Recipies for a new, 11-year-old vegetarian

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is great! I was 12 when I made the decision to become vegetarian. My mom happily adapted recipes for me but thought it was a phase. I am still in that phase 50 years later!

Among my DD friends around 11 or 12 years old there are so many brand new vegetarians! I wonder what it is about this age?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is great! I was 12 when I made the decision to become vegetarian. My mom happily adapted recipes for me but thought it was a phase. I am still in that phase 50 years later!

Among my DD friends around 11 or 12 years old there are so many brand new vegetarians! I wonder what it is about this age?

Possibly they're old enough to realize the environmental, ethical and health implications of eating meat once they get to that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why would you allow an 11 year old to become a vegetarian?

I am not the OP, but I have never forced my kids to eat anything, and I certainly wouldn't start with forcing a child who doesn't want to eat meat to eat meat. It's psychologically not the same as "disliking mushrooms or broccoli."

It's one thing to not force a growing child to eat something. It is another to have to re-work the entire family's diet in response to their demands. Was this a decision that she discussed with you first, or did she declare it?

Again, you don't have to re-work anything. It's really not that hard to have meat on the side or put in a dish at the last second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD has decided to become a vegetarian. She'll happily eat bread/cheese/pasta, and I've tried to make some bean/lentil recipies. But anything kid-friendly that you're kids loved?

I would encourage your dd to help finding recipes.

+1
If she’s old enough to decide she’s not eating your family’s food, she’s old enough to start at least part of the planning/cooking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why would you allow an 11 year old to become a vegetarian?

I am not the OP, but I have never forced my kids to eat anything, and I certainly wouldn't start with forcing a child who doesn't want to eat meat to eat meat. It's psychologically not the same as "disliking mushrooms or broccoli."

It's one thing to not force a growing child to eat something. It is another to have to re-work the entire family's diet in response to their demands. Was this a decision that she discussed with you first, or did she declare it?

Again, you don't have to re-work anything. It's really not that hard to have meat on the side or put in a dish at the last second.

People say this but stuff like chili and soups and casseroles do not lend themselves to serving meat on the side or added at the last second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is great! I was 12 when I made the decision to become vegetarian. My mom happily adapted recipes for me but thought it was a phase. I am still in that phase 50 years later!

Among my DD friends around 11 or 12 years old there are so many brand new vegetarians! I wonder what it is about this age?

Peer pressure and group think. Could be worse ways to try and fit in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Why would you allow an 11 year old to become a vegetarian?

Not op, but I made my 10 year old write an essay explaining the basis for her change. I told her it will cost me more time, money and effort and I wasn’t going to support unless she told me why. She did and now I adjust. Tonight I’m making chicken piccata with broccoli. A kept some sauce separate and added to stir fry tofu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why would you allow an 11 year old to become a vegetarian?

Not op, but I made my 10 year old write an essay explaining the basis for her change. I told her it will cost me more time, money and effort and I wasn’t going to support unless she told me why. She did and now I adjust. Tonight I’m making chicken piccata with broccoli. A kept some sauce separate and added to stir fry tofu.

Tofu at Asian Stores is far cheaper than meat. Why would you lie to her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Why would you allow an 11 year old to become a vegetarian?

Why wouldn't you? Mine have been vegetarian since birth. Oh the horror. Our pets are vegetarian too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why would you allow an 11 year old to become a vegetarian?

Not op, but I made my 10 year old write an essay explaining the basis for her change. I told her it will cost me more time, money and effort and I wasn’t going to support unless she told me why. She did and now I adjust. Tonight I’m making chicken piccata with broccoli. A kept some sauce separate and added to stir fry tofu.

Tofu at Asian Stores is far cheaper than meat. Why would you lie to her?

Because I don’t shop at Asian stores and the closest one is 6 miles away (gas from trips I don’t currently make).

Because impossible meats are much more expensive than what I buy.

Why are you making up scenarios don’t fit my current lifestyle and assume I have easy access to Asian markets?

[Anonymous]

If your daughter likes Indian food there are lots of options. You can get some of the ready made simmer sauces. I fry up some chopped onion with ginger and garlic, add paneer/chickpeas or red kidney beans/veg, dump in the sauce and cook for a few minutes. Serve with rice or naan. I like the Brooklyn Delhi curry sauces available at Whole Foods.

[Anonymous]

Potato-chard tacos
Black bean (carrot/red pepper/garlic) burritos
Spinach fettuccine with lentil pasta sauce, cheese ravioli
Veggie chili (tomato/zuke/red pepper/celery/kidney beans)
Stir-fry (veggies & tofu)
Cucumber boats (hollowed out cukes stuffed with Asiago, pinenuts, chopped tomatoes)
Lots of Indian food (paneer tikka, aloo gobhi, Mattar paneer, raita, dal, Chana masala, samosas)
Spanikopita, hummus, tzatziki, tabouli
Spinach & feta omelettes, chilaquiles, frittata

FWIW, my DD decided to become a vegetarian at age 8. DH & I remained omnivores. It wasn’t hard to accommodate her and, honestly, why discourage a kid from eating better (more healthfully and more ethically) than you do? Basically, we ate more veggie meals and I cooked modularly — so overlapping
ingredients cooked together and then divided if I made veggie and non-veggie options.

DD is now 25 and still a vegetarian. I did draw the line at veganism — said she’d have to wait until she was fully grown and/or could cook for herself. I needed the familiarity and convenience of dairy to make the hybrid approach work for us.

[Anonymous]

This is so good and so easy. My carnivore husband eats this happily.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/quick-pasta-and-chickpeas-pasta-e-ceci/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is great! I was 12 when I made the decision to become vegetarian. My mom happily adapted recipes for me but thought it was a phase. I am still in that phase 50 years later!

At least she doesn't have to cook for you. My kid also wanted to become a vegetarian until she realized she would be eating vegetables and then she stopped. I would have fully supported this btw ( veggies)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why would you allow an 11 year old to become a vegetarian?

I am not the OP, but I have never forced my kids to eat anything, and I certainly wouldn't start with forcing a child who doesn't want to eat meat to eat meat. It's psychologically not the same as "disliking mushrooms or broccoli."

It's one thing to not force a growing child to eat something. It is another to have to re-work the entire family's diet in response to their demands. Was this a decision that she discussed with you first, or did she declare it?

Again, you don't have to re-work anything. It's really not that hard to have meat on the side or put in a dish at the last second.

People say this but stuff like chili and soups and casseroles do not lend themselves to serving meat on the side or added at the last second.

Works fine with chili and some pasta recipes (eg James Beard’s pleasant pasta). Also you can split the dish midway through in many cases; it doesn’t have to be last minute. You just have to be able to monitor 2 pans at once.