One DD has gone vegetarian

Eemaof3

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 7:54 am

During the week we eat mostly milchigs. But does anyone have ideas for substantial sides for Shabbos that can serve as her main dish? Looking for proteins, not just starches. She is young so we are just starting to experiment with flavors and foods like tofu so I want to make things really appealing. TIA

vintagebknyc

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 8:17 am

assuming she's vegetarian not vegan, yes? so this is why weeknights are not an issue? does she eat fish?

for shabbos: veggie chili, any variety of veggie bean soup, (google moroccan chickpea and lentil soup, it's delish), felafel or any other sort of hummus--like a hummus wrap. off the top of my head... a mini veggie frittatas made in a muffin tin. a peanut butter sandwich. also note that quinoa has 8 grams of protein per cup. will she drink soy milk? having a cup of that with a pareve dinner also 8 grams of protein.

or, is it possible that she eats an already prepared dairy meal while the rest of you eat meat?

I'm a vegetarian and I do not like tofu in any form, but I get most of my protein from dairy--though I do eat the small chunks of tofu in miso soup--so it's possible to get a normal amount of protein if you're a veggie!

water_bear88

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 8:28 am

Eggs are great if she'll eat them. Quinoa is another good protein source, as are nuts.

Legumes (peas, lentils, beans, soy, peanuts, etc) are a partial protein (meaning they're missing a few of the essential amino acids, the chemical building blocks that make up protein and that are what the body actually needs). Whole grains are also a partial protein, but the amino acids that they're missing are found in legumes while the ones that are missing from legumes are found in whole grains. Therefore, a whole grain + a legume = a whole protein. They don't need to be in the same dish or even at the same meal.

So lentils and brown rice, succotash (beans and corn), whole grain challah and hummus are all good easy options. Since animal proteins are whole proteins, eggs are fine on her own. And if she's not fleishig from the meal, anyway, she can always have a yogurt or some cheese on her own after the meal if she's still hungry. Wink

JMM-uc

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 8:44 am

vintagebknyc wrote:

just curious, how come you're vegetarian?

vintagebknyc

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 8:58 am

JustMeMyself wrote:

just curious, how come you're vegetarian?

a mixture of reasons. cruelty to animals via factory farming is one reason, and I find it gross, for lack of a better word (sorry) to eat other creatures. plus, intellectually, I believe we have the knowledge and technology to have balanced diets without eating meat, so it seems senseless to do so.

however, I'm not judging anyone who eats meat. people do what they need to do. if we go to dinner and you eat a steak, I'm happy with spaghetti and will likely just try not to look at your food. and only because I have a weak stomach and just about everything makes me feel nauseous.

I do eat dairy, and try my absolute best to find products that come from animals that have been treated well.

JMM-uc

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 9:05 am

vintagebknyc wrote:

eating animals grosses me out too. I've tried to become vegetarian but gave up when I ended up being hungry most of the time. plus my family really enjoys eating those dead things... so it's very hard. I do my best not to think about what it used to be... Puke

imasinger

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 9:06 am

My 8 year old DS, who has pretty severe sensory issues, refuses to eat any form of fleishig, claims he doesn't like the taste, but I think it's all about not wanting to know he has to wait 6 hours for dairy, even though I have special pareve Shabbos treats for him.

For proteins, he likes fake chicken patties, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, and sometimes chumus. He likes pasta, will occasionally have a sandwich, and he likes crackers. And, of course, potatoes, which, in my thinking are not a vegetable, but a starch.

I told him that he is not allowed to be vegetarian unless he will eat a reasonable quantity and variety of... you guessed it, VEGETABLES.

Right now, he will do well with raw peppers or steamed, salted broccoli. We are working with a therapist to help him grow his tolerance. He will choke down a few bites of raw carrot, lettuce, or snow peas, carrot soup, or cooked zucchini sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

I am quietly giving him 6 months to get to at least 12 veggie choices consumed in a reasonable serving size. This must include some important combinations, like beans and rice.

If that doesn't happen, I will insist on a serious meat trial of every other day or so for a month, and then make a decision.

Debbie

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 9:29 am

I have a daughter who has been vegetarian for some years and I still struggle to find things that will keep nice on the hotplate overnight.
I make vegetable bakes and soya mince shepherds pies but they are never so good after a night on the hotplate.
So I too will be grateful for any suggestions.

On a side note,I have been astonished over the years how many people don't know what a vegetarian is;when I say that my daughter is a vegetarian I get asked 'does she eat fish?' when I say that she doesn't they then say 'Oh so she's a vegan?'
I have to explain that a vegetarian doesn't eat meat or fish,a vegan doesn't eat anything that comes from an animal including eggs and honey and someone who eats fish but not meat is a pescatarian.

I have told her that if she ever wants to become a vegan she can do it when she has left home!

vintagebknyc

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 9:35 am

Debbie wrote:

I have a daughter who has been vegetarian for some years and I still struggle to find things that will keep nice on the hotplate overnight.
So I too will be grateful for any suggestions.

On a side note,I have been astonished over the years how many people don't know what a vegetarian is;when I say that my daughter is a vegetarian I get asked 'does she eat fish?' when I say that she doesn't they then say 'Oh so she's a vegan?'
I have to explain that a vegetarian doesn't eat meat or fish,a vegan doesn't eat anything that comes from an animal including eggs and honey and someone who eats fish but not meat is a pescatarian.

I have told her that if she ever wants to become a vegan she can do it when she has left home!

have you noticed this more in recent years? because I haven't eating meat in over 25 years, and only in the past 10 years has the dialogue on this changed.

(and I am a lacto/ovo pescatarian, for the record, but it's easier to say vegetarian because when I became one, that's what I was!)

Debbie

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 9:40 am

It could be that being (let's say a non meat eater) has increased in popularity in recent years as there are more alternatives now available,and more is known about factory farming.
Having said that the alternatives on offer quite often have questionable ingredients-actually I have no idea what some of the ingredients are!
Also years ago being a vegetarian was seen as weird,now it is much more accepted.

DrMom

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 10:42 am

Debbie wrote:

I have many friends who are self-described vegetarians and yet who *do* eat fish, so when I have a geust who says he is a vegetarian, I always ask just in case.

Vegan, OTOH, is a clear definition for me.

But yeah, my in-laws tend to confuse the dietary labels of anyone who doesn't eat red meat.

etky

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 12:48 pm

DrMom wrote:

This.
We also have many friends who are some form of vegetarian - some will eat fish and some won't but I have yet to hear anyone describe themselves aloud as pescetarian. It's a term that fewer people seem to be acquainted with here. Or perhaps b/c in Hebrew there isn't such a term.
That said, I would never serve fish to a self-proclaimed vegetarian if I hadn't ascertained beforehand if they were fish eaters or not.
We also have friends who are vegan and that indeed is clear cut, other than the honey which some seem to eat and others don't so I always ask.

chickpea_salad

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 12:50 pm

Huevos haminados are cheap and easy to make, and will help meet daily protein requirements. If you have a slow cooker, I like pumpkin or sweet potato curry, or vegan cholent. If you are cooking in an oven, try cabbage rolls or
parve spinach kugel with toasted pine nuts. (my favorite)

Mrs Bissli

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 1:12 pm

Debbie wrote:

On a side note,I have been astonished over the years how many people don't know what a vegetarian is;when I say that my daughter is a vegetarian I get asked 'does she eat fish?' when I say that she doesn't they then say 'Oh so she's a vegan?'
I have to explain that a vegetarian doesn't eat meat or fish,a vegan doesn't eat anything that comes from an animal including eggs and honey and someone who eats fish but not meat is a pescatarian.

I have told her that if she ever wants to become a vegan she can do it when she has left home!

Debbie thanks for raising this. As this is also my top pet peeves!
SINCE WHEN HAS FISH BECOME A VEGETABLE?

But then again, some people think vegetables or rice cooked with (real) chicken broth doesn't count as meat...

EsaEinai

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 1:22 pm

My favorite shabbos supper is majadra (rice with sautéed onions and lentils), with vegetarian moussaka (like a cheeseless eggplant Parmesan). We also have the regular shabbos kugels, or a warm quinoa dish. I make lots of soups which are yummy and filling- either veggie or bean based. For shabbos lunch we have 2 crockpots- one for parve cholent (potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, barley, etc)- u could add a parve kishka, eggs, and some potato kugel floating on the top in some foil.

Some non shabbos foods I like are rice and bean burritos and a vegetarian chili made with quinoa. You could also use soy meat for more variety. I used to make yummy protein packed lentil burgers.

I've been a vegetarian since I was 6 and I'm actually a vegan now. Boy do I feel bad for my mom when I think about what I must have put her through!!

Mrs Bissli

Sun, Jan 11 2015, 1:27 pm

On the main question, here are things I make (assuming she's a lacto-ovo rather than a vegan).

- crustless quiche/frittata: grate vegetables (courgettes, leeks, carrots are all good, or use combination), sauté with a bit of oil, salt/pepper, other seasonings (cumin is lovely for carrots, Italian herbs for courgettes). Once cooled, drain liquid (save it for soup or cooking), add beaten eggs (I use 4-5 eggs for 22cm flan tart) and 1 tbsp. matza meal. Check seasoning. Bake in non-stick 22cm deep flan tart pan and bake at 170C for about 40min till the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes clean.

- Quorn 'meat'loaf: if you can get quorn style vegetarian mince, this is a good recipe you can eat hot or room temp, can be used as sandwich filling. Blitz 1 thick slice of challah into fresh breadcrums (or use 1/2 to 2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs). Finely chop onions, red peppers, celery, carrots, courgettes etc to yield about 2cups. Sauté with small amount of oil, s&p for about 10-15min till cooked through, add veggie mince and cook for another 10min on high flames, the mixture should be fairly dry rather than drippy. Once cool to handle, tip in a large bowl, mix in breadcrumbs. Add 2 eggs, 1 tbsp. ketchup or tomato sauce, 1-2 teasp soysauce or marmite. Adjust seasoning. Fill a loaf pan and bake covered for 1hour, first 20min at 180C then reduce heat to 150C. Check to see if the centre is cooked. You can top with BBQ sauce or more tomato sauce when you lower the temperature.

If you make vegetarian cholent, you can also add whole eggs in shells (wash well beforehand) and leave it to cook allnight for lovely lightbrown hamin eggs.