To think that if you raise a child vegetarian you need to offer them more variety than fake meat??

[Reddletweedle]

We haven’t seen DSD throughout lockdown and have just started seeing her again. Her mum has been vegetarian for a while and is controlling of DSD in general (separate issue), refused to prepare her meat (fair enough In own home) but also refused to allow her to order meat dishes when eating out. Pre lockdown DSD loved eating meat when with us, now she has decided to be veggie like her mum.
I make most of the meals and do the grocery shopping order so was asking DSD what she likes to eat as a vegetarian now. I make quite a lot of veggie dishes and snacks to give my children (DS3 and DD1) plenty of variety as well as meat and before contact stopped DSD usually opted for meat meals so didn’t have the same as my own kids if they were having something veggie. Have to say I was surprised when she said she usually has quorn burgers or quorn sausages. I asked if she ate other vegetarian food besides pretend meat - stir fries, curries, veggie omelettes, hummus, falafel, bean burgers nut roasts.... She hasn’t ever tried the dishes I suggested. I didn’t think I suggested anything particularly exotic - aren’t stir fries, curries and omelettes affordable, nutritious weekly staples of family life?
Am I unreasonable to think that if you are coercing a child into following your veggie mindset you should be encouraging them to eat more variety than simply swap real meat for fake meat???

I bloody love plant based sausages misses point

Completely derailing your thread, but I have never really "understood" fake meat

I really love it when this pops up on any thread about not eating meat. Meat eating people get really wound up by the fact that meat substitutes come in shapes that they feel are for meaty things only. They get very confused when you point out that actually cows aren't burger shaped and chickens aren't nugget shaped and pigs don't have billy bear stamped on their arses. No, sorry people, you don't get the monopoly on the shape of foods

Why would you eat fake meat?

Says meat eaters who happily eat meat

Quorn mince is a million times better (and healthier!) than real mince for a start.

Why should you give up spag bol and other meals you love?

I suppose it depends why you went veggie re: 'fake meat'. I don't like the taste of meat particularly, only chicken, so it was an easy enough step to stop eating that, rather than those who do it for ethical or health reasons and give up a lot of food and meals they enjoy. Then it's great, I don't mind some of the more herb-y sausages to be honest even though I don't like meat ones. But they can be quite salty and some people don't seem to be aware, my friend is raising her little one veggie which is great, he can then make the choice when he is older; but she gives him a load of Quorn etc saying it's really healthy and she doesn't have to limit the amount. Like anything, same as if it was with salty meat, it can definitely form part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Your DSD could be ill eating meat if she hasn’t done for a while.
Also it’s not a nice thing to offer her as you are making her chose - a stepmum over her mum thing.
Why not cook veggie for everyone with a bit of quorn for her and put a little bit of omelette/stir fry on her plate to try? Win-win. Just don’t make an issue of it.

[quote Reddletweedle]@ChangeThePassword er, no... my question was aibu to think a veggie child should be offered more than pretend meat?[/quote]
I think plenty of meat-eating children just eat un-fake meat. Sausages, fish fingers, chicken nuggets, burgers. Eating veggie versions of these isn’t inherently wrong.

Mostly veggie household here and would never cook nut roast, bean burgers or butter bean curry, and rarely have stir fry or falafel! However we have veggie pasta sauces, salads, pizzas, spinach and tomato based curries, Thai curry, tapas, soups, jacket potatoes, fajitas, tacos, vegetable pies. Maybe the things you're offering just aren't things she likes or is used to, regardless of whether they are veggie or not?

Why not cook veggie for everyone with a bit of quorn for her and put a little bit of omelette/stir fry on her plate to try? Win-win. Just don’t make an issue of it

If I read correctly o/p does cook veggie for everyone. Then offers her sd bacon sarnies while everyone else eats the veggie choice....

I'm a vegetarian and so is my 15yo dd. I agree with you that meat substitutes alone would not constitute my idea of a balanced diet, and if that is genuinely all that she is eating, then I think she needs more variety.

I also agree that a child should be given a genuine choice about whether to eat meat outside the home - fair enough if parents don't want it in the home. My dd has always been given the freedom to eat meat in restaurants or at other people's houses etc. I am really not bothered if she eats it or not tbh. She has so far chosen not to try it, which is fine, but if she wants to eat it in the future, that would be fine too. I certainly don't think children should be guilt tripped into avoiding meat if they're curious about how it tastes. Equally, I don't really agree with parents feeding young children meat when they're not old enough to understand what it is and where it comes from - that isn't a choice either, and they can't "uneat" it if they change their minds when they're older.

As for your point re ethical vegetarianism being a bit of a hypocritical position, I actually agree with you there too. Veganism is definitely a more ethical stance but I don't currently feel able to restrict my diet to that extent (I respect those who do), so I do what I can by being vegetarian. It makes sense to me because I could not kill an animal for meat, but I would not have a problem with milking it, collecting eggs etc.

I don't judge those who eat meat. I don't think I'm better than anyone else because I'm vegetarian. I do think eating less meat is better.

Anyway, I agree with most of what you're saying, but you do sound quite negative and judgemental about dsd's mother. It's obvious that you don't like her much!

@AlcoholicHippo

Completely derailing your thread, but I have never really "understood" fake meat

I really love it when this pops up on any thread about not eating meat. Meat eating people get really wound up by the fact that meat substitutes come in shapes that they feel are for meaty things only. They get very confused when you point out that actually cows aren't burger shaped and chickens aren't nugget shaped and pigs don't have billy bear stamped on their arses. No, sorry people, you don't get the monopoly on the shape of foods

Love this!

As she's 11 and old enough to be learning some basic cooking, why don't you and/or DH teach her to make some easy veggie things? Omelettes, pasta pesto, stir fry, scrambled eggs, that sort of stuff. That way she learns some useful skills and can have a wider choice of veggie options herself.

It sounds like you are also not offering her omelettes, stir frys and curries on the basis she won't eat it. Maybe that's what her mum is doing? Maybe you should both cook her the quorn she likes (which there is nothing wrong with) while offering the other things as extra choices to try gradually. Why is it the mum's fault alone?

Children do emulate their parents. I went veggie as a child, partly because my mum was one. But there was no pressure from her.

@sHREDDIES19

I've been a veggie for around 28 years and I have a meat substitute with most of my evening meals (pie, sausages, chicken pieces in a curry, mince in pasta etc). It's a solid form of protein, lower in fat than actual meat and I love the taste. I really don't see the issue?! I think this is a deeper issue rather than the food.

Me too. Quorn doesn't have gristle and fat like real meat does and it's very versatile.

Talking of fake meat, I still miss the Co-op branded quorn and mushroom pies they sold in the early 90's.

They were SO good. The Marlow Foods version is nowhere near as nice.

Does anyone else remember them?

@AlcoholicHippo

Completely derailing your thread, but I have never really "understood" fake meat

I really love it when this pops up on any thread about not eating meat. Meat eating people get really wound up by the fact that meat substitutes come in shapes that they feel are for meaty things only. They get very confused when you point out that actually cows aren't burger shaped and chickens aren't nugget shaped and pigs don't have billy bear stamped on their arses. No, sorry people, you don't get the monopoly on the shape of foods

ha, love this!

I'm not a vegetarian but hate fat and gristle so rarely eat meat except fish and very crispy bacon and have Quorn or tofu or falafel as I prefer the texture.
Jusr because someone doesn't want to eat meat doesn't mean they have to eat cauliflower for the rest of their life. Same reason some people drink alcohol free drinks.

Respect the kids wishes. Stop being a * about it. And introduce the kid to the foods you mention in the first post. And stop saying the mum's forcing the kid to be vegetarian.