If you are vegetarian or vegan - what do you eat ?

[Pisssssedofff]

DD 1 has gone veggie and gone up a dress size, basically because she's having pasta at every meal, cereal for breakfast and nothing for lunch, far too much fruit juice and scoffing 6 apples a day too.
She won't eat eggs - any suggestions it's driving me insane, I don't think she really likes vegetables if we are honest.

So serve her veggies drowned in gravy. Bisto is vegan. You can get vegetarian pies/bakes, vegan sausages, nut cutlets etc. in all supermarkets. Veggie mince fried with onion then cooked with gravy, with mashed potatoes and veg, is one of my go-to quick meals even now that I'm not veggie anymore.

It's not ridiculous to be vegetarian but not like that many vegetables. It's no different to bring a meat eater that doesn't like that many vegetables.
Vegetarians don't substitute meat for vegetables. They still eat protein so substitute meat for other proteins.
A meat eater that doesn't eat much veg will be just as unhealthy as a vegetarian that doesn't eat much veg.
There's lots if vegetarian meals you can all eat. Tricking her into eating meat is really wrong.
Teens often change size at that age, refusing to buy her clothes because you don't like her change in body shape is horrible. It sounds like she's actually eating less anyway!
Ask her to find recipes she would like. And cook together! She's old enough to cook herself too.

My favourite vegan family-friendly cookbook is this;

www.amazon.co.uk/Plant-Powered-Families-Dreena-Burton/dp/1941631045/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469465716&sr=8-1&keywords=plant-powered+families

That's brilliant, really great suggestions, I do appreciate it I'm not a massive fan of meat myself as it happens

I was vegetarian living a household of mostly vegetarians (n=7): who lived on bread & cheese. The 3 meat eaters were the ones who had most vegetables. I remember the Turkish guys (non-veg) getting very excited about aubergines. So an all-pasta+cheese diet doesn't surprise me at all. Very common way for veggie folk to eat, ime.

Not sure about weight gain or what OP should do.

I've been veggie since I was about 3 (refused to eat meat as I didn't really like the taste then got more into the ethics as I got older). My granny once tried to give me pork pretending it was quorn and I never trusted her with food after that - it was a huge abuse of trust and for you to do that to your daughter is despicable, I'm not sure I would forgive my mum if I found out she did that.
My family always joked that I was a vegetarian who didn't like vegetables and to be honest I spent a lot of my teen years eating frozen veggie options from the supermarket and oven chips. The ranges now are much better than in the 90s!
Get her invovled in the cooking - I only really expanded my tastes when I went to uni and had to fend for myself.

It sounds like your family could do with mixing their diet up anyway so maybe once or twice a week you all eat veggie, it will be good for you all and will make your daughter feel valued rather than mocked and criticised for her decision which is the way you are coming across right now.
Oh and it's not suprising she liked the meat deceit meal as if she has given up for ethical rather than taste reasons she probably still likes the taste of meat. Such a horrible thing to do.

FYI most Quorn contains egg. There is a new line of vegan quorn but hard to find.

Try almond or cashew butter - I have one of those on toast most mornings despite HATING peanut butter. There's a lovely honey and cinnamon almond butter that I have on subscribe and save from Amazon :)

My son became vegan when he was 15 and I was worried about his health, back in those days I got a book from the local library and read about a vegan diet, I then became vegan. This was 26 years ago. I am still vegan, my son has gone back to eating meat but his wife is veggie. He is a really good cook, he makes really good meals, veggie, vegan or meat. I think it is because we encouraged him to try to cook what he wanted that he is such an adventurous and successful cook today.
Encourage your daughter to try cooking.

How about vegetable/lentil soups? You can add shredded chicken in for the meat eaters.

We aren't 'hardcore' veggies but only eat the highest quality meat we can afford on the weekends and don't use quorn or other meat substitutes at all.

Would she eat a veggie stir fry? (The flavourings might help her like vegetables a bit more?)

• butternut squash and chickpea curry (you could add cooked chicken in after for the meat eaters)

-mushroom risotto -fajitas/tacos etc made with black beans and maybe some feta

• roasted veg (to me) generally tastes a lot better than steamed veg. You can jazz it up with different spices or pesto

Basically adding different flavours and spices is the way to go... But I'm not going to lie, I do think a vegetarian diet takes more effort.

Places like Holland & Barrett do mock duck (braised gluten) and braised tofu in tins, a good one for the store cupboard. Good to add to egg fried rice or a stir fry.

Some of the own brand frozen veggie minces are nicer than quorn.

My DC used to make DIY pot noodles, cheepo home brand noodles with the flavour sachet, handful of soya mince, frozen peas, grated carrot and maybe a teaspoon of peanut butter. Just add boiling water and zap in microwave for 3 mins.

I used to sort breakfast and cook them dinner every night, but they made their own lunches from a young age. Teach the little buggers how to cook, it makes them less fussy.

I think half the trouble if I'm deadly honest is that it's a bloody battle to cook for 4 people anyway and find meals they all like hence I had 5/6 on rotation. The thought of cooking and then it not being eaten makes me want to cry. I do spend about £200 a week on food and am ok with that providing it's actually eaten

You tricked your own vegetarian daughter into eating meat?

You have no shame. That's a fucking horrible thing to do. I would have been livid and would question your honesty forevermore if I was her.

Surprised so many vegetarian posters have gone on to give you their thoughts. I can't get past the deceit.

Adopt a "take it or leave it" approach?

Fuck living off 5 meals....

I hear you Giles, it is pants but I like an easy life and eat out with work a lot so order the nice stuff when they aren't home

As for deceit Surf, the little shit has nicked my last fiver out my purse before now, I don't think she has a leg to stand in when it comes to forgiveness so we'll all just move on eh

I would work out twists to your main meals. Veggie sausage instead of meat with the roast and veggie gravy. Chicken curry add lentil dahl and mutter paneer as sides and your DD just eats the sides. Pizza (not pepperoni ). Etc.

Not an easy life though is it? Not when it's so restricted.

If mine whinge and whine they go to bed hungry....

You shouldn't have to.order in just to get something different.

Unless there are some additional needs at play here that you havent mentioned,where tastes and textures cause huge issues?

Because allowing yourself to be dictated To or badgered till you give in is surely setting you up for anything but an easy life?

I couldn't do the go to bed hungry thing I just couldn't .... I lived on potnoddles as a kid and farted every morning in assembly my poor bowels ! That and we have stomach and bowel cancer in the family so it is important to me they eat 5/6 good meals and they do tbf.

There are good veggie ready meals. I like the Goodlife range goodlife.co.uk/content-filter/our-products/
They're frozen so easy to have in and bung in the oven.

She also needs to start eating pulses rather than solid carbs. Make lasagne with a tin of lentils rather than mince (slosh in some red wine and it tastes just as good). If the rest of you won't eat it,make one when you're making a meat one and freeze the rest in portions to bring out for other meals.

Rather than cook several meals, why not have the whole family be supportive of her and you all cook vegan meals, one per evening. Easy!
Also, read up on meat and the connection to cancer, especially bowel cancer.

Head her over here for some teen vegan support: www.facebook.com/veganteen/?fref=ts

P.S. Soya is fine. Dairy is not. The dairy industry have put out the myth that soya is bad, to scare people off it.

Helpful link - he posts lots of studies supporting the benefits of a plant-based diet, lots of info about meat not being good for us, how it promotes cancer. www.facebook.com/NutritionFacts.org/?fref=ts

Am I missing something? Your DD went veggie and put on a dress size but your so worried about her not eating your putting meat into her food and lying to her that it is quorn or soya? That is disgusting.

Happy to do it one night Red it's the other 6 that are a bit tricky, but loads of great suggestions about things to freeze.