Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

First of all, thanks for creating the Savvy Vegetarian web site!

A little story about myself: I have struggled with weight issues most of my adult life. Recently I decided (educated myself) that there are tremendous flaws in the western diet.

When I first met my wife in college she was nearly a vegetarian, and used to have many militant vegan friends. These militants really turned me off about this style of eating. Their closed minded anger fueled rants about people and food had a tremendous negative effect on me.

Now I’m staring 40 in the face and have never been in worse shape and very overweight, bordering on obese. I have watched a couple of independent documentaries “Food Inc” and “Forks over Knives” as well as reading a few books on nutrition by doctors and scientists. They all come to the same conclusion; a whole foods plant based diet is the healthiest way for human beings to live.

So, I decided about a month ago to live as near a vegan diet as possible. No sugars, no white flour, no processed foods, no soda pop, no caffeine, no alcohol, no meat, and no dairy, no artificial dyes and flavorings. More whole grains and plant based foods minus all the bad stuff has already helped me to lose 10 pounds in the last month and a half. Internally I am feeling so much better.

I have already cooked several recipes from your web site and have enjoyed them very much. I am quickly winning my wife over, and even my 12- year old son, but am having a difficult time weaning my 7-year old son off of the sugar, and still have battles with him when it comes to eating my cooking.

Anyway thanks for making your vegetarian & vegan recipes available to those who want to make lifestyle changes in their eating habits. – Michael H.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Michael. You’re welcome. Thanks for your inspiring story! Three cheers for you!

I have a few comments about your sugar-addicted 7 year old reluctant vegan son.

Remember, a short while ago, before your conversion, that reluctant 7 year old was you! You didn’t want to know the truth until you were ready to figure it out for yourself. And he probably isn’t ready either.

Plus, it’s a lot to ask kids that age to make such major dietary changes, because their brains haven’t matured enough to follow the logic. Lecturing and forbidding just seems to make them dig in their heels.

So I suggest using the carrot instead of the stick approach, and weaning him gradually. First offer homemade treats that aren’t so full of sugar and other bad things, in exchange for his usual treats. If he’ll agree to that, check out Savvy Veg dessert recipes with him, or get a copy of the healthy dessert cookbook, Sweet Freedom. Get him involved in making the treats.

The only problem I can see with that idea is that you might be tempted to eat them! Or he might want to eat them all! So give some of the goodies to disgustingly skinny people you know. It’s the best revenge! Or a homeless shelter or something like that.

Then offer him rewards. E.G. My grandkids get a lot of candy given out to them at school (I know, it’s criminal!). My daughter has them put their candy in a quart jar, then when the jar is full, they get $5. Great motivator!

Give him a small glass of unsweetened fruit juice a day instead of pop. Real fruit juice in flavors he likes. Offer it as a reward for abstaining outside the home. It’s still sugary, but will satisfy his sweet tooth without all the horrible effects of all the bad things in pop. And it’s something special just for him. And of course, don’t buy pop or let him buy it. You have some control there.

Once he’s moved over that far from his present intractible position, it’ll be easier to nudge him along further toward eating your cooking. Try to make more kid friendly foods for him, and give him some healthy choices. Try my daughter’s weekly menu plan for kid friendly meals, and tips for getting your kids to eat more veggies.

All the best, Judith Kingsbury

Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

I have a very picky eater (10 yo)! She will only eat:  Pizza, white rice, refried beans,  mac&cheese or cheese tortellini,  mini bagels (with strawberry cream cheese),  soft salty pretzels,  and veggie ham and cheese or egg and feta as long as I wrap it in a white tortilla (slaps forehead).

She will gag …and physically puke if she detects the slightest hint of an herb or taste that is not what she expects or likes. I’d like some suggestions on how to stay true to vegetarianism, offer her what she likes but add some variety and healthiness in her (mostly) vegetarian diet.

She likes pepperoni (!) but no other meat. I convinced her to take a bite of some seitan which she didn’t gag over (hope!).  The only thing I’ve been able to sneak in is pureed pumpkin or finely chopped spinach in the refried beans, and tofu in eggs.  I’ve bought books with recipes for picky eaters, mom-n-me, and the recipe books on hiding things in your child’s meals, but I can only get 1-2 things out of them. Some of the recipes make me point and laugh out loud. Really?!  - O.A.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi O.A. – My granddaughter, who just turned 11, is like that too! But you should be able to find healthy things that she’ll eat, because there’s almost an infinite variety available in vegetarian food.   I don’t believe at this age that you’ll get her to eat 100% healthy or 100% veg all the time. 50% is a realistic goal. I think you probably agree that the occasional pepperoni and chicken nuggets is a non-issue compared to her overall nutrition levels.

At ten, your daughter is most likely ready to start learning about vegetarian nutrition and to help with cooking, shopping & cleaning up – so she knows what vegetarians need to eat to be healthy, what’s involved in producing food, and can start “owning” her diet, taking responsibility for her diet, and deciding what she needs and wants to make for herself to eat. (You’re her Mom, not her kitchen slave. :-) Once she understands what her food should be providing, for optimum health, growth and physical development, she’ll be more likely to get on board with the healthy food choices. Choices being the key.

The freedom to make some of her own food choices, instead of having you nag her to eat right or try to sneak green things into her food, must come with responsibility for eating healthy so she gets the nutrition her body needs. The consequences of NOT eating healthy must be clearly spelled out. She’s on the verge of adolescence, when proper nutrition is more critical than at any other time of life except infancy.

Once the idea of eating a certain amount of veggies, fruit, whole grains and legumes every day is accepted, then the choices you offer her become easier and more obvious. E.G. whether to eat Black Bean Quesadillas or a Black Bean Veggie Burger for supper, granola with almond milk or whole wheat toast & almond butter for breakfast, hummus or fried tofu in her veggie wrap, an orange or an apple for a snack.

I realize that the tricky part of this vegetarian diet plan is getting her on board with it. A lot depends on the amount of interest and motivation she has. It’s not something you can force on her, but it’s something you can motivate and help her to learn, by making this a project you do together, gradually increasing her responsibility as her knowledge and cooking skills grow. The idea isn’t to turn her into a little vitamin counter, but to raise her awareness about food.

Have a look at our kid friendly recipes. Many of them are easy enough for her to learn to make herself, and will appeal to her 10 yr old taste buds. Savvy Vegetarian’s nutrition report gives nutrition basics without boring statistics. Follow up on some of the resources we list there if one or both of you want to go more in depth. One book I highly recommend is the reliable and readable veg nutrition bible, The New Becoming Vegetarian by Melina & Davis. Even if she’s not interested in reading it herself, it’ll help you become a knowledgeble source of nutrition info for her.

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

Question for Savvy Vegetarian: My 20 month old daughter has food allergies – she is allergic to dairy, eggs, and all nuts. I am concerned that there are several key nutrients she may be either low on or not getting, among them protein.

Her doctor recently suggested I add tofu to her diet…is this enough? We already eat soy yogurt and soynut butter and soymilk. I have removed all allergens from the house…what other foods can I use to replace those she’s allergic to?

I want to make sure she has a healthy diet, and as healthy a start as possible. Thank you – Rebecca S.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Rebecca, thanks for writing! It’s the age old mother’s dilemna: how to give your kids a healthy diet that’s also kid friendly! Things get complicated when there are food allergies to take into account, but it’s still pretty easy to give them a healthy but kid friendly diet they’ll actually eat.

Fortunately, kids love tofu, and it’s high in protein. There are lots of great tofu recipes on Savvy Veg. Some kid friendly favorites are tofu burgers, pasta, tofu & veggies, tofu quiche, and fried tofu.

But rather than focus exclusively on soy foods to compensate for her food allergies, you could add beans and lentils, mashed to make them easier to digest and also to disguise them, to her diet. Or cooked in veggie soups and stews, until very soft. Crockpot lima bean stew and mung dhal veggie soup are two easily digested examples a 20 month old could eat. Kids a little older like black eyed peas and pinto beans a lot, because they’re soft, sweet tasting beans.

Kids, even as young as 20 months, usually like mild hummus.  ( if you make the recipe on Savvy Veg , omit the garlic). Lentil burgers or black bean burgers might also appeal to her – something she can eat with her hands. Check our bean recipes for these and other recipes to try.

I’m assuming your daughter can eat sunflower, sesame or pumpkin seeds, chia seeds or flax seeds, ground up and added to other foods or made into a paste? Remember too that all veggies and most fruits have some protein, which adds up over the course of the day.  A one cup serving of avocado, for example, has 3 grams of protein, and a medium potato with skin has 4 grams. And whole grains like quinoa, brown rice and oatmeal have significant amounts of protein in each serving.

From what I’ve read, and my own experience, giving her lots of those foods should also help the food allergy situation by making her diet more alkaline and adding a wide variety of vitamins and minerals not found in non-plant foods.

I know this is a challenging situation but here’s the upside: Dealing with your daughter’s food allergies will help the whole family move toward a healthier diet!

By the way, it might be helpful to check out our article on Vegan Baking Substitutions.

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

More On Children and Food Allergies:

• 3 year old has dairy allergy
• Lactose intolerant baby has soy allergy
• Food Allergy Survival Guide Review
• Son’s allergic reaction to dairy in M & M’s

Medical Disclaimer: Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. Savvy Vegetarian and its employees do not claim to be health care professionals, dietitians, or nutritionists. We do not treat, or recommend treatment, for any illness or health condition.

Dear Savvy Vegetarian,

My 8 year old daughter became a vegetarian two months ago. My husband and I who are not vegetarian are trying our best to support her choice.

She is also an avid dancer training two to three hours a day. This is HER choice, we are NOT pushing this on her. (I have 4 daughters and K. truly is her own unique little person) ;-)

We also homeschool so before she started she had to do her own research and decide what level she would be – lacto-ovo vegetarian.

I am concerned about her not getting enough calories. She has lost a few pounds and doesn’t have them to lose. How can I make sure that she is getting enough calories with her growth and her intense dance schedule? She will be training even more next year.

I’m sure we are going to be regular visitors to your site. We had the quinoa black bean salad for lunch today. Yummy!!!

Thank you for your help. Smiles, J. H.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi J.H.,

It’s not easy to keep active, growing vegetarian children from being skinny. They’ll plump out, then shoot up and get skinny again and so on. At least that was my experience. But losing weight isn’t so great!

My advice is to go heavy on the carbs and fats – no more than 50% whole grains, oatmeal and rice are good – lots of nuts and seeds, dried fruit, beans in whatever form she likes them. She should be eating a kid vegetarian diet, not a grown-up vegetarian diet.

Kid friendly recipes my kids loved to eat (over & over): refried beans & hummus in burritos, quesadillas, wraps, sandwiches or as dips, vegetarian chili, pasta tofu & veggies, tofu burgers, pizza bagels, mac’n'cheese, endless bowls of cereal, scrambled eggs, toast & nut butter, blanched almonds, tons of fresh fruit, juice, yogurt, pancakes, muffins, chips, cookies (I made healthy ones, preferably with oatmeal – the only way I could get them to eat it without a fight. That and granola. Moms have to be pro-active!).

They ate veggies of course. Potatoes were always good, carrot salad, broccoli & carrots, peas, corn, green beans, baked yams & winter squash, raw veggies & dip often. They weren’t fond of leafy greens, but I could sneak them into soups, quiche, stir fries.

A childrens multivitamin is a good idea, imo. Rainbow Light Vitamins is a good one – Vita Cost has the best prices.

Here are links to a few articles and advice letters which might be helpful:

9 yr old goes veg, Mom worried

Veg Protein Sample Menus

A Week of Menus for Vegetarian Kid-Friendly Meals

I highly recommend the book “Becoming Vegetarian” as a 1st class vegetarian nutrition guide. It has an excellent chapter on child veg nutrition.

All the best, Judith Kingsbury

Medical Disclaimer: Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. Savvy Vegetarian and its employees do not claim to be health care professionals, dietitians, or nutritionists. We do not treat, or recommend treatment, for any illness or health condition.

Mom with twin babies is introducing solid foods into their vegetarian diet. She is looking for advice on where to find baby food recipes and baby food mills.

Question for Savvy Vegetarian:

Hello, I have a set of six month old twin babies and have just started introducing solid foods.

They have been on soy milk formula and breast milk to date and I would like to raise them on a vegetarian diet.

Do you have any advice, articles, recipes, or good web sites I can check out? It seems like there is mostly junk out there which tells you to still give them dairy. I would appreciate it! – J.K.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Congratulations on becoming the mother of twins! Double the joy – and double the work. Hope you’re managing to get some sleep!

It boggles my mind that medical people still tell Moms to give their babies dairy milk, and I also get pretty exercised about the low level of support for breastfeeding! But that’s a whole ‘nother topic!

As far as baby food recipes go, Homemade Baby Food Recipes has some good ones, and they also sell baby food mills. Those are Mom’s best friend, because then your babies can eat what you eat. For older babies, just mash things up with a fork, or give them finger foods.

Generally, bland food, non-acidic, is best for babies – you could start them off with potato, sweet potato or butternut squash, for example. Avocado or banana is usually a hit, or cream of rice cereal with breast milk or non-dairy milk.

Babies are pretty decided in what they like to eat, actually. I recommend Cathe Olson’s website, Simply Natural Books, about feeding your vegetarian kids. She has a baby food recipe book, and there are two of her articles in the list below.

I also highly recommend the vegetarian nutrition bibles, ‘Becoming Vegan’, or ‘Becoming Vegetarian’, by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis. They cover the topic of child vegetarian nutrition pretty thoroughly. As an intro to vegetarian nutrition, download the Savvy Vegetarian nutrition report.

Savvy Veg Articles and advice, related to your question:

How to Get Enough Protein in Your Vegetarian Diet
Vegetarian Protein Sample Menus
Feeding a Lactose Intolerant Child
Eight Ways to Get Your Family to Eat Vegetables
Feeding Your Independent Toddler
Going Veg With a 4 Year Old

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

I’m aiming for lots of calories to fuel their endless growth spurts, omega-3s, lots of fruit and veggies, whole grains, and adequate calcium in a diet that doesn’t include much dairy. They drink 2 servings of non-dairy milk a day with snack and dinner.

The following menu is what we ate last week  – Sarah Kingsbury, Savvy Veg

MONDAY

Breakfast:

• cornbread with maple syrup
• Super Breakfast Smoothie

Lunch/Dinner

• Hoppin’ John (from Heaven’s Banquet Ayurvedic Cookbook) made with black-eyed peas cooked the night before
• Brown rice
• Salad with lemon and oil dressing which I make in big batches once or twice a week and store in the fridge
• Cornbread

TUESDAY

Breakfast:

• Homemade granola with warm non-dairy milk. I make the granola in large batches and keep it on hand for a quick nutritious breakfast
• Super Breakfast Smoothie

Lunch: My older daughter has a field trip to the zoo, so it’s a brown bag lunch for everyone.

• PB&J sandwiches
• Soy yogurt
• Fresh fruit
• Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Juice box

Dinner:

• Black bean quesadillas with spinach and non-dairy cheese made from beans that I soaked the morning before and cooked the night before. I will make a double batch of filling so we can have them again on Thursday night. I like to keep it quick and simple if I have to cook at night.
• Roasted potatoes

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast:

• Pancakes with maple syrup
• Super Breakfast Smoothie

Lunch/Dinner

• Fried tofu
• Pasta and tomato sauce from a jar
• Sautéed veggies: broccoli, kale, carrots

THURSDAY

Breakfast:

• Granola with warm milk
• Super Breakfast Smoothie

Lunch/Dinner: This time it’s my younger daughter who has a field trip, so it’s brown bag lunches and Black bean quesadillas once more.

FRIDAY

Breakfast:

• Scrambled eggs or scrambled tofu
• Oatmeal date nut muffins
• Super Breakfast Smoothie

Lunch/Dinner:

• Pasta bean soup made with canned kidney beans or beans I cooked ahead of time
• Oatmeal date nut muffins
• Salad with lemon and oil dressing

WEEKEND

Breakfast:

I always make sure that there are lots of bread, bagels, or cereal and fruit on hand, so the kids can help themselves.

Lunch/Dinner:

• Tofu Burgers
• Roasted potatoes
• Salad

I only plan one meal on the weekends since we often eat at the homes of friends or family or eat out. Tofu burgers are one of my kids’ favorite meals. I am planning to start teaching my kids to cook on the weekends and I thought starting with foods they love would make them more enthusiastic about cooking lessons.

Message for Savvy Vegetarian:
Hi, I just stumbled on your website and wonder if you might have any advice for me. My 7 year old went vegetarian (lacto-ovo) 2 months ago. The rest of the family are omnivores, but I grew up with a vegetarian brother so it’s not unfamiliar to me. I am trying to learn everything I can about nutrition, and read the nutrition advice letters (thank you!).

My concern is that my son is having some behavior issues, seemingly all of a sudden, and I’m wondering if it could be related to the change in his diet. His decision made me realize that we eat meat most nights, and we’ve all been cutting back, but how does that affect him by cutting it out completely? Could there be a link? He has less patience, is more apt to “act out” with his brothers, and has more melt downs (in other words, he’s acting more like a 4-5 year old). Any ideas and/or advice you have is greatly appreciated! K.M.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi K.M.,

Thanks for writing! I’m so glad when I encounter families who are willing to support their children going veg, even though it must be inconvenient for them.

From raising my own kids, I remember that when a child ‘acts out’, you should look at simple physical causes first: like hunger, pain, fatigue.

Diet might not have anything to do with it, but on the other hand, your son’s behavior could be related to:

not getting enough calories: his diet may be low on fat, complex carbs, protein (from whole grains, nuts & seeds, beans & lentils, tofu).
low on certain nutrients: iron, b12, calcium, vit D, omega 3′s are some that come to mind
food sensitivities: soy and nuts are two common ones for children, dairy is also a possibility, if he’s eating a lot more dairy than he used to, that could show up.
indigestion or constipation: his tummy might be having trouble adapting to his new diet.

If possible, it could be a good idea to go over his diet with an RD. Plus have him tested for deficiencies and allergies. And he should be weighed to see if he’s a good weight for his age and height.

But course all that opens you up to all kinds of trouble. So first, you might want to do some things yourself. When a child that age who is growing rapidly suddenly stops eating an entire food group which supplied a high percentage of his nutrition, you need to replace those nutrients and
calories with other foods – which I’m sure you’re working on doing.

If he’s eating a variety of whole foods, & getting enough calories, then it’s likely he’s getting enough protein. But it might be a good idea to give him a children’s multi (with B12 & Vit D), and something for his digestion – probiotics come to mind, but I don’t know how a 7 year old might take to
that! Maybe goat’s milk yogurt & fruit smoothies with some protein powder mixed in? More fresh fruit and water? Keep tabs on foods he seems to want a lot, or not want.

Please check out these pages for more ideas on what kind of foods he should
be eating:

Plant Food Protein Chart
How To Get Enough Protein In A Vegetarian Diet
Protein Sample Menus
Vegetarian Nutrition Report

This book could also be very helpful to you as a reference: The New Becoming Vegetarian, by Vesanto Melina & Brenda Davis, both RD’s.

Savvy Veg has a lot of kid friendly high calorie, high protein recipes that
your whole family would probably enjoy, especially if you’re cutting back on your meat consumption. You’ll find some in the protein sample menus, also cruise the tofu and bean recipes.

All the best,
Judith Kingsbury