Daughter wants to become a vegetarian.

Jacks_xxx

Even if you weren't fully stretched already I'd still definitely get her to do some of the "work" planning meals and even cooking one night a week. If she's eating beans, lentils, rice, soya, quorn, and veggies you won't have to worry about her nutritional intake.

Sometimes you can take the really easy option. Beans on toast is a veggie meal after all. (Beans and sausages for you?) Add a grilled tomato and some mushrooms and that's something she could cook, that doesn't require too much variation for the rest of you.

On other nights could you give her the quorn equivalent of the meat in your meals with the same veg you are all having? Or subsititute something like quiche - where does she stand on cheese, eggs and milk?

Other nights she could learn an easy recipe for five bean chilli or veg curry that she could freeze in individual portions to last her weeks eaten once or twice a week or that you could all eat as your veggies with whatever meat you're having.

Some nights she could have the same veg you're all having stirred through a portion of pasta and topped with grated cheese.

Some nights she could have the same veg you're all having all mixed up with a portion of rice and a small tin of mixed bean salad and soya sauce?

Those innocent veg pots or cheaper equivalents can be used occasionally to make things easier. They can be a good idea to find out what sort of proper vegetarian meals she likes, and then she can look up recipes to do them herself.

All vegetarians have to do the research to make sure they are eating well nutritionally. If she starts living on cheesy pasta all the timeshe'll put on weight and not be getting enough nutrition. She definitely needs to surf some websites or read some library books for meal ideas that she likes, that are good for her, and that fit in with the family.

From your point of view you may find that you can do a high protein meal that doesn't contain meat once in a while. There are quite a few low carb vegetarian books out there too. It might give you some new options.

lilac_lady

My daughter has been a vegetarian since the age of 15. I adapted recipes to suit - lasagne made with baked beans instead of mince - delicious.

At first I thought it was a phase but she proved me wrong. Could you find out if your daughter would consider a halfway step at first by eating fish but cutting out meat?

billy-bo

Take a look at the vegetarian society website they have a section for young people which will help your daughter and yourself understand how to live as a vegetarian. (I would have posted links but I haven't posted much so am not allowed)

Will she eat mushrooms? they are a great source of protein as well as the ones previously mentioned.

I think being veggie and cooking for yourself is a cheaper (and much healthier) than a meat based diet.

lemonpopcorn

hi OP I became veggie at 13 and my mum gave me the option that if I was serious she would buy the food but I would have to cook it or I could just keep on eating meat with the rest of the family.
So I did become veggie and cooked all my own meals that were exclusively veggie, if my mum was making a sunday roast then i'd have everything except the meat and gravy (so I managed to get out of cooking once a week)
I really enjoyed cooking and it made me very independent and taught me how to look after myself as well.
I managed this till I was 16 until the lure of a bacon sandwich became too much !!!!!
If you would feel happy that you could supervise your daughter when she's cooking then by all means do it but i can understand when you're pushed for time it's difficult to make seperate meals for different family members.
I imagine you'd be able to borrow a decent veggie cookbook from the library or they'll be plenty of veggie recipes online.

HTH

Kittendreich

If your main concern is days when you have no time & just have to grab out of the freezer or takeaway...then the veggie freezer options mentioned above would solve one and a word with your local takeaway to get a veggie version of her favourite on the menu the other (I assume if you are rural & eat from there frequently you'll be known to them and it would make business sense for them).

For the rest of the time encouraging her to get involved and do the cooking not only reduces your workload, it will give her valuable cooking skills and ensures that she has to put in the work to keep up her principles, not expect everyone else to do it for her. Many veggies do survive on cheese sandwiches and crisps (while many do have a decent diet too) so it is important that she gets into good nutritional habits.

More fruit & veg in everyones diet won't do any harm (she can either just not have the meat, or have a non-meat substitute) & as a family you might enjoy some of her veggie creations too.

adouglasmhor

billy-bo wrote: »

Take a look at the vegetarian society website they have a section for young people which will help your daughter and yourself understand how to live as a vegetarian. (I would have posted links but I haven't posted much so am not allowed)

Will she eat mushrooms? they are a great source of protein as well as the ones previously mentioned.

I think being veggie and cooking for yourself is a cheaper (and much healthier) than a meat based diet.

I did a link to part of that section of the Vegetarian Society earlier. Some good information there.

lill

if its time and effort thats the problem, a simple solution would be get a small slow cooker from asda etc for around £7, put all the stuff for her meal in there in the morning and its ready by evening/ or overnight if its for dinner, you could then freeze one portion for later in the week.

loads of easy veggie options chilli, curry, stew, all basically veggies plus lentils, chick peas etc, just vary the spices.

starjumper

I turned veggie at 13 after visiting a rabbit farm and finding out what they do to the rabbits, I'd always been iffy about meat and apprently refused it until I went to primary school and was forced to clear everything on my plate every day (cruel practice, hopefully this has stopped).

Parents thought it was a phase and I'd grow out of it, I'm 34 now and am still waiting to grow out of it.

I'm really, really picky and barely eat fruit, dairy, bread, pasta etc etc. I've always been that way (am pregnant now and am virtually existing on a diet of peanut butter on toast, but that's besides the point).

To be honest at 11 she's of an age now when she should be learning to fend for herself a bit in the kitchen so getting her to meal plan a bit won't do any harm, nor would encouraging her to cook a veggie meal (under supervision) for the family once a week do her or the family any harm. Quorn bolognaise or quorn chilli are really simple and confirmed meat eaters won't cry themselves to sleep after eating it.

I'd be really proud if my child came to me like your has, she's obviously got her own mind and is firm in that, well done.

annie-c

I have lived a long time in a 'buiding site' house and at the time I didn't have children to contend with so I think I 'feel' some of your pain.

Could you tell her that right now it would be too much trouble but offer one veggie night a week for the family, that she could help to cook.

Maybe you could set a time for reviewing it, perhaps when she is 13 and will be able to be more independent (and the house will be more sorted!) I am not veggie but have lots of veggie friends who had to wait til a certain age to have their wishes catered for, and they survived.

andrealm

I was a veggie for several years and a well planned vegetarian diet can be very healthy. I do eat meat and fish now but still like eating veggie meals sometimes, I think most people tend to eat too much meat anyway. DH likes his meat though.

I would recommend any of Rose Elliot's books, just discovered the other day she has a website which gives you some good advice on being a vegetarian. It isn't too hard to plan meals to make sure they are balanced but she needs to understand that she needs to get protein, vitamins and minerals etc. and can't just live on pasta.

It would be good for your dd to learn to cook anyway so this could be a good chance for her to start. There are lots of veggie recipes that are very easy to do, maybe you could help her make up a batch of something for the freezer, like vegetable lasagne. It's quite easy to find vegetarian convenience foods, even a fairly small supermarket will usually have a few options and most takeaways will have something that's suitable, so quick meals shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I don't think it will matter too much that she doesn't like salads as long she likes vegetables and pulses. If you're concerned that she's too thin, will she eat things like nuts and avocados. Going veggie shouldn't make her lose weight, unless she's actively trying to diet.

It shouldn't increase costs as meat tends to be the most expensive part of the diet, in fact, if all the family would eat a veggie meal a few times a week it would probably save you money.

Does she take a packed lunch to school?