Becoming Vegetarian

I used to be ovo/lacto vegetarian, meaning I did not eat fish or meat, but did consume milk and eggs. If you are transitioning to vegan (no animal products at all) going ovo-lacto is a good and easy transition.

Fruit, veggies and grains (oatmeal, crackers ...) make great snacks.
For meals I used the same formula as I do now: a starch, veggies and a protein. Proteins can be things like beans or meat substitutes like tofu, veggie patties (we also like morningstar products, still - even though we're eating meat now).
Nobody can predict your family's taste so you will have to try things...however, one of the major mistakes that people make is to underseason vegetarian food, leaving it bland and tasteless. So even if you buy ready made products, try spicing them up a little since they usually come very "blah".

As far as Soy goes, I love Silk Soy milk - it tastes great (very rich). Unfortunately large amounts of Soy can cause digestive issues in some people (like myself) - you can change things up a little by trying other "milks" as well. my favorite was always almond, but there is also rice, oat, grain...

Good luck!

I see you are asking about soy yogurt and milk. Are you planning on going vegan? If not, I would stay stick with the organic dairy instead of soy. There are lots of options out there, but you will find soy is the primary substitute for protein "entrees" like veggie burgers, dogs, and the such. Keep in mind that you can over do it on soy. It is a phytoestrogen and will effect your hormone levels when consumed en mass.

Don't get me wrong, we (7 year old twin girls and me) love a lot of the Morning Star products. Our favorites are the breakfast links, riblets, chic'n strips, and brat style sausages. I can't think of who makes it right now, but we also love the the soyrizo. My dad (who has eaten chorizo his whole life) says he cannot even tell the difference. I'm able to get it at Walmart. Another good product is Quorn. Recently I have been able to find it at Kroger, but I usually get it at Central Market. It is soy free and is actually made from a type of mushroom but is high in protein.

Another thing that I was just recently turned onto is quinoa. It is actually a complete protein which means it has all of the amino acids that you would find in animal protein. Until now, I thought there was no plant that was a complete protein (that's what they taught us in Nutrition Class). You can look it up online and find lots of different recipes.

As for snacks, we enjoy smoothies using Kefir, fruit juice, and fruit. Frozen fruit works great because you can keep lots of differnt kinds on hand without worrying about it spoiling. It also helps with the texture if the fruits are frozen. The magic bullet rocks for these.

Oh, you may also try the Indian food markets. They have lots of stuff for vegetarians. I don't know where you live, but the one by me actually delivers in Southwest Fort Worth.

I would start with reading. There is a definitive, science based book by T. Colin Campbell called The China Study. Then, I would read Dr. Douglas Graham's book, the 80,10,10 diet. Then, I would read a little about Victoria Boutenko and her family's journey. The most amazing thing you will learn is that teaching your kids to love fruits and vegetables is the best thing you can teach them about diet.

The simplest way to do this is with green smoothies. Here is my family's favorite smoothie recipe: 2 cups water, 1 cup packed, de-stemmed red kale, 2 bananas, and 1 cup sweet frozen cherries. The water keeps your blender from jamming and burning up the motor. I believe if you start with these smoothies your kids will start feeling so good they will eat less of the foods that aren't good for them. And, by the way, I agree don't make a big deal out of changing the diet, just go slowly and make the changes for yourself. In fact, make the smoothie for yourself, save some back in the fridge and only offer it if they see you enjoying yourself. Don't let them see you making it - they'll balk at the greens. However, this is the best "green" smoothie recipe because it is actually a beautiful purple color.

Please ignore the person who was talking about vegetarian kids having learning disabilities. Boy, what a crock. No wonder the mother got mad at her - ignorance isn't always bliss.

I have been vegetarian for 10 years, and my husband (by the way, he has an MBA from a top 10 school and graduated at the top of his class) was raised vegetarian. It is very important to make sure that your kids are getting enough iron and protein, but recent studies have shown that the protein from beans is healthier than the protein in meats (and you can eat less to get it). Soy is higher in estrogen, although there have been no conclusive studies done by esteemed science organizations that have shown it to be problematic in moderation (and people in cultures where soy is more routinely eaten, such as in Japan, have longer lifespans). A balanced diet is always best - don't overload on any one thing.

I highly recommend Morningstar groundbeef substitutes and bacon, and Quorn chicken substitutes. These two products have allowed me to make most of my mother's old recipes meatless, which is great for our family! Also, try Yves lunch-meat substitutes, and Amy's Vegetarian Burgers. Nothing tastes just like the real thing, but some of them come close. But expect to occasionally try something and find out it's gross - we've all been there, and your tastes will also change as you get farther away from meat-eating. Also, check out the magazine The Vegetarian Times. It has lots of great recipes and ideas for vegetarians.

You mentioned soy products (soy milk, yogurt). I am not a vegan, and so I tend to stay away from those. If you are planning to become vegan and not just vegetarian, I'm afraid I can't help you (but wish you luck), but depending on your reasons for becoming vegetarian, different dairy products may work for you. If you are doing it for health reasons, try eating organic dairy products such as Horizon Milk or Stoneyfield Farms yogurt. If you are doing it for the love of animals, buy local and stay away from factory-farms (Whole Foods or Trader Joe's often has at least one local milk/cheese in their dairy section).

One final comment, although it is just my opinion and you don't have to listen to me. First, I would start slow. Maybe cut beef out of your diets, and continue to eat chicken and fish for a couple of months, and then ease out of the next one. Then your kids won't have to deal with their entire diet changing all at once, which could be stressful.

Second, I would be careful about forcing a vegetarian lifestyle on your husband and children. I don't mean you shouldn't switch over (I don't cook any meat in my kitchen - ever), but if you go out to eat and your kids want a hamburger or something, you might consider being flexible. In my own personal experience, people (even meat-eaters) are a lot more open to vegetarian options if they don't feel forced or resentful. Plus, kids love to rebel, so if this issue is important to you, you may not want to make it one they feel a need to rebel against. But once again, just in my experience. I wish you lots of luck, and feel free to send me a private message if you have any further questions.

Hi

I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years and my little one is also vegetarian, but she is a very very picky eater. I was vegan for a while, but found it difficult especially with a little one. We do a lot of dairy, but I try to do different foods all the time that are mainstream, but modified as vegetarian. For instance, I make a lot of wonderful yummy soups (vegetable, matzo ball, broccoli cheese, etc.). We do Mexican food at least once a week (burritos or quesadillas, Mexican rice, frijoles, etc.). Because my daughter is picky and really doesn't eat many fruits and vegetables, I get those things into her in other ways. For instance, she LOVES smoothies so I use fruit and veggie juices (V-8's Fusion juices help a lot!) and blend them with frozen bananas and fresh berries. I do pasta at least once a week (and often toss some pureed carrots into the cheese or marinara sauce). We do stuffed baked potatoes (veggie chili with steamed broccoli and cheese, etc.). Or we might just have veggie chili and cornbread. Of course, we do the Morningstar products as well like the chik-n nuggets and then I will have a side dish like potatoes and salad, etc. There are some good vegetarian cookbooks out there, but I find I often go to online sources like Allrecipes.com these days and type my search for well-rated recipes there. Sorry I am rambling, but please feel free to email me offline for any further ideas. Or feel free to send some my way as well. Best of luck!

We're not completely veggie, but we only eat meat a couple of times a week.

One of our favorite meals is Yumm Bowls (Google Cafe Yumm! to read about them). Cafe Yumm! is a little organic place out on the West Side, and they have this amazing Yumm sauce that they sell at Whole Foods and New Seasons.

Layer rice, beans, cheese, veggies, salsa, avos, and Yumm sauce and it's seriously amazing. That sauce is the nectar of the Gods! I think you can only buy small tubs of it at the store, but we get large bottles at the restaurant.

We also really like Morningstar Farms black bean chipotle burgers and corn dogs.

Good luck! Just make sure you all get lots of complete protein.

I can't really offer you transition advice. I have been a vegetarian for 14 years and my husband has been for 16 years. We have raised our daughter as well. She is a prime example of a healthy kid she is off the charts for both height and weight.

However - I do say not everyone can be a vegetarian - I've known lots of people who try and fail because they can't get enough of one thing. Especially my friends who are runners. Another friend tried to be vegan but her teeth enamel disappeared. That being said I also have lots of friends who are vegan and doing great.

I'd check out some cookbooks - Nava Atlas - has some great every day cookbooks. We don't buy a lot of "fast food." So we make lots of soups and freeze portions. We personally don't like meat substitutes I find them gross.

I would do a bit of research on soy before deciding to increase your soy intake. It is very high in estrogen and can cause all sorts of problems when not limited in your diet.
Moderation is the key to everything. :)

Hi there! I have been a vegetarian for about 6 months now. My kids are not, but if they were... I would check out the Vegan Lunchbox. This has great lunch ideas for vegetarian/vegan kids! Breakfast is really easy for us, the only real difference is don't eat bacon and eggs. We eat cereal, pancakes, fruit, yogurt, bagels, etc... For lunch, my husband and I usually have either vegeatrian soup and salad or sometimes (if we're in a hurry) a peanut butter and honey/or jelly sandwhich. Dinner is our biggest meal. We will have vegetable stirfrys with tofu, spaghetti and a salad, creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese, Amy's California vegetable burgers (yum!), or Nutrasystem vegetarian entrees. Good luck! BTW... if you start craving potein, or if McDonalds suddenly smells good... eat an avocado!

Well I think it will be hard to be a vegetarian - only because if you want to retain your health you should AVOID SOY at all costs. The media has spouted it as some 'health food' which it is far from. Do not believe the media, the commercials, advertisements you hear - you and your children should Never consume it. You can read a variety of articles about it here:

http://search.mercola.com/results.aspx?k=soy

So you will have to come up with many other ideas while avoiding soy (which may be tricky) to be a vegetarian. Personally, I think God made all these foods for humans to consume in moderation, and even though it might seem 'gross' to think where its coming from (meat) you have to put it out of your mind and just know it was created for us - right in the Bible....well anyways, if nothing else, just read those articles - soy will fry your brain.

Yesterday I was helping in our K room with reading. The only vegitarian kid was the only kid that coudn't read at all. That reffered me to a story that my husband told me about a friend at his work. His friend's family were vegitarian and the kids had learning disabilities because of the diet and missing important nutritions. I remember telling that story to the mom of the same kid and she got really mad at me back than. And my point was that my husband was really pushing our son to eat meats and I believe in balanced diet where some of the meats are just part of it. I didn't even know that they were vegitarian. So, please, before you switch do your homework, so your kids won't miss important nutritions. And I would be very careful with the soy products. Good luck!

I'm interested in the responses too, and have adopted a very few, yes very few, vegetarian habits. I try to eat two meals that are vegetarian a day, not totally vegan, but with few or no animal products. I love cheese and yogurt too, so I just can't give it all up. And I try to have at least one meal that is raw veggies/fruit. My family eats lots of fresh fruit and salads already, so that wasn't too hard. I've noticed that some books say to elimitate red meats first, then chicken, then fish, and then if you want to go vegan, the reamining animal products (milk based items and eggs). Again, I'm not there yet, but I have found that it making those little changes has already made me feel lots better, energized.

I do like Silk brand soy milk and use it lots in oatmeal, baking, smoothies, coffee/tea. I use the very Vanilla flavor the most. I've tried lots of garden burgers, and Morning star products and like those. I'm a HUGE Kashi fan and love all of their products, but I'm one that needs lots of grains in my diet, so it works for me.

We are psuedo veggies. We eat mostly beans, grains, soy products, dairy, fruits and veggies. We do eat fish (mostly salmon, cod and halibut) because we like it, we live in the Pacific Northwest and it is good for you. We eat it about 2-4 times a month. We also eat chicken or beef maybe once a month. My 23 month-old son has had beef once (grandmother) and chicken once (the other grandmother). He is happy, healthy, active and shows no signs of not being on an age appropriate developmental tract. For specifics, I try to serve a protein (i.e. beans, soy, or eggs) at at least 2 meals each day. If we are eating beans then they are served with a grain - corn or rice (the bean/grain combo provides a complete protein). I also try to serve quinoa at least once a week because it is a seed that provides all of the essential amino acids and it does not have to be pared with a grain or legume to do it. We eat it in the morning like oatmeal, as a pilaf, in place of rice and in casserole recipes. We do enjoy dairy and so we eat Greek yogurt, eggs, cheese, and cottage cheese. I also try to serve as many fruits and vegetables as possible. We have learned to serve the veggies first and then we give the rest of the meal. This trick often ensures my son will eat his veggies because he is hungry. I serve prepared soy products in moderation because as with most prepared foods, they are high in sodium. I like Lightlife brands (especially Gimme Lean Sausage) and I buy some Yves products like their meatless hot dogs. We also use whole grain pasta (whole wheat, brown rice, udon and soba noodles) when we eat pasta dishes.
Enjoy trying your new eating choices!

While I am not a vegetarian, I have tried to substantially decrease the amount of meat in my diet. I also carry the BRCA-1 mutation (the breast cancer gene) so soy, which can increase estrogen levels, is not a good option for me. I use Arbonne's protein shakes for meal replacements 1-2 times per day. They are vegan certified and have 20 gms of protien per serving. The protein sources are yellow pea, cranberry and rice. I mix the protein powder up as a smoothie in the morning. Arbonne has also just launched pre-mixed shakes that are very convenient and taste great. You can go to my web-page for more information. www.nursekerry.myarbonne.com

Congratulations! Being vegetarian means becoming more aware of the ingredients in your foods and what you are taking into your body and feeding your children. While soy meat products are available in abundance in most grocery stores these days keep in mind that they are highly processed and still may not be terribly good for you, though they are much better than real meats. I believe Morningstar Farms are the best tasting fake meat products and they do help with the transition. Eventually, look in to getting your protein mainly from beans, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains and little bits of soy products with none or very little processing like Tempeh and Edamame. There are a number of resources online with free information available for people wanting to go veggie and/or vegan. I am vegan and have been for only a couple years. I had a very short transition from omnivore to ovo/lacto to vegan lasting about 3 months. Look into the 21 day Vegan Kickstart at PCRM.org (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), they also have information regarding nutrition for children and help learning the New Four Food Groups as well as a Vegetarian Starter Kit that you can either download or have them mail you a copy. Most of the recipes for the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart come from NutritionMD.org, if you go the NutritionMD.org, click on the link that says "Make Over My Diet" there you will find information on how diet effects health, some sample daily menus and recipes and more information about how you can make sure you and your family can get a well-balanced, healthy Veggie diet. I also LOVE Sarah Kramer's cookbooks! She has 4 amazing cookbooks but my favorite is La Dolce Vegan. And "Vegetarian Times Magazine" is a terrific resource also. I don't know how old your kids are but snacks can be anything from organic crackers and cereals (My daughter loves Gorilla Munch and Fruity Bunnies), to bite sized bits of plain avocado, dried fruits or freeze dried fruits, fresh fruit, you can rinse some canned beans and serve them as a part of a snack, mini rice cakes with a little bit of peanut or other nut butter, fruit smoothies or hummus with raw veggies, or crackers. We prefer Soy Dream or Rice Dream milks but also drink Hemp Milk on occasion (We mix 1 part vanilla Hemp milk with 1 part orange juice...it's super yummy).