Help! How to feed a picky vegetarian child... ?

Smoothies are great for breakfast- you can throw all kinds of fruit in them along with protein powder, nuts and seeds. I also like homemade granola/breakfast bars - I make them with nuts, oats, dried fruit and seeds. There are tons of recipes online. School lunches can be tough. Wraps are easy to make and bring on the go - I like mine with hummus, falafel and veggies. Sandwiches are easy too. As for snacks, chopped veggies with her favourite dip (hummus etc.) and fresh fruit is easy. You can dip apples in peanut butter for example for more protein.

What kinds of things did she eat before going veg? A lot of things can be made vegetarian - the burgers like you mentioned, even some veggie meatballs and the like. Pizza is easy to make with lots of veggies and even tofu instead of just plain cheese. Maybe you can all make your own mini pizzas one night with whatever veggies you prefer. Of course, you can your boyfriend can pack yours with veggies so she is encouraged to do the same.

I make a lot of homemade pasta sauces, stir fries and soup. They can all be made with things like tofu, beans and even nuts. All of those things can be packed with veggies as well. Don't give up on a type of food after trying it only a few times - you can make almost everything in millions of different ways. That helps you to get some variety in your recipes if you like them so you aren't eating the same thing all the time.

Finally, get both her and your boyfriend involved with choosing some new recipes and with meal prep. There are tons of nice veggie blogs and cookbooks that you can all look through together. Check your local library for vegetarian cookbooks - mine has a lot. Maybe she can choose a recipe to try one day, your boyfriend another day, and then you can choose one. Getting her involved with cooking should make her more open minded to trying new recipes and more likely to eat whatever it is that you make. Also when you cook them together, you can taste them along the way so she can say it needs more of x ingredient or less of something next time. That might also help you find a specific ingredient that she really likes and work it into other recipes. Or something that she really doesn't like so you can leave it out in the future.

these type of posts make me sigh and chuckle a bit. One of my children has a sensory integration (processing) disorder, and he has very few foods he eats. He has some ARFID like behaviors, honestly.

The fact that your kids are eating veggie dogs, veggie burgers, and things of that nature is a blessing, not a curse. I see nothing wrong with boca burgers, we eat them once week around here.

Speaking from personal experience, dont make food a battleground. Offer whatever you are making, or give them the option of a cold plate they can set up themselves.

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a great dinner, as is cheese and crackers with some sliced apples. simple microwaved quesdillas (with mild salsa on the side), and frozen plain cheese pizzas are a big hit too. Even a bowl of cereal is fine. My son takes a multivitamin with iron in it (flinstones brand) each day, and has a good healthy weight, and does well in school.

Today in food for my sensory issues kid-

Breakfast- fruity cereal w/milk, 6 oz OJ

Lunch (packed)- peanut butter sandwich, small brownie, granny smith apple, bottle of water

In school snack- cheerios and skim milk

Dinner- Grilled cheese sandwich, oven baked fries (ore-ida), another granny smith apple

Dessert/at home snacks-a hershey kiss after dinner, air popped popcorn before bed. Sugar free lemonade.