No meat food ideas

leynak

I have a 7 year old daughter that has recently decided she doesn't want to eat meat. She will eat some but most of the time I have to beg and plead with her to eat her meat. She started this fairly recently, about a couple weeks to a month ago. Now, I usually just say this is what is for dinner so eat it. If I want to make something I know they really don't like (like certain veggies) I usually make another choice that they do like. BUT, this time it's not so easy because she is insistent on not eating any meat (pork, chicken, beef- no matter how I fix them.)

I don't want to force her to eat meat if she really doesn't want to but I don't have much experience with meat-less meals. So, I was just wondering if I could get some advice/ suggestions for meals or something that I can add to our regular meals to make sure she's getting enough protein and stuff. I'm pretty sure this is a phase but I still want to make sure she's eating healthy.

She's really not very picky (except for meat), she's always loved almost all vegetables & she loves every kind of fruit. I think the only things she really doesn't like are potatoes & spinach.

So, if anyone has any suggestions it would be very much appreciated.

beccala18

Make beans or lentils as a side dish - it will become her main dish.

lbetancourt

My 15 yr old is the same. Try vegetarian lasagna & meatless pasta dishes. Although processed, we do have boca burgers. I have convinced her to eat fish as of lately. This actually has encouraged my son & I not to eat so much red meat & more vegetables.

Good luck!

godblessourhome

here is a thread containing several ideas:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/115505-104-vegetarian-meals

Cocochickdeleted

Lentils and quinoa are great protein sources. I make a lentil 'meat' loaf that is really pretty good. It always gets eaten up, even by the non-veggie members of my family.

taso42

how about lamb?
http://youtu.be/HnjWZT3yWWc

AEB_WV

egg fritatta with potatoes, little bit of cheese and veggies

deadstarsunburn

I did that what I was 3 and I'm so thankful my mom didn't force me to eat meat. We ended up eating more veggies, I ate lots of pastas and rice though lol.
Morning Star makes great meat substitutes. I can't stress this enough though, if she decides she doesn't want to eat the meat don't fall back on loads of carby food. Add more veggies and beans. Maybe marinate some tofu.

Good luck =]

**above poster mentioned eggs, GREAT idea.**

kiminikimkim

That is serious, the repercussions of an unbalanced diet for children compound over time. You should visit a nutritionist to make sure your 7 year old doesn't become nutritionally deficient. Growth, tissue repair and brain function depend on certain vitamins and minerals found in meat alone.

I don't recommend vitamin supplements, 95% of the ingredients come from China and they are not monitored. Studies also show that people on supplements die sooner than those who get their nutrition through diet alone. I would try to sneak some meat in tomato sauces or baked goods.

Anyway, don't get the opinions from people like us, go see a specialist. Visit the Dr Oz site, he explains what happens to the body when you remove meat from a child's diet.

MirelaH

Hello. I'm a vegan and have lot's of recipes on my pinterest page. Hope it helps!

http://pinterest.com/echofly

Thomasm198

That is serious, the repercussions of an unbalanced diet for children compound over time. You should visit a nutritionist to make sure your 7 year old doesn't become nutritionally deficient. Growth, tissue repair and brain function depend on certain vitamins and minerals found in meat alone.

I don't recommend vitamin supplements, 95% of the ingredients come from China and they are not monitored. Studies also show that people on supplements die sooner than those who get their nutrition through diet alone. I would try to sneak some meat in tomato sauces or baked goods.

Anyway, don't get the opinions from people like us, go see a specialist. Visit the Dr Oz site, he explains what happens to the body when you remove meat from a child's diet.

And after visiting the Dr Oz website, look for a more credible source of information.

n_unocero

My 15 yr old is the same. Try vegetarian lasagna & meatless pasta dishes. Although processed, we do have boca burgers. I have convinced her to eat fish as of lately. This actually has encouraged my son & I not to eat so much red meat & more vegetables.

Good luck!

i love boca burgers! they are a little pricey unless you find them on sale. but just as a warning they don't really taste like hamburgers. i also love the smart dogs (meatless hot dogs).

i tried the vegetarian thing for about 6 months. i actually ended up losing about 5-6 lbs so maybe i should think about doing it again...

FireTigerSoul

I have a 7 year old daughter that has recently decided she doesn't want to eat meat. She will eat some but most of the time I have to beg and plead with her to eat her meat. She started this fairly recently, about a couple weeks to a month ago. Now, I usually just say this is what is for dinner so eat it. If I want to make something I know they really don't like (like certain veggies) I usually make another choice that they do like. BUT, this time it's not so easy because she is insistent on not eating any meat (pork, chicken, beef- no matter how I fix them.)

I don't want to force her to eat meat if she really doesn't want to but I don't have much experience with meat-less meals. So, I was just wondering if I could get some advice/ suggestions for meals or something that I can add to our regular meals to make sure she's getting enough protein and stuff. I'm pretty sure this is a phase but I still want to make sure she's eating healthy.

She's really not very picky (except for meat), she's always loved almost all vegetables & she loves every kind of fruit. I think the only things she really doesn't like are potatoes & spinach.

So, if anyone has any suggestions it would be very much appreciated.

If you're worried about her not getting enough protein, buy some veggie corn dogs, hot dogs, lunch meat, or any veggie meat-substitute for that matter. Most veggie products can be cooked in the microwave in under 2 minutes. She could even make it herself.

As a vegetarian myself, I have to ask of you..please don't force your daughter to eat meat - it sounds like she's making the switch to veggie for ethical reasons, as opposed to not enjoying the taste. I'm a vegetarian and luckily I was old enough to make my own meals when I made that choice. Had I been younger, I'm sure my mother would have tried to slip meat into my meals. I would not have enjoyed that.

If you want to keep track of her protein you can create an account for her on here to track her foods and watch her protein levels.

killagb

Anyway, don't get the opinions from people like us, go see a specialist. Visit the Dr Oz site, he explains what happens to the body when you remove meat from a child's diet.

And especially don't get opinions from people who suggest Dr. Oz....

deadstarsunburn

That is serious, the repercussions of an unbalanced diet for children compound over time. You should visit a nutritionist to make sure your 7 year old doesn't become nutritionally deficient. Growth, tissue repair and brain function depend on certain vitamins and minerals found in meat alone.

I don't recommend vitamin supplements, 95% of the ingredients come from China and they are not monitored. Studies also show that people on supplements die sooner than those who get their nutrition through diet alone. I would try to sneak some meat in tomato sauces or baked goods.

Anyway, don't get the opinions from people like us, go see a specialist. Visit the Dr Oz site, he explains what happens to the body when you remove meat from a child's diet.

And after visiting the Dr Oz website, look for a more credible source of information.

I've bean without meat since I was 3 and aside from obviously being overweight all my vitals, blood sugar, heat rate, blood pressure, cholesterol have ALWAYS been super healthy.

It may give you peace of mind to speak with a doctor though =]

MirelaH

That is serious, the repercussions of an unbalanced diet for children compound over time. You should visit a nutritionist to make sure your 7 year old doesn't become nutritionally deficient. Growth, tissue repair and brain function depend on certain vitamins and minerals found in meat alone.

I don't recommend vitamin supplements, 95% of the ingredients come from China and they are not monitored. Studies also show that people on supplements die sooner than those who get their nutrition through diet alone. I would try to sneak some meat in tomato sauces or baked goods.

Anyway, don't get the opinions from people like us, go see a specialist. Visit the Dr Oz site, he explains what happens to the body when you remove meat from a child's diet.

:huh:

Wow. Really?? You've got to be kidding me. Why don't you do some research before you post such idiotic crap on the internet. Even a 7 year old can have a completely balanced vegetarian diet without supplements. She's going through a phase not eating rocks. :noway:

ColCul

These are a few regular meals in my household:

Vegetarian chili
rice and black beans burritos (my 11 year old's favorite)
eggplant parmesan (my 7 year-old's favorite)
frittata

maidentl

That is serious, the repercussions of an unbalanced diet for children compound over time. You should visit a nutritionist to make sure your 7 year old doesn't become nutritionally deficient. Growth, tissue repair and brain function depend on certain vitamins and minerals found in meat alone.

I don't recommend vitamin supplements, 95% of the ingredients come from China and they are not monitored. Studies also show that people on supplements die sooner than those who get their nutrition through diet alone. I would try to sneak some meat in tomato sauces or baked goods.

Anyway, don't get the opinions from people like us, go see a specialist. Visit the Dr Oz site, he explains what happens to the body when you remove meat from a child's diet.

People all over the world are vegetarian, even children, and we do just fine, thanks.

Mom, spaghetti's a good one, mac & cheese. Fried rice with veggies. Soups if she likes those. I have a great cookbook called "The Vegetarian Family" by Nava Atlas that has a lot of great recipes.

Also, http://happyherbivore.com/ is one of my favorite websites, she has some really nice, easy recipes!

vim_n_vigor

I have a 7 year old daughter that has recently decided she doesn't want to eat meat. She will eat some but most of the time I have to beg and plead with her to eat her meat. She started this fairly recently, about a couple weeks to a month ago. Now, I usually just say this is what is for dinner so eat it. If I want to make something I know they really don't like (like certain veggies) I usually make another choice that they do like. BUT, this time it's not so easy because she is insistent on not eating any meat (pork, chicken, beef- no matter how I fix them.)

I don't want to force her to eat meat if she really doesn't want to but I don't have much experience with meat-less meals. So, I was just wondering if I could get some advice/ suggestions for meals or something that I can add to our regular meals to make sure she's getting enough protein and stuff. I'm pretty sure this is a phase but I still want to make sure she's eating healthy.

She's really not very picky (except for meat), she's always loved almost all vegetables & she loves every kind of fruit. I think the only things she really doesn't like are potatoes & spinach.

So, if anyone has any suggestions it would be very much appreciated.

As you stated that you don't have experience in this, and it is an option to you, I would ask your pediatrician for a referral to a nutritionist that can help you plan a diet that gets her what she needs for her developmental stage. I wouldn't know where to advise you to start, other than that.

christina0089

I tried this last night and omg was it good! I did add a bit of bacon crumbles to it, but you can just omit that.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Ragu light garlic alredo sauce
2 oz Mini penne pasta (prepared according to package directions) you can use whole wheat if desired.
1/2 cup yellow squash skin on (diced)
3 whole Mushrooms (coarsly chopped)
1/4 cup Diced onion
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp land o lakes garlic butter
1 tsp bacon pieces/crumbles (such as hormel) I use GFS brand.
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 water

I made this for me only and the above recipie is for 1 person but you can double or triple it easily for a family.

In a non stick skillet add olive oil, onions and butter sautee until onions are soft. Add remaining vegetables and continue to sautee until until squash begins to soften add water and allow the vegetables to simmer on med/low heat stiring often until all liquid is absorbed add bacon at this time if desired and continue cooking on low until vegetables start to caramelize. Add alfredo sauce and stir to incooperate all the veggies and carmelized yumminess then toss with prepared penne pasta.

Good luck!

onedayillbamilf

That is serious, the repercussions of an unbalanced diet for children compound over time. You should visit a nutritionist to make sure your 7 year old doesn't become nutritionally deficient. Growth, tissue repair and brain function depend on certain vitamins and minerals found in meat alone.

I don't recommend vitamin supplements, 95% of the ingredients come from China and they are not monitored. Studies also show that people on supplements die sooner than those who get their nutrition through diet alone. I would try to sneak some meat in tomato sauces or baked goods.

Anyway, don't get the opinions from people like us, go see a specialist. Visit the Dr Oz site, he explains what happens to the body when you remove meat from a child's diet.

Please mention Dr. Oz in the beginning of your statement so that I don't actually pay attention and read the entire thing next time. Thanks.

Also, OP, there are plenty of sources of protein for vegetarians, like people suggested above. If she doesn't want to eat meat, do veggie burgers, the veggie sausage patties are pretty good, then there are always beans and such. Get a can of vegetarian refried beans and have a burrito night. Maybe google some "Easy kid friendly vegetarian meals"?

bcattoes

Sandwich wraps made with hummus
Bean burritos or tacos
Beans and cornbread
Bean soups
Things made with beans.
Tofu & veggie stir fry
Omelette, quiche or other egg dishes.

california_peach

This is probably just a phase, but there is NOTHING wrong with a child not eating meat. Millions of people worldwide to it daily, so please don't stress too much. My husband is an ovo-lacto vegetarian and has been since he was a teenager. My children and I do eat meat, but we eat very little of it. I have a cooking blog for vegetarian recipes designed to appeal to meat-eaters. Today's post is not about food, but about a contest my blog has been entered into, but dig down a few posts or use the search feature and you'll find some great stuff. The title of my blog is My Veggie Table. Feel free to email me as the address on the blog or PM me here if you have any questions.

MrDude_1

I would just go with the "this is my house. you're 7. You will eat what you are told" approach.
Then have steak.

FireTigerSoul

I would just go with the "this is my house. you're 7. You will eat what you are told" approach.
Then have steak.

Exactly how was this helpful? That's just cruel.

MrDude_1

I would just go with the "this is my house. you're 7. You will eat what you are told" approach.
Then have steak.

Exactly how was this helpful? That's just cruel.

It solves the root of the problem... It may not be the vegetarian solution, but done properly it solves the discipline problem.

FireTigerSoul

I would just go with the "this is my house. you're 7. You will eat what you are told" approach.
Then have steak.

Exactly how was this helpful? That's just cruel.

It solves the root of the problem... It may not be the vegetarian solution, but done properly it solves the discipline problem.

And if you'll read the OP's post...discipline isn't the root of the problem. She doesn't want to force her daughter to eat meat. She's looking for meatless meal ideas. Read before you offer useless advice next time.

christina0089

I would just go with the "this is my house. you're 7. You will eat what you are told" approach.
Then have steak.

Exactly how was this helpful? That's just cruel.

It solves the root of the problem... It may not be the vegetarian solution, but done properly it solves the discipline problem.

It's not about discipline. It's about a child who for ethical, health or even taste reasons chooses not to eat meat and a mom who is embracing it and concerning herself with her childs nutrition. She is encouraging her child to not only eat what she likes in a healthy manner but by allowing her to have a choice in what she eats teaching her that it's ok to have her own mind and her own opinion, and not to fall into line with whatever someone says she SHOULD like because "they say so" based on THEIR opinion...

leynak

I would just go with the "this is my house. you're 7. You will eat what you are told" approach.
Then have steak.

Exactly how was this helpful? That's just cruel.

It solves the root of the problem... It may not be the vegetarian solution, but done properly it solves the discipline problem.

It's not about discipline. It's about a child who for ethical, health or even taste reasons chooses not to eat meat and a mom who is embracing it and concerning herself with her childs nutrition. She is encouraging her child to not only eat what she likes in a healthy manner but by allowing her to have a choice in what she eats teaching her that it's ok to have her own mind and her own opinion, and not to fall into line with whatever someone says she SHOULD like because "they say so" based on THEIR opinion...

^ Very well said thank you. My daughter's listens very well & I know she would eat the meat if I made her. But I do not want to make her if she doesn't want to. I know there are plenty of healthy options other than having meat every night. I really don't think that letting my kid have a say in what she'd like to eat is a big deal. It's not like I'm saying "You want to only eat ice cream & cookies from now on? I guess I should find which brand is healthiest."

And I want to thank everyone else for the suggestions. There are certain things she does eat with meat in them like spaghetti or soups. She just doesn't like having a big slab of meat & I thought we could use some different food experiences. I knew beans and nuts & stuff have protein but I was looking for something other than beans & peanut butter to give her. I will definitely try some of the suggestions, like lentils. We've never had those. I'm really not *that* concerned that she's going to become malnourished or anything. I think our whole family could benefit from more veggies anyway.

jcpmoore

Hi Mom (OP), does your daughter have an opinion on seafood? My oldest son isn't a big fan of meat in the same manner. But he does love shrimp. he doesn't like scampi, but he loves boiled shrimp with rice.

he's not a fan of steak (he's in the process of losing his teeth still and steak hurts them I think), but he likes a good veggie and tofu stir fry.

One of my fave side dishes works great as a main dish, too. 1 can black beans, one can diced tomatoes. If she likes it spicy you can get the ones with the chilies. otherwise, whatever flavor or spices you like. Just cook them together and they're great.

Lentils and carrots are great over rice together.

HTH and good luck!