Guest guest Posted March 15, 2005 Report Share Posted March 15, 2005 Hi, I am Tanya mom of 2 boys 6 & 7. We have just recently switched to a vegetarian diet. We have been meatless for a few weeks and I have slowly been cutting out the dairy and eggs. I figured that would take awhile for the boys to get use too so we are going slow. We decided to change our eating for a few reasons. Reading numerous articles about how dairy contributes to allergies and asthma gave us the biggest push as did the mad cow issue. Then we watched a video from Farm Sanctuary and it grossed me out and my sons wanted to go beat up the guy who runs the factories. However, they still want to eat " slobbery " as they call it. For those who switched with elementary age or older, how did you make the switch and did you let them have non-veggie food (aka BK, cheese, candy) during the switch? Easter is coming up and we are going to visit family and they always have a big dinner. I plan to bring something for us to eat but I know the boys will want some of everything. Should I make an exception? I know family is already yapping because we have switched so I am trying to make the get-together as comfortable as possible. But I am not sure I should give in either... Help, lol. Take care Tanya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Tanya, it can be a hard switch with older kids. However, it can be done. We do occasionally buy " meat substitutes " , and all 3 of kids love them. As far as letting them eat anything they want at other people's home is a harder issue. If they were very young, you would control what is on their plate. I would talk with them before the event, and the day of the event, about your new lifestyle. How tempting it may or may not be, but how you and them will be saving animals lives. I had to explain to my kids that eating meat does not make people bad, but just that they are not truly aware of what they are eating. They can show others an example that others can learn from. (My brother just recently gave up red meat). Also, as far as families go, most usually think you are crazy for a short time, and then all of a sudden, they will make sure they have enough of " your kind of food " out on the table whenever you visit. My family took about a year, and now it is great. They always tell me what is in each dish, and often will two versions of something. One with meat and one without. -Tracy > For those who switched with elementary age or older, how did you make > the switch and did you let them have non-veggie food (aka BK, cheese, > candy) during the switch? Easter is coming up and we are going to > visit family and they always have a big dinner. I plan to bring > something for us to eat but I know the boys will want some of > everything. Should I make an exception? I know family is already > yapping because we have switched so I am trying to make the > get-together as comfortable as possible. But I am not sure I should > give in either... Help, lol. > > Take care > Tanya > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Welcome Tanya, There are no right answers to the holiday dilemma you face. In the beginning, I found it was more important to make sure things were nutritionally adequate than perfectly vegan. Vegetarianism is a journey, in the beginning it can be a slow one. From my experience, your best bet is to bring along the yummiest veg thing that you know how to make. Never experiment with something new for an occassion. If its a stinker, you'll never hear the end of it. As for your kids, talk to them and see where they are. Kids are awfully compassionate by nature, they may be more on board than you realize. On the other hand, recognizing that you are in transition and using the ride home to talk about what was eaten and why you think it best to avoid some of those items is a good option as well. Good luck, I've been veg for more than 8 yrs and holidays still stress me a bit. Katie http://frugalveggiemama.blogspot.com -- " tata_buug " <tata_buug Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:59:48 -0000 > ><html><body> > > ><tt> ><BR> ><BR> >Hi, I am Tanya mom of 2 boys 6 & 7. We have just recently switched to<BR> >a vegetarian diet. We have been meatless for a few weeks and I have<BR> >slowly been cutting out the dairy and eggs. I figured that would take<BR> >awhile for the boys to get use too so we are going slow.<BR> ><BR> >We decided to change our eating for a few reasons. Reading numerous<BR> >articles about how dairy contributes to allergies and asthma gave us<BR> >the biggest push as did the mad cow issue. Then we watched a video<BR> >from Farm Sanctuary and it grossed me out and my sons wanted to go<BR> >beat up the guy who runs the factories. However, they still want to<BR> >eat " slobbery " as they call it.<BR> ><BR> >For those who switched with elementary age or older, how did you make<BR> >the switch and did you let them have non-veggie food (aka BK, cheese,<BR> >candy) during the switch? Easter is coming up and we are going to<BR> >visit family and they always have a big dinner. I plan to bring<BR> >something for us to eat but I know the boys will want some of<BR> >everything. Should I make an exception? I know family is already<BR> >yapping because we have switched so I am trying to make the<BR> >get-together as comfortable as possible. But I am not sure I should<BR> >give in either... Help, lol.<BR> ><BR> >Take care<BR> >Tanya<BR> ><BR> ><BR> ><BR> ><BR> ><BR> ><BR> ></tt> > ><br><br> ><tt> >For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at <a href= " http://www.vrg.org " >http://www.vrg.org</a> and for materials especially useful for families go to <a href= " http://www.vrg.org/family.This " >http://www.vrg.org/family.This</a> is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional.<BR> ><BR> >edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional.<BR> ><BR> ></tt> ><br><br> > ><br> > ><!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> > ><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> ><tr bgcolor=#FFFFCC> ><td align=center><font size= " -1 " color=#003399><b> Sponsor</b></font></td> ></tr> ><tr bgcolor=#FFFFFF> ><td align=center width=470><table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0> <tr> <td align=center><font face=arial size=-2></font><br><a href= " http://us.ard./SIG=129vsah6r/M=298184.6018725.7038619.3001176/D=g\ roups/S=1705042054:HM/EXP=1111068015/A=2593423/R=0/SIG=11el9gslf/*http://www.net\ flix.com/Default?mqso=60190075 " alt= " " ><img src= " http://us.a1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/ne/netflix/22305_0205_016_b_300250_a.gi\ f " alt= " click here " width= " 300 " height= " 250 " border= " 0 " ></a></td></tr></table> </td> ></tr> ><tr><td><img alt= " " width=1 height=1 src= " http://us.adserver./l?M=298184.6018725.7038619.3001176/D=groups/S=\ :HM/A=2593423/rand=146638898 " ></td></tr> ></table> > ><!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| --> > > > ><!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> > ><br> ><tt><hr width= " 500 " > ><b> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 I have 2 and 3 year old girls. I monitor what they eat outside of the house but I let them decide for the most part within reason. I want it to be there choice. They both drink soy milk and that is what they like even though daddy drinks cows milk. I get grief from my MIL alot. I am so tired of the " Where do they get there protein? " question. Good Luck. Heather tata_buug <tata_buug said: > > > > Hi, I am Tanya mom of 2 boys 6 & 7. We have just recently switched to > a vegetarian diet. We have been meatless for a few weeks and I have > slowly been cutting out the dairy and eggs. I figured that would take > awhile for the boys to get use too so we are going slow. > > We decided to change our eating for a few reasons. Reading numerous > articles about how dairy contributes to allergies and asthma gave us > the biggest push as did the mad cow issue. Then we watched a video > from Farm Sanctuary and it grossed me out and my sons wanted to go > beat up the guy who runs the factories. However, they still want to > eat " slobbery " as they call it. > > For those who switched with elementary age or older, how did you make > the switch and did you let them have non-veggie food (aka BK, cheese, > candy) during the switch? Easter is coming up and we are going to > visit family and they always have a big dinner. I plan to bring > something for us to eat but I know the boys will want some of > everything. Should I make an exception? I know family is already > yapping because we have switched so I am trying to make the > get-together as comfortable as possible. But I am not sure I should > give in either... Help, lol. > > Take care > Tanya > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. > > edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 My 17 yr old son became vegan on his own, about 1 yr ago. He is not into nutrition and cooking, but when we have a family get together I always bring a homemade dish that everyone can enjoy that is also vegan. Amy, thebaileysthree - tata_buug Tuesday, March 15, 2005 2:59 PM new and in need of help Hi, I am Tanya mom of 2 boys 6 & 7. We have just recently switched to a vegetarian diet. We have been meatless for a few weeks and I have slowly been cutting out the dairy and eggs. I figured that would take awhile for the boys to get use too so we are going slow. We decided to change our eating for a few reasons. Reading numerous articles about how dairy contributes to allergies and asthma gave us the biggest push as did the mad cow issue. Then we watched a video from Farm Sanctuary and it grossed me out and my sons wanted to go beat up the guy who runs the factories. However, they still want to eat " slobbery " as they call it. For those who switched with elementary age or older, how did you make the switch and did you let them have non-veggie food (aka BK, cheese, candy) during the switch? Easter is coming up and we are going to visit family and they always have a big dinner. I plan to bring something for us to eat but I know the boys will want some of everything. Should I make an exception? I know family is already yapping because we have switched so I am trying to make the get-together as comfortable as possible. But I am not sure I should give in either... Help, lol. Take care Tanya For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 family dinners are always challenging. My kids and I eat whatever veg sides there are. My girls came to vegetarianism on thier own. I have been a vegetarian, now vegan, for many years so they did have me as a role model for meatfree eating. For a long time my oldest, now 11, ate meat. It was probably her favorite thing to eat. Eventually she really began to feel bad for the animals so she stopped. Now she says she can't even look at it without seeing a dead animal. I still tell them they can eat whatever they want. At some point they will be out of my sight and will eat what they want anyway. I think they will stay veg because it is thier decision, not mine. It is difficult to expain this to family and firends though. I guess the most important thing is how will you feel if you let them decide for themselves? BTW, you can get vegan chocolate and other candies for Easter at veganessentials.com. tata_buug <tata_buug wrote:Hi, I am Tanya mom of 2 boys 6 & 7. Carol, mom to Melissa, 3/14/94 Julia, 2/18/97 Lily, 9/7/04 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 Katie, Beautifully stated. That is how I am trying to approach it with my girls and myself. As a journey nit just an extreme immediate change. Also using the meal as a learning experience is a great idea. Thank you. heather Katie Mangan <kmangan said: > > > > Welcome Tanya, > There are no right answers to the holiday dilemma you face. In the beginning, I found it was more important to > make sure things were nutritionally adequate than perfectly vegan. Vegetarianism is a journey, in the beginning it can be a slow one. > > From my experience, your best bet is to bring along the yummiest veg thing that you know how to make. Never experiment with something new for an occassion. If its a > stinker, you'll never hear the end of it. As for your kids, talk to them and see where they are. Kids are awfully compassionate by nature, they may be more on board than > you realize. On the other hand, recognizing that you are in transition and using the ride home to talk about what was eaten and why you think it best to avoid some of those items is a good option as well. > > Good luck, I've been veg for more than 8 yrs and holidays still stress me a bit. > > Katie > http://frugalveggiemama.blogspot.com > > > > -- > " tata_buug " <tata_buug > > Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:59:48 -0000 > > > > ><html><body> > > > > > ><tt> > ><BR> > ><BR> > >Hi, I am Tanya mom of 2 boys 6 & 7. We have just recently switched to<BR> > >a vegetarian diet. We have been meatless for a few weeks and I have<BR> > >slowly been cutting out the dairy and eggs. I figured that would take<BR> > >awhile for the boys to get use too so we are going slow.<BR> > ><BR> > >We decided to change our eating for a few reasons. Reading numerous<BR> > >articles about how dairy contributes to allergies and asthma gave us<BR> > >the biggest push as did the mad cow issue. Then we watched a video<BR> > >from Farm Sanctuary and it grossed me out and my sons wanted to go<BR> > >beat up the guy who runs the factories. However, they still want to<BR> > >eat " slobbery " as they call it.<BR> > ><BR> > >For those who switched with elementary age or older, how did you make<BR> > >the switch and did you let them have non-veggie food (aka BK, cheese,<BR> > >candy) during the switch? Easter is coming up and we are going to<BR> > >visit family and they always have a big dinner. I plan to bring<BR> > >something for us to eat but I know the boys will want some of<BR> > >everything. Should I make an exception? I know family is already<BR> > >yapping because we have switched so I am trying to make the<BR> > >get-together as comfortable as possible. But I am not sure I should<BR> > >give in either... Help, lol.<BR> > ><BR> > >Take care<BR> > >Tanya<BR> > ><BR> > ><BR> > ><BR> > ><BR> > ><BR> > ><BR> > ></tt> > > > ><br><br> > ><tt> > >For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at <a href= " http://www.vrg.org " >http://www.vrg.org</a> and for materials especially useful for families go to <a href= " http://www.vrg.org/family.This " >http://www.vrg.org/family.This</a> is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional.<BR> > ><BR> > >edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional.<BR> > ><BR> > ></tt> > ><br><br> > > > ><br> > > > ><!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> > > > ><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> > ><tr bgcolor=#FFFFCC> > ><td align=center><font size= " -1 " color=#003399><b> Sponsor</b></font></td> > ></tr> > ><tr bgcolor=#FFFFFF> > ><td align=center width=470><table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0> <tr> <td align=center><font face=arial size=-2></font><br><a href= " http://us.ard./SIG=129vsah6r/M=298184.6018725.7038619.3001176/D =groups/S=1705042054:HM/EXP=1111068015/A=2593423/R=0/SIG=11el9gslf/*http://www netflix.com/Default?mqso=60190075 " alt= " " ><img src= " http://us.a1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/ne/netflix/22305_0205_016_b_300250_a. gif " alt= " click here " width= " 300 " height= " 250 " border= " 0 " ></a></td></tr></table> </td> > ></tr> > ><tr><td><img alt= " " width=1 height=1 src= " http://us.adserver./l? M=298184.6018725.7038619.3001176/D=groups/S=:HM/A=2593423/rand=146638898 " ></td ></tr> > ></table> > > > ><!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| --> > > > > > > > ><!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> > > > ><br> > ><tt><hr width= " 500 " > > ><b> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 You're lucky. I've been vegan for 8 1/2 years, and my family still thinks I'm nuts. I am married to another vegan and we have a 13 month-old vegan son. I'm interested to see if things change now that my son is eating real food. Fortunately, we don't see my parents very often, so it hasn't affected my son yet, but they don't cater to our needs at all. My mother went so far to get a cranberry sauce that my husband likes (the solid type) and then cut it with the same knife that she just used on her ham one Christmas. Yuck. So needless to say, we didn't eat anything that we didn't handle ourselves. My visits to their house either involve spending lots of money on eating out or lots of time with me washing everything before I cook, and then washing everything after I cook it. I also end up cleaning their entire kitchen before I cook because it's always covered with animal fat. Lonna , tracyinfo@a... wrote: Also, as far as families go, most usually think > you are crazy for a short time, and then all of a sudden, they will make sure > they have enough of " your kind of food " out on the table whenever you visit. My > family took about a year, and now it is great. They always tell me what is > in each dish, and often will two versions of something. One with meat and one > without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Heather, Something else I still find helpful is to get the kids involved in choosing new recipes to try. (Not for special occassions but just regular meals) It takes some of the pressure off you and it helps kids understand that sometimes recipes are stinky! Anytime we try something new it comes to the table with the caveat " try it, let me know HONESTLY what you think. " I won't make a second meal if its awful but at least everyone knows they'll never see it again. This also works well on hubbies! Katie http://frugalveggiemama.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 Here is something you can try, but proceed with caution. Last Thanksgiving my sister-in-law was hosting the family dinner. Most of the family are meat eaters, but myself, an Uncle, and one other person are vegetarian ... I guess that was 3 out of 20 people. Before the day, I emailed my sister-in-law this article, " When a Non- Vegetarian Cook Hosts a Vegetarian Guest " . You can see it here: http://www.boutell.com/vegetarian/forthenonvegcook.html I added some comments about how I thought the letter provided some helpful tips about how the host and guest can meet each other half way, and I'd be happy to talk with her about it. I never got a response and my wife tells me her sister was offended. As they say, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I still think the info is good and presented in a nice way. Maybe it would work better for somebody else. In any case, it brings up some good points you may want to be aware of. Regards, Alan , " tata_buug " <tata_buug@c...> wrote: > > > Hi, I am Tanya mom of 2 boys 6 & 7. We have just recently switched to > a vegetarian diet. We have been meatless for a few weeks and I have > slowly been cutting out the dairy and eggs. I figured that would take > awhile for the boys to get use too so we are going slow. > > We decided to change our eating for a few reasons. Reading numerous > articles about how dairy contributes to allergies and asthma gave us > the biggest push as did the mad cow issue. Then we watched a video > from Farm Sanctuary and it grossed me out and my sons wanted to go > beat up the guy who runs the factories. However, they still want to > eat " slobbery " as they call it. > > For those who switched with elementary age or older, how did you make > the switch and did you let them have non-veggie food (aka BK, cheese, > candy) during the switch? Easter is coming up and we are going to > visit family and they always have a big dinner. I plan to bring > something for us to eat but I know the boys will want some of > everything. Should I make an exception? I know family is already > yapping because we have switched so I am trying to make the > get-together as comfortable as possible. But I am not sure I should > give in either... Help, lol. > > Take care > Tanya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 Thanks for all the replies. We are pretty much going to wing it for now. I figured that I am going to try my best to cook vegan. But if we slip - we slip, its definitely a learning experience. What surprises me is the more I read the more I realize that we have been eating pretty crappy for a long time. And I wonder why my kids act up and have allergies..hmmm. As for Easter it is going to be a pot luck so I figured I would bring something which anyone could eat (pasta salad or something, not sure what) but since we are still experimenting with food I am not trying new stuff on everyone and the boys can eat whatever they choose. But I am filling their baskets with good stuff. Thanks again~ Tanya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 This is not hard. The boys love to cook and are always wanting to help in the kitchen. Micah makes/cooks his own lunch 1/2 the time (with supervision of course) and Xavier wants to cut any and everything. So far they have been really good about trying new stuff. I did make sure they knew that if we don't like it then we won't make it again. Tanya Katie Mangan wrote: > > Heather, > > Something else I still find helpful is to get the kids involved in > choosing new recipes to try. (Not for special occassions but just > regular meals) > > It takes some of the pressure off you and it helps kids understand > that sometimes recipes are stinky! Anytime we try something new it > comes to the table with the caveat " try it, let me know HONESTLY what > you think. " I won't make a second meal if its awful but at least > everyone knows they'll never see it again. > > This also works well on hubbies! > > Katie > http://frugalveggiemama.blogspot.com > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website > at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families > go to http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not > intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be > obtained from a qualified health professional. > > edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified > health professional. > > > > > * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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