6 year old vegetarian??

[Helloyou111]

My daughter is only 6 years old but she decided to become a vegetarian last Xmas time . No idea the reason but I’ve supported her fully with her choice . However I’m really struggling with meals for her ! I also have three others to feed and work around so dinner time is exhausting when everyone likes / dislikes different things (not to mention a toddler !) anyway so far she only really likes boiled eggs and pasta and salad , fish fingers are fine too but other than that she’s a terrible eater and just wants chocolate spread toast 😭 I’m worried she isn’t getting enough vitamins etc as she’s teeny tiny ! she would just live on rubbish is she had her way . Any ideas or any nice veggie things to try for fussy kids that’s worked ?

We make carbonara a lot - one egg and half a tub of creme fraiche, fake bacon, mushrooms and pasta.

Also veggie toad in the hole, lasagna, spinach and ricotta cannelloni, baked potatoes, hummus and dips etc.

Vegetarian since birth, none are anaemic, or deficient in anything except once vitamin D after a very long unrelated hospital stay. I do supplement with a decent multivitamin.

You do realise whole countries raise children vegetarian? Nobody has to eat meat.

I am not a vegetarian but I hate people making inaccurate ignorant statements.

Swine flu, bird flu, mad cow disease, chicken caused salmonella... I wouldn't worry about your daughter's diet too much, OP!

Its perfectly possible for children to have a healthy vegetarian diet as demonstrated by many vegetarian cultures around the world. However if you are not familiar with cooking this way try a couple of "every day" vegetarian cook books for ideas. Something like this might be useful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Part-Time-Vegetarian-Flexible-Recipes-Meat-Free/dp/184899265 as it focuses on the needs of families with differing diets.

You could also consider doing meatless Monday for the whole family a couple of times a week to reduce the number of different meals you make and possibly bring some new ideas to weekly catering. These sites have ideas for family catering/balanced menu planning, there are many more sites like these.

https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/extra-bytes/budget-friendly-meal-prep/vegetarian-meal-prep/
https://ohmyveggies.com/meal-plans/

Is the reason for wanting to change clear? Is it not wanting the regular meals, wanting to be like a friend or about the animals? It may just be temporary in which case "that's nice dear, have this then" will see it pass more quickly. If its a taste/texture thing it may take a while to sort out. However it may well stick long term in which case a range of simple everyday family recipes is usually the easiest option.

We are vegetarian so from weaning our now 17 mo is veggie
Regular teas we have here are: spinach Mac and cheese, lentil spaghetti with carrot and onion, quinoa and black bean cups, cauliflower gnocchi, black bean & pepper & greek yogurt wraps (we have halloumi in ours), chickpea curry, make a pizza base with flour and greek yoghurt then tomato puree and herbs then whatever veg toppings, lentil Dahl, spinach & cheese scrambled eggs with toast

She is six, she can turn veggie when she can buy or at least cook her own meals. And where the fuck does she think fish fingers grow. She is trying to be grownup and cool, without having the first clue!

I gave up on set meals unless they really like them and ask for them. I suggest bhudda bowls or “picky plates”. It’s a plastic tray or plate and there’s seperate sections for different things. Then she can choose what she wants to eat and you can see what she likes. She might like carrot or celery battons and humous

My DD has been vegetarian since she was 6 and I don't really see what the fuss is about but I am veggie too. Just carry on with her normal meals but swap the meat out for a veggi protein. We try to avoid UPF's but if you don't mind them then quorn can just literally replace every meat item she previously ate from ham slices to chicken nuggets. Otherwise I do a lot of blended beans/chickpeas into sauces and patties, frozen peas and soya beans are quick and easy to add to things, cheese added to the top of things, cheesy baked beans are one of my DD's favorites, and eggs in their many forms, milk, etc.

Boiled eggs, pasta and salad is a great start, there's a lot of small variations you can do with that to see what she'll like. I often blend chickpeas into a cheese sauce for pasta and it tastes the same. If she likes tomato based sauces then veg and lentils blend into it very easily.

Wow you sound like a nasty person who doesn’t see children as individuals

Wow . Pretty rude and the most unhelpful comment not really necessary is it ? 😂😂😂

Think this person doesn’t have or should have children to be honest

Have a look at things like Hello Fresh and Gusto etc. Its a good way to expand your vegetarian cooking. Even just a few boxes will give you a bunch of recipes to keep and use going forward.

No country raises 100% of its children as vegetarian. Don't be daft.

Countries like India with a high proportion of vegetarians also have rampant diabetes.

My son did the same thing when he eight because he didn't want to eat animals any more. Our condition for not eating meat and fish was that he would be flexible in his diet. It's not fussiness. Honesty, I was quite impressed that he'd thought it through and presented it to us. You are lucky she eats salad!

In terms of food ideas:

Frittatas, big batches of veggie-based soup such as minestrone served with bread and cheese. Hummous and pitta, falafel, tacos with guacomole, salsa and beany sauce, decent veggie sausages and burgers, nuts and seeds in the salad, and lots of nice fruit. Carrot, cucumber and red pepper sticks with yoghurt or other veggie dips.

What a nasty post. Totally unnecessary. She's 6 FGS

Surely veg protein, dairy, eggs and fish are better than ultra-processed ham! I really don't see any issue as long as the child eats gets her protein sources, all sounds healthy to me.

Has the GP checked height/weight to see if she is actually underweight? I'd be asking for a dietician referral, or seeing 1 privately, even for 1 session, to get some guidance on ensuring she is getting enough nutrients.

You mentioned chocolate spread. This is a sneaky recipe which uses black beans, so extra fibre and protein and much healthier than nutella. I'd start replacing the choc spread slowly 1/4 to 3/4, then 1/2 and 1/2 etc so she doesn't notice the taste difference as much.

Makes 550g
100g hazelnut butter
1x 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil
4 tablespoons of raw honey
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract A small pinch of sea salt
Method

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or high-powered blender and pulse to the desired consistency.
2. Transfer the spread to a sterilised jar and store in the fridge for up to three weeks.

My DD8 is vegetarian - the deal with her being vegetarian is she has to try different vegetables and eat things she isn't always super keen on as she knows she needs a healthy balanced diet.

Things that go down well...

Mac & cheese but I whizz up spinach, leeks, broccoli - basically any greens into the sauce - it still pretty much tastes like m&c but has loads of veg
Pesto - again alongside the basil I whizz in other green veg like spinach & I use seeds as well as nuts - can have with pasta, rice, on pizza
Lentil dhal / lentil curries - started by mixing it with rice but it's now one of her faves - always happy if served with a flat bread (do the yoghurt and flour ones, they are so easy and really yummy) - I tend to do some onions in chilli for DH and I so her isn't hot and use more mellow spices
Stir fry (minus sauce) she won't do soy sauce etc yet but likes the noodles and veg
Veg chilli with rice or pot wedges
Soups - again something like leek and potato you can hide some other veg into
I found a carrot rice recipe - basically grated carrots, spring onions cooked off with microwave rice in wok with some Indian spices (I do cumin, tumeric, coriander) and throw in peas & squeeze of lemon juice- it's super easy and really tasty.
Flatbread pizza - again whizz up some more veg into the sauce and then she has to pick two veg to go ontop or on the side
Pasta salad
Cous-cous with halloumi and some roast veg (she will do pepper and tomato at the moment - can't get her to do courgette/aubergine yet but keep trying)
Chickpea burger and potato wedges
She loves the Richmond veggie sausages so those with some kind of potato and few veg for easy meals
Jacket potatoes with beans and cheese is always easy
Cheesy omelette

Oh awesome ! Thank you that’s such a good idea 🥳 I did used to make brownies out of sweet potatoes and they were always a winner too but this is fab xx

There are also these:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/courgette-brownies
https://www.delscookingtwist.com/beetroot-cake-with-vanilla-frosting/

Glad you picked up on the ironic statement 🤦‍♀️

If she eats fish, it's more pescatarian, but that's good. More options.

Would she eat tuna pasta? Nicoise salad, has tuna, eggs, green beans, red onions. It's meant to have a bit of anchovy, could you try her on that? It's only a flavouring so not v strong.

Canneloni with spinach and ricotta, with tomato sauce? That's quite mild and creamy, with some veg.

Would she eat dips, like hummus or tzatziki? You can make your own versions pretty easily.

Or again with fish, does she like prawns? I loved them as a kid, with mayo in a sandwich or stir fried with veg.

I just don't understand those that are saying you should force her to eat what you cook. I would never force my kids to eat something they don't like, I would hate for them to end up with some food phobia!! I've always had the policy that I will ensure they are getting sufficient protein, fibre, vegetables, dairy etc but I'll give them what they like in those food groups.

To the person that said she won't be getting any b12, that is not true if she eats fish, dairy products, eggs etc. Vegans don't get any b12. Vegetarians should be able to meet the requirement without eating meat.

I do agree a multivitamin would be good though as means you don't have to worry so much about all vitamins etc.

Honestly, she sounds like she eats ok for a 6 year old. As long as she's eating eggs, dairy, fruit and veg, some fish, she's doing a lot better than some kids!!

I would probably have a conversation with her to explain that if she's going to be a vegetarian, you'll support her but she needs to try other foods. You say she used to like meat, so maybe explore veggie options like quorn, tofu. Yes it might be processed, but no worse than sliced ham etc that some kids eat a lot of. And it's a good way of adding more options into her diet.

My 16 year old daughter decided she wanted to be a veggie 6 months ago and she's soooo fussy so I feel you're pain. Deciding what to do for dinner every day is difficult. But I try and batch cook stuff for her so I can pop something in the oven... bean chillis, lentil bolognese (blended so it just looks like tomato sauce!). She's just tried tofu in a restaurant for the first time. She eats a lot of cheese and eggs. I just do the best I can with what she likes and encourage her to try new things xx

Just to add, what does she like on the pasta? Does she just have it plain, or could you make her a lentil bolognese sauce, blend it right up so it looks like tomato and then you can add all sorts into it!

I don't think there's any stopping them when they want to become a vegetarian. Like a PP we just emphasised that if you're going to be vegetarian, you have to push yourself to eat a range of foods.

My vegetarian daughter likes pancakes with melted cheese, nut roast, pizza and halloumi bake. She will tolerate kedgeree with chickpeas and peanuts and stir-fry with cashews or tofu.