Vegetarian meals for kids

boehle
boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My son is 12 yrs old and for a while has been talking about becoming a vegetarian.
This last few days, he has not eaten any meats.
I know he needs to be getting proteins in his meals as well.
I know it would be just as easy enough to google some recipies, but I thought I'd ask what other parents that are going through this for some recipes.
I will support him if he really wants to become a vegetarian as long as he is eating how he is supposed to.

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I became a Vegetarian at around that age (i'm 45 and a Vegan now). All my mother did was give me the same meals as them minus the meat or an item replacing the meat. I really wouldn't get too paranoid about protein it is in fact very difficult not to get enough protein for the average person (you have to try really hard). There is lots of protein in dairy etc. Try not to over complicate it all. Google is a good start there's also lots of recipes and information here https://www.vegsoc.org/ Good luck and your son should be congratulated for making such conscious choice.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Good on you for supporting your kid. I was a vegetarian at 16, then vegan until I moved out, and all my parents said was "tough sh** we're not making anything special for this."

    *edited to stay on topic... Mexican, Chinese stir fry, and many other ethnic foods are great for making vegetarian. Ain't nothing like pan-fried crusted tofu!
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    I'm definitely getting in on this thread, my 13 year old son hates meat. All meat. Apparently because it's meat (as opposed to any kind of moral reason). He's a very picky eater in general too. It boggles my carnivore mind but at the same time I don't like forcing him to eat something so plainly unpalatable to him so ideas will be very welcome.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    This last few days, he has not eaten any meats.
    I know he needs to be getting proteins in his meals as well.

    I use quorn a reasonable amount as a meat substitute, which may make it easier for you to cook a second meal, with only the one element to exchange.

    Otherwise I do a lot of bean curries and chillis, tend to use paneer in curries as well. Pasta sauces with roasted vegetables, and pine nuts.

    Lots of sources of proteins and fats, but they do take a little more thought to balance off the nutrients.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Lots of milk, eggs, egg whites, beans, tofu, and edamame. Will he eat fish? At that age he needs protein so don't just take away the meat from the meals and leave him with vegetables and grains.
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    Also legumes. Lots of legumes. White beans, navy beans, cannelloni beans, pink beans, pinto beans, lentils, kidney beans, etc.

    A vegetarian can get enough protein.

    If you are worried about it (12 is an important age for muscle and bone development, so you have every reason to worry a little), add in protein powder supplements. I have a child who sometimes hates meat texture and won't eat it, and on those days she gets greek yogurt and protein powder.
  • boehle
    boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
    He is such a picky eater.
    Thanks for all the input
    I will have to come up with a list of what a lot of vegetarians eat and see if he thinks the same way.
    He does not like eggs, or beans. We have tried to get him to eat fish and he turns his nose up at it.
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    I wouldn't encourage it. At 12 years old, even if he is very mature and intelligent, he doesn't know enough about diet, health, biochemistry, etc... to make an informed decision about these matters. I understand that some people are vegetarians for their own reasons and that's okay; but humans are (and have been for thousands of years) omnivores for a reason. Depriving a child of an entire food group during their development is not healthy. Even if you did decide to allow him to be a vegetarian at his age it would be wise to avoid feeding him too much soy as it contains chemicals that can activate estrogen receptors and can therefore cause estrogenic effects in those who consume too much of it. This is especially true in adolescent males as they are already experiencing an influx of sex hormones and androgen/estrogen/progesterone receptor site up-regulation as part of puberty. A diet abundant in soy products has been shown to contribute to androgeny and gynecymastia in adolescent boys.

    Edit: In response to your last statement. He doesn't buy the food, you do. He should eat shat you tell him to, even if it is beans or fish. YOU are the parent.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    I will have to come up with a list of what a lot of vegetarians eat and see if he thinks the same way.
    He does not like eggs, or beans.

    Much of that can be about how it's cooked as much as the food itself.
    We have tried to get him to eat fish and he turns his nose up at it.

    Well that wouldn't be vegetarian, they're still meat. My partner positions it as "nothing with a face".

    fwiw my stepson has been vegetarian since birth and it's perfectly reasonable to give him a decent healthy diet. But you will need to move him through the pickyness phase as a healthy vegetarian diet is pretty wide ranging. Personally I loathe the texture of tofu, but generally substitute Paneer or Halloumi.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    My son prefers beans and rice to most meat. If your kid doesn't like beans, it might be a little hard to be a vegetarian. I know there are lots of protein sources and meat substitutes out there, I just don't have any experience with them. Beans and rice is cheap, healthy and tasty (of course, it's better with bacon).
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
    I once used Yves Veggie Ground Round instead of turkey meat in the spaghetti and my picky kids didn't notice a difference.
    Veggie Patch makes some very good faux chicken nuggets and bites. There are lots of products you can buy that are meat substitutes but if he's not going to eat things like beans, lentils, and eggs, it could be very difficult to make sure you he has a balanced diet.

    The PETA website and Vegetarian Resource Group should have some resources on their websites. Also, check the library for recipe books and have him pick out meals he wants to try.
  • Mof3wc
    Mof3wc Posts: 126 Member
    Will he eat dairy? Cheeses, milk, Greek yogurt all offer quite a bit of protein.

    How about smoothies with protein powder?

    And good for you for supporting his choices (as long as he's willing to do it in a healthy way).
  • mkcmurphy
    mkcmurphy Posts: 438 Member
    bump
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
    What a great parent you are for being willing to help him and support him in these sort of decisions. :)

    I have a small very picky toddler....and one of the things he always eats is chickpea nuggets. I know that you say that your little guy doesn't like beans, but these are smashed up and formed into little patties and are just delicious.

    Basically I just take a can of chickpeas, mash them up, combine with a little soy sauce and maybe some sweet bbq sauce, add whatever spices he likes, garlic, add some bread crumbs to start drying it up from the wetness, and I add wheat gluten to give it a chewy texture, but it's not necessary, I also add nutritional yeast to provide some B12. Once it's a firm texture just start forming it into little nuggets and either bake or fry. Sometime I dip them in butter and then put panko on them and bake them up that way...but that's not exactly super awesome for my own waist line.
  • dgkt
    dgkt Posts: 57 Member
    What a great parent you are for being willing to help him and support him in these sort of decisions. :)

    I have a small very picky toddler....and one of the things he always eats is chickpea nuggets. I know that you say that your little guy doesn't like beans, but these are smashed up and formed into little patties and are just delicious.

    Basically I just take a can of chickpeas, mash them up, combine with a little soy sauce and maybe some sweet bbq sauce, add whatever spices he likes, garlic, add some bread crumbs to start drying it up from the wetness, and I add wheat gluten to give it a chewy texture, but it's not necessary, I also add nutritional yeast to provide some B12. Once it's a firm texture just start forming it into little nuggets and either bake or fry. Sometime I dip them in butter and then put panko on them and bake them up that way...but that's not exactly super awesome for my own waist line.

    That sounds yummy!!
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
    On days that I lack the protein cause I am just "beaned out" I drink a veggie smoothie with a vegan protein scoop or two.
    If you were to mix this with some fruit or even frozen fruit/ice/cream etc., it would help him.
    If he doesn't like the texture and/or taste of beans, I have a friend that will sneak beans into recipes. Brownies with black beans, tomato sauce with white beans, etc.
    It is going to be difficult to reach his needed protein, while still being very healthy, without beans or lentils unless he is devouring soy... which is still a legume.
    Low fat dairy is the only thing I can think of.
    Vegetarians can still be unhealthy.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I wouldn't encourage it. At 12 years old, even if he is very mature and intelligent, he doesn't know enough about diet, health, biochemistry, etc... to make an informed decision about these matters. I understand that some people are vegetarians for their own reasons and that's okay; but humans are (and have been for thousands of years) omnivores for a reason. Depriving a child of an entire food group during their development is not healthy. Even if you did decide to allow him to be a vegetarian at his age it would be wise to avoid feeding him too much soy as it contains chemicals that can activate estrogen receptors and can therefore cause estrogenic effects in those who consume too much of it. This is especially true in adolescent males as they are already experiencing an influx of sex hormones and androgen/estrogen/progesterone receptor site up-regulation as part of puberty. A diet abundant in soy products has been shown to contribute to androgeny and gynecymastia in adolescent boys.

    Edit: In response to your last statement. He doesn't buy the food, you do. He should eat shat you tell him to, even if it is beans or fish. YOU are the parent.

    The kid is just going to push back and not eat what's on his plate and resent his mother later on. Speaking from personal experience. As a child I didn't know what vegetarian was but I knew I did not want to eat meat and my mom made me clear my plate.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    Vegetarian foods kids generally love:

    Macaroni and cheese
    Pizza
    Spaghetti
    Tacos with lots of beans and cheese

    Sometimes I would use veggie hot dogs to make beanie weenies or "sheep" dogs. (Sheep dogs = hot dog with a slit cut down the length of it, topped with mashed potatoes and cheese, then broiled.)

    Saying you don't like "eggs" doesn't mean you hate them in all forms, necessarily. Would he like egg salad sandwiches? Deviled eggs? Fried rice with egg in it?

    You can use Greek yogurt to make a savory dip to go with raw veggies, or to make a sweet dessert. There's no law that says your protein has to come from an entree.
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    I wouldn't encourage it. At 12 years old, even if he is very mature and intelligent, he doesn't know enough about diet, health, biochemistry, etc... to make an informed decision about these matters. I understand that some people are vegetarians for their own reasons and that's okay; but humans are (and have been for thousands of years) omnivores for a reason. Depriving a child of an entire food group during their development is not healthy. Even if you did decide to allow him to be a vegetarian at his age it would be wise to avoid feeding him too much soy as it contains chemicals that can activate estrogen receptors and can therefore cause estrogenic effects in those who consume too much of it. This is especially true in adolescent males as they are already experiencing an influx of sex hormones and androgen/estrogen/progesterone receptor site up-regulation as part of puberty. A diet abundant in soy products has been shown to contribute to androgeny and gynecymastia in adolescent boys.

    Edit: In response to your last statement. He doesn't buy the food, you do. He should eat shat you tell him to, even if it is beans or fish. YOU are the parent.

    If he's not willing to eat meat for ethic reasons there's no way you can force him to eat it, that would be a very arrogant behaviour coming from a parent.
    When I started being vegetarian I was 16 and I didn't know much about nutrition, and I didn't really care about proteins at all. I don't know if I've assumed a reasonable amount of proteins during those years, but I didn't die from it. And since the OP is an adult it's going to be much easier to fix his nutrition and avoid damages caused by the lack of proteins.

    Just try to keep his diet balanced and look for vegetarian recipes online. Since he's so young I bet he'd love having vegetarian burger sandwiches, vegetarian meatballs, and such. If he's willing to eat cheese you can always add it to his snacks. Lots of flavoured greek yogurt or milk at breakfast or through the day will also help. You can also try some vegetarian recipes for the whole family, so that you don't have to cook separate meals.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    I wouldn't encourage it. At 12 years old, even if he is very mature and intelligent, he doesn't know enough about diet, health, biochemistry, etc... to make an informed decision about these matters. I understand that some people are vegetarians for their own reasons and that's okay; but humans are (and have been for thousands of years) omnivores for a reason. Depriving a child of an entire food group during their development is not healthy. Even if you did decide to allow him to be a vegetarian at his age it would be wise to avoid feeding him too much soy as it contains chemicals that can activate estrogen receptors and can therefore cause estrogenic effects in those who consume too much of it. This is especially true in adolescent males as they are already experiencing an influx of sex hormones and androgen/estrogen/progesterone receptor site up-regulation as part of puberty. A diet abundant in soy products has been shown to contribute to androgeny and gynecymastia in adolescent boys.

    Edit: In response to your last statement. He doesn't buy the food, you do. He should eat shat you tell him to, even if it is beans or fish. YOU are the parent.

    You sir are obviously not a parent!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I stopped eating meat at 4/5 yrs old, my mother said that I would eat everything else from my plate and never touch the meat, but would ask for second helpings of the veggies, or pasta, or whatever. So they stopped feeding me meat and would try to prepare me more meals with vegetables and such. My point to telling you this is, I made the choice not to eat meat as a child also. My mother would prepare more dishes with beans instead, and also lots of tofu! Lol.... I finally took a bite of meat about 2 months ago, after not eating any for 30 yrs. So now I'm just playing it by ear, if I feel like having a bite of chicken,I will! And if I don't,I won't!I really think your Son will let you know what he wants as far as new meals. Maybe make a list up and let him check off the vegetarian items that he'd like to eat for meals. I used to like to make the list with my mother for my meals and it made me feel like an adult lol ;-) I would definitely try and get some beans, avocado, Greek yogurts, etc and see what he likes and what he doesn't :-)
  • fitbrit19
    fitbrit19 Posts: 55
    I stopped eating meat around the same time too. Thankfully I had a mother much like you who supported me every way she could. I remember her buying a book entitled "Being Vegetarian for Dummies". Silly as it sounds, it helped A LOT. My family is not very … cultured, I guess is the word. They eat meat, bland veggie & potatoes every single night. The book introduced my mom to different food items & ideas. After many failed attempts at cooking for me (I distinctly remember a very horrible hummus incident) she started to take me to get Thai food, let me get tofu instead of chicken when they ordered Chinese take-out, and researched restaurants that offered vegetarian options for me to try. Besides that I ate a lot of PB&J, Amy's Veggie Microwavable Burritos, hummus & veggies, and fruit w/ cottage cheese.

    It will take time & practice, but it sounds like you are moving the in the right direction. B12 supplements also helped me a lot. Everyone is so stuck on protein they forget about good old B12!

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