Fussy teen wants to go veggie - needs ideas!

[Lotsachocolateplease]

As the title says I have a fussy teen - ds14 who wants to go vegetarian. He was vegetarian age 7 for a year and I managed them but he’s fussier now.
I need healthy ideas other than
Pizza
Pasta

Won’t eat mushrooms, rice, lots of veggies like broccoli cauliflower, prefers carrots and peppers raw.

His suggestions are halloumi burgers, halloumi fajitas, and salads.
Any other suggestions would be very welcome.

I have a veggie ds. It is a worry as he is also underweight I try to feed him loads of eggs, cheese, nuts, avocados. I also make a veg soup once a week which has a base of chicken stock... he also has a lot of frozen veggie food which isn't great but is easy.

What’s he like with pulses?
Dahl/chickpea Curry with naan
Falafel and hummus wraps
Home made bean burgers

I went vegetarian about 12? And it got me out of any fussiness pretty quickly!

Beans on toast, omelette, scrambled egg, eggar sausage and mash, jacket potatoes, potato and cheese hot pot, veggie pasties. All simple basics that my teen will eat. She occasionally will eat veggie chilli abs rice and stir fry with tofu and peanut sauce.

Should say veggie not eggar!

I think it's fine for him to do this.
But - and I say this as a vegetarian of 30+ years - if you're going to restrict your diet by not eating meat or fish you need to eat most other foods.
The best thing I ever did for my fussy daughter was just to stop pandering to her. "This is what we're all having tonight and if you don't like the cauliflower / mushrooms / cooked tomatoes / whatever in it, you'll have to pick them out and eat the rest".

Stir fry with tofu pieces, veg, jar/sachet of sauce.

I've made lentil ragu tonight, like bolognese but with a tin of green lentils instead of beef.

Chilli made with black beans, with sweet potato wedges.

Sainsbury's do a nice (apparently) nut cutlet.

The Tofoo crunchy finger things work in place of fish fingers (especially with tartare sauce).

I do veggie paella with roasted chickpeas tossed in some smoked paprika for extra protein and vitamins.

Someone else has suggested dal above, most of us love that with other veggie curry, paneer is good with that.

Oh and veggie sausages, we like the Cauldron ones.

I've got one vegetarian teen, but the other is less adventurous so it's harder to do a vegetarian meal for the whole family 😒

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Chick pea curry was one he used to like so I’ll try that again. He’s not a massive potato lover either - it’s so difficult - I’m worried he’ll just live off of biscuits!
He loves cheese and eggs so that’s a good start and actually avocados too.
I make a veggie soup each week too so that’s reminded me he could have that for dinner too thanks @ConnectFortyFour

Dd lives on dal, sag paneer curry and bean chilli but she does eat rice

I'd definitely try some veggie curries and chillies. You can serve curries with naan or chapatis and chilli can go in tacos or soft tortillas with fresh guacamole if he likes avocado.

Would he eat frittata - omlette with lots of added onion, peppers, peas, potato, topped with cheese?

Don't forget classic quick easy meals like eggs, beans and chips - sweet potato fries are a good alternative if he's not keen on normal potatoes.

Also some of the veggie meat alternatives, like Cauldron or Linda McCartney sausages and burger, are good. DS is veggie and he has these chopped in pasta or in hot dog rolls with plenty of salads on the side.

If he likes cheese and eggs you could do quiches or cheese and onion puff pastry bake or spanakopita (feta and spinach filo pastry pie)

Please don't use chicken stock in a 'vegetable' soup!

The Sainsbury's nut cutlets are nice - really good as a Sunday roast with veggie gravy.

What sort of things do you normally serve as family meals? It'll probably be relatively easy to adapt some of them.

Probably not very healthy, but quorn nuggets are really nice.
Richmond vegan sausages are lovely. I made vegan food for a guest at our daughter’s party a while ago and said friend didn’t believe they weren’t pork sausages., I had to send a pic of the packet to convince her!

Also Aldi beetroot burgers are delicious.

Probably not the healthiest but Richmond veggie sausages are a game changer.

Same with quorn chicken nuggets.

And Linda Mcartney mozzarella burgers.

Fajitas with quorn pieces, or just onions, peppers, sweetcorn, kidney beans and some spices.

Tortilla or quiche with added vege.

Bean burgers

Veggie sausages and mash

Thai curry or a stir fry, Pad Thai or chow mein with tofu

Falafel wraps or pitta

My 14 year old eats s lot of eggs and halloumi. She's not fussy about veg though will eat most. Also has lentil Dahl or cauliflower curry, chickpea dishes, veggie mince in chilli or spag bol, potatoes layered with cheese. Also for easy food she has frozen veggie grill type things.

DD (16) has been veggie for years; her favourites would be

• fajitas - lots of peppers and whatever other veg is around in wraps
• veg fingers - can buy these frozen - with any type of potato/ sweet potato
• veg chilli
• simple pasta with tomato sauce and veg
• homemade falafel (using a packet mix usually)
• veg burgers
• frozen cheese and tomato pancakes! with frozen waffles. Fast dinner and she always eats a pile of veg with it ;--)
• veg curry, samosas

get him cooking!

oh yes, and halloumi, either just grilled or as fries.

@ConnectFortyFour

I have a veggie ds. It is a worry as he is also underweight I try to feed him loads of eggs, cheese, nuts, avocados. I also make a veg soup once a week which has a base of chicken stock... he also has a lot of frozen veggie food which isn't great but is easy.

You use chicken stock for vegetable soup and tell him its vegetarian?

I often make this:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/gigantes-plaki

Good with feta or greens on the side and / or this: www.food.com/recipe/ellinikos-lemoni-patatas-greek-lemon-potatoes-90822

Its so easy to be veggie now. Might make him broaden his horizons food wise

Good time for your child to find his inner Gordon Ramsey and start cooking for himself, and if good firy you too, at least twice a week. My son decided to go on his own regime at 13, which was fine as he did it all himself so I wasn't cooking different meals.

I’ve got a v fussy veggie. Richmond vegan sausages, quorn chicken or mince, tivall hotdogs and burgers are the only meat alternatives she will eat. Lentil soup, eggs, jacket spuds with beans and cheese, pasta with tomato sauce are our staples. Where possible i try to start from a common base - so pasta and tomato sauce the carnivores might have with pancetta on top and she will have a veggie sausage on hers. But often I’m resigned to making two different meals.

At 14 he needs to start being less fussy if wants to go veggie

Get him a cookery book and teach him. I cooked for myself from that age when I went veggie and my big sister bought me some books and I worked my way through them. I’d batch cook at the weekends and freeze food.

It really is the best way to find out what you like, discover new things, understand nutrition, and Learn how to adapt recipes to taste.

@ConnectFortyFour

I have a veggie ds. It is a worry as he is also underweight I try to feed him loads of eggs, cheese, nuts, avocados. I also make a veg soup once a week which has a base of chicken stock... he also has a lot of frozen veggie food which isn't great but is easy.

So that’s not a veg soup for vegetarians then....it’s a chicken and vegetable soup please don’t do this!

OP - Spanish omelette may work well, particularly if you make enough potatoes with the prior days meal. Or with peppers as a ‘frittata’ type thing?

Lancashire cheese and onion pie goes down well here - the onions are caramelised and are sweet and delicious. Meat eaters have that too.

Mac and cheese. Spinach and ricotta lasagna. Lentil bolognese. Greek salad with hummus and bread. Roti filled with tinned chick pea curry.