Respecting my Daughter's Choice to be a Vegetarian
pridesabtch
Posts: 2,301 Member
Okay, my daughter is 14 yo and has decided to live a vegetarian lifestyle. I'm good with this as long as she gets sufficient iron & protein in her diet. I figure we should learn how to do this together.
One of my NY resolutions is to teach my daughters (14 & 17) to cook for themselves before they head out into the world. Each Thursday I am having them go to the grocery and then we are cooking a family meal. There are numerous pluses to this in my opinion, but I'm not very savvy at preparing vegetarian meals or options.
Tonight we are doing chicken tacos. Now she can just use beans for protein, but I'd like to try a chicken substitute such as tofu or Quorn. How do I properly prepare these foods? Do I just cook it like chicken?
Also what are some simple vegetarian meals the whole family might enjoy? Note we are not fans of tomatoes or cauliflower...
Thanks, Nikki
One of my NY resolutions is to teach my daughters (14 & 17) to cook for themselves before they head out into the world. Each Thursday I am having them go to the grocery and then we are cooking a family meal. There are numerous pluses to this in my opinion, but I'm not very savvy at preparing vegetarian meals or options.
Tonight we are doing chicken tacos. Now she can just use beans for protein, but I'd like to try a chicken substitute such as tofu or Quorn. How do I properly prepare these foods? Do I just cook it like chicken?
Also what are some simple vegetarian meals the whole family might enjoy? Note we are not fans of tomatoes or cauliflower...
Thanks, Nikki
11
Replies
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Oh, she has been a vegetarian for about 6 months now.
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Can you "hide" cauliflower and eat it? We make macaroni and cheese with half pasta and half cauliflower and it is great. Spaghetti, lasagne, all easy to make vegetarian and still delicous. Pizza, Curries and stir fries are good vegetarian and I know others will have many more great suggestions as I am happily a meat eater! BUT when I do have a meatless day, I tend to do pasta or pizza lightened up...1
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A pre-made meat substitute like Quorn can usually just be heated up and used, as they often include flavoring.
Things like tofu usually require a bit more love and I'd recommend looking up some specific recipes to avoid being disappointed (once you get the hang of it, it's very easy to being improvising). Pinterest has some great suggestions for tofu -- I especially like tofu when it has been marinated and baked, but "scrambled" tofu is good for tacos too. For tofu, generally you'll want to press out the liquid, marinate it, and then cook it. It doesn't have a strong flavor of its own, so it will take up whatever flavors you want it to have. Unlike chicken, you don't have to worry about cooking it enough for food safety. It is safe to eat right out of the container, so the cooking you're doing is just for texture and flavor.
I've found Pinterest to be a great resource for meat-free meals. I don't cook for a family so I'm not sure what your exact considerations are, but typically I would think things like stews, pasta dishes, baked potatoes with protein-rich toppings (beans, etc), stir-fries, and Mexican-style entrees would be popular for a family and you can probably find good meat-free resources for these on Pinterest. The bonus of searching on Pinterest is that when you find a recipe you enjoy, you can usually track it back to a blog and find out if the overall style works for you. I've found some great resources and cookbooks this way.
Good luck! It's really awesome that you're teaching your daughters how to cook for themselves and considering their preferences while doing so.
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If your store has a smoked tofu, or an appropriately-flavored tempeh (like BBQ or Tex-Mex), those would be great choices for tacos, too, IMO. If your tacos have lots of other yummy flavors, plain tempeh would be fine, too.
The smoked tofu can be cubed/diced or sliced, then heated any way that's easy. The tempeh I'd cut up similarly or crumble, and pan-brown in a little oil.
Black beans and cubed cooked sweet potato are an especially delish taco combo, in my world.
You're a great mom, BTW! (My mom was super good about it when I suddenly turned veggie at 18 (in 1974!
), and I felt really supported.) :flowerforyou: 8 -
Both of my boys have chosen to be vegetarian and I have really gotten into cooking some things for them.
A company called Yves makes a crumble product that we like. Buy a packet to taco seasoning and cook it same as hamburger.
Learn how to make sofritas - they are awesome: https://yupitsvegan.com/copycat-chipotle-sofritas/
I'll get a jarred curry sauce and cook it chick peas or white beans - served over rice gives you a complete protein
Pasta - so many options. Marinara, Aglio e Oglio, Alfredo if you still do dairy, Arribiata ...
I love a good black bean patty.
Not sure how deep down the rabbit hole they have gone but are eggs and cheese on the menu? Fritattas are awesome.
My recommendation is: Don't try to hide stuff. Don't try to make it be like meat. Embrace it. There are whole meals that are wonderful without trying to "fool yourself" into eating vegetarian.9 -
I would involve your daughter in the process of researching the substitution and preparation methods if she is not already. It may be worth a trip to the store to make a list of what is readily available first and then proceed from there.10
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These are great ideas! The sofritas look fabulous!0
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Chicken premade substitutes:
Morningstar Farms chik'n strips, frozen - good taste - easy to use a portion - my recommendation for chicken tacos for one
Tofurkey chunks - refrigerated- taste very good, but salty
Frozen breaded patties or nuggets (Morningstar Farms, Boca, Quorn, Gardein, Field Roast, store brand) - often come plain or spicy/buffalo, can be cut up to add to a dish. I use on top of salads or in quesadillas. My favorite is Boca. If microwaving, be careful not to overcook or they get hard on edges.
I'm sure I've missed a few.
I make lots of vegetarian dishes using pre made products because I am a lazy cook. 😁 Feel free to message me or do a friend request.4 -
When I stopped eating meat, I was in college. I knew how to cook, but I had to re-learn once meat was no longer on the menu. Everything I knew how to cook was meat-centric. If your daughter does not intend to eat meat, then it's good that she's learning how to cook without it, rather than having to unlearn and relearn everything like I did.
The first thing I did was make exactly the same meals I knew how to cook, but with prepared meatless proteins instead of meat. That meant things like Hamburger Helper with soy crumbles instead of ground beef. (Remember, I was a college student!) Those sorts of meals are great for a beginner. You can make spaghetti with soy beef or meatless meatballs, pizza with soy pepperoni or sausage, etc.
I also really like TVP/soy curls/soy chunks. These are dehydrated soy protein that can be rehydrated and seasoned however you want, and they're shelf stable. If you can buy TVP in bulk, it's often quite cheap. I like to add it to stews or pasta dishes to make them more filling and give them extra protein.
I did not branch out into tofu until later. Tofu requires more prep than those prepared "meats" because it needs to be pressed and seasoned. Tempeh is also good stuff, but I prefer to steam it before using. I personally consider tofu and tempeh intermediate cooking tasks rather than beginner ones
Prepackaged seitan is also handy. You can make seitan at home when you're ready to move into more involved cooking projects. It's not hard, just a bit more time consuming.3 -
I became a vegetarian at age 15, did no research whatsoever (there wasn't much in the way of internet in those days), and today I am 42 and quite healthy (and still vegetarian). The American diet is awfully protein-heavy as-is and if she is still eating eggs and dairy then there are probably no deficiencies to worry about. One of the things I figured out early on is there doesn't have to be a meat substitute in every meal.
Anyway, meat substitutes can be highly variable and should almost certainly not be cooked like meat -- that makes some of them quite inedible (like chewing on mulch or something). Plus, they just don't have the same safety concerns, like heating to a particular internal temperature, etc. (Also, Quorn is not really very good. The ones I find most likely to appeal to a wide variety of people are Morningstar Farms and Gardein, which you can find in the freezer section. The Field Roast fake sausages are also good but are usually in a different section of the store. Most of those items can be microwaved.)1 -
When I stopped eating meat, I was in college. I knew how to cook, but I had to re-learn once meat was no longer on the menu. Everything I knew how to cook was meat-centric. If your daughter does not intend to eat meat, then it's good that she's learning how to cook without it, rather than having to unlearn and relearn everything like I did.
The first thing I did was make exactly the same meals I knew how to cook, but with prepared meatless proteins instead of meat. That meant things like Hamburger Helper with soy crumbles instead of ground beef. (Remember, I was a college student!) Those sorts of meals are great for a beginner. You can make spaghetti with soy beef or meatless meatballs, pizza with soy pepperoni or sausage, etc.
I also really like TVP/soy curls/soy chunks. These are dehydrated soy protein that can be rehydrated and seasoned however you want, and they're shelf stable. If you can buy TVP in bulk, it's often quite cheap. I like to add it to stews or pasta dishes to make them more filling and give them extra protein.
I did not branch out into tofu until later. Tofu requires more prep than those prepared "meats" because it needs to be pressed and seasoned. Tempeh is also good stuff, but I prefer to steam it before using. I personally consider tofu and tempeh intermediate cooking tasks rather than beginner ones
Prepackaged seitan is also handy. You can make seitan at home when you're ready to move into more involved cooking projects. It's not hard, just a bit more time consuming.
The bolded is strictly true, if you want it to best hold its shape and better absorb flavors. But although I'm sure it's anathema to good veggie cooks, I'm lazy about it: I just take it out when I start prep and let it drain until I'm ready, cut it up (usually fairly small), and toss it lightly (so it doesn't much break up) in whatever flavorful sauce is involved in my cooking.
If I want more absorbency, I slice it in about 1/4" - 1/2" slices or cube it and put it under the broiler (with a little oil spray on it) until it's drier and lightly browned (watch carefully, goes from light brown to carbon quickly), then put it in the food I'm cooking. That makes it absorb flavors more quickly. Or, if shape-holding is the thing, I buy smoked or baked tofu at the store, which is already very firm, available flavored if one wishes, and just needs heating.
I don't disagree with the post I'm quoting at all, but I wanted to clarify that there are simple, non-special practical methods that yield decent results . . . even if not 100% optimum.
Tastes are very personal, so I'm not intending to yuck anyone's yum when I say this, but I personally don't generally enjoy any of the faux meat products I've tried (taste-wise), though I know they're convenient and some have good nutrition. (I'm distinguishing faux meats - quite a few of the burgers, chikn, etc., from meat alternatives/substitutes like tempeh, tofu, some seitan, natto, etc., that don't try to duplicate its taste/texture. I just never much liked meat - one reason I've been vegetarian for nearly 46 years. ).
OP, if your daughter enjoys them, they can be a great choice, and are especially good IMO as a transitional thing while she figures out a broader spectrum of vegetarian cooking, the kind of thing @sullus mentions.
I profoundly disagree that protein, iron, and possibly other nutrients don't need special attention . . . especially during transition, when habits are being formed. True that if there's a good bit of dairy and eggs, it may not be a big issue. But it's useful to get some baseline understanding of needs, to be sure. Information is so easily accessible these days! This is a good site (yes, it says vegan, but issues are similar for vegetarians, it's just that we have more options for getting some of the more challenging nutrients):
https://veganhealth.org/
It's evidence-based, and relies on sound science, not woo-woo advocacy as some other websites do.3 -
My daughter chose to be vegetarian at 9, so 14 isn't so young. We were beside ourselves then, but she wouldn't eat meat. She just decided she wasn't going to. She's 29 and in wonderful health now.
If I knew then what I know now about Vegan/Vegetarian nutrition, I would have just made sure she had Vegan Omegas (they weren't around then), adequate B-12 (eggs are good but some use Nutritional Yeast). Zinc, K2 are a couple others tough to get on a Veggie diet.
Good luck with it!4 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »My daughter chose to be vegetarian at 9, so 14 isn't so young. We were beside ourselves then, but she wouldn't eat meat. She just decided she wasn't going to. She's 29 and in wonderful health now.
If I knew then what I know now about Vegan/Vegetarian nutrition, I would have just made sure she had Vegan Omegas (they weren't around then), adequate B-12 (eggs are good but some use Nutritional Yeast). Zinc, K2 are a couple others tough to get on a Veggie diet.
Good luck with it!MikePfirrman wrote: »My daughter chose to be vegetarian at 9, so 14 isn't so young. We were beside ourselves then, but she wouldn't eat meat. She just decided she wasn't going to. She's 29 and in wonderful health now.
If I knew then what I know now about Vegan/Vegetarian nutrition, I would have just made sure she had Vegan Omegas (they weren't around then), adequate B-12 (eggs are good but some use Nutritional Yeast). Zinc, K2 are a couple others tough to get on a Veggie diet.
Good luck with it!
Note: Although K2 is only found in animal products (and one fermented soy product), it's produced by our intestines in most situations. Also, K1 is easy to source on a meat-less diet and currently, "the scientific consensus has been that either of the two types of vitamin K are adequate."
Based on current evidence, I don't worry about K2 as a vegan.
https://veganhealth.org/vitamin-k/4 -
While I am not a vegetarian I do routinely cook vegetarian meals and I am also guilty of, at times, being lazy with tofu. When I will be sharing what I cook with my wife or someone else I will spend the time. If I am cooking it for myself I am more likely to ditch proper procedure.1
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Can you "hide" cauliflower and eat it? We make macaroni and cheese with half pasta and half cauliflower and it is great. Spaghetti, lasagne, all easy to make vegetarian and still delicous. Pizza, Curries and stir fries are good vegetarian and I know others will have many more great suggestions as I am happily a meat eater! BUT when I do have a meatless day, I tend to do pasta or pizza lightened up...
I wouldn't recommend subbing a lower protein food such as cauliflower (lower protein in the amounts people are likely to eat in a given dish) for a higher protein food like pasta, especially for a 14-year-old for whom there has been no suggestion that she needs to restrict her calories.5 -
pridesabtch wrote: »Okay, my daughter is 14 yo and has decided to live a vegetarian lifestyle. I'm good with this as long as she gets sufficient iron & protein in her diet. I figure we should learn how to do this together.
One of my NY resolutions is to teach my daughters (14 & 17) to cook for themselves before they head out into the world. Each Thursday I am having them go to the grocery and then we are cooking a family meal. There are numerous pluses to this in my opinion, but I'm not very savvy at preparing vegetarian meals or options.
Tonight we are doing chicken tacos. Now she can just use beans for protein, but I'd like to try a chicken substitute such as tofu or Quorn. How do I properly prepare these foods? Do I just cook it like chicken?
Also what are some simple vegetarian meals the whole family might enjoy? Note we are not fans of tomatoes or cauliflower...
Thanks, Nikki
Just a thought -- If the 14 year old is the only one who won't be eating the chicken, you might ask her whether she'd rather have beans or a chicken substitute in her tacos. Depending on her reasons for embracing vegetarianism, she might not want faux meat.
And note that many chicken substitutes are poorer sources of protein than plain, whole beans, so you'll want to check the label. There are certainly good choices out there, and variations in flavor. I'd go for Gardein myself for the faux chicken for tacos.0 -
Can you "hide" cauliflower and eat it? We make macaroni and cheese with half pasta and half cauliflower and it is great. Spaghetti, lasagne, all easy to make vegetarian and still delicous. Pizza, Curries and stir fries are good vegetarian and I know others will have many more great suggestions as I am happily a meat eater! BUT when I do have a meatless day, I tend to do pasta or pizza lightened up...
OP has a teenager who's learning to cook, so I would encourage teaching her how to cook vegetables in appealing ways, rather than teaching her that vegetables are something to be hidden. There's nothing wrong with adding cauliflower to mac and cheese, but that doesn't need to be seen as "hiding" cauliflower from a teenager who's making her own food choices. It's just mac and cheese with cauliflower. That might seem like a trivial difference, but it can go a long way toward one's perspective on vegetables.9 -
For tonight she chose beans in her tacos rather than chicken substitute, but we are going to experiment with tofu stir fry next week for the whole family. Thinking soy ginger.4
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First, if your daughter is choosing a veg lifestyle make sure she is supplementing her Vitamin B12 because you cannot get that vit from a plant based lifestyle. If she is eating dairy she will get sone but just supplement to make sure she's getting enough.
As far as preparation, keep in mind veggie based products dont carry the same hazards as meat products do should they be undercooked. Therefore experiment with it until you figure it out.
Also as far as products that are meat substitutes, they have their time and place but many are still highly processed. Whole foods is always best so it's definitely a great idea to have her experiment with beans, legumes and nuts to find different ways she likes them prepared. I personally love the Boca "Chicken" Burgers and will eat them if I'm short on time but if I have the time I try to opt for whole ingredients and foods.
Good luck and enjoy trying new things!2 -
Spicy garlic eggplant is a great dish that has a lot of taste for how simple it is and you can add tofu.
https://profusioncurry.com/chinese-spicy-eggplant/
Each time you mention bean tacos I have a flashback to a recipe I followed for chickpeas and something in tacos and it was absolute comedy with those things rolling out and all over the place.2
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