My 6yr old Daughter wants to be a veggie

Lillys_mum

I was only querying the fish because I know some people who say they are vegetarian but still eat fish
quote"[news just out - fish aren't of vegetable origin]"

I think that was just a little sarcastic - I know they are not.

cuddlymarm

Hi

I've been a veggie for over 10 years now and feel that if anyone (adult or child wants to be a veggie they need to understand what they SHOULD eat)
Theres loads of simple cookbooks out there and if you get in touch with the Vegetarian Society I think they do a leaflet for kids (they used to)
Also the vegetarian student cookbook is simple to read and understand.

Vegetarianism doesn't have to be difficult. I live in a house of meateaters and do veggie food with meat on the side for them sometimes and veggie versions of chill, lasagne, etc.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Teacher2301

Good on you as a parent to raise an independently thinking child! From a nutritional point of view - make sure she gets lots of protein from dairy products, nuts, wholegrain foods - she's a growing girl so will need protein. Lots of vitamins and minerals - try fresh fruit and veg (raw if you can) and eggs. Biggest problem would be anaemia during menstration - so supply lots of iron-rich foods eg cereals and drink orange juice as this helps to absorb the iron.

Lillys_mum

I am very fortunate that she loves fruit and veg - the ones which as a family we eat - I will need to try her with some new types.

She loves pasta and rice, free range eggs

So it is just a case of trying to make a good balanced diet out of it all.

What should she have for breakfasts?

she usually has cereal on a school day and toast at the weekend - she would eat poached egg on toast every day of the week but I just don't have the time to make it for her so she gets it on the weekend when I am not so busy

Thanks

LM

xx

faerie_girl

you might want to check out the vegetarian & vegan foundation http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/index.htm

They specialise in the nutrition of vegetarianism. There are fact-sheets that you can download and printout to keep handy.

Why don't you discuss with your daughter what she doesn't want to eat, and make a list. I am a strict vegetarian and avoid any products that an animal died for. If your daughter says she still wants to eat fish then I'm not gonna say she is awful for eating animals, she is not a vegetarian, she is bad etc
Like another poster said, she may just not want to eat the 'cute fluffy animals' and it could just be a faze. But she seems a very intelligent girl to be able to decide what is morally right or wrong to her.

If she doesn't want to eat any animals at all you will be surprised what vegetarian stuff she already eats. And it probably won't be a huge transition for either of you.

You can get protein from beans and pulses
iron from broccoli, green leafy veg etc

If she already eats a healthy balanced (with her 5-a-day) you are probably be meeting her guideline amounts anyway and taking animal products from her diet shouldn't effect her nutritionally. I think they recommend vegetarians eat 7-a-day (not 100% probably find this on the site i mentioned)

oh and the quorn thing.... somebody said it is genetically modified,
It is made from Protein, a vat grown fungus that 'quorn' invented and its not recommended you give it to small children and babies because it can trigger allergies.

Gingham_Ribbon

Cereal, toast, fruit, yoghurt, veggie burgers, eggs, beans, hash browns, eggie bread, porridge (with fruit cooked in) millet porridge with grated apple, banana milkshake, fruit smoothies, raisins...the breakfast list is as long as your arm and more!

Some people do call themselves veggies and eat fish but I think that's for ease to avoid other meats, but it does just seem to confuse other people who assume veggies therefore eat fish!

Lillys_mum

I guess it is just a case of reading the labels on cereal packets etc

sillyvixen

i became veggie at 3yrs old i come from a meat eating framily and was a sickly child right from being weaned onto meat, as a kid i had numerous tests for food intolarences and all sorts of medical proccedures to find out what was wrong with me - i was very anemic and had pernicious anemia @ 18 months. my dr told my mum to feed me offal every day - she could not face preparing it - everyday i was taken to my grans to be fed this nasty stuff, but i just got sicker. my mother eventually realised and against medical advise, and parental pressure, removed meat from my diet - i got better and recovered... i lived mainly on veg and cheese as a child untill veggie burgers became redily available.. i only learned in senior school - home ec lessons that sunday lunch didn't have to be a veggie burger with veg and my diet did not need to consist of ready meals while the rest of the family ate homecooked meals!! me and my mum learned to batch cook healthy veggie meals and bourght a veggie cookbook when i was 13!!

the point i want to make is that i had a quite crap veggie diet in my earlier years and beyond the age of your daughter and i turned out alright.

to make things a bit easier nowdays there is loads of help and cook books available out there, in the early 70's not much - also when i was a kid and we went out for a meal - there was no veggie choice and i had a portion of chips. today it is so much easier. meat substitutes are ok in moderation (i no longer eat them) but you need to encourage your daughter to try other things. meat substitutes have there place in the diets of people who are finding it hard to give up meat - they are no means natural but highly proceesed - and a varied diet of more natural foods will eventually become more palatable if tried.

Curious_George_2

if its any help to you, my DD also announced she didnt want to eat the fluffy animals at around age 6,
I reminded her that it would have to count for ALL animals, not just the ones she thought were cute, (ugly pecky chickens would be out of bounds too... not just adorable boingy spring lambs) and that meant no junk food,
we have quite a varied diet, especially as OH is always counting his weightwatchers points and so cooks mostly from scratch, but like us she does love the occasional burger or other junk food, it also meant not having "grandads roast lamb" or her much asked for home made lasagne (one of the few meals she always asks for seconds of!!) OR the majority of her favourite sweets
and when she thought about that, she gave up the idea,

i think one of her friends at school must of come up with the veggie idea (i think we all did it for about 5 minutes) and she thought it sounded good, until it was pointed out to her what she would actually be missing
funnily enough it hasnt been mentioned since, so while some kids stick to the idea and never eat meat again, some can be found happily wolfing down a plate of sausage and mash on a regular basis!

sillyvixen

allways the idea that veggie may be a fad!! when i was at school i was just the veggie freak - but today it is more acceptable even a good idea if your best friend thinks that way. it may just pass if mcdonalds and burgerking are off the menu