Any flexitarians out there? How to feed kids when cutting back on meat?

[mommybunny]

Not sure if this is the right place for this post but I've been thinking a lot lately about reducing our meat consumption, for reasons of health, cost, planet etc. I'm very happy to go meatless a few days a week (I already eat vegan before 6 most days of the week) and DH says he is too (not sure I believe him but willing to take him at his word) but I'm not sure about letting kids go meatless and I really don't feel like cooking separate meals for us and for kids. Has anyone else cut back on meat and, if so, how did you get your kids on board and what staples do you rely on?

Hi there....we're a mixed diet family. DH is vegan, DD aged ten is vegetarian and DD aged six and I both eat a little meat.

We found it hard at first but now we have our old faves...I don't ever buy processed vegie food like vegetarian sausages or Quorn...we make our own sometimes...

We like fallafels, baked potatoes with vegetarian bolognaise which I make myself.

We like vegetable soup which is a light meal but I make it thick with soup mix (dried beans and peas and stuff added in) and serve that with cheese on toast though DH just has bread! We make our own bread.

We have pasta with vegetarian sauces too...a lot of big salads accompanying everything. I also make roast dinners with many more vegetables than usual and no meat...I have a nice veggy gravy recipe and with roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, roast carrots, peas, broccoli and sweetcorn you feel like you've had a nice meal.

I also make mild coconut milk based curries which my older DD eats but not the little one. On those days, meat eating DD will have chicken legs and rice or something.

I do make hotter curries for DH and I at times...all with vegetables only. If you'd like any recipies just ask,x

Good suggestions so far, thanks DQ and MrsW. All "food for thought"...

My dc don't notice tbh. We started eating less meat years ago when on a budget- now I find that meat everyday is too much, and generally more boring. Our favourite non meat meat meals are

Aubergines parmigiana ( hardly healthy but I comfort myself that the cheese is a source of protein for dc)

Red lentil dhal with flatbreads

Patatas bravas with fried egg on top

Egg and veg fried rice

Frittata

Pizza - potato and rosemary is really nice, or squash and red onion

Pasta pesto

Cauliflower mac n cheese

Squash and red pepper lasagne

Pumpkin laksa

Veg soup with a nice rye bread

Chunky stew soups

Risotto- leek risotto/ mushroom/ Milanese

Quesadillas

We don't tend to do meals that would usually centre around meat and present it in the veg form- not dc but dh would always say 'this roast would be perfect with a chop, or this Bolognese is nearly as nice as the proper one' so I avoid it fir my sanity

Our two were veggie for quite a long time but have both started eating meat again now (late teens).

Family meals used to include:

pasta bake made with roasted onions, peppers etc
macaroni cheese
pizzas and salad
chickpea curry
paneer and vege curry
veggie lasagne made with lentils (red for bulk and green/puy for texture)
veggie chilli
a roast minus the meat - lots of vege, stuffing, yorkies etc
lentil soup or leek and potato soup (we'd often have a 'proper' pudding if having soup as dinner)
baked potatoes with ratatouille or with just cheese/coleslaw and salad
veggie sausage casserole
a tart made with bought puff pastry and then a mixture of cream cheese and chopped spinach, topped with whatever people wanted (usually cooked mushrooms for dp and I, tomatoes for dd1 and nothing for dd2!)

Mine is 3yo and doesn't like meat unless it's fish fingers or chicken nuggets anyway.

She likes pasta so it's things like macaroni cheese, pesto pasta, lentil bolognese. I also do chillis to serve with chips (another thing she likes is chips).

She just like beige good

Pregnantpause do you have the recipe for squash and red pepper lasagne?

It's a nigella recipe- still available on her website, I think third option on googling butternut squash and red pepper lasagne, but I'm on phone so can't link. I don't faff as much as nige though- I add spinach but don't bother cooking and draining it, I don't bother pre boiling any lasagne sheets, and the squash mix is usually made roasted the night before. If you add chickpeas to the squash mix and a spoon or two if Harissa it's delicious wrapped in a filo pastry pie too.

Thanks!

The River Cottage Veg Everyday cookbook has some fantastic recipes.