Feeding a vegetarian kid
July 9, 2009 by Shannon
When I tell people — especially moms — that my son and I are vegetarian, they almost always ask, “How do you make sure he gets enough protein?”
My answer: contrary to popular belief, adults and kids don’t need the massive amounts of protein that you might think. Take, for example, this point from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:
“Naturally, children need protein to grow, but they do not need high-protein, animal-based foods. Many people are unaware that a varied menu of grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits supplies plenty of protein. The “protein deficiencies” that our parents worried about in impoverished countries were the result of starvation or diets restricted to very few food items.”
So what, then, do you feed a vegetarian kid? Here are some of the proteins we live on:
- Beans — in soups and stews, an ingredient in falafel or veggie burger patties, in pasta salads
- Bean spreads — hummus, black bean with chives, white bean with garlic
- Nuts and seeds — in oatmeal, salads and as snacks
- Nut butters — peanut, almond, cashew, tahini in sandwiches and on crackers
- Tofu — stir-fried, baked, marinated, grilled or blended into smoothies and dips
- TVP (texturized vegetable protein) — a taco or sloppy joe filling, an addition to chili and stew
- Eggs — scrambled and in egg salad
- Milk and cheese — in everything!
You may have noticed those last two bullet points. My son and I are what you would call lacto-ovo vegetarians — we eat eggs and dairy. We do not eat fish. Or chicken. (In my opinion, the most baffling question posed to a vegetarian is, “You’re a vegetarian, so…do you eat chicken?”)
What happens when Kellan gets older? I’m not sure. We’re going to cross that bridge when we come to it. Eventually he will come to a point where he’ll choose his meals for himself. But even if he doesn’t choose the vegetarian path, I’m just happy knowing my son is more familiar with hummus than hot dogs. I hope I’m putting him on a path to make healthy choices for himself down the road.
My husband and I wonder if he’ll wind up consuming cookies and Coke every day for lunch once he hits junior high school. Whatever. Right now, Mommy controls the menu.
Yummy veggie recipe ideas:
Don’t miss this week’s Momcast: Summer Sickness Sucks.
Comments (6)
Though I now love my red meat, I was raised vegetarian and always laughed when people suggested we must only eat vegetables. There are so many delicious options out there. Great post. FYI, there are some great meat substitutes available at WinCo or Amazon.com from companies like Loma Linda and Worthington. Basically everything from bacon to hotdogs to ground beef has a meatless alternative.
Great menu suggestions for kids and parents alike. I’m totally with you on the hummus vs. hot dogs thing. My kids know both, but they know hummus better. I’m hoping to keep Amelia more on the hummus track than I did Amelia. Hadley is already ruined.
thanks for the momcast alert!
Have you read the book “In Defense of Food”? It’s pretty interesting and you might enjoy it. I don’t agree with all of it but the basic principals I do try to follow. The theme is “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” The key being to eat “real” food - which in this day and age can be tough to find sometimes!
I have heard of that book! It’s right up there on my “To Read” list, once I finish a book lent to me by a former co-worker. (Sorry Rachel!) Glad to hear you liked it — I’ll let you know what I think once I finally get around to reading it!
I love all your recipes and helpful nutrition tips. I’m trying to cut meat out of our diet more for Yosh’s digestive health than anything else, and you’ve helped give me an idea of what we could be eating instead of what we’re used to. Thanks and keep the cuisine coming!
Maybe when you’ve got a plethora of ideas you should do an Anchormommy Cookbook for the health consious mom!