DSD has decided to be vegetarian

[Iamnotagoddess]

We have 6 kids between us 3 have now left home.

DSD who is 14 has decided to be a vegetarian.

Tbh I feel really pissed off (secretly, I would not vocalise this).

I work full time and DH travels a long way to get them so I always prepare the meals and we are a real “meat eating” family and I am not used to cooking veggie meals (I do things to feed a lot of people like Lasange, Cottage Pie) and am not keen on using substitute meat for everyone and haven’t got time to piss about with a separate meal, but obviously can’t insist DSD eats meat although she does go through a lot of fads.

How have others found solutions to this?

She's old enough to make her own food so I wouldn't worry too much. That being said, it's pretty easy to make veggie meals so it might be nice to all eat the same thing?

I would batch cook similar meals for her(cheaper than microwave meals) freeze as single portions and just reheat on the day

DH can help with the batch cooking when he is around (or have kids whilst you do it)

Chicken isnt healthier then any other meat , todays chickens are breed to grow quicker and be heavier then natire intended
Over fishing has depleted the oceans , fish injest all sorts of rubbish that has ended up in the sea ..you will be eating this
You adked since when has eating meat not been good for you .....do you live in a cave ???
Tbh It sounds as though you resent your step daughter and would object to anything she does
Veggie is easy

The base of many veggie/ meat dishes are similar. ( fry onions, add veg etc ) I just divert when necessary. Sure it is using two pans and it may take a bit of practice ( I was going the other way, adapting for meat eaters!!) but it soon becomes second nature without too much hassle! Honestly!

I also agree with others who have said that veggie mince is horrible. You don't need to start eating that stuff to make nice veggie meals. I was vegan for donkey's years and I never ate meat substitutes because I thought they were gross. The exception was if I went to someone's house for dinner as they would usually have prepared fake meat for me because they didn't understand what else I ate (this was years ago before many people knew what vegan was). I was grateful that they'd made the effort to cook for me so I would force it down with a smile.

I also agree with others who have said that veggie mince is horrible its mingling!! I never use it. I do like the Quorn peppered ' steaks' I have them when I go to my mums and she ' diesnt know how to feed me'
The quorn roast is ok once in a while and nice for a roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding and gravy
Our Christmas dinners at homecare virtually identical except I'll have a quorn or nut roast. The gravy is veggie but not difficult to make a jug of veggie up if preferred.

Anyone who grumbles about their step children on the step parry board resents their step children apparently, are we all supposed to come on here and rave about how it’s always amazing?

I think some of us are trying to be supportive and look how things can be made easier for you.

My daughter went veggie this year and it’s a bit of a pain but I’ve found some good recipes particularly on the bbc website which everyone is happy to eat.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6291/sticky-onion-and-cheddar-quiche
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1958638/leek-cheese-and-potato-pasties
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mushroom-stroganoff
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7995/squash-and-barley-salad-with-balsamic-vinaigrette

@notacooldad

I appreciate that.

I would be lying if I said from time to time I don’t resent my DSDs behaviour, And the hassles associated with blending children into a family and I think it’s ok to admit that.

I love them dearly and I cope with the odd resentment by venting in places like here.

I'm not a vegetarian and none of my family are but I cook a lot of meat free dishes just because we like them.

Vegetable Tagine with cous cous is a staple in our house as is butternut squash risotto , mushroom risotto and roasted vegetable lasagne. I also do a sort of macaroni cheese bake that includes broccoli and cauliflower. These are all really quick and easy meals ( although I do use my instant pot for a lot of these meals which makes life very easy)

My DD once declared she wanted to go completely vegetarian so I tried substituting quorn for mince in a bolognese sauce and she hated it ( the rest of us didn't mind it although prefer proper mince )

We also did a grilled portobello mushroom instead of a beef burger and again she hated it while the rest of us enjoyed it.

She decided to give up being a vegetarian after one weekend even though we were quite supportive.

Is your husband too precious to cook for his own child or something?
If DSD complains about the food YOU cook, then your husband should be cooking and freezing veg-friendly food for her visits.

@SavingSpaces2019

Not at all, he’s just not here very much.

Thanks for the recipe ideas though as all she really ate this weekend was cheese 😂

God forbid she doesn't want animals to be killed just so she can put them in her mouth and wants to try and combat the slow (not so slow) death of our planet

Can't you go without meat for a least a couple of meals a week? It's really not that hard.

@PleaseGoogleIt

I really don’t think her reasons are that we thought through. I think it’s fashionable.

And who are you to preach to me about eating meat? I don’t hold those beliefs and I will eat what I want - that’s like me saying to you it’s not that difficult to eat meat a few times a week isn’t it.

I buy local produce and free range eggs, my conscience is clear.

well then he can make the EFFORT.....or pick up a veggy meal from the supermarket/takeaway.
It isn't rocket science.

I really don’t think her reasons are that we thought through. I think it’s fashionable
I understand what you mean. I work with teens and when it's been my turn to design the menu for a few weeks I have planned meals with the veggie in mind ( who turns out not to be a veggie any more🤣🤣) I just do a genetic veggie meal such as pasta bake that doesnt scream vegetarian meal. By the time I've put a kilo of cheese and a couple of pound of sweetcorn in nobody cares what else is there!!!

It could be that she is just trying to work out what her views are but not educated enough about it yet.
It could be the real deal and is a bit daunted by it all and weaning herself on to it..
I'm sure you will but go easy on her. You know the teen years can for some, be the fragile years . I dont think theres any harm in indilging her with this without putting the whole family out.

I know - she is also Pan Sexual apparently and goes on and on about her rights and announces on instragram how misunderstood she is (mainly by her mother I think she feels as her mother tells her she isn’t old enough to know her sexuality which is foolish of her I think) but when you actually try to discuss it with her and pin her down she doesn’t have grounded reasons or really know what she’s taking about.

I think the vegetarianism comes from the same place with the same lack of knowledge (I think the glasses suit the image she likes) and that’s why it’s irritated me because it’s a PITA meal planning anyway never mind an added element.

I didn't have time to read all the replies, but you are pissed off because you think it's your responsibility. I try to accomodate SD when I can' if I know that there's something she likes, but now that she's 12, I no longer feel as responsible as when she was 9. She wants to eat at 10 pm? It's her father's responsibility.
I don't particularly like meat, so when people have a meal with meat, I just remove it or don't serve it. If she wants protein, her father can buy her some frozen veggie burgers or something like that and she herself can warm it up.
I have a friend who's gluten free, I accommodate her when we have parties, but I won't go crazy about it either. She always brings a gluten free option. Just saying that people have to take responsibility for their choices and at 14, she's old enough, not to plan dinners, but to warm up something just for herself if she decided not to eat what others are eating. It's not you who has to rethink the meals of the whole family.

When we had all 6 of them here we had a two option rule 1) take it 2) leave it as I wasn’t catering for different tastes with that many kids (unless they really hated something), even my youngest DS who has high functioning autism and has issues with certain foods.

But not eating meat is a bit different, I can’t make her eat it nor not offer her another option.

My DD has been a pescatarian for about 6 years. She started out as a veggie but wasnt eating a broad enough range of vegetarian things. I have adapted our diet to accommodate her in a variety of ways - we dont entirely eat her options but its healthy to have a more varied diet than meat. Sometimes I make something that can have different additions to the sauce - hers is the straight tom, veg and beans and for DS and I, I add chicken or chorizo. Or we have pasta with pesto and creme fraiche and asparagus and add chicken for us. Sometimes I cook with quorn.

I thunk its good to be adaptable, respect her choices and also to invite her to cook too. My DD is pretty self sufficient now.

I eat meat every now and again but it’s probably worth noting that red meat and processed meat is a type 1 carcinogen (so as bad as smoking).

Well - we must all die of something.

We eat more chicken than anything else tbh and I try to avoid processed meats.

I went veggie at 15 and my 'phase' lasted 30 years before going vegan in January so give her some credit.

My family were not well off and both parents worked, so when I got back from school I'd cook. I learned how to make staples like ratatouille with pasta/jacket or veg chilli.

This was the 80s yet no big deal for my carnivore family. In fact, my mother went veggie shortly after so you never know OP, you might be converted!

Credit to your DSD. Just support her with a few simple meals, try cooking some together. You could make a meatless bolognese or chilli sauce and add meat for the others if need be.