Vegan meals friendly for the non-vegan carnivore

[SparklyUnicorn]

You would think so but my non-vegan is non-normal and uber picky. Beans of any sort are a big no. I once saw him vomit after taking one bite of a green bean.  :eek:

 

Pretty much veggies of any sort are a no. You would think someone would outgrow that and if so I'm still waiting for it to happen. His girlfriend keeps trying to expand his palate but she is having no better luck than I did.

 

This is my kid too.  His diet is so limited because of it so I wouldn't go out of my way to limit it further.  I eat low carb, but I do not insist on a low carb meal for him because he'd just eat the meat, and I don't think that's so great.  So he makes his own food most of the time.  Right now I have him make one family meal a week so he picks it.  Tonight he is making pasta with meatballs.  I'll be making my own food tonight (because that's not low carb obviously).

[SparklyUnicorn]

Given his reluctance to eat beans or vegetables, I'd also say feed him a lot of pb & J sandwiches.

 

Which is kinda like a big cookie though. 

[eternalsummer]

Well, I have been known to eat a big cookie (a vegan one) for dinner once a week.

 

3x a week might be a bit much.  But if the kid won't eat beans or vegetables and his parents don't eat animal products for ethical reasons, what is left except carbs and nut products and fruit?

[Zinnia]

Well, if he won't eat beans, and you won't serve meat or eggs or cheese, I'd say have lots of peanut butter and jelly and bread around, lol. 

 

Pancakes with veggie sausages? I don't like most non meat things, but the sasage patties are pretty good. Plus fruit. 

SaveSave

 

I also am not big on fake meat, but there are these veggie corn dog bites in the freezer section, and well....I make an exception for those!  :)

[Kareni]

Sweet potato chili from chocolate covered katie.com. I think it's vegan. It's awesome!!

 

That looks delicious.  Thanks for the link, displace.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Arcadia]

You would think so but my non-vegan is non-normal and uber picky. Beans of any sort are a big no. I once saw him vomit after taking one bite of a green bean. :eek:

 

Pretty much veggies of any sort are a no. You would think someone would outgrow that and if so I'm still waiting for it to happen. His girlfriend keeps trying to expand his palate but she is having no better luck than I did.

I bloat if I eat beans and lentils. I’ll probably end up eating mushrooms only if I am vegan. I don’t do well with pasta or rice either so I eat less than a small kids portion.

 

My husband has been eating chicken rice every day for the last 16 years :lol: My oldest can survive on just plain pasta. My younger boy is less picky but has been known to take a few mouthfuls of plain rice and avoid all the dishes.

 

Are there vegan desserts that your son like? My kids have gone hungry rather than eat what they don’t like for main meals so we usually bring a dessert that my kids will eat when friends invite us for dinner.

[Sandwalker]

chili, beefless stew, potato soup, veggie pizza, quesadillas, burritos, spaghetti, lasagna, farmers plate (mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, biscuits), stir fry, cheeseless mac & cheese... really anything you would normally eat there is a vegan healthy version. I don’t buy fake meat & all of my meals satisfy my carnivore husband ðŸ‘ðŸ»

 

ETA- On my Pinterest I have some yummy recipes pinned: https://www.pinterest.com/amykeith71/ hope that helps youðŸ½

Nice pinterest! :)

[Sandwalker]

OP, what does your son like to eat for dinner usually? I'm guessing burgers, pizza, meat and potatoes?

 

Does he like hummus, guacamole, baba ganoush? Great with pita triangles, add some veggie pieces for the rest of the fam. Big fruit salad.

 

To whatever you make, try to incorporate some some (maybe sauteed) mushrooms, or add some dried mushrooms (cheap at Asian markets, all kinds of different mushrooms I never knew about!)/Mushrooms give the feeling of satisfaction and fullness to the brain.

 

Sweet potatoes or butternut squash are crazy good cut up and grilled or roasted hot in the oven. Even non veg eaters often like them, they taste like candy and you can dip. I've used so many different dips and sauces for this, Thai sweet chili sauce to salad dressings, sirhacha (can't spell it lol), etc.

 

If you have $ to burn and have a Whole Foods or similar, the Beyond Meat burgers cook, taste, and look just like meat (I'm a 10 year vegan, but carnis I feed agree.) I paid $5.99/for 2 patties (one is filling), usual price was $6.99. They are very fatty and similar nutritional profile to ground beef, I expect. Use big fluffy burger buns, all his fave toppings, and some fries, sweet and white potato.

 

Base of vegan meal isn't meat, so pick something starchy. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice (different kinds, try black/purple when on sale), quinoa, yummy breads. Then you add whatever--if he's a picky eater, give some vegan stuff he's used to, peas or fries or whatever, and add other filling stuff but use flavors he'll like. I gotta go to work, but loved your thread and had to jump in. I'll post some fave vegan blogs and recipe sites later. <3 Oh, serve big desserts, they remember dessert most since it's last. :)

[stephanier.1765]

No to hummus, guacamole, and baba ganoush. No to potatoes of any sort unless they are french fries (white only). The only salad he will eat is a Cesar. 

 

Yes to tacos, fajitas (the meat only), pizza, subs, burgers, spaghetti, lasagna, mac and cheese, rice, cooked apples (which he only gets at holidays), ham, fried chicken, fries and I think that's it. There might be a few foods I'm missing but you get the basic idea of what sort of eater he is. He is exasperating.

 

Yesterday was National Taco Day so I defrosted some leftover taco meat I had in the freezer and heated that for him and then made some tacos for us from a fake meat ( I don't recall the brand) then added corn, rice and a vegan coleslaw. Of that, he ate the tacos and rice. He will be here again for dinner tonight and I'm already stressed about it. I'm going to read through this thread again and hopefully become inspired. :)

[hornblower]

for lasagna, I make this one a lot.

I've brought it lots of times to omnivore potlucks and it always disappears. I honestly don't think people knew it was vegan. 

http://www.chooseveg.com/tofulasagna

 

I do add some Yves just like ground to my tomato sauce. 

I use sauce out of a jar. President's Choice Roasted Red Pepper pasta sauce. 

I do mix in some Daiya or Earth Island mozza shreds into the tofu/spinach layer and sprinkle some on top but you can also just skip it. I've run out before and made it without, and just baked it with tomato sauce on top. 

The baked tofu and spinach layer does end up like ricotta. It's just a white creamy layer; like I said, I really don't think people knew it was vegan. 

But I know it's harder when someone knows you're cooking a new way - esp picky eaters - because then they look for it to taste different...

[stephanier.1765]

for lasagna, I make this one a lot.

 

I've brought it lots of times to omnivore potlucks and it always disappears. I honestly don't think people knew it was vegan. 

 

http://www.chooseveg.com/tofulasagna

 

I do add some Yves just like ground to my tomato sauce. 

 

I use sauce out of a jar. President's Choice Roasted Red Pepper pasta sauce. 

 

I do mix in some Daiya or Earth Island mozza shreds into the tofu/spinach layer and sprinkle some on top but you can also just skip it. I've run out before and made it without, and just baked it with tomato sauce on top. 

 

The baked tofu and spinach layer does end up like ricotta. It's just a white creamy layer; like I said, I really don't think people knew it was vegan. 

 

But I know it's harder when someone knows you're cooking a new way - esp picky eaters - because then they look for it to taste different...

 

Excellent! This is what I'm doing. As soon as I figure out how to print it, I'm going to head to Publix to pick up the ingredients I don't have on hand. Man-child is at work so he won't know how it's made and hopefully he won't wonder about it either. Either way there will be salad as back up. Thanks!

[eternalsummer]

Yes, I've had vegan lasagna made by my non-vegan (but pretty considerate in this way) SIL, and it did not taste different to me.

[samba]

I don't know if the fake meats and cheezes are good or not because we generally avoid processed foods and those that are high in fat or have added oils. BUT my dh and kids like the Boca Chik'n patties. We call them tricken' sandwiches. :)

 

I have made a similar lasagna to the one hornblower shared. My dh, who is the pickiest eater in the family (and the only one not on board with our way of eating) really liked it. Dh was a vegetarian when we met but a total junkfood type who lived off of pizza and bean/cheese burritos. He knows how we're eating is healthier and says he wants to join us but it's been difficult for him. He's on the road a lot for work and he usually ends up buying a meat/cheese sandwich for lunch and then eating the rest of it for dinner instead of eating what I've prepared. :( I used to buy cheese slices for him because he would open a refrigerator full of food and complain that there was nothing to eat and that really irritates me. But I've stopped doing that. I'm doing what I think is best for our family. When we transitioned to a vegan diet, it was a mutual decision. The kids were allowed to eat what they wanted in other people's homes but I would not be buying/preparing animal products any longer. Now dh says he thinks he "needs" meat. 

 

It's hard when you want to please people you care about and still adhere to your own convictions. Best wishes.

[stephanier.1765]

The lasagna was a huge hit and I mean huge. At first both guys, dh and son, were put off by the green but, once I swore it was good, they gave it a taste test and both ate 3 huge pieces. DH declared it the best thing I've ever made. So yay, another meal everyone can eat,

[hornblower]

The lasagna was a huge hit and I mean huge. At first both guys, dh and son, were put off by the green but, once I swore it was good, they gave it a taste test and both ate 3 huge pieces. DH declared it the best thing I've ever made. So yay, another meal everyone can eat,

 

oh yay!!!!  I'm so glad! 

 

It freezes fine btw. When we're organized we have several in the freezer. 

[StephanieZ]

How about tacos that you can do w/ or w/o cheese and meat? Just use some soy-cheese for you (or skip it) and have real cheese and meat for your son. You can do beans/veggies/rice/guacamole/etc. You can even make extra taco meat and freeze portions of it for future weeks. And shredded cheese keeps great in the freezer, too. So, no waste, no problems. You can make the rest of the meal fresh and just pull out a baggie of meat and a cup of cheese each time. 

 

I'd scour your brain for family favorites like tacos that can be easily modified both directions. 

[Arcadia]

Now dh says he thinks he "needs" meat.

It might be psychological for your husband’s case but my husband nearly fainted a few times after he switched to vegetarian for a week so he had to add back some meat. He didn’t want to waste money on a doctor’s visit so we don’t know why. The dizzy spells happened every time he did not eat meat for a few days in a row, like if we ran out of meat in the house.

 

I had plenty of full blood counts results over the years and doctors calling me to go on iron supplements immediately. I can’t get my iron from plant based food. I had to go on double dose of iron supplements if I am vegetarian until the anemia is less bad. My DS11 had anemia as a baby too despite all the iron fortified food and went on prescribed liquid iron supplements . My mom is anemic too.

 

So when my friends say they feel faint after switching to vegetarian, I’ll tell them to check for anemia and then take iron supplements (Floravital is vegan) if necessary. If it’s not anemia, than the doctor would have check for other possibilities like low blood pressure, vertigo, over exhaustion.