My 11 year old daughter wants to be a vegetarian-anyone have?

Question

any tips,recipes, advice?
Thank you

Answer 1

Since she is still growing, just make sure that she eats well. Don't allow her to use her vegetarianism to get out of eating her fruit, veggies and beans. (Some new vegetarians are tempted to load up on pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese pizza, junk food or PB&J and that is not good!)
She can still eat what everyone else eats, just minus the meat. Taco nights are easy meals for veggies. Chinese food is also a quick way to get the veggies on the table w/o the meat (just be sure to use brown rice). There are loads of vegetarian soups and sandwiches that can be made as well (for lunch time).
There are many meat substitutes that you can buy in case she starts to feel left out when having spaghetti and meatballs, for example. The brands you want to look for are Boca, MorningStar Farms and Gardenburger. They are available in many major grocery stores in the frozen food aisle. There are also a variety of meatless products in or near the "health food" or organic section in your store.
Kudos to you, mom for assisting her with this decision!! This forum is totally loaded with sons and daughters struggling with their parents who do not support their vegetarian decision. It's great to see a parent actually involved in a positive way for a change. My biggest piece of advice is to stick by her. Even if you think this might be a phase or a short-lived expirament, it will mean the world to her to have adult support. I also ask that you go to bat for her if she is being picked on or belittled by friends, neighbors or other family members. Once they see you supporting her no matter what, they will probably stop giving her grief.
Good luck! :-)

Answer 2

Your daughter is lucky to have such an open-minded mom. Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you, or her, that kids "need" meat to grow or to be healthy.
As several ppl here have noted, it's not difficult to get enough protein as long as she's eating enough in general. Even fruits & vegetables have *some* protein. If she is vegan, or just doesn't eat much dairy, give her a vegan B12 supplement a couple times a week. Ground flaxseed is a good source of the omega-3 fats that ppl eat fish for (walnuts & some other nuts have this too) & it has a nice slightly nutty taste. I add some to baked goods & smoothies, or just sprinkle some onto fruit & yogurt or other food.
I know some vegetarian kids & they're all healthy, happy, smart & popular. The youngest is a 6-year-old vegan who has never tasted meat & doesn't want to. I would have loved to be veg as a child but was told I'd "get sick & die" without meat. I was too young to do my own research so didn't know the truth for *years*.
Good luck to you & your daughter.

Answer 3

Smoothie experimentation is always fun. They make a great breakfast, and are one way I've found to be sure I'm getting all my fruits and veggies every day.

I'm a big fan of adding vegetables. The trick is to add enough fruit and/or fruit juice to sweeten it up. This is a recipe I concocted earlier in the week and I think it tastes a lot like fruit punch. It would be very easy to modify if necessary or desired.


Breakfast Smoothie
(Serves 2-4)

1 Cup Orange Juice (or other juice)
1/2 Cup Soy Milk (or other milk)
2 Handfuls of Spring Greens (or other leafy greens)
1 Handful of Broccoli Slaw (or other broccoli)
1 Handful of Baby Carrots (or shredded carrots)
1 Peach, Depitted and Quartered
1 Handful of Frozen Raspberries
1 Banana
1 Tbsp Flax Oil
1 Tsp Agave Nectar (or other sweetener, this is optional)
8-12 Ice Cubes

Put first 5 ingredients in a blender and puree. Then add everything else except for the ice cubes and puree again. Add the ice cubes and blend again. Pour into glasses. Whatever is left can be saved in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Answer 4

Well, she may decide after a few weeks that she wants to go back to eating meat. That's fine so if she does that, let her go back. But if she's like me (I was 13 when I went veg), she'll stick with it. If she does, check out some books from the library on vegetarians. A really good one is The Vegetarian Manifesto. She needs to make sure she is eating the right foods to make up for the nutrients she loses from meat like iron, calcium, etc. Those books will explain all this to her. Oh, and whatever you do, please don't try to trick her into eating meat or "accidentally" put it in her food. That's just about the meanest thing a parent can do. But it sounds like you're already supportive of her decision so I'd doubt you'd do that. Just support her with her vegetarian diet!

Answer 5

Hi! I went vegetarian when I was 12 and I have yet to outgrow it. I converted to raw veganism when I was 16 (I am now 20 years old). There are millions of animal-friendly recipes online. My personal favorite is www.vegweb.com. They are mainly vegan recipes, but you can substitute in regular cheeses, cow's milk, etc.

Also, if you go to www.peta.com, you can sign up for a vegetarian starter kit, which is a magazine with a lot of tips on vegetarian living and some really good recipes.

Scout out your local supermarket; you will be surprised at the vegetarian choices they have today.

Hope this has helped,
Hyl

Answer 6

I am not sure why so many people think what another person choses to eat is their problem, as these other people have shown- some get rather defensive of their meat!

My best advise? Take her to a nutritionist- that way you both will learn more about this change, and, expect her to start learning to cook some simple meatless meals on her own.

I did this when I was young- in order to be sure my meals were meat free, and not have my mum making several meals, I learned to cook something on my own,

It is perfectly fine for her to be a vegetarian at this age, and even younger. Just like there are unhealthy meat eater, there can be unhealthy veggies- no matter what you eat, you need to makes sure you get the right things.

The only change is getting rid of meat and adding more beans and soy- and it really isn't that hard once you get going with it.

I am sure talking to a nutritionist will help put your mind at ease- this is actually a very healthy change for her to make and everyone should cut down on their meat consumption!

Good luck with everything. I am glad you are such an accepting parent, not all are, and just by trying to learn more, you show what a great parent you are. That is very important to your daughter, I assure you. The fact that you are helping her understand, even if it is something you are not interested in just shows how much you love her and she will always remember that.

Answer 7

I have been vegetarian since I was 12 (now 24). When I first became vegetarian I didn't have the same resources as there are now. I come from a small area, and they didn't have all these meat substitutes now. You can get a lot of amazing cookbooks out there, but what I usually end up doing is using a meat recipe and use the many meatless substitutes. Be sure you get a balanced meal (as you would want if you were eating meat). Many vegetarians have a problem with their iron levels (I have not), but you would want to monitor that.

I do not eat these things in order to make meals that taste and look like the regular thing. It is an easy way to get the nutrition you need. Anyone who has had fake meat products know that they don't taste anything like real meat. They call them by what they are suppose to be in the meat world, but they don't taste the same.

Be sure to get lots of fresh veggies, and not just cut the meat out. I think she will be fine, and you should applaud her for standing up for her believes.

Answer 8

Well I just turned 12 today and I started being a vegetarian about 6 months ago. It's really not that hard and it's very healthy. From my point of view it would be a good thing to let your daughter be a vegetarian because then she will be eating way more vegetables and fruits. But then again, I'm only 12... so people don't usually take me seriously...

Answer 9

Well done for supporting your daughter. I have been a vegetarian since I was ten (I'm 20 now) and my dad still doesn't agree with it but my mother was very supportive and it makes a lot of difference. It is a healthy diet as long as she is getting all of the nutrients she needs. Protein is the biggest thing missing from a vegetarian diet so lots of beans and nuts should make up for it. Also you can't go wrong with vegetarian multivitamins. I wish her the best of luck. It is a very satisfying lifestyle choice. None of the vegetarians I know ever missed meat once they decided to give it up.

Answer 10

Please don't listen to any of the people that say becoming a vegetarian at such a young age is "bad," "will stunt her growth," "create medical problems," etc.
Firstly, she'll be more open to eating fruits, vegetables and grains, and probably more willing to trying new foods from other cultures (i.e. Japanese vegetable rolls, Middle Eastern hummus and pita bread, Chinese stir-fry, Italian vegetable dishes.)
Secondly, I myself became a vegetarian when I was 11. I am now 16 and 5' 9". When compared to others in my class, I'm about 5 or 6 inches taller than most girls, and about the same height as most of the guys.
As for health problems, as long as she eats a variety of different foods and gets exercise-(which wasn't really a problem for me, but more and more schools are now eliminating recess), she'll be able to get all her protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals. When she starts getting her period, make sure she eats lots of dark green leafy veggies for iron, and fruit with Vitamin C so she absorbs more of the iron. A multivitamin or supplement is a good option to be sure she's replacing all the iron that's being lost.
For recipes, try www.vegcooking.com or www.vegweb.com. As she's just starting being a vegetarian, vegcooking.com may be better, as vegweb is a vegan site-(no dairy or eggs) and you may not have all the substitutes used in vegan cooking-soy milk, tofu, margerine, egg replacer, nutritional yeast.