A Vegetarian Diet.
SarahElittlebit
Posts: 66 Member
ok...my 10 year old just told me she wants to be a vegetarian. I was a little surprised as she loves hot dogs and sausage so much...but I want to be supportive. I am not a vegetarian, so I've never tried to cook only vegetarian foods. I've tried tofu a few times and COULD NOT stand the stuff. So I'm asking for any healthy recipes or advice. I want to make sure I maintain the low calorie, low fat attributes if I am going to be eating it as well.
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Replies
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I can't wait to see what people say I've been wanting to look into it myself.0
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A vegetarian diet doesn't necessarily mean tofu is required, but I do encourage you to try to find different ways to prepare it. When I told my parents I was going vegetarian at age 5 they tried to pull some weird dishes on me, so I know where you're coming from. (The worst was when my dad sat a big block of plain silken tofu in front of me and expected me to eat it.) My meat-eating boyfriend enjoys tofu in stir fries and in eggless breakfast scrambles; it's all about the preparation! Tempeh is also a tasty option.
Feel free to take a look at my food diary for ideas on protein-rich stuff. I usually get around 70-80g of protein a day, so it is indeed possible to get protein with a vegetarian diet!0 -
There is usually a healthy section in most grocery stores where they sell the organic type stuff. They have pretty much every food you can think of made with tofu instead of meat. Like hot dogs, cheese, ground "meat", sausage, burgers, etc. That way you don't have to buy the gooey lumpy glob and try and make your own stuff. If you insist on that though I usually mix mine up in a wok with water chestnuts, snow peas, broccoli, and terriaki. The tofu absorbs the flavor of whatever you put with it. That's the beauty of it. YUM!0
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A vegetarian diet doesn't necessarily mean tofu is required, but I do encourage you to try to find different ways to prepare it. When I told my parents I was going vegetarian at age 5 they tried to pull some weird dishes on me, so I know where you're coming from. (The worst was when my dad sat a big block of plain silken tofu in front of me and expected me to eat it.) My meat-eating boyfriend enjoys tofu in stir fries and in eggless breakfast scrambles; it's all about the preparation! Tempeh is also a tasty option.
Feel free to take a look at my food diary for ideas on protein-rich stuff. I usually get around 70-80g of protein a day, so it is indeed possible to get protein with a vegetarian diet!
Just curious ... Are you vegetarian or vegan?0 -
I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but I do eat fish still (mostly tuna) so feel free to have a peek at my diary as well. Also I reccomend lentils, mmm. I have heard good things about quinoa but I haven't tried it yet. I also eat a lot of raw almonds (though I ran out so I haven't been eating them as much so they are not in my diary as much). Another thing to try is squash, and I can't reccomend edamame enough, it is so good!!!0
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Just curious ... Are you vegetarian or vegan?
Vegetarian. I love yogurt too much to cut dairy out, though I have reduced my cheese intake greatly for the sake of calorie counting.
Edit: Thought I should mention eatingwell.com...their vegetarian recipes are amazing!0 -
At 10 years old I became a vegetarian. I, too, only liked hamburgers and hotdogs but knew those were the worst things for you to eat. I am 28 years old and still a vegetarian. Here are some WONDERFUL brands you can buy in your freezer section of your local grocery store:
Morningstar Farms: has chikin nuggest, buffalo wings, corn dogs, a dozen different types/flavors of veggie burgers, veggie bacon (my 4yo LOVES these!), veggie saugsage.......basically - you name name - chances are they have it!
*www.morningstarfarms.com
Amy's Kitchen: My favorite vegan/vegetarian frozen entree. 100% organic. Potpies, mexican, chinese, indian, Italian (my favorite is the spinach tortelini with petso sauce), breakfast, and even kid friendly mac and cheese!.....again...whatever she's wanting, chances are Amy's Kitchen has it.
*www.amys.com
If she's wanting to not drink milk (my father was lactose intolerant so we always had alternatives at home): the Silk soy milk is delicious. The Very Vanilla Silk tastes like a milkshake and even my meat-eating 10yo boy loves it.
I'm sure my mother and father were very .....um...confused, to say the least, about my lifestyle change at that age. She just needs to be careful to eat vegetables and fruits......and not just breads, cheesy pastas, and candy. The cheesy pasta was my downfall
Good Luck!0 -
It won't hurt to try it out. Maybe replace the meat you would use in a dish with diced potatoes, or a veggie that absorbs the flavor, like squash, zucchini or beans. My mom wasn't a vegetarian, but when she didn't have ground beef or chicken, she would get creative. She makes the best mashed potatoes tacos and veggie rice.0
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and btw....I hate to cook.....in fact, it wasn't until I got married when my husband started to cook all kinds of tofu stuff for me.....tofu chili, tofu parmesan......seriously yummy stuff To this day I can't figure out how to cook tofu.....But just wanted to let you know too that I can't/couln't/didn't have time to cook.0
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I have a great tofu recipie. It reminds me of taco meat.
Marinated Tofu Crunch.
1 lb. FROZEN tofu, thawed, squeezed dry, and torn into bite sized pieces
Preheat oven to 350
Whip together
1/4 C water
2T soy sauce
1 T peanut butter
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pour this over the prepared tofu and squeeze in so all liquid is absorbed evenly. Spread cookie sheet with:
1 T oil
Spread tofu mixture on sheet and bake 20 minute, flip/turn tofu over and bake 20 minutes on other side, then 10 additional minutes.
The key to people not realizing this is tofu is in the freezing, squeezing and 'treating' of the tofu. It makes the tofu seem just like meat.0 -
There are loads of meat-free variations of 'normal' foods. Look for soy protein sausages, burgers etc. You can buy dried soy protein which is like mince. Tofu just tastes like egg/egg whites and I have that instead of egg. I eat dairy-free cheese, soy 'yoghurt', loads of grains and pulses.
Some of the textures and tastes may take a bit of getting used to. Approach it with an open mind. I'd recommend the Skinny B*tch books. There's a Skinny B*tch cook book too.0 -
Allibaba - Oh edemame's are SOOOOOO good! My kids eat them like popcorn! lol0
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And yes, Luckymam is right. Skinny B*tch is one fantastic book to read. But just don't let her read it0
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I'm a pescatarian [vegetarian who eats fish]. I can tell you that there are awesome benefits to not eating meat. If your daughter is only 10, saying she wants to be a vegetarian, she's probably not too educated on what special types of faux meat products there are out there, which will make it super-easy for you to cook for her, and help her learn how to maintain a healthy diet.
Easy-peasy facts to get you started...
Protein sources:
*Rice + beans = healthy balanced protein [I suggest brown rice] Find recipes that involve these for a filling meal. And these are super cheap at the grocery store!
*Nuts. Peanut butter + jelly time! Peanut butter, almond butter, nutella, I love them all! Great protein too! Easy to send your kid to school with peanut butter and jelly too!!
*Tofurkey makes a great variety of FAUX SAUSAGE! Trust me, she would LOVE them. This brand also makes faux sandwich meats!
*Smart Dogs from the company Light Life. She can still have her hot dogs! And for about $3-4 a pack, about the same price of the kind of hot dogs that aren't made of total rubbish anyway. And these ones are BEST for you!
*Extra-firm tofu [throw it in the freezer for a day, then take it out in the morning if you're using it for dinner] Freezing your extra-firm tofu causes it to form a DELICIOUS texture, unlike the boring, gooey, bland texture of un-frozen tofu. After thawed, chop it up into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes, throw it all in a skillet with heated extra virgin olive oil on medium-high heat. Pay attention! This tofu will darken quickly. Get it golden brown on all sides. Then add some fresh or frozen stir-fry vegetables [broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, carrots, etc]. Get all of them cooked but still firm, then add some teriyaki sauce [check labels to make sure there is no shell fish/meat products in sauce]. BON APETIT!
*Soyrizo [soy chorizo] Fry this stuff up just like regular chorizo! Mix it in with your eggs, your sloppy joe mix, whatever! It's protein and it's damn delicious!
Protein will not be an issue if you treat it like you treat your average meat-eater's need for protein.
Just replace the meat with other sources, some of which we already consume, like peanut butter, rice, and beans!
If you're feeling adventurous, it would benefit you greatly to pick up a vegetarian cookbook. Look through the pages of a few and make sure the recipes are for basic favorites that your kid already likes. Some vegetarian cookbooks can get a bit advanced. Your little girl will be dazzled by simple day-to-day substitution and outcome. Most of us started when we were young I think. We all went through bad kitchen experiments. SO DON'T BE SCARED!
Add me if you want some ideas. I have a pretty basic diet with special recipes every once and again.0 -
My son came home from college vegetarian (or pescatarian - he eats fish but doesn't like it that well). My husband is getting good at making dishes where we add meat or fake meat in at the end like spaghetti. I just cook vegetarian when he is home for dinner and regular the other days. If he doesn't come home for dinner he loves left overs. He was lifting weights and realized the protein drinks werre not doing it for him. The doctor suggested more beans. There are really good fake sausages and hamburger. Since i have started MFP I have gleaned the recipe message board for vegetarian dishes and I just googled low calorie vegetarian recipes here are 2 of my results:
This is what I made 2 nights ago but I used part skim ricotta instead of the tofu but I doubt it would taste bad with tofu.
Lasagna Rolls
Crumbled tofu replaces the ricotta in our Italian-style vegetarian meal. You can freeze the cooked rolls and sauce for up to one month.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and crumbled
3 cups chopped spinach
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped Kalamata olives
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
25-ounce jar marinara sauce , preferably lower-sodium, divided
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, return to the pot and cover with cold water until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add tofu and spinach and cook, stirring often, until the spinach wilts and the mixture is heated through, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in Parmesan, olives, crushed red pepper, salt and 2/3 cup marinara sauce.
3. Wipe out the pan and spread 1 cup of the remaining marinara sauce in the bottom. To make lasagna rolls, place a noodle on a work surface and spread 1/4 cup of the tofu filling along it. Roll up and place the roll, seam-side down, in the pan. Repeat with the remaining noodles and filling. (The tofu rolls will be tightly packed in the pan.) Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the rolls.
4. Place the pan over high heat, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; let simmer for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the rolls with mozzarella and cook, covered, until the cheese is melted and the rolls are heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
354 calories
11 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono)
11 mg cholesterol
46 g carbohydrates
21 g protein
8 g fiber
374 mg sodium
396 mg potassium
This is what I am making for dinner tonight.
Broccoli and Goat Cheese Soufflé
This elegant broccoli and goat cheese soufflé will wow your family and friends. Soufflés are surprisingly easy to make – the only trick is getting them on the table before they deflate. You’ll need four 10-ounce ramekins or a 2- to 2-1/2-quart soufflé dish.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups low-fat milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
3 large eggs, separated
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat four 10-ounce ramekins (or a 2- to 2-1/2-quart soufflé dish) with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet.
2. Place broccoli in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
3. Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Adjust heat as needed to prevent the mixture from getting too dark; it should be the color of caramel. Add milk, mustard, rosemary and salt and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in goat cheese and 3 egg yolks until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Beat the 5 egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whipped whites into the milk mixture. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites and the reserved broccoli just until no white streaks remain. Transfer to the prepared ramekins or soufflé dish.
5. Bake until puffed, firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, about 20 minutes in ramekins or 30 minutes in a soufflé dish. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
254 calories
17 g fat (8 g sat, 6 g mono)
184 mg cholesterol
10 g carbohydrates
16 g protein
1 g fiber
I make a really good vegetarian chilli if you want that recipe I could put it on MFP that one is mine. My son's girl friend is also vegetarian and her family has been converted as well but her father wouldn't let her until after high school. Now the whole family eats great vegetarian food. I sort of admire that they told her to wait till she had grown and then totally accepted afterwards. Part of it is making sure you are able to cook the right nutrition for a growing girl. You can but it takes some effort.
Keri0 -
I've been a vegetarian for 5 years. Look at Quorn in the freezer section and you will be shocked what you can find. Many supermarket chains (I live in the UK) do affordable meat free options.0
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Thanks for all the ideas. I have a lot of research to do if she truly wants to do this. Glad for any suggestions at all.0
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I'm a carnivore, but I enjoy tofu. It's all in how you prepare it. There are several vegetarian products out there that actually taste pretty good. Boca has a great line, and Morningstar Farms has great burgers. If you're willing to try tofu again, I have some terrific recipes for you to try. Just hit me up on my wall!0
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I announced I was going to be a vegetarian when I was 14. My mothers response was, "That's fine, but I'm not preparing special meals just for you." She would make sure any side dishes she was preparing were vegetarian. She got me a subscription to Vegetarian Times and would buy almost anything I wanted to try cooking and was happy to help me work out recipes, but if I was old enough to make that kind of choice, I was old enough to be responsible for my meals. Obviously I was a little older than your daughter, but making me self-sufficient in the kitchen was one of the best things she did for me. I'm still a vegetarian 25 years later and a pretty good cook (if I do say so myself).
Some of my favorite meat substitutes:
Quorn: I can't say enough about Quorn. It's my favorite meat substitute. I eat the Naked Chick'n Breast a couple of times a week. They are great with a little bit of a marinade and grilled. (if you live in the US, anywhere near a Whole Foods, they're on sale until the 15th for a really good price ) Found in the frozen foods.
Gardein (available in the US and Canada): personally, I'm not a big fan of their prepared, heat & eat products. I really like their meat substitutes that you add to your own recipes. I recently made stew using the Beefless Tips. I've also made pot pies using their Chick'n Scallopini. I used the recipes from the Gardein website, just adapted them a bit for my own tastes. Gardein can be found both in the produce section and the frozen foods. They Beefless Tips and Chick'n Scallopini are in frozen foods.
Tofurkey: I really like their sliced lunch-meat for sandwiches. St. Ives does deli meat in a greater variety (bologna, salami, ham, etc.), by I'm personally not really fond of them. Your daughter might like them. At my supermarket, the faux deli meat is in the produce section.0 -
My daughter definitelt wants to go the vegetarian route. I know she is too into dairy to stop having milk and cheese, but what about fish, tuna, eggs ...that kind of thing. Should be continue to eat that or stay away from those items? I would love any recipes if you want to send them. My email is slucinda28@yahoo.0
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A lot of vegetarians eat eggs. If they eat fish they are pescatarian, not vegetarian.0
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My daughter definitelt wants to go the vegetarian route. I know she is too into dairy to stop having milk and cheese, but what about fish, tuna, eggs ...that kind of thing. Should be continue to eat that or stay away from those items? I would love any recipes if you want to send them. My email is slucinda28@yahoo.
It depends on why she's doing it. Eggs are fine if you're a vegetarian, not if you're vegan. I'm a vegetarian, and I personally don't think you can call yourself a vegetarian if you eat fish. (One comment above said she was a pescatarian, that's the right term, though I doubt I spelled it right. :laugh: )
If she wants to do this because she's an animal lover, then no fish. If it's for health reasons, it's just up to her.
One thing I wanted to mention, DEFINITELY get some multi vitamins. Young kids especially, going without certain things, like B12, could keep her from growing. My sisters decided to be vegetarians and our doctor stressed that they weren't getting nearly enough iron or B12 so now we take a multi vitamin and B12 supplement. And depending on how far she wants to go with this, you've got to find the vitamins that aren't made with gelatin. (Also, she'll have to avoid Jello, gummy bears, etc.)0 -
Yeah, if you eat fish, you aren't vegetarian. Basically, if you eat anything that had a face, you're not a veggie!
If you eat eggs and dairy but not meat, you're a veggie.
If you don't eat any product derived from an animal, you're vegan. A true vegan won't even wear wool or drink from a bone china cup.0 -
That's good that she's so serious about it that young! It's such a healthy and mature decision for such a little girl!! Like another user and I said in the posts before, she will definitely dig the Tofurkey if she loves sausage. That could be a good starting point for you, to show her that you're serious about supporting her life choice. It will also be a very positive, healthy choice instead of the ultra-fattening meat sausages.0
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Why is she going vegetarian?
If it's because of not wanting to harm animals, you can mention to her about animal by-products. Staying away from foods with ingredients such as gelatin, rennet, lecithin (soy lecithin is fine). These are all animal by-products, gelatin: ground up bones, common in yogurts, frosting/icing (pop tarts, marhmallows), rennet: enzyme from calf's stomach, very common in cheese so you have to be careful with that. Lecithin is in chocolate.. but soy lecithin is seen more often now.
Sorry, I just had to mention that! I become a vegetarian when I was 17 and didn't know about these things until six months later for most of them and felt so cheated! But I don't know how strict of a vegetarian your daughter wants to be but at least she will have the option of chosing.
For recipes, I eat everything and anything.. just not meat! Vegetarian Spaghetti, chili, stir frys, shepherd's pie, soups/stews, wraps, sandwiches, pasta dishes. You can add beans/lentils to a lot of things to get your protein. Make sure she is eating lots of leafy greens for iron. After a month of being a vegetarian you should take her to the doctor to get blood work, she may need to be supplemented for vitamin B12 and folic acid if iron levels are low.
It's really not that hard and you will be surprised with how many meals you can make vegetarian!0 -
Have you tried cooking with tempeh? It's much yummier than tofu and it's a whole food (not as processed as tofu). I use it in stirfrys and curries as a meat replacement - high in protein, low in fat and carbs.0
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My husband has been an Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian(this means he eats eggs and dairy, but no meat) for over 20 yrs. While my sons and I are omnivores we eat a largely vegetarian diet. It is really easy to work the two together. I have a vegetarian cooking blog, called My Veggie Table (http://www.myveggietable.com) and I think it would really help you. I have tons of recipes which appeal to meat eaters, but they have no meat!
If you are interested in tofu, the secret is in the prep. You are going probably perfer firm or extra firm tofu. Then you need to drain it really well. I usually cut it into four pieces length wise and then place the pieces on a cutting board covered with paper towels. On top of that tofu place some more paper towels and then another cutting board. On the top cutting board place some heavy pot or maybe a tea kettle and press out all that extra moisture. This will allow you to get that nice browing effect on your tofu.0 -
There are healthy ways to be vegetarian and then there are unhealthy ways - as long as she avoids processed foods as much as possible, and eats a variety of fruits/veggies/grains/legumes/nuts/etc. she should be fine. I've known people who fall into both categories. Make sure you find plenty of veggie-friendly protein sources - beans, lentils, quinoa, dairy (if she's going to eat dairy), and lots of other sources. One of my favorite vegetarian protein sources is Seitan, a meat alternative made of gluten (primarily) - this is the recipe I use, and it's fantastic: http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15959 I'm not vegetarian myself, but am trying to incorporate more protein sources into my diet, and I could seriously eat this every day in place of meat.
The key is to get creative with recipes - For example, I make home-made burger alternatives (there are black-bean burger recipes, lentil-burger recipes, mushroom-burgers... etc.). Eggplant parmesan is another favorite of mine. My mom and stepdad aren't vegetarians either, but they like all the vegetarian-recipes I make.0
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