Veggie Foster child this week- best meal ideas

[NellietheNumpty]

I will be able to meal plan with them once they are here and settled but I need a few meals ready to go and a few prepared and frozen. It is a complex one and I am working this week too.
Your best go to meals please.

Hope it goes well. Tomato sauce (with roast veggies) pasta with cheese and garlic bread and French toast/eggy bread with cucumber, carrot sticks are two favourites here. I’m sure others will be along with much more interesting ideas soon!

Aubergine lasagna with mozzarella (would a teen like this???)
Quorn cottage pie
Pasta sauce with mozzarella, courgettes and mushrooms
Veggie ratatouille
Mushroom risotto

Macaroni and cauliflower cheese served with sweet corn
Veggie sausages and mash
Lasagne

Pizza - margherita
Pasta pesto or tomatoey sauce
Veggie sausage and mash
Chilli made with quorn mince
Houmous/peanut butter for snacks

I'd play it safe and do fake chicken nuggets, fake burgers fake sausages to begin with, most veggie kids I know love the processed crap, and then you can plan more when you have met them

Simple, but a bit junk-foody:
Quorn nuggets and chips
Veggie fingers and chips
Beans on toast
Veggie sausages in hot dog buns

Easy:
Pasta pesto
Pasta and tomato sauce
Veg risotto
Mac and cheese
Cauliflower cheese and baked potatoes
Baked potatoes!
Cheese tortillas
Veg stir fry

Bit more complex but freezable:
Bean chilli (serve with rice and guacamole)
Dhal
Chickpea curry
Veg lasagne

The Frys or Linda McCartney sausages (and burgers) are decent and can be used as substitute if other are having meat sausages,

Roast tomatoes and some garlic - smash up over spaghetti - cheese or grated Parmesan on top.

Mac cheese

Roast tomatoes and get for around 40 mins with mixed herbs. Stir together. Stir into cooked pasta.

M and S if in a pinch do vegan meals - their sweet and sour “chicken” is good (if you need a meal just in case)

For easy cheat meals. cheese omelette with chips and baked beans.

Pizza and salad.

Quorn cottage pie, lentil Bolognese, Mac and cheese, pizza, baked potato with beans or veggie chilli.

Carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus and fruit and yogurts for snacks.

Wraps with options out of the above ingredients would give them choices - cheese (different ones), houmous, pesto, raw veg etc

Completely agree with Ducksurprise, go with the safe options to start with and then have a convo with them another what they like.
I am vegi who hates mushrooms yet often they are presented as a great meal choice!

Obviously difficult until you have met the child so I’d do as pp’s have said and start with common favourites, macaroni cheese or tomato based sauce with pasta and cheese. Pizzas with a few veg toppings they could add if they wish. Serve with garlic bread and simple salad or crudités so they have a bit more choice. I’d also have eggs, bread, beans, cheese in case they want to go extra simple with a sandwich or something on toast or an omelette.

Jacket potatoes
Ella chilli (this one - www.lovefood.com/recipes/amp/57299/black-and-kidney-bean-chilli-recipe). Very easy and can be as mild as you want.

Lentil soups (onions, carrots, red lentils, water, two stock cubes - season to taste) served with fresh baguette (this part cooked ones are great), butter and cheese.

Thanks everyone.
@Ducksurprise @AtleastitsnotMonday
I think you are right. I will buy in a small amount fresh veg, humus , avocados and 2 different kinds of cheese. Then tins of beans, spaghetti hoops.
Bread, eggs
@iwantavuvezela
I am loving the 3 layer approach.
I am now under time pressure so will buy frozen items:
veggie sausages
veggie bits
basic pizza
When I get a bit of time I can cook a dhal and Italian tomato sauce.
Excited and daunted in equal measure.

@AdventureIsWaiting
I have just added jacket potatoes to the shopping list. I am going to be busy tomorrow after work.
I had forgotten about chilli, good shout.
What is the budget veggie website?

Best to wait until you've met them, in case they are fussy.
My veggie but fussy DD2 likes pasta with tomato sauce, margarita pizza, Linda Mcartney sausages, Sainsbury vegetable burgers. She will tolerate cauli cheese but it isnt her fave.
My unfussy but vegan DD1 loves curries, chilli, stir frys, roast veg/ salads, risotto, but isnt keen on fake meat.

Chilli with nachos, guacamole, salsa, cheese, etc. and side salad? Easy to pick and choose from that (I’d do mild chilli and spicier salsa so they can add the spicier option if they like) and you can basically have crisps for tea with melty cheese on top if all else fails.

If you aren't too far from a supermarket, why not take them on the first day to do some food shopping together. It would be so stressful to have stuff in that you don't like. You might have very different ideas of vegetarians eat.

Don't forget good old pancakes. Really quick and easy.

My fussy vegetarian likes:

Veggie stir fried rice (with egg)
Veggie stir fried noodles (with chickpeas)
‘Tomato’ pasta
Cheesy pasta
Pesto pasta
Pizza
Picnic plates - pitta, humus, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber etc.
Mild curry
Mild chilli (especially if served with tortilla chips and grated cheese!)
Burritos (rice, beans, cheese, sweet corn, mild spice)
Jacket potatoes with cheese and beans
Quorn chicken fillets with chips etc
Omelette

Not keen on veggie sausages or burgers.

I'd keep it simple until you know what they like as it varies so much. But I'd get in or make some pomodoro sauce and pasta, some veggie pizzas and sausages, maybe some eggs, beans, cheese and sweet potato fries as well as plenty of fruit and fresh veg.

Sounds like a great list. I second jacket potatoes with a few simple fillings everyone can pick and choose from at the table, baked beans, grated cheese, houmous, cream cheese, jar of roasted veg, sweetcorn. With salad on the side.

Eggs and avocado on toast
Falafel wraps
Cheese on toast
Vegetable and chickpea jalfrezi
Vegetable soup
Bean chilli

Someone gave me this recently veggie shepherds pie. I haven’t made it yet but they said it was lovely .

Veggie tacos or burritos, tofu or sweet potato curry, veggie burgers, veggie sausages -I’m a veggie and hate Linda McCartney products but love the cauldron or Meatless farm ones. Plant pioneers from sainsbury’s are also a good brand, Morrison’s also do a good veggie range.

Stir fry’s, veggie pizzas, hummus, risotto, veggie fish fingers, goujons.

Sometimes vegetarians are borderline vegan and don’t like dairy other times they are more lenient and eat fish if it’s sustainable.

What a lovely person you are for catering to this child’s needs.