OK, so my step daughter has wanted to become vegetarian for about a year now but her mom wouldn't let her.

Mom finally said yes. So, I've gone over eating balanced meal and whatnot. She already knew this because she's always full of questions and stuff and has been learning with me for a few years.

Here's my question. Does anyone have any website that I could print material from to give her mom regarding vegetarian kids? And, this sounds like a dumb question because you would think I would know this, but how much protein should she get a day? (her mom want's to know).

Any help or advice you can give would be great. It makes it a little complicated with her dad not being her custodial parent. She's here about 2 days a week through the week and then every other weekend.

I sent her home this morning with some Morning Star Sausages, Chicken Patties, Gardenburger Ribs, and Veggie Burgers in case she get's to wanting something along those lines. She already likes soy milk so I also sent her home with a half gallon of Silk Soy. I also sent her home with 3 kiwis, grapes, 3 apples, 2 oranges, a pint or so of strawberries, broccoli and carrots (she loves them raw. Besides the fact we pay more than $300 a month in child support, Mom says she won't buy her any 'special' veggie food. So, I didn't want that to be the only reason to stop her from doing what she wanted to do, you know?

Thanks,
Ruthie

I think that's so great Ruthie! There's a great website www.vegfamily.com that has articles you could print out regarding nutrition and such. There's a dicussion board too, so I'm sure that there's other families in your situation. I'll try and find soem more info for you, good luck!

Here's my question. Does anyone have any website that I could print material from to give her mom regarding vegetarian kids? And, this sounds like a dumb question because you would think I would know this, but how much protein should she get a day? (her mom want's to know).


Not a dumb question at all, and not one that is very easy to find the answer to. According to Virginia Messina, RD, it appears that the answer is based on your daughter's weight in kilograms. She needs one gram of protein per day per kilogram of body weight. A kilogram is about 2.2 pounds, so divide her weight in pounds by 2.2. (I've left out some of the complications, but that's the basic answer.)

http://vegrd.vegan.com/pages/article.php?id=845

Average protein requirement for an 18-year old male is 59 grams per day (for a female it is 44 grams per day). It is generally believed that vegans need about 25% more protein than the RDA, so the protein requirement for an 18-year old male is 74 grams and for a vegan female is 55 grams. These are general guidelines for populations. Individual protein needs are actually based on body size as measured in kilograms. To find the daily grams of protein your body needs, divide your weight by 2.2.

Virginia Messina, MPH RD

I have been a dietitian, public health nutritionist and vegetarian for nearly 20 years and, for the past decade, have focused on professional activities pertaining to vegetarian diet. My interest in this field is based on a long-time commitment to animal welfare, concerns about the impact of diet and lifestyle on the environment, a commitment to public health, and, not least, a love for very good food.

As a vegetarian dietitian, I have a number of particular interests and goals. First, I work towards providing information that will help--and hopefully convince--people to make the transition to a more plant-based diet. I hope, too, that this information will help vegans to eat as healthfully as possible. I am also interested in making it as easy as possible for people to make this transition to responsible eating by focusing on dietary changes that have a real impact on personal health, the environment, and animals, and by minimizing emphasis on the types of changes that vegans sometimes adopt but that are only marginally effective. Finally, some of my work is aimed towards increasing awareness and knowledge about vegan diets among nutrition professionals.

Thank you Joe.

Ruthie, send her a copy of my protein chart in the photo section. She can at least be assured she is getting complete proteins.

...Man, I just threw out the things my Mom had for me when I went vegetarian at about that age. If I still had them, I'd definitely scan them! Sorry I'm not much of a help.

Protein generally isn't somehting you have to worry about. B12 and zinc should be the main concerns. protein is easily gained.

My mother used to get all sorts of crap for me when she went shopping. She got me cheesy things (I hate cheese and it's no secret.) I'd also read the ingredient sof some things she got me to find they weren't vegetarian. (She got me a chilli sauce with beef boullion in it.) I had a go at her, forgetting that most people don't read labels. (I've read labels for most of my life, since I was on the "no E-numbers" diet as a kid.)

My advice for an 11 year old veggie isn't to push the nutritional side of it too hard, but if you do, focus on the vitamins like zinc, iron and B12 rather than things which are easily gotten like protein. If you ask me, protein isn't worth worrying about. (B12 on the other hand, is.) At 11, you're quite grown up. You've done much of the initial growing, and the whole adolescense thing is just around the corner.

Anyway, to both parties, I'd recommend www.vegetarianteen.com

i have an 11 year old daughter and i say snacks snacks snacks...popcorn with nutritional yeast, fruit and veggie platters, guacomole made with silken tofu, soy smoothies, nachos or cheese quesadilas in the microwave...she can make all these on her own which is nice if her mom isn't veg...my ex isn't either...i also bought her the teens vegetarian cookbook by judy krizmac for christmas there are a few more out there i've seen too

I'm vegan, but my 11 yr old daughter is l/o vegetarian. We keep tons of stuff around that she can snack on or fix for herself. Besides the basics and fresh fruits, there are some cheap foods you can continue to supply her with... Instant oatmeal, Oriental ramen noodle packages, peanutbutter crackers, tortillas (that she can either make into a quesadilla, or toss some veggies on it and roll it up like a wrap), granola, fruit leathers, dehydrated fruit chips, etc.

Re: B12 and such, ... if she's drinking store bought soymilk, it's fortified. 8 oz is over half the RDI. Don't let the mom bully about "needing" cow milk either. Cow milk may have nine essential vitamins and minerals, but soymilk has FIFTEEN! ~:>

This site (http://www.vegfamily.com/)seems to have a bunch of great stuff for kids and families alike

I saw this already mentioned but wanted to agree with the sugguestion for The Teens Vegetarian Cookbook. Both of my kids loved that book. We checked it out from our library and copied the stuff that looked good to us..

T

Thank you so much for your ideas and suggestions. Right now she's getting all kinds of flack from her mom and her mom's side of the family. Poor thing. She says it's getting really hard for her to be a vegetarian. I'm not sure what to tell her, but I do the best I can. I told her she will make her own peace with it and find the answers. To follow her heart at the moment and it will guide her. I try to tell her not to be angry with these people because of their ignorance. It's so much for such a little one to carry though (the guilt and shame they are trying to make her feel). I'll continue to teach her though as long as she want to learn.

why is she "catching flack" from the one who gave her permission. From all the stuff you sent home with her, doesn't sound like her mom had to buy a thing! What else is it?

undefined Don't you think an 11 year old girl is a little too young to make a decision on whether or not she wants to even be a vegitarian? You may send her home with all kinds of goodies that YOU like, but she will probably go home and her mom will take her to McDonald's. I would save your money and not send her home with vegitarian food as you are probably wasting your money and her mom no doubtedly throws it right in the trash. Frankly, I think Des should make her own decisions on what she wants to eat and not become a vegitarian because that's your choice. She's too young to make her own. And you shouldn't push your views on her. She's too young.

luveggie, it certainly sounds like this girl truly wanted to be a vegetarian and Ruthie is helping her. Maybe 11 year olds don't have all the authority and decision making skills to become lifelong vegetarians and stay that way indefinitely. But they can certainly decide to not eat meat and ask an adult to help them out with groceries.

If your kid didn't want to eat a hamburger would you be like "You're too young to make that choice. Shut up and eat it"?

I became a vegetarian when I was 11 and the decision has stuck for almost 8 years, why is an 11 year old too young to make a decision about what they eat. Of course it doesn't really matter since this thread is from almost a year ago, but thats not the point.

undefined Don't you think an 11 year old girl is a little too young to make a decision on whether or not she wants to even be a vegitarian? You may send her home with all kinds of goodies that YOU like, but she will probably go home and her mom will take her to McDonald's. I would save your money and not send her home with vegitarian food as you are probably wasting your money and her mom no doubtedly throws it right in the trash. Frankly, I think Des should make her own decisions on what she wants to eat and not become a vegitarian because that's your choice. She's too young to make her own. And you shouldn't push your views on her. She's too young.


And who the hell are you?? Another 'lets get MsRuthieB troll'??? I've seen them at least a dozen times since I've been here and you aren't even a good troll. What else would you call a person who digs up a thread that's over a year old to post what you did?

If you even read any of the thread you would read that I didn't push my views regarding vegetarianism on her. It was totally her own decision. Her mom didn't support it and that side of her family whenever they would get together would shove meat items under her nose like "oh, don't you want some? Don't you miss it" They were not respectful of her decision so she only managed to stick with it for a little over two months.

Who knows? When she gets older she may decide again that she wants to give it a try. I hope she does..but I'm not going to force it on her. Hell, I still cook meat dishes for her dad along with my vegan dishes every night. She's welcome to have either.

My little sister did something similar- she was 8 at the time- she wanted to be veggie for the animals but found it hard because most of what she eats contains meat. I think she is sincerely interested and that she will try again, and both my parents and me have been supportive of this decision.
Your step-daughter may not be ready yet, but that doesn't mean that she can't do it. I tried to go veg when I was 13 but I wasn't mature or dedicated enough. A year later, at 14, I was able to make the committment. It is hard to change your habits. All I have to say is kudos to you, MsRuthie, for helping her out whatever decision she makes.
I know this is an old thread, but I just had to comment. :)

Cool. :cool: Yeah, I'll support her and help her if that's what she wants. Only she can make such a personal decision though.

I know this is an old thread but I just wanted to say I was mostly vegetarian when I was 11. For as long as I can remember I never ate meat, because I didn't like the idea of eating another creature. At 11 I didn't understand about hidden animal ingredients, or even that soups were made with animal stock. If I had the love and support from my family I would have been more informed and I probably wouldn't have "lapsed" (and started eating meat again) when I was 16-17. The main reason I lapsed it because I was sick of everyone saying things like "why aren't you eating meat... blahblahblah." If I had SOMEONE to tell me it was ok, then I would have felt like I was doing the right thing and not the wrong thing.

My stepdaughters mom's side of the family would do things like wave pepperoni/sausage pizza under her nose, or a big fat hamburger..stuff like that. When she would ask if maybe they could get a pizza with half cheese/half pepperoni or whatever they said no way. They weren't going to do anything different for her 'special diet.' :rolleyes: They weren't supportive at all because like luvveg, they thought she was too young to be making such a decision. But yet mom got her hair highlighted and nails done. Logical people I tell ya.

[QUOTE=MsRuthieB] MsRuthieB... this is a person who knows you personally at work and know you spend most of your work time on this site. I felt compelled to write and give my advice. I don't consider myself a good troll or a bad troll. I am a good witch and have every right to express my feelings.

[QUOTE=MsRuthieB] MsRuthieB... this is a person who knows you personally at work and know you spend most of your work time on this site. I felt compelled to write and give my advice. I don't consider myself a good troll or a bad troll. I am a good witch and have every right to express my feelings.

actually, if you came to this site with the sole purpose of harrassing/bothering/stalking ruthie then you're out of line.

[QUOTE=MsRuthieB] MsRuthieB... this is a person who knows you personally at work and know you spend most of your work time on this site. I felt compelled to write and give my advice. I don't consider myself a good troll or a bad troll. I am a good witch and have every right to express my feelings.

You have every right to express your feelings like this in the heap, not on support forums. I suggest you read the Terms of Service Agreement and what it says on flaming, and what can and cannot be said on support forums. But, since the flaming has already been started, why not add fuel to the fire? Let me go now!

You're talking about Ruthie spending time on VB while at work? It seems like you're spending time stalking Ruthie when you should be working. Like I stated before, get a life!

oh, and if you really had ruthie's best interests at heart and you know her personally you'd do the RIGHT and HONOURABLE thing by talking to her face-to-face about all this instead of trying to stir up drama on these boards.

also, figure out how to use the quote function correctly or don't use it at all.
:whip: