Vegetarian Diet For Kids?!
We don't eat that much meat now, but I want to go all the way. My husband is all for us eating a vegetarian diet, but worries that the kids won't get the nutrients they need to grow or will be eating soy products 5 times a day. He worries that if we just cut out the meat, the kids will not be getting enough iron, Omega-3s, B-12s, or even fats. I have been looking online for the best substitutes for these things, but there are so many sites - I am going cross-eyed.
Does anyone know about this or which is the best site to look at? I need substitutes for each nutrient that kids will eat - I can put spinach in quiche or enchiladas, but they wouldn't eat it steamed. Thanks
Answers: I have two children, 3 and 5, and would like to switch to a vegetarian diet with a little bit of milk, cheese and egg (at least until they get used to the substitutes). When my husband goes fishing, we eat the fish as well, as my reason for not wanting to eat meat is for humane reasons primarily.
We don't eat that much meat now, but I want to go all the way. My husband is all for us eating a vegetarian diet, but worries that the kids won't get the nutrients they need to grow or will be eating soy products 5 times a day. He worries that if we just cut out the meat, the kids will not be getting enough iron, Omega-3s, B-12s, or even fats. I have been looking online for the best substitutes for these things, but there are so many sites - I am going cross-eyed.
Does anyone know about this or which is the best site to look at? I need substitutes for each nutrient that kids will eat - I can put spinach in quiche or enchiladas, but they wouldn't eat it steamed. Thanks
Laurel's Kitchen has been the best selling cookbook since 1976/ It is a remarkable resource which has a whole section of information on pregnancy, lactating mothers and raising children with a vegetarian lifestyle. There is a nutrition compendium at the rear of the book also so you will know what foods contain what nutrients.
In my spiritual community we are all vegetarian. I have personally witnessed children in our community and their children, and their children's children for many generations live, thrive and grow into top athletes, scientists, doctors, educators and healthy, loving people. Entire cultures are and have been vegetarian for many thousands of years . You have nothing to worry about.
Omega 3, 6 and 9 are available, in fact plentiful, in Hemp Seed and Hemp Milk, which also provides wonderful protein. -- No, you cannot get high on it it is a totally different plant. Also in Flax. Nature's Path & Enviro Kids Cereals, Waffles, etc are all good sources of them as well.
B12 is available in Tempeh a fermented soybean cake originally produced in Indonesia. You will find awesome recipes for it at http://www.your-vegetarian-kitchen.com/h...
look in Tempeh Recipes. For some people Tempeh is love at first bite; for others it is a relationship that grows slowly. I think that has a lot to do with the way it is prepared. Here are some recipes that are real crowd pleasers.
Semper Tempeh Fidelus (Vegan)
This is a quick and delicious way to prepare tempeh.
*another vegan tempeh recipe
1 package prepared Tempeh cut into ?” cubes
4 Tbs. Canola Oil
1 Tbs. Turmeric
? tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1? tsp. Bell’s Poultry Seasoning
3 - 4 Tbs. Red Star Nutritional Yeast
In a fry pan heat half of the Canola Oil (2 Tbs.) along with the Turmeric and Cayenne, Add the cubed Tempeh to the heated oil along with the Poultry seasoning. Brown and turn adding the remainder of the oil as you brown the other side of the cubes. When they are a golden brown in color, turn off the heat and dredge the tempeh in the nutritional yeast.Serve with Quinoa and Cranberry relish.
Tricorns of Couscous and Tempeh (Vegan)
tender triangles of savory couscous and tempeh stuffed phyllo
*pre-heat oven to 420o -- another vegan tempeh recipe
1 package prepared Tempeh cut into ?” cubes prepared as above.
1 Cup mixed minced vegetables: Carrot, Onion, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Red, Yellow and Green Peppers
1 Tbs. Turmeric
4 Tbs. Vegetarian Chicken Stock Powder
2 Cups Pure Water boiling
1 tsp. Sea Salt
? tsp Cayenne
? tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Bell’s Poultry Seasoning
1 tsp Granulated Onion
1 Cup Couscous
? Cup Frozen Petite Pois
1 package Whole Wheat Phyllo Dough
? Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mince vegetables and add to 2 cups boiling water along with the spices, vegetarian ‘chicken’ stock power and salt. Cover and turn heat down, simmering for 2 minutes.Put Couscous into a large bowl. Pour hot water and vegetables over couscous.Add Petite Pois and fluff with a fork.Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap add cooked tempeh. Fluff with a fork.Because it dries out very quickly, phyllo dough must be kept covered and handled as little as possible.
Open Phyllo Dough package; remove product. Place flat on a cutting board.Cut in thirds; stacking the three pieces together.Cover with a clean tea towel.Using a clean pastry brush dipped into the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Brush the length of each of three strips of phyllo dough, stacking them on the cutting board as you go along.Place 1 heaping spoonful of the couscous tempeh mixture on the corner of the phyllo strip.Flag fold, brushing the top of the packet with the oil.Place Tricorns on a cookie sheet.Bake at 425o for 12 minutes until golden.Plate and serve as a savory or main dish with a crisp mixed green salad.
Mellow Mango Tempeh (Vegan)
Delicious Tempeh with a sweet and tangy sauce. Great ith Rice or Quinoa, or served ith noodles..
2 package prepared Tempeh cut into ?” cubes
4 Tbs. Canola Oil
1 Tbs. Turmeric
? tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1? tsp. Bell’s Poultry Seasoning
1 Fresh Pineapple cut into ?” chunks
1? Cups Fresh Chachies Mango Salsa
1 Tbs. Cornstarch or Arrowroot
? Cup of RO Water
Splash each of Tamari and Mirin
In a fry pan heat half of the Canola Oil (2 Tbs.) along with the Turmeric and Cayenne, add the cubed Tempeh to the heated oil along with the Poultry seasoning. Brown and turn adding the remainder of the oil as you brown the other side of the cubes. When they are a golden brown in color add the fresh pineapple and sauté until they too are seared and golden. Add the Mango Salsa and 1 Tbs. Arrowroot dissolved into ? Cup of RO Water with a small splash each of Tamari and Mirin. Continue to stir until the Tempeh and fruit is well coated, wonderfully fragrant and the glaze is clear. Serve with Quinoa, Brown Rice, Basmati Rice or over Quinoa (Keen-WAH) or Rice Pasta.
Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America which has all of the essential amino acids present and bio-available, It has been crafted into pasta also as has spinach. And don't give up on a food with finicky kids when new foods are introduced.
They will not starve.
Children need to have things introduced again and again until they finish with that stage of individuation -- which has nothing to do with whether or not a food is acceptable. In our household the rule was one bite of everything hether you like it or not.
If you give in to them and thier preferences only they will grow up into those obnoxious people who only eat a few things like meat and potatoes. Those who are so limited in their food choices that they are not only unhealthy but not fun to be with.either.
By the way, from my perspective eggs and fish are not vegetables. Both are sources of salmonella too.
Good luck to you and your family. Enjoy the adventure and don't worry. The vegetarian diet is healthy. Flesh foods with all their growth hormones and additives, antibiotics etc are the things to avoid!
Get this book, it's called Raising Vegetarian Children : A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony.
There are also books with lots of a good vegetarian recipes in it just for kids.
Green vegetables like broccoli, kale, and spinach have a lot
of calcium (this is why cows produce milk high in calcium, all that green grass).
Besides soy, other beans products have a high protein content.
Plenty of whole grains provide fiber and protein.
Soy milk can be purchased with extras like omega, calium and fiber.
A balanced, healthy diet can provide everything a human needs without needing to include meat.
Good Luck.
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if your really concerned, find a good multivitamin for kids that will cover what they need. it is healthier for them though... think about one of kids fav. foods- hot dogs... they're awful! the soy products are great because you can just take so many of the meals they ate before and just replace the meat with the soy product....
the hot dogs/burgers are great, but i really love the soy ground meat.... you can use it to make so many things... burritos and tacos, add it to pasta sauce, put it on pizza (have them make their own and incorporate a lot of veggie toppings and the crumbles), make a healthy version of 'hamburger helper' ... use whole wheat pasta, cheese, soy ground meat, and lots of broccoli... wraps are good becuase they can make them themselves.... make sandwiches besides pb & jelly (hummus, veggies, cheese, etc.)... incorporate beans into things... add it to salsa, put it in rices and pastas, anything.... have them eat more veggies and fruits as snacks and dip them in peanut butter.... i don't have kids, but i've been told i tend to eat like one so i hope that helps a little bit :)
oh and if you haven't already, try out soy milk... i actually find it tastes much better than milk and i wish we'd had it when i was a kid!
hemp products contain all the necessary amino acids for the human diet. eat beans for protein, not just soybeans, you can also use a vegetarian supplement like Vegetarian Support by Country Life.
Get a copy of "The New Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina and a copy of "Raising Vegetarian Children" by Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina. The American Dietetic Association states that a properly planned vegetarian diet is appropriate for all life stages, including pregnancy and lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. There are NO nutrients that your children cannot get on a vegetarian diet and B12 is not a worry if they are still eating eggs. Making a major shift in your consumption is a great opportunity to brush up on your nutritional knowledge. It's too much to cover in a forum like this or really on any website, which is why I always recommend a couple of great books. That way you can refer back to them over again as questions come up.
As an aside, please (PLEASE) don't call yourselves vegetarian if you are going to eat fish. I don't have any judgement against the diet you're choosing for your family, and I believe that cutting out all meat besides fish is a major step towards reducing animal suffering. But it's not vegetarian and every time someone claims to be veg, but then turns around and eats fish, it confuses the issue for everyone else. I am vegan and I don't want to get slipped fish in my food because some restaurant thinks it's OK. The term "pescetarian" has been coined for people who have eliminated all meat except for fish.
Southern Sweet Heat: what on Earth are you talking about? Someting pirates used to get? I can only assume you mean scurvy, which is caused by a vitamin C deficiency. Your friends must have been the world's WORST vegetarians to get scurvy because vitamin C isn't even IN meat - it's only in plant foods.
Whatever you do, avoid most soy. Natural soybeans, before being highly processed, are toxic. Use other types of beans instead.
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/so...
http://www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/basics/soy...
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/so...
http://www.life.ca/nl/101/soy.html
For Iron:
Instant oatmeal with a glass of OJ. (But not if it's calcium fortified- calcium blocks iron absorption.) Dried beans are good sources as well.
There are many brands of frozen waffles that are made from flax seeds, and are rich in omega-3s.
If you're still eating seafood, milk, and eggs, you don't need to worry about B-12. Fortified breakfast cereals are also a good source.
There aren't many people who need to concern themselves with getting enough fats.
Peanut butter, cheese, eggs and fish all have plenty of fat.
"Beyond Peanut Butter and Jelly" is a good book which may give you some ideas.
Good luck!
But if you're becoming veg for humane reasons, why are you eating fish? I'm not trying to call you out or anything, I guess I'm just kind of brainwashed by PETA lol
My kids have been vegan from birth. They have no problems at all. In fact, they are doing excellent. My eldest daughter is tall for her age and is doing gymnastics class with kids that are one or two years older than she is -- that's how advanced she is compared to them. So... there you go.
We regularly use a few things that I consider to be food but also a good source of nutrients: flax oil, nutritional yeast, miso, spirulina, Flora liquid vitamin for children...
Well, we have a very wide variety of foods we eat. That's the main thing. Just eat all different kinds of foods and make certain that you know how to cook properly. If your kids are very picky eaters... well, then you will know that you are a bad cook. I have cooked for kids that are apparently very picky eaters and basically won't eat anything... they gobble up my food for some reason. I think that it's because I use quality organic ingredients and I know how to cook -- you've got to get the knack of it. It's a practised skill, but there's knack too.
Your kids will hate u for making them a hippie
i dont think you should
thats there decion
and plus my freinds tried to be vegis.
and they got these bumps and stuff
and they went to the doctors
and i forget wwha he called it
put its somthing that pirets used to get cause they didnt
have any meat in there system
and he said the reason they got it is cause they were to young
not to be cunsuming meat
and they are bout 15