Seven Year Old Vegitarian

you can find morning star farms & boca products in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Alsoo I was raised vegetarian & have lots of veggie recipes. you can e-mail me @ ____@____.com I will be happy to share them with you.

L.

I have a friend who is a vegitarian. One of the ways she gets enough protien in her diet is to eat peanuts and peanut butter. I can ask her for some advice. She is an LPN. It may take a couple of days to get the information for you but I will try to see what she has to suggest. Good Luck

Hello there,

First I commend you in searching for ways to encourage your daughter and help her with her choice as opposed to refuse her new wishes. You're a good mom.

Second, there is no problem getting everything your daughter needs from just plant food. She'll actually get better quality versions of nutrients then when she was a meat eater and you'll see she'll build a healthier immune system. It's a very healthy way to live.

I have a background in nutrition and my whole family is vegan (so no diary or eggs as well). My 4 year old thrives on this way of eating. He's only been to the doctor once in his whole life for a mild ear infection and he has learned to appreciate food and will eat anything. You usually hear veg kids end up not being picky eaters- another wonderful benefit.

Whatever you do, don't lean on white bread and dairy, she will miss a lot of nutrients that way. And it would be best to limit her processed foods, she needs high quality whole foods from veggies to fruits to proteins. Some great kid friendly choices are:

Soups/Stews: a great all in one meal where they can get carbs, protein, and veggies. Think black bean soup, veggie stew, minestrone, lentil soup, split pea, veggie chili etc.

Pasta: choose a whole-grain pasta to get even more nutrients. Then top with marinara sauce or some pesto and add in some of your kids favorite veggies.

Stir fries: Stir fry up some of your kids favorite veggies, add you own sauce or buy a sauce from the store (like sweet and sour, teriyaki etc.), add some cubed tofu for even more protein and good nutrients then serve over brown rice. Turn it into a fun asian meal and add some veggie pot stickers or veggie spring rolls (a definite kid hit).

Veggie Pizza: load it up with whatever she wants!

Baked potato: choose a russet or sweet potato and let her add what she wants.

Veggie burgers: There is a wonderful array of veggie burgers on the market: Boca, Gardenburger etc. Some are so good you might not even notice the difference yourself. So load them up like a normal burger and you and your kid will love it.

Mexican: use vegetarian refried pinto or black beans or whole beans and serve in a tortilla or in tacos and add toppings. Or whip up some veggie fajitas. Yummy!

Snacks/lunches: Hummus/veggies/pita (a fave), peanut butter/almond and jelly, popcorn, dried fruit, granola, rice cakes, pretzels, nuts, soy yogurt, smoothies

Also browse your grocer and discover all the wonderful faux meat products that are available now: various tofus, tempeh, seitan, tvp, veggie hot dogs, soy and rice cheeses etc. You can add these to any meals to bump up the protein and fiber.

Also if you are worried about protein just lean on: bean based items, nuts, seeds, soy products, fortified cereals, other meat alternatives etc. Also look into nutritional yeast, a good supplement you can sprinkle on anything that's got a cheesy flavor.

And then read up! It will get easier as it goes.

Please contact me if you need any other ideas or help. I'll gladly assist, I do it on a daily basis :-)

S.

Give her soy milk for protein. Consult her doctor for any other requirements. But I will tell you this, you have to do what is best for you, your family and the overall picture. My two older children wanted to be vegetarians at about junior high age and I just put my foot down and said no. I did not want to have 2 different diets going every day and like you I was too busy to deal with it. She is really too young to be deciding what is best for her. If she didn't want to drink milk any more would you let her?
Also make sure both of your kids are helping you. They are both old enough to strip bed clothes off, remake beds, pick up after themselves and should be withheld from activities when they fail to do so. Your son should be doing the vacuuming and sharing in cleaning up the kitchen/dishes/bathrooms etc.

Hi V.! I'm a 37-year-old vegetarian and have been since I was 20. If your daughter is willing to eat a variety of foods, then she has picked a very healthful way to eat! I'm sure you've heard by now of all the health benefits of a vegetarian diet (ie: lower cholesterol, lower risk of heart disease, lower risk of some cancers, just to name a few...) My 16-year-old stepdaughter and I enjoy a lot of the "fake meat" products as I like to call them; check out Morningstar Farms, Boca Burger, and Garden Burger products, all of which I can find in my Super Walmart's freezer section. They offer everything from hamburgers to chicken nuggets to BBQ ribs and ground beef, all meatless! I also used to cook with tofu a lot (not as much anymore because I have to cook for so many different palates nowadays and it can take a little extra time). Also, don't forget that many of what omnivores consider "side dishes" can serve as your daughter's main protein dish, for example, baked beans and macaroni and cheese. Don't worry too much about your daughter's protein intake; most Americans get too much of it in their diet anyway. A dietician friend helped me track my diet for two weeks when I was pregnant the first time just so I could reassure myself and others that I was getting adequate protein. Just eating my usual vegetarian fare, I was getting at least 10 grams of protein MORE each day than I actually needed. Also, don't worry excessively about her intake of the proper amino acids; if she's eating a variety and not following a strict vegan diet, she'll get them. (Vegans don't eat any animal-based foods whatsoever: no milk, no cheese, no eggs, no honey, etc.) I would take your daughter's interest in her diet as a good sign. So many Americans mindlessly eat whatever their families eat, even if it's not the healthiest. That's why we have such a problem with obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers in this country. Maybe she'll remain a vegetarian, maybe she won't. Either way, she's thinking about what she eats, which could serve her well as she grows up! Good luck - I'm wishing you and her the best!

Hi V.!

Our whole family has been vegetarian for 10 years now. Though I'm not out to "convert" anyone, I'm happy to share my experience. It's amazingly easy to adapt any meat-based recipe using any of the meat substitutes out there (the natural food stores stock a great variety, but you can find stuff at Kroger's or Giant Eagle too): you can find veggie lunchmeat, chicken, beef, sausage, etc. Some tastes more like meat than others, but most everything tastes pretty "real" if it's mixed up with other ingredients, especially the fake ground beef (GREAT for sloppy joes, chili, etc). These items are high in protein, so you don't have to do anything extra to be sure your daughter's diet is balanced.

As far as things just for your daughter (individual servings), consider the Morningstar Farms or Boca brand burgers, chicken patties and chicken nuggets. Just make what you normally would for everyone else in the family and zap one of the other items in the microwave for your daughter and you haven't had to make a whole meal just for her!

Cheese, yogurt, beans and dark greens are high in protein, too. Good luck with your little veggie girl, whether it's a passing phase or a lifetime decision!

A.

I would echo Dana G's comments. My seven year old daughter went through a phase of vegitarianism for a year. She wants to be a vetrinarian and was concerned about eating animals that she would be taking care of. She also talked about eating healthy and about wanting to be thin. While I supported her decision (I have always exposed my kids to well-balanced foods, lots of food choices and lots of fruits/veggies) I also took the opporutnity to talk with her about her thought processes and what it meant to her. We had lots of good conversations that we may not normally have had. Over time, she choose to start eating chicken and fish, and sometimes pork and beef, but not often. I just would encourage you to talk with your child about what lies behind their decision.

K.

Vegetarian Times has some excellent cookbooks with tons of nutritional information in them. These are always a good place to start. Just make sure that she's not replacing meat with cheese... in order to be healthy, she needs to have a wide range of veggies and legumes.

Good luck!

Hi V.,
My daughter, now 11yrs, and I ate a vegan diet for 7 years. We presently do incorporate meat items into our eating again, however, the experience of eating a plant-based diet for so many years empowers my young 'un to eat veggies off of her plate first and in more quantity than the animal foods.
Lots of people who eat a vegetarian diet (mostly adults in my experience) do so for compassionate eating and the strict vegans I have met often avoid meat replacers like veggie dogs, veggie burgers, etc... b/c of the close link to the animal varieties of these (i.e: "why eat a veggie dog if we don't eat a real hot dog"... the principle of it, it think). Anyway, in our family, I used tofu frequently, and still do (my daughter, oddly enough, can eat it right out of the pkg--plain!). Kid pleasing recipies are avail. all over the place. I like vegweb.com and I also have membership to EarthSave, a national non-profit organization that helps with education about plant-based eating and has AWESOME potlucks that kids love (lots of varieties of foods). In any case, I wanted to make sure that we got all of our nutrients too, and that was easily solved with a good daily multi-vitamin. Children your daughter's age like to be involved in picking one out off the shelf, too. Happy, healthy eating for you and your family.
warmly, M. F.

V.,
First of all, make sure your pediatrician knows about her decision. There are too many ways for her to lose out on nutrition without PROPER guidance. He/She will need to discuss this with her and should have her see a dietician.
Out of curiosity, has she said why she wants to be a vegitarian?? And which type??
Please don't make any changes without talking to her doctor.
Keep us posted,
Good Luck and stay informed,
R.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_kids/article/0,1904,FO...

http://vegetarian.about.com/?once=true&

http://www.vegcooking.com/raisingvegkids.asp

I know you could look all of this up on your own but thought it would help. The big things are to find out if she is going to refuse things like fish, chicken and eggs and milk. You will need to find replacements. Don't fight with her if she decides that one day she wants chicken nuggets its ok for her to go back and forth, this may just be a phase or it may be her life path it is hard to tell. Either way make sure she knows you support her, provide her with a large variety to ensure proper caloric intake and proper protein intake. I don't have it anymore but if you talk to a dietician they may have a list of the essential amino acids required for life. What you can do is go through the list and pick an item from each colum by combining the two you have just created an essitial amino acid. Good luck to your daughter and your family in this new endeavor and i hope I helped some
Brie

V.,
My 16-y-o daughter has never eaten meat...and she lives in a family of carnivores! She just never cared for it. My brother-in-law who is an M.D. told us to not to sweat it too much. The American diet is so heavy in protien. She has gotten a lot of her protien through dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese). Adding a tablespoon of parmesan cheese to everything you can gives a good boost of protien. Also, soy protien (our daughter will eat edamame, just microwave with a little salt). Nuts and peanut butter are another favorite of hers. When she's away from home, she takes protien bars or protien drinks if she knows there won't be food she likes. She is almost 6 feet tall, beautiful and gets good grades. I don't think she's suffered at all from not eating meat.

The most important thing is that she take a multi vitamin, and still have a diet that is rich in protein. (peanut butter, eggs). If she is more tired than normal, feels dizzy, needs a nap more often, unexplained buries, she may be anemic. This sound worse than it is. Anemia is caused by a lack of iron in your diet. We all need it and the best source is meat. There are vegetables with high iron content (depends on where they were grown), however none compare the amount found in meat. If you suspect anemia, see a doctor and ask to have her Hemoglobin checked; NEVER give over the counter iron with out consulting the DR first. She could be experiencing a phase of becoming a vegetarian that some Vegans refer to as detoxification where her body is adjusting to the lack of meat in her diet and trying to find the nutrients stored in the bodies fat cells. I applaud you for supporting your daughters choices. Just be careful, aware and consult a DR. if changes in diet make her feel or act wacko.

A Little about me:

I have 3 girls 13, and twins that are 6. I work in food science and have life long anemia. And I hope this doesn't scare you away from supporting her choise.

Check the library or bookstore for Vegetarian Cookbooks for Kids. Your pediatrician may be able to recommend a website or book to help you make sure she's getting the proper nutrition as well.

Hello V.-We are a vegetarian family with a seven year old daughter as well as four sons! What a wonderfully independent spirit your daughter must have and good job to you for wanting to learn more about how to best support her! There are many websites and books relating to raising vegetarian children-I would recommend searching the word "vegetarian family" or "raising vegetarian children" and start surfing. One important thing is to turn your focus toward what she can eat rather than what she cannot. A good multivitamin as a backup and making sure she gets a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc are important. There are many simple recipes online-the vegetarian cookbooks can be a bit gourmet and time consuming for busy moms and little ones. I can also throw out there that as a convenience there are substitutes for just about every meat product. Check out the freezer section at the grocery store-Morning star and Boca are two of the big companies that carry everything from meatless veggie dogs, corn dogs to chicken nuggets and sausage. If you go to a health food store like Trader Joes(affordable) or Whole foods(more choices and more expensive)-there are endless substitutes including many choices for deli slices for sandwiches in lunches. The most important thing is to try to make the quality of the food she'll eat have high nutritional content. A wide variety of whole food choices is the best way to ensure she is getting everything she needs. Oh yeah and if she is still doing dairy and eggs-there is a ton of protien there-Good Luck-it is easier than it can seem.

I don't know any recipes off hand, but you could try Morningstar Farms line of vegetarian frozen items. It sounds like you aren't home much and this would be easy to prepare when you are on the go. Try a Whole Foods store, they would be able to help you as well.

While you want to respect your daughter's decision for wanting to be a vegetarian, you may want to inquire why she has come to that decision (i.e. something she's heard on TV or from friends, doesn't like the texture of meat...etc).

As a nutrition and wellness coach and what I know to be absolutely true, is that she needs to be on a high quality, pharmaceutical grade, nutritional supplement because she would be missing some vital nutrients for optimal health on a vegetarian diet.

Hope this helps!
D.

So long as she eats a well balanced diet, a vegetarian diet is very healthy. You might make clear to her that she REALLY has to eat her vegetables now, a veggetarian diet that is mac and cheese and potatoes is extremely unhealthful. Beans are a wonderful protein source, as is tofu. You might get a subscription to the Vegetarian Times, which is chock full of wonderful recipes. Good work on your progressive child!

Do not feed her the fake meat products--they are made with processed soy and often have very unhealthy additives such as MSG. Fermented soy products such as tempeh and miso are good Beans, nuts, seeds with whole grains are good for protein--make sure she eats eggs from free range chickens so she gets enough EFA's and iron/B12. And of course lots of vegetables--all of these are good for the whole family--if you base your diet on whole grains, beans/fermented soy, nuts, vegeys, fruits and add a small amount of animal food for the rest of the family it will be healthier for all of you than the SAD(standard american diet).

hi. :) i never liked meat as a girl so i grew up on scrambled eggs, macandcheese, and peanutbutter and jelly(actually i did eat bologna and also hotdogs but not as often as the non-meat things). And LOTS of milk. virtually No soda pops. i was well-nourished eating that limited diet- not that i ate Nothing else but those were the mainstays. and i always ate cornchips and not potatoe chips- those are quite fattening just by the way. so i was healthy and had lots of energy and thing, mentally capable and concentrated..blabla
sorry i have no recipes but the are LOTS of vegetarian cookbooks you can check out.

Beans and other legumes have the necessary protein for a growing child. Try to keep her eating dairy, or get her a calcium supplement. (She should be on a multivitamin if her diet is limited.)
There are many vegetarian cookbooks available at your local library.

Do your research. Vegetarianism is really not a bad idea for children as long as they are eating plenty of veggies, etc. There are several books out there on this as well as veganism. It might help for the two of you to go together and read up on it. Also, once you do some reading, you may be able to find out of this is just a phase and/or why she really wants to do this. Keep lots of salad fixings on hand as well as raw veggies that are easy to snack on. If she's just replacing meat with junk food, then you've got a problem. But, most kids will eat what is convenient for them. Also, my girls both eat fruit for breakfast and love it! If she likes soups, Progresso makes a lot of vegetarian soups and they will say so on the label.

My 16 year old daughter and I recently went vegan and surprisingly my 11 year old has gone along with it very easily. A lot of people don't realize that you really can get all your nutrients from plant foods and we all have felt so much better since the switch!!

Good luck!

There are lots of options for vegetarians these days, your daughters decision is very mature and respectable! Look for products by Boca, Garden Burger and check your local health food stores for delicious and fun products to replace what she's given up. She can still eat "chicken" nuggets, corn dogs, and breakfast sausage! Also, get some children's vitamins with iron to make sure she gets what her diet may still lack.

I have been a vegetarian since birth. I never liked it. My parents use to force me to eat it, then after years of struggle they finally gave in to it. My mother took me to nutritionists to make sure I was getting the right nutrients. Depending what type of vegetarian she is...she can get a lot of protein from dairy...milk, yogurt, cheese. Pasta, such as Barilla Plus pasta, has protein and omega 3 that you would get from fish. I like to cook alot with red and yellow peppers (sweet and very good for you). Beans are excellent (black , refried, and garbanzo) Hummus is a great source of nutrients along with Tofu if she will eat it. You can look up all kinds of recipes on Foodnetwork.com. Vege-burgers are also wonderful. Good luck.

I've been a vegetarian for 15 years now. Looking back, I probably could've been labeled one when I was a young girl (I'm 36). I have always disliked certain kind of meats because I just can't stand the flavor. I'm not sure of your daughter's reasoning, but it is wonderful that you're supporting her, as this may not be a phase but a lifelong decision.

Thankfully there are wonderful resources available to you nowadays. I would go to the library and check out some books that work for your family's budget and tastes. (Some books just have way too many new and unusual spices and ingredients that you may not have the time for.) Secondly, the internet is a great resource for vegetarian recipes.

Thirdly, if you're making a meal for the family that you want her to eat, I would suggest substituting tofu for the meat. Since tofu takes on the flavor of what it's in, you can just chop it up and saute with broth. Then add it to your dish. (It works very well for the prepackaged chicken/stuffing dinners.) Also, Boca and Morning Star Farms has wonderful meatless products that can be made just like other foods. Burgers, italian sausage (my favorite), chicken patties, crumbled soy, etc. Target has a pretty good assortment at a decent price.

Lastly, I also use a product called TVP (texturized soy protein) in place of ground meat. I buy it in bulk from health food store and it lasts a long time. Substitute it for sloppy joe's, tacos, etc. I also like the frozen crumbles but it's pricey to make on a regular basis. Beans and lentils are wonderful sources of protein and fiber, as well.

Good luck to you.