Suddenly fussy veggie DD

[Grealish]

DD12 decided she wanted to go vegetarian at the start of summer. I’ve been veggie since my teens so was no hassle - I usually make a seperate meal for myself or just leave the meat out of whatever I’m making for family or all family will occasionally eat veggie.

She was always a very good eater and would eat absolutely anything & big portions too. All summer she kept this up but suddenly she’s become so fussy. All she wants is vegetarian spag Bol. She never complains if it’s anything else, but will just eat a bite or two and push the food around the plate. She’ll always suggest spag Bol when I start cooking and will eat massive portions of it whenever I do make it.

Im so close to losing the plot - I don’t want spag Bol every night and I don’t want to have to make three seperate meals just so she can eat it. I can’t take the You’ll eat what you’re given approach because she’ll quite happily just not eat dinner if it isn’t what she wants.

I’ve asked her about it and she claims she just doesn’t like the taste of anything else anymore.

Considering batch cooking spag Bol at the weekends to keep the peace? I just feel like there’s worse things she could like considering I always pack it full of veg. But also don’t know what we’ll do when we go out for food?? Or eat at someone else house? Is there any solution to this

So she has lunch at about 12, then nothing until dinner and then has a couple of bites, then nothing until breakfast? Surely she gets hungry.

I'd be starving and eat what was put in front of me.

No easy answers, but I think you need to have a serious talk with her about why she is vegetarian and nutrition, food groups and what she needs. Has she stopped eating other things that were vegetarian anyway or was more or less everything else she ate meat based? Could it be that she has gone vegetarian because she likes the ethics but is confused about what she'd like that doesn't contain meat? Was she wary of trying new things before?

Yip a big pot of spaghetti bol or lots of frozen portions

Mine wasn't quite so bad but the same 4 meals on repeat drove me mad

Try not to fuss as long as she is a healthy weight with plenty of energy

Yeah I'd be taking to her about going back to meat if she doesn't eat anything else, or how you don't have to be 100% veggie for it to make a difference to animal welfare/ the environment (if that's her thing).

I'd also just be gently probing about whether or not it's a "good food/bad food" issue as sadly eating disorders are rife at this age. Also check she isn't getting unhealthy snacks from elsewhere (I did this as a veggie kid and I'm enormous now so please do tackle it if she is).