A starving 8 year old girl?

Question

I have an 8 year old daughter who is being forced by her mother to be a vegetarian. She is visiting me for the summer. All she wants to do all day long is eat! No joke! She will eat allll day! She gets her protein from eggs, cheese, tofu, beans. No matter what she eats, she wants more. This is so bad that it is angering everyone in the house. She is not fat, she is pretty skinny. Can someone give some advice about what to do? She would prefer to be a meat eater, but she is not allowed back home.

Answer 1

well you are her father, you can feed her meat if you want. hmm maybe try some of these recipes they are very filling. (and there vegan :)

"Tuna" Mushroom Casserole

Ultimate Comfort Food!

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
10 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoon vegan margarine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup flour
2 cups veggie broth
1-1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and mashed
1/2 cup crushed potato chips plain
1/2 cup French fried onions
8 oz. fusilli pasta

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F and prepare an 8x8" glass baking dish with a quick spray of cooking oil.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegan margarine in a pan. Add onion, celery and mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. When mushrooms give off liquid, add soy sauce. Keep cooking until all vegetables are tender, turn off heat.

In a medium soup pot, melt the remaining 3 tablespoon vegan margarine over low heat. Stir in the flour and whisk for a few minutes. It will get thick. Start adding the broth bit by bit, whisking all the while and bring to a boil. Add the soymilk little by little and continue to stir and simmer. Add the mushroom/celery/onion mixture and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and some paprika. Add the mashed chickpeas a spoonful at a time to break it up evenly throughout the sauce.

Cook pasta until al dente, approx. 9 minutes. Drain and return it to the pot. Add the mushroom sauce to the pasta and stir gently to combine. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover the dish and sprinkle crushed chips and french fried onions on top and bake for another 5-6 minutes or so or until the top is browned and crispy.

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 20-30 minute
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Broiled Tomato Sandwich

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 garlic salt
4 slices bread, lightly toasted

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to broil.

2) In a shallow bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Marinate the tomatoes in the mixture, stirring occasionally.

3) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine vegan mayonnaise, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, & black pepper. Spread mixture on each slice of toasted bread. Place marinated tomatoes on 4 slices and sprinkle with garlic salt.

4) Place on a baking sheet and broil for 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately, open faced.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15
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Cheesy Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients

1/2c flour
1/2c nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cup water
1 teaspoon mustard
4 tablespoon margarine
10 tortillas
2 small cans enchilada sauce
3 cans beans (white kidney, pinto, black), drained
2 medium onions, chopped
1 can olives, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/2 cup salsa (optional)

Directions:

In medium-large saucepan, combine flour, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder. Add water and mix thoroughly. Heat on medium heat until bubbling and thick. Remove from heat and add mustard and margarine. Set aside 1/2 cup of cheese sauce in separate container. Add onion, beans, olives, cilantro and salsa to sauce. Mix it up.

Pour a 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place a tortilla in pan and cover in enchilada sauce. Spoon in filling. Roll and push to one end of pan. Continue until all tortillas filled. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top and then spread reserved cheese sauce on as last step. Bake at 350 until brown, 30-45 minutes.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 45 min
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Broccoli & Mushroom Alfredo

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

spaghetti or other pasta (as much as you would eat in one sitting)
2/3 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 cup soya, oat or rice milk
2 tablespoons white flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic puree or 3 crushe'd garlic cloves (to taste)
plenty of salt (to taste)
ditto pepper
2/3 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon margarine (optional but nice)
1 tablespoon vegan parmesan (optional)

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to directions on the packet. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli, then drain.

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, flour, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir slowly until bubbly, then reduce heat to low and add the sliced mushrooms and vegan margarine. Allow to cook for 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Taste and add more salt/pepper/garlic if needed.

Serve over the pasta and broccoli and top with the parmesan for a quick, rich-tasting meal. Most people can't tell that this creamy white sauce is vegan, and it makes a great low fat cholesterol free alternative to the real thing.

Tip-- stir the sauce as much as possible to avoid a burnt bottom on your pan.

Serves: 1-2

Preparation time: 20 minutes
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Smothered Tofu Steak and Onions

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 package extra firm tofu
2 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 lg. onion
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup extra water
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Slice Tofu into 6 even cutlets about 1/2 inch thick. Place on paper towel to drain. Heat non-stick pan. Slice Onion from root to stem. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add onions when oil is hot. Sauté onions until golden brown and caramelized (about 5-10 min.) remove onions, set aside. Add other tablespoon of oil to pan. Add Tofu and fry until golden brown on both sides (about 10 min.) Add onions back to pan. Add balsamic Vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and stir. When all combined add slurry of water and Cornstarch to pan. Stir until thick. Add water to thin out if too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Plate up this dish with the onions and sauce smothered over the Tofu Steaks. Serve with a side of Roasted Asparagus and a nice Rice Pilaf.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 30 mins.

* i have my own restraunt and its completly vegan. and a employee of mine showed me this website http://vegweb.com/ like 80% of the stuff we make now is from it! but the other 20% is secret recipes of mine!

Answer 2

There are lots of very healthy kids who happen to be vegetarian. I regularly enjoy the company of 2 boys, ages 6 & 8, who have never eaten meat in their lives (the younger boy is vegan). These boys are healthy, happy, smart & outgoing. They also *amaze* me by the amount of food they can pack away-- both are of healthy weight & are often taken for a bit older than their ages.
Are you sure your daughter is being "forced" to be vegetarian? Is her mom veg due to religious beliefs, health concerns or ethical reasons? Has the girl voiced the preference for eating meat *without* being asked first? If she truly wants to eat meat & doesn't simply feel that she's being pressured to say this, take the advice of the ppl who suggest that you have a calm, adult discussion about this with your ex. If she's truly being "starved" or otherwise mistreated why aren't you taking legal action, or is this a power struggle between you ex & you?
I don't mean to sound rude here but the information here is very sketchy & subjective & I don't know what your idea of "pretty skinny" might be. I've known many children who actually would prefer *not* to eat meat but their parents have made them (I was such a kid myself). Also, I've known many meat-eaters who try to pressure vegetarians to eat meat, maybe it's just being uncomfortable with something they don't understand or actual misinformation about how healthy a balanced vegetarian diet actually is.

Answer 3

You've already gotten some good advice (and some really rotten advice, too, but anyway...), but I just want to add that saying she's FORCED to be a vegetarian sounds so malicious. I'm sure her mother just wants her to be healthy and all the latest studies show that a vegetarian diet is healthiest (if she were my kid I'd cut out the dairy and eggs, though). Kids are FORCED to do everything, really, otherwise wouldn't most of them not go to school, eat candy all the time, stay up till midnight, etc.? I think a better tern would be "follow rules set by their parents for their own benefit".

Answer 4

I understand your situation but I have to tell you that meat is not the only thing that could fatten her up. Potatoes, pasta, rice and things like this will work also. Maybe she is just meant to be skinny. I know that my parents tried with MEAT to fatten me up all I did was eat and I still do but I'm slim. I maybe not be the diet. If you are really concerned take her to the doctor and see if this is in fact due to her diet. Maybe there are some sort of supplements that she can take. Oh yeah I'm a big time meat eater here, lol.

Answer 5

It sounds like she is getting a lot of protien and lacking in other areas. Try things like oatmeal, whole grain toast, fresh fruit, and walnuts in the morning. For lunch you can try fake meat sandwhich, pasta, some celery with peanut butter and raisens, an apple, and some soy milk. For dinner try some seitan with a sauce or seasoning, cooked carrots, fried cabbage, stir fry with vegetables, a grilled portobella burger, brown rice with steamed veggies, beans, and salad with fresh spinach in it. People often think of the myths about vegetarians lacking in protien, iron, B12, or calcium and try to over compensate when in fact they can get plenty of those from simple foods like what you have explained. The problem with over compensating is that they tend to lack in other vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin A, C, D, E, zinc, thiamine, and other vital amino acids. It could also be that she has a high metabolism. As you have said she is thin so her body is probably processing the foods faster. Does she drink a lot of soda, tea, coffee, or other beverages with caffine? It could also be that these are acting as laxatives and the food she consumes is not getting enough time to fully digest. Therefore her body can not take in all the nutrients it can from the foods she eats. Limit her to no more than one caffinated beverage a day and tell her to stick to water and juices that are not from concentrate. A vegetarian diet is a great diet especially for a young girl. With all the growth hormones in meats it does effect how she goes through puberty. If you have notice in the past 30 years young girls have developed larger breasts at a younger age, suffered more joint problems at a younger age, obesity, and spinal problems. Researchers believe it is due to the large quantity of growth inducing hormones injected into livestock. i know being introduced to a new lifestyle is hard at first but try a few recipies and if you need some more you can always come here. Of course she could just be eating out of boredom. A lot of kids her age do.

Answer 6

First, when my daughter was 8, she could have easily eaten us out of house and home. She is a meat eater and super skinny. Some kids have high metabolisms. Could be the case with your daughter.

Second, sounds like you and her mom should discuss and compromise on what would be a healthy diet for her. Before you talk to her, find a dietitian or nutritionist who can tell you what an 8 year old veg. should be eating to meet her needs.

Since you are dad, you could allow her to eat what she wants while with you, but that will probably cause a lot of strife between you and her mom. This is not good for many reasons: You undermine each others authority and she will quickly learn to pit the two of you against one another.

Overall, sounds like you and her mom really need to talk.

But until then, try high fat foods, such as peanuts, peanut butter, and things like that. These things take longer to digest and will give a feeling of fullness longer. It works with my daughter between meals.

Answer 7

Is she healthy? Energetic, fit, happy? That's more important then her weight and how much she eats.
Have a chat with her mom (an adult chat, please) about your concerns. Your daughter is clearly old enough to start discussing her personal preference with her mom as well as you. If you set the tone right, an open discussion is possible to resolve this. (You might even find it isn't really her diet that's an issue.)
I'm sure if she really wanted to eat meat she would have snuck some in school. My sister-in-law's kids were all raised vegetarian, all of them snuck meat at some point in their lives.
She won't cook it for them or have it the house but they were allowed to buy meat with their own money (sly ;-D).
They're all really healthy, strong & tall (the oldest is 23, youngest are 8). I don't know if the grown up kids stuck to being vegetarian but that isn't the point.
They were brought up the way she believed and until they were old enough to make their own choices. She knew it would be fruitless force her personal values on them. If you're reasonable about this, I'm sure her mom will see your point of view.
Please don't start stuffing her with meat, it will make anyone who hasn't had meat in their diet sick. Worse, it will piss off her mom! then you'll never have a reasonable conversation about this with her.
Good luck.

Answer 8

You should be careful about going behind her mothers back and giving her meat. Be mindful that their are some people dont eat meat for religious reasons.

Answer 9

Well, i'm veggie and i eat all the time. but i'm sure thats just because i'm a greedy git and love food.

Can you ask her mum if its the same at home. Maybe its anxiety ? how many other 8 year old girls do you have ? maybe its normal ?

Feed her a decent lunch, veggies don't all like to pick at stuff, get some decent veggie burgers and stuff that kids like.

We ahve lots of family visitors who are about that age and they eat tons of food. Often parents will say " i don't know whre they put it", or "i'm sure she's got hollow legs".....same applies world over to all sorts of diets.

I wouldn't go down the road of secretly feeding her meat, the truth will come out and it'll be hell.

There is nothing to worry about healthwise, a vegetarian diet is suitable for growing kids as well.

maybe try looking at www.vegsoc.org. They have info packs for young vegetarians and parents - that might help you decide what to cook and reduce any worry you have over it being a healthy diet.

Answer 10

So how would her eating be different if she ate meat? You are assuming that her not eating meat is what is making her hungry! I don't think she would be any different if she did eat meat! When kids go through a growth spert, they want to eat all the time! It's really not at all unusual! If she's hungry, let her eat! Her Mother raising her vegetarian will not hurt her in the least and in fact will be healthier for her and she can choose to continue this diet or not when she is old enough!!

Answer 11

Kids eat alot because they are growing! Your daughter sounds perfectly normal.
Feed her fruits and vegetables too not just tofu and cheese and eggs. And let her eat if she wants to. When I was 10 I could eat twice as much as I can now.