Newbie (advice for picky kids)

AuburnLavender

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Hi! I'm not only a newbie to the forum but also to being a vegetarian! I have two children, one of which has texture issues with food (he won't eat food that is 'mixed' together, dislikes the texture of things like soya mince, pearl barley and other grains) so I am desperate for some great family recipes that can either be split so I can edit out the bits he won't eat or served separately (think deconstructed lasagne for example). I'm also currently considering cutting out dairy and eggs as well. Do I need to consider vitamin supplements for the children? Does somewhere list animal additives in foods? I'm sorry if I'm asking stupid questions, I really am brand new at this! Thank you in advance!
 
Welcome to the forums! I have a little daughter as well (1 year old), but thankfully she's not too fussy with food. She loves to eat blocks of uncooked tofu, for example! How old are your children? Millet and couscous are pretty child-friendly, but may need some spices or other extras for older children to make it a bit more interesting.
 
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Welcome to the forums! I have a little daughter as well (1 year old), but thankfully she's not too fussy with food. She loves to eat blocks of uncooked tofu, for example! How old are your children? Millet and couscous are pretty child-friendly, but may need some spices or other extras for older children to make it a bit more interesting.

Hi! Thanks for the reply. My son is 2 years old and my daughter is 8 years old. She's not fussy at all and they'll both try anything (except mixed up food) but my son will spit anything he dislikes texturally out! He quite likes spicy food, she doesn't! Lol. I've never tried millet but do quite like couscous, are they similar in texture/taste?
 
Welcome to VV! I had a nice long reply typed up but then my battery died on my computer...argh. (I'm a bit daft these days)

What sort of things does your son like to eat now (not necessarily vegetarian, but in general)? Maybe we can offer some ideas along these lines.
 
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Hi! I'm not only a newbie to the forum but also to being a vegetarian! I have two children, one of which has texture issues with food (he won't eat food that is 'mixed' together, dislikes the texture of things like soya mince, pearl barley and other grains) so I am desperate for some great family recipes that can either be split so I can edit out the bits he won't eat or served separately (think deconstructed lasagne for example). I'm also currently considering cutting out dairy and eggs as well. Do I need to consider vitamin supplements for the children? Does somewhere list animal additives in foods? I'm sorry if I'm asking stupid questions, I really am brand new at this! Thank you in advance!

Welcome! :wave:There's no such thing as a stupid question so feel free to ask away. Here's a few links that might help, along with a blog by a good friend of mine who's raising two vegan boys.
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/kids.htm

http://www.twoveganboys.blogspot.com/

http://www.vegnutrition.com/family/index.html

Good luck!
 
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Welcome! :wave:There's no such thing as a stupid question so feel free to ask away. Here's a few links that might help, along with a blog by a good friend of mine who's raising two vegan boys.
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/kids.htm

http://www.twoveganboys.blogspot.com/

http://www.vegnutrition.com/family/index.html

Good luck!

These are wonderfully helpful! Thank you :)
I'm currently a single mummy, though still really good friends with the father, he's not veggie though-should I request he doesn't give the children meat/dairy or should I leave that decision up to him/them?
 
Welcome to VV! I had a nice long reply typed up but then my battery died on my computer...argh. (I'm a bit daft these days)

What sort of things does your son like to eat now (not necessarily vegetarian, but in general)? Maybe we can offer some ideas along these lines.

He likes raw tomatoes, all the fruit I've given him has gone down well, dried fruit, cooked carrots, potatoes and the various preparations, peas raw and cooked, cauliflower, baked beans (but not spaghetti for some reason!), pasta, burgers, sausages, roasted meats (I did a nut roast Sunday just gone and he wouldn't eat it-tried it and spat it out), fish fingers, mackerel/cod/sea bass/fresh tuna but not tinned/haddock, cheese, ham, bacon, he enjoys crackers/cracker bread/pitta bread/tortilla wraps but not sliced bread. He really hates anything with mince in or pearl barley/pulses/lentils/rice. I'm sure there's loads more but I'm having a mind blank!
 
AuburnLavender, that sounds like a pretty good variety for a start. I've worked with some two year olds who would only eat 2 or 3 things ever. Some ideas:

Will he eat any sort of spread on the wraps? Hummus, nut butter, yeast spread, etc.?
Does he like dipping things? You might try some sauce/hummus/cheese (even ketchup?) etc that he likes and let him try dipping in vegetables or bread. One of my nanny girls was very finicky about veg, but she would eat all sorts of stuff if I served it with hummus.
Does he eat tomato sauce on the pasta? You can puree veg or proteins and hide it in the sauce. Carrots/sweet potatoes and red lentils all work well, because of the color.
Would he eat samosas maybe? Potatoes, peas, cooked carrots, cauliflower.
Maybe a mild curry?

There are loads and loads of good mock meats that you can get at large supermarkets or Holland & Barrett; he might like some of those while he's getting used to a different way of eating. I wouldn't base a diet on them necessarily, but once in awhile is fine. Also, they vary in quality...some are very chemical/processed, while others are minimally so. Redwoods (in Holland and Barrett or a hfs) makes some fishless fingers, but I don't know what they're like as I was never a fan of fish. They also make some nice cheeses, again maybe something to use in moderation. If he likes a cheesy flavor, Engevita powder is good for adding that..use in sauces, etc. Our munchkin (I am Indian Summer's other half) really likes these Tofu dogs that we get from Waitrose. The brand is Taifun, and they sell them other places too. They don't have any preservatives or scary stuff in them, so I'm happy for her to have them occasionally (they are a bit pricy though). If you look on the product thread in the UK forum here, you might be able to get some ideas about what sort of specialty vegan fare that people think tastes nice, and what stores they get it from...not sure what shops are available to you.

Regarding vitamin supplements, we give the bean a Vitamin D spray each day. This is recommended by the NHS, etc. for all children who aren't formula fed though, regardless of diet, primarily because of the lack of sun exposure most kids get here in bleary England. Our little one is still nursing quite a bit, but over this next year as that changes, we're going to give her a B12 spray or drops as well. We eat a vegan diet, so she gets very little B12 in her food other than breastmilk. If your guys are still eating dairy and eggs, they will probably be okay, but you can give them a supplement if you're worried. B12 is a water soluble vitamin, so they just wee away what they don't need, you don't have to worry about it building up in the body or anything. Some dietitians would suggest that vegetarians/vegans need to be extra careful about iron and calcium in their diets, but I find that it really is no harder than if your kid is an omnivore. One of the things to keep in mind is that it's okay to look at children's diets over a long timeframe, say a week, as opposed to every day. If your two year old has one day where all they eat is blueberries and tofu, that's okay as long as they get something different over the course of a few days' time.

There is a good page on animal-based ingredients here: http://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fi45.htm, with a list of e-numbers etc. Fortunately, most processed foods in the UK which are suitable for vegetarians are labeled as such.

I'm not sure what to say about eating at their dad's place, but I think there are some others here who are in the same boat, who have an ex who's not vegetarian. With an 8 year old, I'd tend to say that she probably needs to make that choice herself, but I don't really think there's a right or wrong here. Is their dad pretty easily to get along with generally..I mean, if it's going to be a huge argument then that's something to take into consideration too.

Whew...sorry to be so long winded. Our munchkin is a terrible sleeper and having this uninterrupted time to post something finds me typing out all of my thoughts! Welcome to VV!
 
I had (have?) sensory integration disorder when I was younger, and I remember exactly the feeling of not wanting different textures mixed together, so I can sympathize with that. I hope that some of the foodies here can suggest ways to help make veggie/vegan meals that suit him! It can be difficult sometimes, but there's always a way.
 
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These are wonderfully helpful! Thank you :)
I'm currently a single mummy, though still really good friends with the father, he's not veggie though-should I request he doesn't give the children meat/dairy or should I leave that decision up to him/them?

Glad to hear they were helpful.:) As far as the children and their dad, I've not had experience in that area,but if they are currently vegetarian ,then in my opinion they should stay that way when not with you. It probably depends on the individual, however.That's just my take on the matter. Hopefully there will be some with more experience who can shed a little more light on the subject.
 
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It's probably best to let the father know what you've decided to have them do, and tell the kids that they eat your way with you, and however their father wants them to when they're with him. It might not seem ethically perfect but it's best to avoid conflict and let them figure it out on their own, in my opinion.
 
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AuburnLavender, that sounds like a pretty good variety for a start. I've worked with some two year olds who would only eat 2 or 3 things ever. Some ideas:

Will he eat any sort of spread on the wraps? Hummus, nut butter, yeast spread, etc.?
Does he like dipping things? You might try some sauce/hummus/cheese (even ketchup?) etc that he likes and let him try dipping in vegetables or bread. One of my nanny girls was very finicky about veg, but she would eat all sorts of stuff if I served it with hummus.
Does he eat tomato sauce on the pasta? You can puree veg or proteins and hide it in the sauce. Carrots/sweet potatoes and red lentils all work well, because of the color.
Would he eat samosas maybe? Potatoes, peas, cooked carrots, cauliflower.
Maybe a mild curry?

There are loads and loads of good mock meats that you can get at large supermarkets or Holland & Barrett; he might like some of those while he's getting used to a different way of eating. I wouldn't base a diet on them necessarily, but once in awhile is fine. Also, they vary in quality...some are very chemical/processed, while others are minimally so. Redwoods (in Holland and Barrett or a hfs) makes some fishless fingers, but I don't know what they're like as I was never a fan of fish. They also make some nice cheeses, again maybe something to use in moderation. If he likes a cheesy flavor, Engevita powder is good for adding that..use in sauces, etc. Our munchkin (I am Indian Summer's other half) really likes these Tofu dogs that we get from Waitrose. The brand is Taifun, and they sell them other places too. They don't have any preservatives or scary stuff in them, so I'm happy for her to have them occasionally (they are a bit pricy though). If you look on the product thread in the UK forum here, you might be able to get some ideas about what sort of specialty vegan fare that people think tastes nice, and what stores they get it from...not sure what shops are available to you.

Regarding vitamin supplements, we give the bean a Vitamin D spray each day. This is recommended by the NHS, etc. for all children who aren't formula fed though, regardless of diet, primarily because of the lack of sun exposure most kids get here in bleary England. Our little one is still nursing quite a bit, but over this next year as that changes, we're going to give her a B12 spray or drops as well. We eat a vegan diet, so she gets very little B12 in her food other than breastmilk. If your guys are still eating dairy and eggs, they will probably be okay, but you can give them a supplement if you're worried. B12 is a water soluble vitamin, so they just wee away what they don't need, you don't have to worry about it building up in the body or anything. Some dietitians would suggest that vegetarians/vegans need to be extra careful about iron and calcium in their diets, but I find that it really is no harder than if your kid is an omnivore. One of the things to keep in mind is that it's okay to look at children's diets over a long timeframe, say a week, as opposed to every day. If your two year old has one day where all they eat is blueberries and tofu, that's okay as long as they get something different over the course of a few days' time.

There is a good page on animal-based ingredients here: http://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fi45.htm, with a list of e-numbers etc. Fortunately, most processed foods in the UK which are suitable for vegetarians are labeled as such.

I'm not sure what to say about eating at their dad's place, but I think there are some others here who are in the same boat, who have an ex who's not vegetarian. With an 8 year old, I'd tend to say that she probably needs to make that choice herself, but I don't really think there's a right or wrong here. Is their dad pretty easily to get along with generally..I mean, if it's going to be a huge argument then that's something to take into consideration too.

Whew...sorry to be so long winded. Our munchkin is a terrible sleeper and having this uninterrupted time to post something finds me typing out all of my thoughts! Welcome to VV!

He actually does love curry but I hadn't thought about samosas! Bet he'd love them! Loads of great ideas thank you!

My ex is really easy to get on with so I'm going to speak to him today. My daughter has decided she'd still like to eat meat/dairy/eggs outside the house but is happy to not eat them in the house, though she doesn't like the dairy free milks we've tried so I'm going to see how that goes. She doesn't mind it in cereal though.

I feel your pain with a LO who doesn't sleep well-my son has only just started to sleep through at 26 months!! Hope it improves soon for you!
 
I had (have?) sensory integration disorder when I was younger, and I remember exactly the feeling of not wanting different textures mixed together, so I can sympathize with that. I hope that some of the foodies here can suggest ways to help make veggie/vegan meals that suit him! It can be difficult sometimes, but there's always a way.

Thank you x I listen to him when he tells me he doesn't like something, despite being told I'm 'pandering' to him! And often will make the same meal but do his 'deconstructed' to take into account his aversion to mixed foods!
 
It's probably best to let the father know what you've decided to have them do, and tell the kids that they eat your way with you, and however their father wants them to when they're with him. It might not seem ethically perfect but it's best to avoid conflict and let them figure it out on their own, in my opinion.

I agree and this is the conclusion I've come to. I did ask my daughter as she's old enough to decide and I just hope as she gets older and more aware she'll stick more and more to the veggie/vegan diet