my 5 year old announced that he's a vegetarian

He told me yesterday that it breaks his heart to eat animals....I found it quite amazing for a 5 year old to come out with this on his own, he's an extraordinary child though in many ways -so this really didn't surprise me too much.
I have absolutely no problem with his choice and will respect it, but as a lifelong meat eater I'm feeling overwhelmed and clueless with where to start in preparing food for him...he's a picky eater as it is but maybe that was due to the meat I was serving him?!
I guess I'm looking for some advice and maybe some great kid friendly vegetarian recipe resources....I've found a few already but thought I would see what I could find here on the forums.
thanks:cheers2:

 

I really like this book by Carol Timperley.

I'll be interested to read others' recommendations as we are trying to transition to vegetarian as a family.

 

Aw thats so sweet. Good on you for letting him follow his heart and not just dismissing it. It may stick and it may not, the important thing was you were in full support! Bless him!

Ovo-lacto veg is easy, honestly, loads of kids meal potential. I know because I was one of the kids like him, I never liked eating meat. Good luck

 

Wow, congrats on a wonderful child!! Make sure you feed him properly... while a veg myself, I don't think it's a decision to be taken lightly at a young age.

 

How cool that you're willing to help him with his decision

Vegan Lunchbox is by far my absolute favorite website. I use it myself when we're planning meals, and my kids LIKE most of the foods! Sometimes they'll substitute real cheese for the vegan stuff, but it's really helped us.

Meatout Mondays is another one we use. I'm the only full-time veggie in our house, and I was looking for a way to not have to cook multiple meals each day. If you sign up for their newsletter, they'll send you a weekly email with a new recipe to try & a veggie-friendly food to explore. We don't try them all, but they all look good & so far MOST of the recipes we've tried have been really good!
love,
mom

 

wow- that's realy special.

I think just make sure you do a little research on the nutrients that will need to be replaced in his diet for his body to still be able to grow and be healthy- like iron and b12 and what not is really easy to get defincient in.

When I was 14 and told me mom I was veg- also a VERY picky eater at the time, she told me she supported me but I had to agree to try new foods and sometimes eat thinggs I didn't like in order to be healthy and I agreed and became shortly far less picky...maybe you could tell him if he's going to not eat meats he has to agree to try new foods. that's hard at age 5 maybe! but I think he seems really special and maybe would understand.

 

what got him thinking about vegetarianism?

 

thanks for the ideas and support everyone!!!

we're one week in and it's going quite splendidly if I do say so myself, tofu nuggets, ground round spaghetti sauce, and veggies galore (he's always been a big fruit eater so that helps a lot too) I've been experimenting with the different types of tofu and created an awsome smoothie ! (soft coconut tofu,crushed ice, banannas, orange juice, and fresh pineapple).
it is a little challenging creating new dishes for a vegetarian who is also a picky eater, but his whole attitude towards eating has changed so much that I enjoy the challenge...he used to dread mealtime, pick and complain about everything and take over an hour to eat- NOW he eats it faster than I can dish it up!

I have to say I've also enjoyed the vegetarian dishes and can see myself slowly making the transition....who would've thought?! (I know your laughin drumminmama)

I don't know what brought on his desire to be vegetarian, he's just always been a peaceful and loving earth child who surprises me in all sorts of ways...

 

Awe! I love it!

I'd say when you guys have or grill hamburgers, make him a veggie burger instead. And the same with Taco night. My mom used to always make refried beans when we'd eat tacos for dinner, so if that's the case with your family, it wouldn't be much of a change to put beans instead of hamburger meat for him. Or maybe do some homemade mini pizzas, where he can put mushrooms or pineapple or onion on it and if he's feeling good about it, some vegan cheese, while the rest of the family uses pepperoni or what not. Stir Fry's are another easy thing to make differently for everyone. I love tofu in mine as opposed to chicken or pork strips.

Also, if you ever eat fast food. Taco Bell is the best, because it will allow him to have the biggest variety of choices. Cheese Quesadillas are delicious with a fresco bean burrito. Lol. And Burger King has veggie burgers.

 

That is so cute.
You know, there was a study done about how smart kids tend to become vegetarian in their lives...

 

Aww that's so cute. I'm glad you let him, my dad didn't think I really wanted to, so I wasn't until I stayed with my mom.

Glad it's going well.

 

My six year old goes back and forth between eating what veggie mom eats or what omni dad eats. He made the announcement a few weeks ago that he was not going to eat meat any more. Dad promptly ordered Chinese food for dinner. Since steamed dumplings are his absolute favorite food, he lost interest in being veggie. But he does eat a lot of veggie food and little meat.

Have you tried Vegan Family Favorites by Erin Pavlina? Even though I'm not vegan it has lots of kid friendly food in it. I use it all the time. And it's only $6.72.

http://www.veganfamilyfavorites.com/

Kathi

 

don't forget nutritional yeast

 

how bout some pasta dishes with veggies in a tomato sauce, all kids love veggies. try these fake chicken nuggets. they taste just like the real ones. the brand is Quorn. also if he likes nuts and beans then you are golden cuz that will help with protein. You can make a mean vegetarian chili that even you will enjoy.

Just wondering, Are you still going to use chicken broth when you make soup for him?

 

I hope his guilt over eating animals don't become a roadblock in his life. <iggy:

 

When I was a kid I would not eat meat. They literally had to force me or trick me into it. And then when I was 12 I became vegetarian by personal choice and am now vegan. I think that you really respect and love your child by listening to him.

 

That. Is. Adorable.

Oh, let him experiment. I'm veg, too, and wanted to try it for years before I was actually able to. My mother thought that it was sinful, as we were "given rule over the animals" (yeah, she's nuts. . . ). My father was neutral, but didn't want Mom to have to make two meals. I ate what the family ate. My roommate later threw an insulted fit when I wouldn't eat her huge oily meaty messes. She thought I was deliberately insulting her cooking, and as I was living under her roof for no more rent than a few chores I ate of the meat.

Now, I promised my fiance that he didn't have to join me, but that he did have to at least try the veggie dishes so that I could find food we could agree on. He knows that I do it for health and ecology, not animal rights, so we're great. I do have to remind him to eat meat from time to time, but he's slowly phasing it out by himself. He's not vegetarian, but he doesn't need as much meat as most people. We're both compromising nicely for it.

Just keep him balanced. Very few things annoy me as much as a Veg*an throwing a fit because someone else eats meat. I understand the animal rights argument. I even share it to an extent. But is yelling at an omnivore any less offensive than mocking an herbivore? This is a personal choice, almost like a religion. It cannot be forced.

I would reccomend studying (reading out loud if needed) the subject. The science of nutrition is fascinating, as are the issues of vegetarianism. If he is sad for the deaths of the animals, will he wear leather? What about taxidermy, what does he think about that? For myself, I wear leather out of respect for the cow's death and connection to my inner cave woman, but taxidermy disturbs me intensely. Does he know the difference between the food groups, and where to get what protein? Now is a good time to discuss the food chain, and that animals eat each other because they have to, and maybe that we do not.