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From:	Tina (64.56.154.102)
Subject:	kids new to going veggie....???"s (long, sorry!)
Date:	August 27, 2008 at 12:08 am PST

Just for background I was a lacto ovo vegetarian (also included many dairy subsitutes and tofu for variety but tried to stay away from fake meats/"fake food") several years ago, and for many reasons fell behind on that way of eating. My diet includes meat, but overall also whole grains, veggies, I make my own baked goods, very little packaged stuff, I cook alot from scratch, etc.

I am the mom of an 8 yr old dd and 5 yr old ds. And the wife of a meat and potatoes man...sigh. I went back to some animal foods once the kids came along, as unfortunately, I felt that the kids were too picky and I was worried about their intake. Dd is actually quite an adventourous eater (sushi even!) ...will eat ANYTHING except leafy stuff like lettuce salads, celery (not even ants on a log), onions, and beans that are "obvious" like in a soup or in a chili or beans and rice, although she does like lentil chili. She will eat any other veggie, raw with dip, roasted, etc. Ds is the one I am worried about. He has some motor skill issues, and I feel some tactile sensitivites which I believe make him picky with food/chewing, etc. Beans...forget it...not even hummus and crackers. He is willing to eat a fairly wide variety of fruits (and that took a long time to convince him even to try a strawberry or something), but as far as veggies only peas and corn, and occasionally cooked carrots or sweet potato...that's it. He gets muscle fatigue from chewing and raw veggies seem so unfamiliar to him so he mouths a piece and spits it...dips for them don't convince him either.

I am concerned of his and dd's total disdain of the legumes group....it was one of my main reasons for bringing animal protien back in our diet. I do want to go back to a vegetarian way of eating for health especially. They are more than willing to drink soymilk, smoothies, and such, and eat the softer tofu's like the flavored dessert tofus. I am not sure what they will think of a marinated and broiled tofu or something. Nieither are big nut fans except for butters, or those salty hickory almonds.

Any ideas anyone??? How can I ensure a proper intake for my son especially, and provide the two of them with enough calories and protien? Any vegetable ideas for ds? (I am considering a juicer actually).

I had Joanne Stepaniuk's book on raising vegetarian children years ago when dd was little but from what I recall of it I don't think either kid would like most of the recipies or eat anywhere NEAR the quantities of food that they recommend in there...which makes me nervous about their intake/calories.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

Tina here in Canada, eh???

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