Vegetarian alternatives for DD 9yo

[FullOfChoc]

DD has been vegetarian for 18 mths now, her choice and I admire her commitment. The rest of us eat meat and fish.

I'm after suggestions for quick things I could use as a vegetarian substitute. She likes very plain, bland food and won't eat anything spicy. I usually resort to Quorn burgers or the chicken style Tesco Meat free range things. I'm sure they're not that healthy if you have too many of them.

Tonight we are having salmon, new potatoes and salad. DD will have a Tesco meat free chicken fillet with hers.

I do have a few family vegetarian recipes but the rest of us like meat and two veg type meals at least some of the time.

All suggestions welcome.

It's lovely to hear that you are supporting your dd's wishes to be veggie :-)

The meat-free alternatives are (on the whole) as healthy, if not more so, than the equivalent meat product, so if she likes them I wouldn't worry too much. Veggie sausages are good in a sausage casserole and the bread crumbed 'chicken' burgers go well in a parmigiana-type bake.

I get bored of them though and like vegetable and pulse based meals most of the time. For things like spag bol and chilli I use fresh chopped veg, red lentils and sometimes a handful of veggie mince. I make pizzas topped with sliced peppers, tomatoes and mushroom etc. Lasagne with roasted veg in tomato sauce.

Mushrooms are also a good meat sub, but not many kids like them!

HTH

It's a tricky one. Most of my favourite vege dishes don't go with potatoes and 2 veg - more into pasta, risotto, chilli, curries, noodles etc. These types of meals tend to be healthier too as the focus is on veg and pulses. However I'm quite partial to a pie or pasty, or a nut roast or nut rissoles which are great with vege gravy. or Yorkshire pudding stuffed with a bean stew.

I am the vegetarian in our house and I tend to make a veggi equivalent of whatever I'm making DH and DD with quorn/meat free products instead of the meat.

If they have sausages I have some, cottage pie/lasagne etc gets made with the mince, the fillets and "chicken style pieces" get used in casseroles etc. There is a recipe app on the Quorn website.

There will also be loads of info on the www.youngveggie.org/# Society website

You just need to make she is getting enough protein as the % is lower than in meat

Thank you for all the replies and very helpful suggestions. I am proud of her for sticking to it, she's never tempted by meat - it's only haribos (with gelatine in) that she misses!

She likes lentils, I do a veggie lasagne which always gets clean plates, so I will try some more lentil things. I will mix it with the veggie mince - thanks for the tip. She won't touch mushrooms unless they are completely hidden (in tiny pieces) but I will keep trying with them.

She will eat eggs and I work them into as many things as possible, a great source of protein I believe.

I love falafels so I'm going to get some and see if I can tempt her with them.

I will get onto the batch cooking and freezing too, that will be easier when we are eating winter style meals again.

She's not keen on nuts, which is a real pain, doesn't like nut cutlets but I'm going to keep encouraging her to eat a few as they are such a good protein source. The rest of us love nut cutlet so that's a good family meal. She loves yorkshire puddings and stuffing them is a great idea. I think she'd even eat bean stew if it was in a yorkshire pudding, she is getting much better with beans, and I love them so that's one to try. Perhaps a piece of nut cutlet in a yorkshire pudding with gravy.

The youngveggie website is great, going to have a proper look at that now.

Thanks again all.

Sophie Dhal Aubergine Pamagiana is my go to veggy meal that meat eaters like, so maybe it would do everyone? (Recipe is delicious)

Sorry, have just realised I haven't really answered the question!!

Delicious none the less :)

Would she eat chickpeas? You can buy them ready cooked then blend them into a smooth soup, I would add onion and a bit of vegetable stock for flavour, (you could add carrot and or potato too).

You can make a similar soup with cooked butter or cannellini beans. This one is good with some garlic.

Or jacket potato with baked beans and a little grated cheese?

Our asda do a few veggie-friendly harribo products...not the star mix etc. Goody Good Stuff do some yummy chewy sweets too.

Annaban I'll look up that receipe and give it a try.

She won't eat chickpeas as they are, but I hadn't thought of blending them. She does like soup so that should work.

I will look out for the haribos and sweets. It's worst for her when other children give them out at school for birthday treats. I've told her to take them politely and not make a fuss, but then her little face as she hands them over to her brother. Some veggie friendly ones would definitely help.

I'm so glad I posted - lots of ideas and inspiration!

Recipe (translated from Spanish so apologies for the rather strange English. Also I would pop in a bit of vegetable stock, or dried herbs, with the water).

INGREDIENTS:
Cooked chickpeas
peeled onion
a potato cut into large chunks
large peeled carrot (optional)
two large pieces of red pepper (optional)
parsley
2 tablespoons of olive oil
a pinch of salt - to taste
This dish tolerates many other ingredients, leek, paprika, bay leaf, etc., you can play with them until you find your favorite recipe.

The preparation is simple, easy, easy, in a large pot we put all the ingredients, except salt, and cover with water. Cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are soft. (In the pressure cooker it can also be done).

Blend the cooked mixture.

Taste and add salt as necessary.

You can do exactly the same recipe with cooked green lentils however the taste is a bit more "vegetabley". My children like them especially on top of a bit of boiled rice. We don´t blend them at home as the lentils are small and form a kind of sauce but at school they have it blended into a smooth soup.

Thank you Happy, I'll give that a go.

I like oven baked halloumi as a quick protein fix if everyone else is having chicken and veg, and my kids- who aren't veggie- will steal bits. Paneer is another cook-able cheese which is useful. It is very bland but is good in a sauce. I fry it then added onion fresh tomatoes and a few spices and just leaving it bubbling until sauce thickens.

My vegetarian DS (also 9) loves Veggie Percies from M & S - vegetarian versions of Percy Pigs sweets.

I cook two versions of everything at once, so if I'm doing Bolognese for the rest of us then I do another one alongside made with quorn mince, and the same with quorn chicken pieces for casserole-type things.

As it was entirely his choice to go vegetarian I also remind him occasionally of the deal we made at the time - "veggie or fussy but not both" - and that works in persuading him to eat omelettes and cheese sandwiches which he doesn't like that much but which I want him to have for the protein.

I have been veggie since I was 14 and its great how supportive you are, wish my family had been so!

Veggie sweets I love are the above M&S Percy Pigs, and keep an eye out in Holland & Barrett who do vegan choc & sweets , the cola bottles are lovely along with Poundland who occasionally get vegan sweets too.

I've put halloumi on my shopping list!

I will look for those sweets - she'll love them! I'm stealing veggie or fussy! I am pleased to say she is getting much better about trying things (will eat sprouted seeds!) and she LOVED falafels - I'd never have tried them without the suggestion upthread. I've got a packet of falafel mix and I'm going to get her making them.

Clara! You're making me blush! (I am secretly quite proud of her having principles and making sacrifices). I will try H+B and will keep an eye out in poundland.

Thanks again all.