My daughter ....

[Farmer_Gyles]

... has just got back from skiing trip to america and announced that she is now a vegetarian ......
how does that happen on a skiing trip?

and what are the chances of her, at 13 years old, helping me, her darling daddy, to grow the fruit and veg she wants to eat?

[smallblueplanet]

You don't think much of her choice then?

[Alison]

My niece became vegetarian at 13 after thinking about animal cruetly for a number of years. As the rest of her family are meat eaters who actually consume very little veg she has now taken on a responsibility for a lot of her own diet and taught herself to cook by means of books and support from various friends and family members. She's now coming up for 17 is very responsible for her diet. Somebody bought her a book called "Vegetables Rock!: A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians" (£6.83 at Amazon) which gives a very good explation of from where to get various nutrients which I would recommend. Encourage her, at her age she is more than capable of making a mature decision and it is very positive that she is making decisions about her diet rather than relying on burgers as so many of her age do!

PS - I'm not veggie but support it as a very valid choice, especially as we should all be cutting down on meat intake for environmental and health issues if nothing else!

[NOG]

I think Vegatarians are great...If ever I was in a plane crash I would want it to be with a party of Vegies....
1.so when the food ran out and we had to eat some one they wouldn't want to eat me
2. the Vegie we killed would be all tender and corn fed. Yummm

[Farmer_Gyles]

SBP - it's her choice so not a problem - i can understand people make that decision cos they've thought about animal cruelty and stuff, but ..... she was on a skiing trip .........??

Alison - cheers for the book suggestion - if she sticks with being a veggie i'll definitely get the book - she can cook - and would be nice if she helps grow her dinner!
but i disagree with the environmental argument for vegetarianism - there'd be a whole lot more environment if the vegetarians stop eating it

[smallblueplanet]

SBP - it's her choice so not a problem - i can understand people make that decision cos they've thought about animal cruelty and stuff, but ..... she was on a skiing trip .........??

Her 'road to Damascus'? I wish I'd had the courage of my convictions at your daughters age - I knew I didn't want to have animals killed for me to eat or for cosmetics or lots of other things, but it was too easy and convenient to turn a blind eye. I couldn't be bothered, it was to easy to stay the same - I wish I'd had more guts and motivation, I'm now ashamed of how I did nothing.

Support your daughter, it may be a 'fad' but I'm sure she'll appreciate your understanding.

[carlseawolf]

support your daughter in her choice as it may not be arest of her life choice but a so called fad , my partner is vegetarian has been since early teens and she's fit and well and also had children .
the only thing i would say is maybe take her to a diet expert to give her advice on the choice she has taken and so aleast you keep her safe by making sure she has a balanced diet.
after all when she smells bacon butty or a big mac and has one of them frizbies or here plate called veg burgers she will soon come running back to meat
.

[carlseawolf]

p.s i think you got more chance of her going back to meat than getting her hands dirty in the garden

[madderbat]

Sell the growing on ethical/ecological grounds, I'm sure she will be keen. There really is nothing like the first taste of your own grown veg.

[Two_Sheds]

I became semi-veggie at about the same age (I just never liked the taste or texture of meat or fish). When I left home at 17 I never bought meat again. I'm 38 this year; same dress size as when I left home
I've had 20 years of abuse from meat-eaters, despite never trying to convert a single one of them.
I don't crave bacon or Big Macs - they just smell of burnt grease to me - but I do cook meat for OH every other day (he's on a healthy diet now and actually prefers my Quorn chicken-style pieces to actual real chicken... and he's lost a stone in four weeks eating my kind of food instead of kebabs and KFCs).

[zazen999]

Hi

Not eaten meat or fish for 23 years here; I just don't like the stuff, never really did. It's not a point of principle or anything but people always think it is, and never tried to start arguments about it but got plenty of abuse for it over the years where there really is no need.

I am really just a normal person who doesn't eat meat or fish - I also don't eat mushrooms but there's no word for that.

I'd let her get on with it, and encourage her to grow the stuff but their attention spans are so short these days, perhaps it would be better to start her off on some harvesting and she might then get be interested in the actual growing as she gets older?

[redadmiral]

i'm vegetarian and have been all my life (my parents were), it's all just a case of being aware of things like getting enough protein and iron etc which may not be as prolific in a vegetarian diet. nevertheless, i'm just as healthy and strong, if not moreso, than my meat eating friends...
i too, though, have been getting abuse from meat eaters all my life, even from friends and family in the guise of rather insulting "jokes", and i'm not sure why. i have never tried to convert anyone, never insulted anyone elses choice of diet, and always cooked for myself or made do in restaurants... i must say i find it quite discouraging when i try to be as open-minded and easy-going as possible not to get the same respect in return...
though i suppose, if i try to put myself in other people's shoes, perhaps being around a vegetarian is threatening? maybe people get defensive because, as zazen said, they think it is a point of principle and therefore they are being judged for not having made the same choice? and the hassle i get is a sort of pre-emptive defense from them, despite me not having said a word?! ok, i'm just rambling now...

to return to the original post - i agree with the harvesting idea, maybe look up some veggie recipes using the produce you've grown, and see if she wants to harvest and cook some of it with you?

[Farmer_Gyles]

well my first thoughts were of lentil soup and sandals ........ but i do know better than that

i'll be the first to admit i don't have much of a clue about vegetarian cooking etc - and nor does my daughter - and i will need some help and will definitely be asking for advice etc!

she survived the week in america living on a "meat free" diet, where she'd eat everything but the meat (ie, chips) - and somehow i don't think that's a healthy vegetarian diet

so i've whipped her down to tescos to pick up something for dinner today and tomorrow and get some ideas for vegetarian cooking - it's helped a bit, it's a start - but took ages

we've had cheese and tomato pizza and chips today - just been too hectic today what with her coming home and having a ton of washing to do etc and the sudden announcment that she's turned veggie .........

one thing i did realise is that cream cakes are meat free too so i'm thinking of turning veggie too

[janeyo]

It's an age whe lots of young girls turn veggie, I did at age 14 and still am 20 yrs on! (where did all that tiem go? lol) The thing we me was that we lived opposite a slaughter house and the animals would be unloaded.

She may grow out of it, she may not, but it's a typical age to be thinking about the world and what's going on - either that or she has her eye on a chap who is also veggie

janeyo

[smallblueplanet]

....i'll be the first to admit i don't have much of a clue about vegetarian cooking etc - and nor does my daughter - and i will need some help and will definitely be asking for advice etc!

Perhaps as an easy start you could replace 'meat' in your cooking with alternatives, rather than plan whole new recipes?

Two_Sheds OH is finding Quorn an acceptable, tasty even, alternative? We use the frozen quorn mince in spag bols & chillis, etc. But we also make versions with lentils too. Quorn make some chunky bits too, the fake 'beef' bits are quite tasty. There are lots of 'meat' alternatives out there, some tastier than others.