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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Worried about daughter becoming a vegan

49 replies

GNfan · 22/05/2022 14:18

I should point out that I'm not against her becoming vegan. Not at all. Her choice, and I fully support it.
BUT... she's 17, about to go away to uni, and not a very experienced cook... so I'm a little worried about what she'll eat/make for herself.
She's never much liked cheese or dairy anyway, and hates the idea of meat substitutes. She loves rice, spicy food and most nuts. Not overly keen on green veg, alas.
Any top tips for recipes I can teach her over the summer hols? I can think of veggie sauce & pasta, beans & baked potatoes, and sweet potato & cashew nut curry... but then I'm stumped.

I'd really welcome some thoughts on how I can encourage her to stay healthy, from a distance!

OP posts:
GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 22/05/2022 14:23

Buy her a vegan cookbook or arrange some cooking lessons using online recipes for both of you. Use it as an opportunity to learn some vegan dishes too. Chances are she'll still be vegan when she comes home or for holidays. Then she can take turns cooking for you too.

If you're worried about this, you need to appreciate that she needs to learn how to be and look after herself in all aspects of her life, not sure her diet.

Don't students live on pot noodles anyway?

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 22/05/2022 14:23

Needs to learn how to 'be independent'; sorry for typos.

RealBecca · 22/05/2022 14:24

Get a vegan cookbook. Isa chandra is good x

Jaffasnake · 22/05/2022 14:25

She will meet other vegans I'm sure, I'd say get a good multivitamin and she will develop a good array of meals and foods to eat.

PinkSyCo · 22/05/2022 14:26

If she is clever enough to have got into uni she is clever enough to look up recipes for herself surely?

NeededAction · 22/05/2022 14:27

Pretty much any meal you normally make, you can make vegan without too much hassle - instead of mince, replace with lentils / chopped mushrooms / quinoa / breadcrumbs / a combo of the above. If she’s never done any cooking why not try doing a vegan cottage pie, or spag bol together? It would be new for both of you, so a lot less pressure if it doesn’t turn out perfect?

even once a week cooking together would increase her repertoire phenomenally

i use google for recipes - cheaper than a cookbook but more hassle following a recipe on your phone!

NewAccount1223 · 22/05/2022 14:37

Suggest she learns how to make a good cashew cheese as bought vegan cheese is (imo) horrible and has hardly any nutritional value.

negomi90 · 22/05/2022 14:41

Peta cookbook its microwave based and perfect for vegan students.
Other vegan student microwave cookbooks are available.

Vikinga · 22/05/2022 14:42

I started by looking up vegan versions of the dishes I like and did those. Then followed vegan accounts and my food has never tasted better. I can't believe what i was missing. And I'm a real foodie.

Strathyre · 22/05/2022 14:44

I'd recommend a multivitamin too, you can get ones specially for vegans. There are some things she will struggle to get from food alone, without a huge amount of effort and research. That would make me personally feel a lot more confident.

ElenaSt · 22/05/2022 14:47

My daughter became a vegan at 15 completely out of the blue as she was a big bacon eater!

I'm a vegetarian but I raised my children to both eat meat.

I didn't want my daughter at 15 becoming a vegan and explain to her that problems from being a vegan so young could surface later on in life with fertility et cetera.

She has however stuck with it and he's in her 20s now.

Back then there wasn't a great deal of vegan stuff so it was a nightmare however today there are lots more vegan options and it is a popular lifestyle.

The biggest side-effects for her was that she became very angry if she was hungry.
Hangry I think they call it!

Marty13 · 22/05/2022 14:51

My first thought was Indian cuisine. You said she loves spices and they have lots of yummy vegan dishes. I'm not vegan myself but if I was I would prefer dishes that are meat-free than dishes that "pretend" to be meat (often ultra-processed and don't taste great. I know this because I used to have a vegan friend).
Not that I could ever give up cheese.

As for dairy I find that coconut milk/cream is an excellent alternative to normal milk. Coconut cream makes an amazing chantilly too. I know that because we thought my brother had a lactose intolerance.

CaliforniaDrumming · 22/05/2022 14:54

Second Indian cuisine. Best way to be vegan or veggie.

MissPeregrinesHome · 22/05/2022 14:56

I was also going to suggest cooking a variety of spicy vegan Indian recipes together.

Peanut butter is great whether on toast or in sandwiches. Porridge with a lot of fruit for breakfast.

I was vegan for a few years when I was her age, at university, 30 years ago where there was barely anything available and I was pretty healthy.

Hesma · 22/05/2022 15:11

She’ll probably live on beans on toast or with a jacket potato… plenty of protein there

Onlywomengivebirth · 22/05/2022 15:12

My daughter likes loads of vegan recipes, though she’s not vegan. She has taught me to love tofu. Tofu is like pasta or rice… it’s just a vehicle for flavour. You can take any stir fry dish for example, and simply replace the protein with tofu.

lentils are a good substitute for mince. They’re a good substitute in bolognese or shepherds pie, for example.

NewAccount1223 · 22/05/2022 15:31

Theres loads of vegan YouTube channels too. I like Pick Up Limes and Jess Beautician.

Original poster
GNfan · 22/05/2022 15:31

Thank you all! 💕 That's brilliant. Really really helpful. I feel a lot better now. I shall get googling, and also look at the links you've shared. She's already said she wants to try cooking some new things over the summer, so she'll really appreciate this.
Really grateful to you all for your help and advice 🙏💐

OP posts:
MangoMaddie · 22/05/2022 15:38

Id want to talk to her about iron intake, either a decent plan to get iron from her diet or a supplement (or both). Low iron is very common for teenage girls.

Redpriestandmozart · 22/05/2022 15:39

I love this guy on Youtube, his recipes are easy and it's a bit of a laugh too :)

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheEasyVegan/videos

Chewchewbacca · 22/05/2022 15:44

How about getting a vegan slow cooker recipie book and a.slow cooker . V easy and can batch cook so.extra foe busy times .

Scarlettpixie · 22/05/2022 15:55

If she ca make curry, pasta sauce and chilli she will be pretty well sorted. You can add any veg to any of them. I add chick peas or lentils to curry, adzuki beans to pasta and black beans and red kidney beans to chilli but again there are no rules. You can chuck handfuls of spinach or chopped kale and you will barely notice and they are great for iron. She may find her tastes change after being vegan for a bit and she likes more veg.

Another idea is to bake tofu or roast veggies and add then to bowls with whatever you like. Think rice, beans, salad/veg, potatoes, sweet potatoes or other grains. Top with sriratcha, nutritional yeast, salsa, balsamic or any sauce or dressing. You can do similar with wraps or tacos.

ThettaReddast · 22/05/2022 16:51

The Bosh cookbooks and a multivitamin and she’ll be fine! She’ll likely meet other vegans in halls and expand her recipe repertoire.

SunshineLollipopsRainbow · 22/05/2022 18:34

Make sure she takes a b12 vitamin first of all.

Second - lentil Dahl is vegan, easy and can be made in bulk!

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