Daughter wants to become a vegetarian.

aliasojo

Wow, loads more replies, thank you. There were so many points that I've already forgotten half of what I was going to reply to, lol.

Couple of quick answers though..

She'll only eat boiled eggs (as in dippy eggs with soldiers ) but even then, it's only the yolk.

Her desire to become veggy was a long time ago, her diet changed in Oct which is pretty much when her lack of variety in what she would eat started and our 'issues' are more recent so the two are not linked. As I said, if anything she is trying even harder to be less fussy. It's just a shame it's not working, lol.

She actually has a Dr app this week for something else so I'm going to ask about her general health/diet then too I think.

Very much appreciate the meal suggestions and the links, will have a proper read shortly.

Apologies to those who like the correct terminology used and pointed out she's not actually a vegetarian, btw .

ixia

Both my girls are vegetarians 16 and 11. I just adapt whatever we are having to a veggie option using quorn products veggies etc. We usually have a few veggie meals as a whole family too there are loads of pasta meals i make which don't contain meat.

mutley74

not read all responses on this thread....but if you are on budget you can get some reasonable veggie tinned food from shops like B&M and Homebargains. for example seen Tofu at 49p and Mixed chinese beans for under 20p a tin!

Sagz_2

If it crops up in conversation I tell people I don't eat meat...... they call me a vegetarian. I've given up correcting them.

rose28454

Am I right in thinking if someone does not eat meat but eats fish then they are pescatarians. My dd gave up meat and meat products about 4 years ago when she was anorexic. I thought it was because of the illness that she gave up meat but recently she told me that it was because she worked for a sandwich making business and they visited an abbatoir for work and she then decided to give it up.
She eats fish, quorn, lots of veg,pasta, salad, Jacket potatoes etc. She has overcome the eating disorder problem and is back to a normal size. when we have sunday lunch I just make veggie gravy and other than the meat she has the same as us. I am just happy she is not anorexic now and
that she eats. My sis is a chef and I will try to get her to give me some of her veggie and vegan recipes that I can post on here.

savvy

I haven't had time to read all the thread so apologise if I repeat something. The main point to make is that a vegetarian/vegan diet can be healthier than an omnivore diet if done correctly and not relying on the 'veg*n junk foods' which can then lead to deficiencies. But this can also happen on a standard UK/US diet too anyway! Everyone should be paying attention to what they consume whichever path they follow

In relation to your points aliasojo, can your family not incorporate a night a week where they have a vegetarian based meal......say Meat Free Monday? I think you've had many suggestions to consider for the rest of the week, but it is a lot easier than you think when you sit down and meal plan. To make sure she gets quality nutrition ensure that she eats a very wide range of plant based foods to get all the amino acids (which is also good for the rest of the family anyway) and doesn't focus just on her favourites if she has any. Don't forget Omega's, and if she likes Marmite that can cover the B12 issue (that is also affecting omnivores too)

As for costs as someone said it can be cheaper if you stick to the wholefoods and not buy the processed convenience foods (although it's handy to have some in the freezer now and then), such as seitan, once you buy the wheat gluten you can get many meals out of it.

ladybirdintheuk

iamana1ias wrote: »

Really??!! :rotfl:

Um no. Make that 14. :rotfl:

PolishBigSpender

Growing children should be very careful about no-meat diet - meat does contain plenty of necessary ingredients and while it is possible to replace them, it demands plenty of planning. I wouldn't be too happy about my growing child becoming a vegetarian. She can easily hurt herself if she's not eating balanced meals.

aliasojo

That's strange...I thanked everyone for replying, then went off to read another thread and came back to see all the thanks buttons still there, so I had to do it all over again. Weird.

PB, obviously we all will have our own feelings on this sort of thing, you have every right to feel as you do. I dont particularly agree and feel happy with my daughter's choice as long as I believe she is getting enough of what she needs to thrive and remain healthy. At the moment, I'm questioning that which is why I'm looking into tweaking things in an effort to try to continue to suit her choice and also my need to supply her with a more rounded balanced diet.

I don't think any parent would happily allow a child to follow a vegetarian diet if the child was clearly lacking in nutrition because of it. It's just a case of reworking meals to ensure all needs are met, which is my job as a parent. Hence this thread and my pleas for help, lol.

mutley74

if you contact veggie society they can put you in touch with a local veggie group, there are numerous around the country, with plenty of advice on offer and new people to meet!