Help me support my DD’s effort to not eat meat
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Anonymous
Anonymous
46 grams of protein is hardly some unreachable goal. It's 16 grams per meal, assuming you round up and don't snack. Here are some easy 16 oz combos, and as you'll see these aren't huge quantities, you'll probably want to add other things, and have a snack between them too which means more protein. Breakfast 2 eggs 4 oz of milk or A cup of Greek Yogurt Some fresh fruit Lunch PB and J on whole wheat A cup of baby carrots and snap peas or A cup of black beans and rice An oz of shredded cheese or Two small slices of pizza [Dinner 3 oz of salmon Whatever veggies you want or 1 and 1/4 cup of pad thai with tofu or any one of a number of things. Yes, if you eat just 3 foods you'll get malnutrition. That is true for just about any 3 foods out there. But there are plenty of easy vegetarian/ pescatarian foods that can make a healthy diet. |
Anonymous
| DCUMers who worry about malnutrition, citing scientific studies, make me laugh. Nobody get as much nutrition as Americans do. I agree, unclench. |
Anonymous
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My 11yo DD also switched to eating pescetarian this fall, and she was really helped out by "The Smart Girl's Guide to Going Vegetarian." It's not just a recipe book, but gives an overview of the different types of vegan/vegetarian, pescetarian/ flexitarian diets, talks about not shortchanging nutrition, how to handle eating out or at friends' houses, etc. Very practical, and super helpful for identifying sources of protein and important vitamins and minerals they might otherwise miss. I never knew peas had so much protein!
Our deal was that she had to participate in meal planning every week, and I'd cook an additional portion of something for her (within reason), if she'd figure out what she wanted to have and help me prep whenever possible. She's always helped a bit with meal planning anyway, so we set up a Pinterest board where she and I could share vegetarian recipes we might want to try. We generally only ate meat once or twice a week already, so it hasn't been too much of an adjustment, cooking-wise. I've just tried to use meat in ways that are easy to separate from the rest of the dish, if that makes sense. Then I might sauté a few slices of sesame-soy marinated tofu while our chicken is cooking, or roast some vegetables for her to go over pasta or polenta when we have meat with ours. Or take out some of the curry sauce before I add the meat, and she'll have it with chick peas. She'd always gotten most of her protein from yogurt, cheese, eggs, or black beans, so that hasn't been a problem. Greek yogurt smoothies with frozen berries or a frozen banana and powdered peanut butter make a great breakfast or even lunch, in a thermos. And she can always make a quick scrambled egg, quesadilla, or black bean burrito if she needs something quick. Burritos freeze well, too. A big batch of deviled eggs on Sunday makes lunch prep easy during the week, or just for a quick snack. (If you have an Instant Pot, it makes the eggs really easy to peel.) Trader Joe's has containers of tofu that are split into two portions, which comes in really handy when she's the only one eating it. She also likes their vegetable gyoza, shrimp shu mai, and vegetarian meat balls, and falafel from Whole Foods (they have some "falafel poppers" that make a great snack or quick lunch). All of those can just be popped in the microwave, if she's cooking for herself. And we keep a box of breaded fish filets in the freezer for an easy alternative when the rest of us have meat. Frozen pre-cooked shrimp can be quickly thawed for stir fries or pasta. Her go-to dinner that she can make herself is high-fiber pasta (we like Barilla Pasta Plus) with butter, parmesan, and peas. There are a few meat dishes I know she misses, but so far she's really stuck with it, and we're trying to be supportive within reason. I will say that she's held up her end of the deal as far as trying to branch out and eat things she'd previously avoided, like mushrooms or shrimp. Good luck to you both! |
Anonymous
This is amazing, thanks so much!! |
Anonymous
+1 for Smitten Kitchen! Oh She Glows is also good, although her stuff is full-on vegan. I just use regular milk instead of almond, regular cheese instead of the vegan abomination, etc. I like Damn Delicious for recipes in general, and she has a great section of vegetarian recipes. Same with Iowa Girl Eats--we've been eating her black bean burgers for years, long before we had any vegetarians in the house. |
Anonymous
That is absurd and ignorant. It is not difficult for anyone to get adequate protein from a vegan diet. While I agree that most teenagers are too disorganized to eat properly this shortcoming applies to all teenagers, meat eaters or vegans. But there are certainly teens who are up to the task - as long as a parent monitors their kids diet the argument that veganism is a stepping stone to malnourishment and eating disorders is absurd and I bet unsubstantiated. |
Anonymous
You’re either a vegetarian OR a pescatarian. |
Anonymous
OP was referring to the meals, not her daughter. The meals she cooks for her are sometimes vegetarian, sometimes pescatarian. Hence the slash. The various irritated PPs are right that it's not technically accurate, but people frequently talk about "seafood," then lump beef, chicken, pork, lamb, etc. under "meat." It's common usage, if a little sloppy. Just look at the signage in your grocery store: it probably directs you to separate "meat" and "seafood" sections, right? Somehow, people seem to manage the distinction OK there, so hopefully we can manage here without taking each others heads off. Also, OP is two weeks into this with her daughter, and she's trying to support her choices and help her learn how to approach this change sensibly. Give her a break if she hasn't mastered all the terminology, or worked out exactly what her daughter's diet is going to include or exclude just yet. |
Anonymous
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This is the OP again. Not that it really matters, but for the record: I never labeled my daughter as either vegetarian or pescatarian. I never said she wants to become vegetarian. I wasn't the one who wrote "vegetarian/pescatarian." I simply said she has stopped eating meat for animal welfare reasons, and that I sometimes cook pescatarian dishes for her. Every dictionary will tell you that in common parlance, meat refers to domesticated land animals, and that it typically excludes fish. Also, this is the definition of pescatarian:
pes·ca·tar·i·an /?pesk??ter??n/ noun a person who does not eat meat but does eat fish |
Anonymous
It is extremely difficult for the vast majority of teens to eat a vegan diet and get enough iron and certain types of B vitamins in her diet. Most teens are not organized enough to plan their meals to ensure this, and given how busy I see most teens are with their school, extra-curricular, and social lives, I would not recommend that teens adopt a vegan diet. |
Anonymous
| OP, I admire your flexibility. I’m not sure I’d be as accommodating as you are. It does sound, like other PPs have said, like it’s a good idea to help your DD understand her nutritional needs and start learning to do part of the cooking. |
Anonymous
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I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian for many years as a teen and into my early 20s. I know OP didn't describe DD as a vegetarian but the diet would be similar. I did not eat fish at that time.
Nuts avocado beans rice hummus veggies of all types fruit of all types whey protein shakes great casseroles with beans/veg/some cheese maybe anything eggplant tofu even those Chik'n patties are pretty tasty so many great options I agree that teens should be mindful of not going the cheesy, sugary, salty route. Every once in a while it's fine to just grab a quick bowl of pasta and sauce but it's not that good for you long term. It's great that you're trying it! |
Anonymous
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Being a pescatarian isn’t stupid, as some PPs have argued.
If your daughter is doing this for animal welfare issues, the reality is that fish have much less awareness of pain than land animals do. Simply, they do not have the capacity to be abused the way a cow or pig does. The science isn’t definitive on this, but it’s highly suggestive. Regarding health, fish is much healthier than beef, pork, chicken, etc. It’s also much more sustainable (though you still do have to be careful about the sourcing). OP, it’s easy to make some fish to supplement whatever else you’re making for everyone. |
Anonymous
To be fair, about 75% of women I know who are vegan (maybe 6 of them) absolutely use it as a way to have a socially acceptable eating disorder. They are all very thin and I noticed disordered eating before they went full vegan. If your daughter wants to be vegan, you should make her meet with a doctor and dietitian. You need to ensure you're getting enough calories and nutrients, which is difficult on a western diet. |