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Above post reminds me of my youngest. I remember serving her chicken soup with noodles for the first time which she liked somewhat till she made a face (she was 6ish) and pulled out this miniscule, and I mean miniscule piece of chicken and left it on her napkin. She asked what it was as it tasted really bad to her. She ate the carrots, celery, onions, herbs..no problem. Tiny piece of chicken that the strainer didn't catch. ..she tasted it. The broth was from bones. It was the most "meat" I can get in her before she she discovered veggie or miso broth. She never wandered from her no meat stance, I think it's more than just a phase.
Luckily though, she loves a wide variety of flavors so she isn't picky that way. From seaweed to Wasabi to salsa and even hot chilis, loves it all.
Your child is 8. You make the rules, not her. Unless you make her the center of attention about this, she will probably get over it in a few months.
I would cook normal balanced meals for the family, and allow her to skip the meat. I did this for my son when he was little, and he got over it after awhile.
Get over it?
She wants to eat healthily and ethically.
Her kitten didn't die.
Parents should assist in creating a healthy balanced diet for her. Instead of what happened to some people I know who went veg as kids with little to no support from parents - eating all sorts of processed crap and sugar.
Also consider the multitude of ethnic cuisines that rely nearly completely (if not completely) on a veg diet.
Excellent point. One of the great things about your child being open to a vegetarian diet is that it will enlarge her palate. I have had many friends through the years whose kids would consume a very limited variety of foods. One would eat only cereal, chicken nuggets, potatoes, baby carrots, cheese pizza, and PB&J on a specific brand of bread. It went on for years! I thought his mother was going to lose her mind. A vegetarian diet done right will open a whole world of flavor to your child, and you'll learn things along the way, too. It can be great fun for a family to explore vegetarianism together.
Pescetarian is a type of omnivore, just a more specific word, like "turquoise" is a form of "blue". "Blue" is correct as well.
Pescetarian is not a type of vegetarian.
The problem is that people have become confused about what vegetarian is, to the point that it's difficult to order something in the restaurant after being assured the dish is vegetarian. This is due to the misuse of the term. Wait staff and even chefs use seafood in dishes they sell as "vegetarian". So when you misuse the term, it adds to this issue. That is why vegetarians correct people when they incorrectly use the term(s), not to be dicks, but because it creates problems for us when you do.
Pescetarian is a type of omnivore, just a more specific word, like "turquoise" is a form of "blue". "Blue" is correct as well.
Pescetarian is not a type of vegetarian.
The problem is that people have become confused about what vegetarian is, to the point that it's difficult to order something in the restaurant after being assured the dish is vegetarian. This is due to the misuse of the term. Wait staff and even chefs use seafood in dishes they sell as "vegetarian". So when you misuse the term, it adds to this issue. That is why vegetarians correct people when they incorrectly use the term(s), not to be dicks, but because it creates problems for us when you do.
Non-vegetarians correct people when it's misused too. Cheat sheet, again:
Omnivore: what all humans are - able to thrive nutritionally by eating a diverse variety of foods, including meat and plant, cooked and uncooked, processed and unprocessed.
Carnivore: what many mammals are - deriving *most* of their nutritional needs from raw unprocessed uncooked meat - can supplement with plants but not necessary.
Herbivore: what many other mammals are - physiologically developed to derive *most* of their nutritional needs from raw unprocessed uncooked plants - can supplement with small amounts of meat (as in bugs and insects) but not necessary.
Then there are the food CHOICES:
Vegetarian: humans who choose to refrain from eating any foods containing actual animal flesh.
Vegan: humans who choose to refrain from any foods containing flesh, AND any foods containing ingredients that were made by animals (such as dairy and honey).
Ethical vegan: a lifestyle choice rather than a dietary choice - they also refrain from wearing leather or burning beeswax candles or making use of ANY product that was made with animal, by animal, or out of animal.
Pescetarian: a human who eats primarily vegetarian food, but adds the meat of fish to their diet.
Octo-lacto Vegetarian: Most common type of vegetarian, who will eat eggs and dairy, because unfertilized eggs are not animal (yet) and dairy is only a byproduct.
Fact: Primates are mostly herbivorous, but do include flesh in their diet because they also eat insects, bugs, small rodents and other small animals.
Fact: Cats are obligate carnivores - a specific type of carnivore that has difficulty processing non-meat foods through their digestive system. They -can- get nutrition from non-meat sources, but not much, and the digestive process of those non-meat foods could cause them harm if they got too much of it. Almost 100% of all their nutrition comes exclusively from flesh.
Octo-lacto Vegetarian: Most common type of vegetarian, who will eat eggs and dairy, because unfertilized eggs are not animal (yet) and dairy is only a byproduct.
I thought maybe that was a vegetarian that also was lactating and ate octopus.
The term is actually Ovo- for eggs.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian is the most common way I've seen it written.
For a while, I was a, um, Lacto-ovo pescetarian, then became lactose intolerant. So, uh...Ovo Pescetarian?
My mom used to call me a "Pesky-tarian" because I was pretty picky about what I ate.
My almost 8-year old daughter has wanted to be a vegetarian for quite some time now. She has never liked most meats, and she has ethical concerns about eating animals, in general.
I'd like to support her in this venture, but not at the expense of a healthy diet, and I really don't know enough about nutrition or vegetarianism to go cold turkey (no pun intended) with it. I want to get a bit more educated before allowing her to do this. I know that I need to learn more getting complete proteins, I know rice and beans together can do that. But, beyond that...kind of at a loss.
She eats plenty of dairy in the form of Greek yogurt and cheese, and will eat eggs. Basically, she doesn't want an animal to die for her appetites, but is okay with consuming products made from them.
I am wondering if anyone can recommend either some websites or books that would help me as far as learning what a healthy vegetarian diet looks like. Any kid-friendly vegetarian recipe books or suggestions would be helpful as well.
My husband, other two kids, and I don't intend to follow her on this vegetarian adventure completely, but I wouldn't mind more non-meat meals, either.
The way we worked it out is that dinner is vegetarian. My husband and boys eat meat at lunch if they want it. I think it's very exciting that your daughter wants to explore vegetarianism. There are so many options out there! And even if your daughter eventually decides to eat meat again at some point, she will have a large repertoire of foods to satisfy her appetite. Lots of kids who grow up eating chicken nuggets and fries for nearly every meal have limited diets even into adulthood. Meanwhile, our entire family eats and enjoys a wide variety of foods without complaint, and I think much of that stems from having been served vegetarian meals from the time they were very small.
Here are a couple of suggestions from a mom who also has a vegetarian child. Wean your daughter off caffeinated, sugary drinks now, because the energy they provide can mask poor nutrition in the short term. I see it all the time in vegetarian teens. Also, add a well-balanced children's multi-vitamin to your daughter's daily routine to help fill in the gaps while you get your feet underneath you.
Last edited by randomparent; 06-14-2015 at 11:53 AM..
I thought maybe that was a vegetarian that also was lactating and ate octopus.
The term is actually Ovo- for eggs.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian is the most common way I've seen it written.
For a while, I was a, um, Lacto-ovo pescetarian, then became lactose intolerant. So, uh...Ovo Pescetarian?
My mom used to call me a "Pesky-tarian" because I was pretty picky about what I ate.
-T.
Ovo, that's what I meant!
Regardless - not vegan (since vegans won't eat eggs or dairy). And if you eat fish, then not vegetarian (since fish *is* animal flesh)
Ovo, that's what I meant!
Regardless - not vegan (since vegans won't eat eggs or dairy). And if you eat fish, then not vegetarian (since fish *is* animal flesh)
Yup, you are absolutely correct.
I have shared much in common with vegetarians and vegans, and have relied on the labeling to help when ordering and buying foods. I've been pretty careful to point out to people that I wasn't really a vegetarian since fish are animals.
It's kind of funny how people think, though...
I'd tell people I can't have dairy and they would say, "Oh, this has eggs in it...you can't have that."
Uhhh...
When was the last time you milked a cow to get an egg? >_>
Anyway. Regardless of my current eating habits, I am definitely aware of the challenges of eating with a restricted diet and do hope my input is still welcome here.
-T.
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