Daughter wants to become a vegetarian.

Lunar_Eclipse

Personally, I'd support her decision to become a vegetarian, since I believe she has a right to refuse to eat meat. I also think it's generally a very healthy diet and a good moral choice. Additionally, it's much cheaper than a diet containing meat. I'm not a veggie by the way, although I have been in the past.

Would she be happy to eat fish? Many vegetarians do and at least it means fish fingers are a quick and easy option!

Ultimately, if she gets a variety of food and the nutrients she needs, I wouldn't have a problem with it, even if she did end up eating pasta 3-4 times a week. As a family, I'd guess we eat more meals without meat than with. Some suggestions:

- veggie versions of normal meals, made with or without quorn, such as lasagne, spag bol, cottage pie etc (personally I don't like this option, but it is an option)

- pasta based meals: pesto, macaroni cheese, veggie based sauces. And gnocchi or polenta.

- stir fries with or without tofu

- rice and bean based meals (we all love risotto and probably eat it weekly)

- roasted veggies

- soups and casseroles (use 2 minute noodles as a base for speed purposes)

- cous cous and fish/veggie sausages

- toasted (cheese) sandwiches, scrambled eggs or beans on toast and cheese on toast are all perfectly good midweek meal options in my opinion with a side of fruit or veg. Very little time, effort and cost involved, but delicious and nutritionally acceptable.

To be honest, there are so many quick meals that are non meat based.

I'm sure my Mum thought it was a pain when I turned veggie, followed by my sister and then Dad, but as a Mother I wonder what else you can do; you certainly don't want to encourage food issues, especially as you have mentioned being overweight yourself (as am I; no offence intended :-).

stumpycat

Honestly trying not to be picky here, but vegetarians don't eat fish.

:beer:

Lunar_Eclipse

Just read your more recent post (didn't realise the thread was old) and thought I'd say that I too detest quorn, tofu and other meat subsitutes, even when vegetarian. They are not necessarily healthy anyway, so I wouldn't worry.

If you are worried about protein in her diet (& you probably don't need to) I'd look at her intake of pulses, eggs, butter, cheese and yoghurt. Ask her to eat some daily; I suspect she needs less than you think. Besides that, all she needs is some carbs (sounds like she's eating those) and fruit/veg (which can come from soups, smoothies and juice).

If she is consuming virtually no protein in a typical week, I'd consider protein shakes/bars or sprinkling some protein powder on her morning cereal/toast. Not an ideal option, but it would keep her healthy.

Lunar_Eclipse

stumpycat wrote: »

Honestly trying not to be picky here, but vegetarians don't eat fish.

:beer:

I know. But vegetarian is a more widely used word than pescatarian, which most people have (still) never heard of.

All the (so called) vegetarians I know, or have ever met, eat fish.

I have however met people who don't eat meat, fish or daily products, thus vegans (another commonly understood term.)

I don't know why people don't tend to understand the term pescatarian. For all these reasons, I ask vegetarians whether or not they eat fish, instead of assuming they don't, as per the correct definition of the word.

I became a pescatarian over 20 years ago and in the 15 or so years that I followed a non-meat diet, I always said I was vegetarian. People would still then ask questions such as do you eat chicken?

Oldbiggles

If we’re not supposed to eat animals, why are they made out of meat???


:rotfl:

ceridwen

jack7 wrote: »

At the age of 6 my daughter, who had always been funny about meat, announced she didn't want to eat meat meat anymore. I supported her in this decision as I was never keen on eating meat as a child but when I announced I wanted to be veggie when a teenager my lovely mum made me a nut roast but said she'd put some chicken stock in it to give it some flavour! :eek:

My daughter is now 19 and still veggie. She is healthy, slim and full of energy. She enjoys pasta, quorn etc and to be honest as a family we eat pretty much the same only DD and I will have quorn etc where DH and DS have meat. She now happily cooks basic meals for herself if she is eating at different times to the rest of the family and it has never really been an issue - although I still have to watch my mum, her gran, who is an excellent but old fashioned cook and a great believer in meat stock! I'm not convinced the quorn meal she served us boxing day hadn't been cooked in something "meaty".

Oh dear -- one of these days daughter is going to find out that Grandma "cant be trusted" to cater properly for a vegetarian (ie she's caught her out using something "meaty" in a supposedly vegetarian dish) and then the s**t will hit the fan. At her age she will very likely come straight out with losing her temper big-time at such a disrespect for her views - at your age, however, you could get in there first and prevent such an episode occurring ever by tactfully but VERY FIRMLY telling her gran/your mother that "sneaking in" meaty items is NOT to happen again ever.

ceridwen

Oldbiggles wrote: »

If we’re not supposed to eat animals, why are they made out of meat???


:rotfl:

<puzzled smilie> - You know I really hadnt realised until this point that humans must obviously be meant to be eaten as well - as we are also made of meat.

Reet...off to find the country with the nearest cannibal tribe and ask them just how long one should boil up a person for in their cooking pot....:rotfl:

ceridwen

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

All the (so called) vegetarians I know, or have ever met, eat fish.

I have however met people who don't eat meat, fish or daily products, thus vegans (another commonly understood term.)

I don't know why people don't tend to understand the term pescatarian. For all these reasons, I ask vegetarians whether or not they eat fish, instead of assuming they don't, as per the correct definition of the word.

In that case you dont know any vegetarians at all then.

Every vegetarian I know IS a vegetarian (ie they dont eat either meat or fish).

If you find that you know some people who dont eat meat and you're not sure whether they are vegetarians or no - then 'tis easy enough to ask "Do you just not eat meat - OR are you a vegetarian?" Every vegetarian would know what the word "pescetarian" means. Every veggie I know probably wouldnt understand the concept of someone saying they are vegetarian - but still eating fish...they would be told (more or less tactfully) to stop calling themselves a vegetarian then (if only by a quizzical look on the face any time they described themselves that way)...

Kirri

aliasojo wrote: »

We did do this. She sat at the pc one day and went through lists and recipes on a site that was recommended and picked things she reckoned she'd eat. Only once she's got them in front of her, she doesn't. She seems to want to try things and eat stuff in theory but the reality is always different.

Agree with the vitamin suggestion, will do that I think, thanks.



We only eat puddings once in a blue moon, we only really ever just have a main meal, so bribery is out unfortunately, lol.



We make a vegetable curry, she'll eat small amounts of that as long as it's not too spicy or hot. We did go to the supermarket and again, she seemed quite positive about selecting various meals, but when it comes to eating them, she doesn't like the taste. Haven't tried tofu though, will put that on the next shopping list.

Appreciate the replies, thank you. Few more ideas been thrown up that we can try.

If she is that fussy, I really don't think she'd like tofu... even as a determined adult it took me a while to actually like it.. it works a bit better if cut into portions, frozen and then cut into pieces and fried, it seems to be a bit firmer. But it is really tasteless and although I eat it in stir fries etc, it doesn't have as much flavour or nice a texture as Quorn does. She might like to try it at a chinese restaurant first, they do a great deep fried version, I've never managed to get it like that at home though... (probably not that healthy).

It took a lot of trial and error for me as a veggie, I had to learn so many new foods and ways to cook, but overall it can be healthier and cheaper, once you know what you are doing. I was a very fussy kid, but changed as an adult.

Also, vegetarian vitamins are often now labelled as vegetarian multi vits, otherwise check for gelatine which is often used in non veggie vits. Seven Seas do a veggie multi vit (that also doesn't have that horrible vitamin smell). Holland & Barrett sell it if you want to get it on the high st, but it's cheaper on Amazon. Morrisons also do a cheap veggie multi vit, not tried them though, they seemed very cheap..

Oldbiggles

ceridwen wrote: »

<puzzled smilie> - You know I really hadnt realised until this point that humans must obviously be meant to be eaten as well - as we are also made of meat.

Reet...off to find the country with the nearest cannibal tribe and ask them just how long one should boil up a person for in their cooking pot....:rotfl:

You set yourself up for that comment you did....

It’s not cannibals you have to worry about.
Humans are still fair game to lions, tigers, sharks etc.
It’s still the law of the jungle out there.