for the processed meat substitutes but I did eat enough soy to give myself a serious food sensitivity to soy. I was eating mostly tofu scrambles. Not great for me; I was sick for months and it all went away when I stopped eating so much soy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I'm not going to get into the soy debate now but merely point out that Field Roast brand is soy free if anyone is looking for a soy free meat alternative. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Uh well no I don't think I'd accommodate that. What is left for a vegetarian who won't eat vegetables?! I had a friend in college who was Vegan. She lived on garbage. Oreo cookies, chips, etc. She would brag about how healthy she was because she was eating Vegan. I never saw her even eat a vegetable. I had a friend like that. She was a garbagatarian. She'd literally lecture us about the health of eating a little salmon while she was eating desserts and bread and at the same exact moment we were eating plates piled high with deliciously prepared roasted and fresh veggies alongside our 4-5 ounces of fish. She would avoid the veggies we served and go right to the sugar and carbs. One time she sat at our table and rebuked us for not being vegans while we were eating vegan pesto minestrone soup and she was eating an entire baguette. Some people are just stupid. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I get that meat is not a replacement. I have one kid who won't eat vegetables. I hate that fact. But he will eat meat, eggs, fish, etc. I feel like he as at least not just living on a diet of junk carbs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Well, I don't know that I'd be super freaking out. Meat and dairy is not a substitute for vegetables and carbs are not evil. I'd be looking for her to have a good source of protein because she doesn't have a super varied diet. I'd be looking for her to meet her RDA, though, not what someone on a high protein diet eats. I guess I'd look at it from the perspective of a health lesson. Talk about what kinds of things we need to eat to be healthy, of which a large portion needs to be fiber rich vegetables, fruits, and intact whole grains. Maybe have her come up with a week's worth of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc) and see where she comes out. Does she meet her RDAs? Does she meet her recommended servings (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/vegetables-counts.html)? How can she adjust it to meet them, etc. But really, people tend to make the eating a veg*n diet thing to be super hard with kids and it doesn't have to be. *Everyone*, meat eater or otherwise, needs to eat a varied diet. imo, a person who won't eat vegetables, but will eat meat, eggs, and fish is equally as concerning as a vegetarian whose vegetable intake is limited. Animal products have lots of protein and fat, but no fiber and fiber is really rather important for good health. Also, Tofurky's products aren't super processed and aren't full of soy protein isolates. Field Roast (like Hornblower mentioned) is soy free as is Uptons seitan. Beans are also a fantastic source of protein *and* fiber. With my kids, it was an incremental kind of thing. They helped plan meals, buy the food, etc. Our goal was always to try one new veggie a week. So maybe start where she is and help her work up to it. I'd agree with the suggestion to give her a veggie budget and put her in charge of buying x things to try. Maybe get her reading? http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/VeganNutritionForTeenagers.pdf http://www.vegkitchen.com/nutrition/teenagers Ginny Messina has a couple of books "Vegan for Life" and "Vegan for Her" which depending on her age might be something she'd be interested in or at the very least something you can read and talk about with her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I think I'd make the options vegetarian or omnivore. No starchatarians, no cheesatarians, no junkatarians. No making mom jump through hoops then filling up on expensive health store chips. Has she explored her smoothie options? A banana and some strawberries REALLY make the kale and carrot juice go down easy. I prepackage my preferred smoothie mix and freeze in individual servings so that I'm just adding the mix and a cup of water to the blender. SUPER easy and assembling them is really quick. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I was a vegetarian for years. When I started out I was like that but over time I got rid of the fake meat and found a way to eat vegetables especially as the kids came. I was not a healthy vegetarian at first but that is not why I became a vegetarian. I did not eat vegetables before becoming a vegetarian though. I still like to do the sneaky stuff like making smoothies and throwing in some spinach, kale, carrot or swiss chard. Or I often shred vegetables or blend them and add them to stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Oh believe me I am not thrilled my son won't eat vegetables. No clue what on earth I could even do about that. He will eat fruit though. Not claiming his diet is healthy, but if he suddenly said he wanted to stop eating meat too, I'd say no way. The list of things he is willing to eat is just too small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwilk Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I have been a vegetarian for the past 18 years, and my relationship with veggies has varied. I've always had favorites, but they change, and my tastes have certainly broadened over time. My parents insisted that if I wanted to be a vegetarian, I had to cook for myself and eat reasonably healthy. I could request certain foods, but nothing redic, and there was a limited amount of junky food in the house. I never really was a fan of salads (I still don't like lettuce, but will do kale, spinach, or other alternates), but I did enjoy cooked veggies, and was willing to try a lot. I also have the book How to Cook Anything Vegetarian (or something like that). It has been a life saver as an adult. Our whole household is currently vegetarian, including the 3.5 year old. She's variable with what she'll eat veggie wise, but we try to give her reasonable options. We usually have a bunch of choices in the house, and any between meal eating must be veggie (or occasionally fruit). Mostly I think flexibility, offering good/varied choices, and giving the child control over his/her own food is the way to go. Or at least, a way to go. Also, it gets easier. Consider it a chance to discuss nutrition and health issues. Also, if there's a program in your area, you may be able to have your child consult with a nutritionist to build a plan. I was able to do so through the school, but you might be able to find a similar program in the community. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 This was me as a teen. I lived. I do think I ate really unhealthily, but I'm not sure what should have been done about it exactly. There was no good option. I already did my own shopping and cooking. I was a stubborn, angry teenager. If my mother had tried to force me to eat meat or more vegetables then it would not have gone over well. I probably just would have stopped eating to spite her. And then our relationship, which was mostly very good through my teen years, would have degraded. I did eventually learn to enjoy vegetables. However, it was not until I was in my mid-20's. I think it really did take that long for my taste buds to get to where I could enjoy a wider range of foods. I am likely a supertaster. All the tastes were just too much. I had a strong gag reflex and I would generally just throw up vegetables people really forced me to eat. I still won't eat broccoli because I was forced to eat it and threw it up. I'm assuming she's a teen? A younger child I think I would push a little more on this, but any child after about 12 or 13, I think you just make an appeal and do your best. Do the sneaky veggies if she'll let you. Remember that you have to serve something a few dozen times before it can be accepted. Ask her what else she'll try. Give her a budget and ask her to stretch herself in buying new things. Take her out to vegetarian restaurants and see if she'll try something new. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 (Can I just ask why the a is taken out of veg an?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 (Can I just ask why the a is taken out of veg an?) It stands for both vegan and vegetarian without specifying or assuming which. It's inclusive of both in a way that vegetarian is not. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparrowsNest Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Did you say how old she is? Because personally, my response to this would vary greatly depending on the age of the kiddo. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 My now 8 year old decided to become vegetarian about 2 years ago for humane reasons. He is not vegan so he does eat eggs and dairy. He is not the best vegetable eater but when he made the decision we did tell him he had to start eating more veggies and couldn't just eat pasta. That might have been easier to enforce given that he is younger and not a grumpy teenager. He's more used to being compliant. He is a picky eater. He won't eat mushrooms, potatoes or tomatoes which does limit options. He does have a few veggies that he will always eat which helps. I just make sure to always have those around. He doesn't like the fake-meat products (in his mind he doesn't want to eat meat so why would he want something that pretends to be meat) but he will do a lot of beans and lentils. The rest of us are not vegetarian so meals fall into the following categories: -Vegetarian meals we will all eat. Winners here: fried rice, black bean enchiladas, quesadillas, lentil tacos, zucchini fritters, hummus and rice fritters, various pastas, soups especially some kind of veggie chilli -A meal that has a meat and he eats just the sides. So we might have chicken and I'll make a salad and rice. He eats the salad and rice and I'll heat up some black beans for him to have with the rice. -A meal that has nothing he likes. Because he is a picky eater this happens occasionally. Sometimes we want to have lasagna or something else tomato based or we'll do meatloaf and mashed potatoes and the one veggie I have in the fridge is something he doesn't like. He has a few dishes he can fix himself in these situations. I'll cal him in while I'm fixing dinner and ask him what he wants to make and he'll make it. Typically it will either be some kind of eggs, a spinach and bean quesadilla or what he calls "cheesy delight" which is basically rice with cheese and beans and whatever else he wants to put on it. I have found this approach to be the one that makes it easiest for me. The other thing we do a lot of is have a meal where I provide all the ingredients and there is some amount of self-assembly. One is what we call "bowl" dinner. I put out rice, chopped veggies, cheese, beans, salsa, different sauces and sometimes a meat. It's good for leftovers. Everyone can then add what they want to their bowl. Quesadillas and pasta dishes also work well for that approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 How old is your child, and has she really thought this through carefully? I would want to sit down with her and really talk it through with her. Leaving out meat is not a huge deal, as far as I'm concerned (we were vegetarians for years, although now we eat it maybe 3x week; I rarely crave it). But you need a plan. If her reasoning is for humane reasons, well, there are animals that are treated humanely. But you can get your protein from legumes, almonds, vegetables, cheese, eggs, and so many other things. Protein is so important for the growing brain, and vegetables are important for a number of reasons too. Your body needs vegetables more than fruit. Also, protein fills that hungry feeling like nothing else. You don't want her filling it up with junk. What does she eat, if not meat or vegetables? Does she eat legumes? You can mix a lot of vegetables in with a good legume stew, or a lot of green leaf veggies into a smoothie. I would want to be sure that this is really something she has thought carefully about, and isn't just a fad or weird eating thing. I'm not implying it is for your daughter! I have several kids with different diets -- one of them is paleo, another mediterranean, and another swears that donuts helps her acne. :) But I do think our diets set us up for a lot of things down the road and need to be considered thoughtfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 If she plans to be a healthy vegetarian, she's going to need those veggies. Eating starches and fruits is not healthy long term. I also can't really support "fake meat" ... many are just chemically laden substitutes. I have had some very good ones, too. There are some wonderful recipes that incorporate lots of veggies, with lots of flavor. We made some incredibly delicious spring rolls this weekend...all veggies. My kids gobbled them up. She does need to be involved in helping plan her food, but if this is a choice she wants to make, she needs to learn what it means to be a healthy vegetarian, and help determine how she is going to get all of the vitamins and nutrients she needs. Vegetarians, just like anyone else, can become diabetic, obese, and vitamin deficient if they eat only "junk food." Just because something is labeled Vegan or Vegetarian doesn't mean it's healthy. One idea would be for her to read the Omnivore's Dilemma. This would give her some insights on some other options. There are options for meat that are a little more humane (pasture raised animals) There is a youth version of this book. So that is one way to help her really nail down what she wants from this project. But yeah, she can't just eat fake meat and starches. Is she eating fresh veggies as opposed to frozen? If she can have fresh, they are so much better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 But yeah, she can't just eat fake meat and starches. . Just curious, would you say this about animal meat and starches? And doesn't the fac that faux meats are made of plants change things a bit? I mean she is eating plant based foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Just curious, would you say this about animal meat and starches? And doesn't the fac that faux meats are made of plants change things a bit? I mean she is eating plant based foods. Many (not all) fake meats are loaded with preservatives and just kind of crappy fillers. And I would not allow my kid to exist only on meat and starches eaither. ETA: I don't have kids with allergies or anything weird like that. We just are normal eaters. They do learn to eat veggies. And like them. I am not a clean your plater, but I only allow small portions of the starch, and no seconds of the starches till the veggies are down the hatch. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 If she won't eat veggies and wants to be a vegetarian, it's a recipe for disaster and carb overload (read, excess weight). Tell her to schuss out some vegetarian recipes she can eat. Is it possible to find a local farm (organic, non-GMO, pasture raised pork and beef) that treats their food animals humanely and slaughters as humanely as possible? Would she eat meat under those conditions? ETA: You can roast almost any vegetable and it will be a million times more delicious than it would without roasting. Try that and see if she'll eat the veggies that way. Sigh. I knew this was going to happen. I put a lot of thought and effort into making vegetarian recipes and buying yummy ingredients for salads etc. for the last few days, and she's vetoed all of them (though she did give most of them a fair try). She said, only half-jokingly, that she didn't want to be a vegetarian who eats vegetables, she just wanted to eat "not-meat." I really can't co-sign that! She wants to be vegetarian (and possibly eventually vegan) mainly for humane reasons, and I'm happy to support her along the way. We could all use a change in our eating habits, and eating more vegetables is a great start. But I can't allow her to exist on Terra chips and fake "meat" products and pasta and bread, can I? Oh, and vegan marshmallows. Those went over well too :lol: I would love any suggestions anyone has. Has anyone had a kid like this (or been a newbie veg*n themselves) who passed through this phase and branched out? I have a whole week's worth of vegetarian food planned, so she's going to be mighty hungry in a few days, I think! TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I've raised two vegans who have never been big on vegetables. One is an adult, and the other is nearly so. Both are healthy. Both have expanded their food repertoires as they have matured, despite the fact that we never put in place a lot of rules, requirements or pressure. My daughter, who lived for a good number of years on white rice topped with margarine and soy sauce, alternated with the typical kid fruits (bananas, applesauce, grapes, etc.) along with some mashed potatoes and lots of popcorn, is now a happy, healthy adult, She's still not a big fan of veggies, but her range of acceptable foods has broadened considerably, and she prepares and eats a nice selection of healthy meals. My son will go days without eating a vegetable, but then start craving them and seek out salads and other such things. He isn't fond of the way most of the vegetables are prepared in his campus cafeteria and so will sometimes hit the local grocery store to stock up and then cook various veg-heavy meals in his microwave or the dorm kitchen. He, too, is happy and healthy and, as a dancer, very active. While we never pushed our kids to eat specific vegetables or required them to try bites of things, we did encourage them to make fresh fruits and (when possible) veggies a regular part of their diets. So, when I made breakfast, part of the "what do you want to eat" discussion was about which fruit that child would like today. "Would you like a banana or applesauce with your oatmeal?" Essentially, we focused on making sure that every meal included something from the fruit/veggie group, but I tried not to stress about specifics. And we did limit the amount of junk that was available and/or not allow access to the junkier foods until after something healthy was eaten. Alongside that, we just kept offering opportunities for them to try things and making sure they saw us eating various kinds of veggies regularly. I'm not going to lie: Both of mine ate a fair number of "meals" that consisted of either mashed or fried potatoes, a serving of fruit and a glass of soymilk. It doesn't seem to have done either of them any harm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 It stands for both vegan and vegetarian without specifying or assuming which. It's inclusive of both in a way that vegetarian is not. Ooooooh! I was afraid there were some super-creepy people who would search for "vegan" for nefarious purposes. Whew! Glad it's just a combined abbreviation. I was starting to think the world was a scary place. :laugh: :leaving: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 My husband was vegetarian for a long time, since his mid teens so about 20 years. He fell into the more unhealthy vegetarian mostly because of lazyness and not really being able to cook (his dad is a chef not sure why that skill wasn't passed down) and he hates veg in most forms other than basic boiled peas etc. and only ate basic salad slathered in dressing. Recently he began to eat meat again but as a result he's had to do a lot of trying of all kinds of food he's never eaten and it's broadened his tastes a lot within even vegetarian food. It just opened his mind to a change. It's triggered him to try loads more veg in raw forms and although it's taken him a while to get used to some raw flavours of veg because they are peppery or strong, he now likes cabbage/kale etc. It's taken several attempts to like many foods but he's got used to the new range of flavour and texture. I do think a change in diet whatever it is, could be a great opportunity to try things in a fun light hearted way with the understanding that the thing you feel unsure of can just take getting familiar with and kind of make it fun and not overly judgemental. Like making up a grazer plate of small quantities of new things or going to a good vegetarian cafe and trying some things out so that the diet can be gently broadened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Sparkly, did you see what our ped told us to do? We started buying V8 Fusion to help. He eats veggies but a limited variety. He won't drink it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I would only go along with a wanna-be-vegetarian who researched healthy vegetarian nutrition and then came up with a well-balanced nutritious meal plan for themselves including recipes that I could make. Sounds like a homeschool project. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Instead of trying completely new recipes, can you start trying the vegetarian versions of her favorites...Veggie tacos and fajitas, Veggie pizzas (perhaps slowly increasing the amount of olives, mushrooms, peppers on it until her tastes develop) veggie sauce on pasta (try the simplest version you can think of with just tomatoes and peppers at first before trying more exotic veggies in the mix) Take her favorite soups and just leave the chicken or beef out with vegetable broth instead of meat broth. (I'm thinking chili and stew) Veggie omelets, slowing increasing the vegetables and reducing the cheese. By the way, if she's going to make such a drastic decision, I don't know that it's entirely fair for her to leave it all to you. She should probably start helping with meal prep. BTW, once she knows how to cook some easy stuff and gets faster at it she may be less likely to fall in the "I'm just going to eat nothing but granola bars because they are easy. I'd also tell her to be patient with her developing palate and be willing to try things three and four times before making a final decision about whether she likes it or not. I'd also find some homemade versions of things like granola bars or something else that you can control the amount of sugar and fillers in. She could reach for those instead of a pre-made, preservative laden things when she's hungry and doesn't want to stop to cook something. I think a lady at church was telling me she makes a big batch on the weekend and eats them all week. They can be packed with nuts, seeds, whole grains and dried fruits and adjusted for her tastes. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I wouldn't be particularly keen on having my kid replace the fats and proteins in animal products by filling up with processed foods and carbs. Especially since they are a lot more likely to be imported than the things I cook. About half of our meals are vegetarian and nutritionally acceptable, so in that sense I wouldn't worry too much about other meals being unbalanced. But I do think learning to eat healthily is important, and eating ethically as well. I would want this child to show me she had thought through what a sustainable and healthy diet as a vegetarian would look like where we live, and make some efforts towards learning to cook that way. i wouldn't expect any teen to actually eat that way all the time,but I would expect her to understand the implications, the food chain she was buying into, etc. IME it is actually quite difficult to eat what I would consider an ethical vegan diet here all year round, and eating an ethical, non-vegan vegetarian diet is not much different from eating one with appropriate meat products. I would want a chlld to be aware of that kind of problem and understand the implications of it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman is my favorite cookbook, and I'm not even a vegetarian. So many of the recipes are easy, straightforward and (most importantly), delicious. There are pretty comprehensive sections on each vegetable, as well as chapters on different grains, beans, eggs, herbs, fruits, nuts and so much more. This book really made me look at vegetarian cooking in a whole new light, and it showed just how EASY it is to cook vegetables in such delicious ways. One thing you might want to do is pick up a copy of this book, and challenge your DD to really use it. Have her pick one recipe per chapter to try out, or have her go A-Z through the vegetable chapter, discovering new vegetables she didn't know she would like, and new ways of preparing vegetables she thought she hated. I have well over 100 cookbooks on my shelf and this book is the one I reach for first all the time. I think even you will enjoy reading through it and trying out a few things. I think it's been too long since I flipped through it, and I suddenly have a hankering for a good bean burger... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I am so glad I am not the only person with a vegetarian dd who does not like very many veggies. She recently decided to become a pescatarian, which makes me feel a lot better about the amount of protein she is getting although now I worry about mercury. Should I have said pesc#tarian? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 Well darn it. I typed out this whole long reply last night, and then I fell asleep and my laptop powered down and I lost the whole thing :glare: Thank you all for the great advice, commiseration, and reassurance. I'll try again later today to hit all the replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I am so glad I am not the only person with a vegetarian dd who does not like very many veggies. She recently decided to become a pescatarian, which makes me feel a lot better about the amount of protein she is getting although now I worry about mercury. Should I have said pesc#tarian? no, pescatarians are just pescatarians :) veg*n includes vegetarian and vegan. regarding protein requirements & vegans, there is an extensive reference backed article here http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein.php the short version: "an estimate is that vegans might benefit from 1.0 to 1.1 g/kg of protein" (for athletes & people over 60 see those sections as the recommendations change) and at the bottom of the page, there is a table where you can put in your weight & it will generate the amounts of various vegan protein sources so you can see what combinations would meet your needs. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 Just some very quick points. She is 13, and at a recent local event, both kids were handed innocuous-seeming pamphlets that detailed the many cruel and inhumane processes in factory farming. They'd already been talking about meatless weekends or something along those lines, so this was the natural next step. I completely agree with them, and it's something I've struggled with myself. Unfortunately, both DH and I feel and function best on a paleo-style diet, but we're both willing to make a large-scale change in this direction, at least until we see how it works out. One other complication is that I really should not have gluten. I've gotten on and off that wagon, and I've been trying to get back on it, so I can't just suddenly start feeding everyone pasta and bread to replace the meat we've been eating. She is willing to eat fish/shellfish, but there are a lot of ethical (and health) issues involved in that as well. Plus, high-quality seafood is more expensive than our budget can bear at the moment. We do have a reliable source for eggs from happy chickens (ETA: Dang it, I forgot about a big issue there. I'm not sure if DH will be on board with no eggs!), so we're OK there, and I'm working through the dairy issue, because we do love our cheese and yogurt, but while I can buy organic, the sources are still usually factory-farmed cows. I have access to raw milk locally, but we haven't liked (and can't afford) all the raw milk-based cheeses and other dairy products that those farms sell. That will have to be the next step in our evolution though! Just curious, would you say this about animal meat and starches? Yes, I would be equally unhappy if she was eating only animal meat and starches. IMO, neither option is a healthy, balanced diet. And IME, the vast majority of the fake meat alternatives are loaded with salt and "natural flavors" and low-quality, processed soy. I certainly don't mind them as an occasional treat or burger alternative or whatever, but they're not what I want her eating every single day. I'll look into the brand you mentioned, but given her pickiness, I don't know if she'll eat it. We made a killer miso soup yesterday--savory, salty, hearty, so good!--and she didn't like it. I can at least say that she does give things a fair shake before turning her nose up though. OK, I have to go teach now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Just some very quick points. She is 13, and at a recent local event, both kids were handed innocuous-seeming pamphlets that detailed the many cruel and inhumane processes in factory farming. They'd already been talking about meatless weekends or something along those lines, so this was the natural next step. Ah my friends at Vegan Outreach would beam with happiness. Not saying it was them necessarily but they're one of the biggest groups doing this ..... Another one is the 10 Billion Lives tour. They pay people a buck to watch a video. (You couldn't pay me enough to watch it, btw) Such effective outreach, getting people to skip animal products for one meal, for one day (Meatless Mondays), for a time (Veganuary challegne), forever... :) I like to dream :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I had a friend like that. She was a garbagatarian. She'd literally lecture us about the health of eating a little salmon while she was eating desserts and bread and at the same exact moment we were eating plates piled high with deliciously prepared roasted and fresh veggies alongside our 4-5 ounces of fish. She would avoid the veggies we served and go right to the sugar and carbs. One time she sat at our table and rebuked us for not being vegans while we were eating vegan pesto minestrone soup and she was eating an entire baguette. Some people are just stupid. We always called them Twinkie-tarians. And I have known a bunch! Sometimes it takes a while for the tastebuds to catch up with the decision!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Yes, I would be equally unhappy if she was eating only animal meat and starches. IMO, neither option is a healthy, balanced diet. And IME, the vast majority of the fake meat alternatives are loaded with salt and "natural flavors" and low-quality, processed soy. I certainly don't mind them as an occasional treat or burger alternative or whatever, but they're not what I want her eating every single day. What did she eat before she went vegetarian? Knowing that will help people give you some ideas that will be more likely to work for her. I also was a vegetarian who didn't really eat vegetables. I think it's pretty common for a lot of new, young vegetarians. I think that I ate just as badly as a meat eater, but it was less obvious because I still ate the "main dish." When I stopped eating meat, all of a sudden my issues with vegetables were really apparent to others--though that part hadn't changed at all. After about a year of being a vegetarian, I decided I had to start eating veggies, but I had big issues with them. I started adding them to things I cooked, but I chopped them as small as possible--think pulverized. If I'd had a food processor, I'd have used that to get them small enough. The idea was that they had to be small enough that I wouldn't end up with a chunk of red pepper or something on my fork and be overwhelmed by the taste/texture. I'd work the smaller-than-minced veggies into the dishes I was making. I'd make tacos with tofu and add pulverized peppers and onions. I'd make veggie burgers with miniscule pieces of broccoli and carrots. I'd make pasta sauce with mashed carrots and tiny pieces of peppers. Over time (years), I started chopping the veggies less finely and eating more veggies as a side dish. The fact that your daughter will willingly try the dishes you've made suggests to me that her food issues are not nearly as extreme as mine were, and by simply talking with her and continuing to expose her to veggies will help her become more flexible. Whether she eats meat or not, she'll need to learn to eat veggies, so this is a good process for her to go through! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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