My daughter...the vegan???

[heidiiiii]

Chelsea has been a vegetarian for over a year now. It had been hard at first but it got easier to cope with over time. Coping meaning recipes, shopping, etc. We would try out recipes and I would teach her so that she could make some things on her own without my help. She even goes grocery shopping to pick out supplies.

Now she wants to be vegan! No dairy, no eggs, no meat..nothing that comes from animals at all. She feels she is being a hypocrite because she doesnt want to exploit animals but she still does because she is consuming the byproducts of these animals.

So I get that..I want to be supportive. She is not one of those vegs that make meat eaters feel bad. She knows that is how we eat and she has given up the ship.

I want to rant because now it is going to be harder to feed the girl. She wants to start like right NOW!

Now before you all start saying that she has to work and pay for this..I already got that. She is on the hunt for a job (filing out applications online) so that will come soon.

It is the money right now but it is also her health. What the heck am I going to feed her? Are there any vegans out there?

No dairy? She is going to be a slug w/o her calcium. Isnt she?

I cant force her to eat these things just because i dont want to deal with it. I have to make sure she eats right so she doesnt get sick. I could say "when you get a job, you can do it on your own" but she will just not eat anything.

Anyone have any pearls of nutritional wisdom for me? What can i use for substitutes for the eggs and dairy that will give her the daily requirements?

[heidiiiii]

OMG! as I was washing dishes I just thought of something. Bread from the store has eggs in it! So does crackers, tortillas, etc.

OMG! I will have to buy vegan sour cream, margarine, cream cheese!

WT......grrrrrr.

[minime]

Let her research it and come up with what she can and will eat. If it's gonna be her lifestyle she has to understand it and figure out how to deal with it.

[kellee]

I understand her and think if she feels it is something she wants to do then ok, but I just cant think of anything other than fruits & vegetables. That is certainly something to research. I understand about the money and totally agree the health part is the most important.!

My mother is diabetic, she took one look at the foods she is allowed to have and laughed, she said if she follows what they want her to eat she would starve.! I know totally different deal but being vegan sure limits her selections.!! I wish I could help you with ideas, Nothing but fruits & veggies come to mind.!

Good Luck!

Kellee

[heidiiiii]

Kelly,

On a vegetarian diet you can substitute your meat with things like tofu, tempeh, and seitan. She has already been drinking soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk. It is just the other stuff. Eggs? How do you make a cake without eggs?

Sometimes a lil part of me wishes she didnt do this. I know it is healthier but the cost and trying to figure out what to cook can be mindboggling sometimes.

[Jokelly]

My sister used to work at a nursery and one little toddler was being brought up a vegan by her parents. She had to take medical suppliments because she was undersized. One girl I went to college with was a vegan. She could only eat vegetable and fruit based products...only specialty breads, no meats, no dairy, no desserts because most has eggs in it. She even couldn't eat jello or gummy bears or most candy, because they contain gelatinous products that are still derived from animal fats.

Also, beware of fast food french fries! They may be fried in vegetable fat but McDonalds, and others, inject beef flavoring into the fries to give them flavoring.

Happy Eating.

[Anna]

Well, one can always try a search for recipes for egg allergics? and see what comes up???

I had a student once who was allergic to eggs and his mum made the most fabulous cake ever!!! Very light and very, very goood... wish I had the recepie for that one!!!

Hugs and good luck!

[heidiiiii]

My sister used to work at a nursery and one little toddler was being brought up a vegan by her parents. She had to take medical suppliments because she was undersized. One girl I went to college with was a vegan. She could only eat vegetable and fruit based products...only specialty breads, no meats, no dairy, no desserts because most has eggs in it. She even couldn't eat jello or gummy bears or most candy, because they contain gelatinous products that are still derived from animal fats.

Also, beware of fast food french fries! They may be fried in vegetable fat but McDonalds, and others, inject beef flavoring into the fries to give them flavoring.

Happy Eating.

Oh yes I know all about gelatin. and the frys at fast food. But our state (along with others) have made fast food chains cook without transfats anymore.

I am going to forge ahead and hopefully I wont go loonytoons with this. I am definitely making HER do alot of the research and learning how to cook it.

[grazhina]

My daughter went through the vegan phase when she was 17. The food was expensive, and she had to prepare her own meals if I wasn't serving anything appropriate. I never tried to prepare anything special for her.

After about a year she decided to switch back to being a vegetarian because she felt tired and unwell most of the time.

After a couple of years she decided to reintroduce chicken into her diet. She said she'd never eat red meat again, though.

When we went to see her at her college graduation she floored us when we took her out to dinner. She ordered a steak! She said she had started eating beef again a couple of months before and she felt much better than she'd had in years.

[jeninky]

http://www.veganrecipes.com/

http://www.vegan-food.net/

http://www.veganconnection.com/recipes/index.htm

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Coo...Vegan/Main.aspx

http://www.veganoutreach.org/starterpack/recipes.html

http://www.vrg.org/recipes/

http://vegweb.com/

[Jokelly]

I know someone whose son had a wheat gluton allergy, now that was horrendous! He couldn't eat anything pre-prepared. They had to buy their groceries from a specialty supplier. You don't realize how much stuff has wheat products until you have to look at labels. They couldn't even take him to restaurants to eat. And I thought I had it bad avoiding dairy because of my lactose intolerance. Mine is a piece of cake. Although, I do get pitying looks when I tell people I don't eat ice cream much at all, and even then in small quantities.

I am definitely making HER do alot of the research and learning how to cook it.

That sounds like a good idea. Before you know it she'll be going away to college and she'll have to make her own food then. College dining halls aren't the most sympathetic to special diets. Just trying to work around my dairy problem was a chore.

[Shy Spirit]

My daughter did the same thing - after a couple of years she decided that her health was being affected, and dropped the vegetarian/vegan thing.

If your daughter is like mine, the research will turn up even more limitations. Honey exploits bees, jams have a small percentage of insect matter in them, simply because the fruit cannot be guaranteed completely insect-free. No honey or jam for my girl! (No leather or suede items either.)

There are people who live healthily with a vegan diet - but I'm glad my daughter is no longer one of them!

I prefer not to eat red meat very often myself, and follow a mostly vegetarian diet - but I'm not a fanatic by any means, and do eat eggs and chicken (white meat only).

[New Day]

Hi Heidi,

I feel for you, this will be a challenge! But, I really respect your daughter's feelings on the matter.

Look into Milled Flax Seed, it can be used in place of eggs in baking. And it's really good for you. We got ours from Walmart, on the baking aisle. It has the substitution directions on the box.

Also, I have a friend who had two of her children go vegan for a couple of years. It was really hard. The started feeling poorly, too and now they eat some animal products, but only if they know the source and can see that the animals are not treated cruelly. I know that's not a solution for everyone's conscience, but it works for them for now.

good luck,

Traci

[Lony]

My daughter tried this for a while too, and she ate a lot of beans, fruits,veggies and whole unprocessed nuts. The good thing is that the beans and nuts had protien. Olives are an excellent source of good fats.

It was hard to make two diffrent dinners everynight but thankfully she gave up. One night when we went to a steak house and she said really loud.......I GOTTA HAVE A STEAK. She ate three steaks that night but it was worth the cost for her to know that she had the freedom to spread her wings.

You should be proud that you have raised a daughter with so much confidence and conviction in her beliefs that she is willing to do this.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Heidi

[Missymew]

I'm vegetarian, but do eat dairy products. I'll also eat fish. I'd find it very hard to cut out the dairy. I really do enjoy milk, cheese and eggs.

I don't cook very often, as both Ray and I prefer whole grains, and raw fruits and vegetables (no dips). I do bake a lot of muffins though. For people like me it's not hard to eat out or go to have a meal at our friends' or families' homes. I always tell them to just cook what they like, and I'll find something that suits me. Chelsea will be severely limited.

Good luck.

-Susanne

[mommymakesstuff2]

Man that's hard heidi! I don't know what to say but goodluck. My mom had to change her diet because of diabetes and when the docotr told her no more white rice she told him you might as well ask me to stop being filipino! I don't know what she would have done if I said no more meat when I was a girl. Especially since breakfast was always sausage and runny eggs for my dad and spam or bacon and rice for the kids. I probaby would have gotten hit upside the head with a lumpia (egg roll)! Well here's hoping for the best and that it won't be too hard on you!

[aggiemae]

Two of my kids are vegan, one is allergic to wheat and soy so feeding him such a restrictive diet was a pain in the butt. He is 32 and has been a vegan for 18 years and is very healthy. We are all vegetarians so I guess it was not that big of a leap. A good vegan diet is very complex, your daughter might tire of it all on her own. If not there is lots of information on line about proper diets and even recipes. If a child is old enough to make this choice they need to also be responsible for eating properly, but the nutrition aspect especially for women in their fertile years is so important that some parental supervision might be needed. I don't want to create an avalanche of protest here but...PETA kids has many vegan members and your daughter might find support and information there if you have a local group. There is an on line site as well. OK, now if anyone has issues with PETA or animal rights, PLEASE do not kill the messenger, in this case me! All my kids went through a PETA phase and non of them has done anything ilegal or violent. IIt me PETA kids was (and is) more of a vegan scout troop they even have camping trips!

[heidiiiii]

Thank you everyone!

Aggie, oh she is not a violent sort but she listens to a vegan pod webcast and boy oh boy are they....ummm..mean. They said the vegetarians were only half-#*#ing it and if they truly believed in their convictions they would go totally vegan..no leather, no dairy, no eggs, no honey, no ink..etc

No exploitation of animals and their by-products alone.

I love animals...y`all know that. But there is something about a medium rare porterhouse that just makes me happy. Not all the time, but on rare occasions Dh and I will go to the steak place and have a really fattening meal.

[chesterfieldzoo]

My daughter went to school with a bunch of kids who were vegetarian or vegan. It was the "in" thing to do. All have quit since graduation. My exDH was also vegetarian and no longer is. (It was a pain in the butt to go out to eat.) I have also known a lot of people who go vegetarian for short times and stop because it is difficult to go it alone. The food takes a lot of preparation and planning. It is more costly to buy organic.

I would say to let her do her own research and her own cooking. Tell her to plant a garden and learn to can and freeze the crop. (I grow all organic food for my animals.) If she is truly commited to this, it should not be a problem. Stop coddling her and doing the research for her. Let her keep YOU informed. She is plenty old enough for this.

[heidiiiii]

Stop coddling her and doing the research for her. Let her keep YOU informed. She is plenty old enough for this.

Okay.

Sorry I asked.

[Violet2Dawn]

Heidi I have a milk less, egg less chocolate cake recipe if you want it I can post it here. My nepehw has the milk, nuts, fish everything under the sun allergies and he can eat this. Hope things calm down a bit for you. But as everyone is saying, let her tell you what she can eat, it is her choice and her responsibility to find acceptable foods now.

[Anya]

Vegan here too.

Listen, you don't lift a finger she has to cook her meals for herself, if she is old enough to make decisions about what she wants to eat then she can her meals cook too, there is nothing wrong with that. You are abviously a very great parent for supporting her like you do. Many parents would say 'if you don't like it you know where the door is'.

Keep reminding your daughter how lucky she is to have you as a mother.

[Anya]

Kelly,

On a vegetarian diet you can substitute your meat with things like tofu, tempeh, and seitan. She has already been drinking soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk. It is just the other stuff. Eggs? How do you make a cake without eggs?

Sometimes a lil part of me wishes she didnt do this. I know it is healthier but the cost and trying to figure out what to cook can be mindboggling sometimes.

Cakes are easy to make without eggs. ll you do is substiture the egg for sunflower oil or vegetable oil. You will find that the cakes taste better and not as heavy. You can make egg free batter called tempura and it is gorgeous!

[Lisa R.]

My daughter has been vegetarian for many years now. She wanted to go vegan but found it too hard to be healthy. We compromised by only using free range organic eggs and dairy products from cows or goats that are "happy" well treated animals. It has been relatively easy here as we have several great supermarkets close to home that specialize in such foods.

Lisa R.

[Gramma Kathy]

Thank you everyone!

Aggie, oh she is not a violent sort but she listens to a vegan pod webcast and boy oh boy are they....ummm..mean. They said the vegetarians were only half-#*#ing it and if they truly believed in their convictions they would go totally vegan..no leather, no dairy, no eggs, no honey, no ink..etc

No exploitation of animals and their by-products alone.

To be honest they're deluding themselves if they think they can live totally vegan. Animal by-products are in dozens and dozens of things you've never thought of. Things like tires, toothpaste, shampoo, fabric softners, paint, sheetrock, chalk, etc.

Here's a web site that gives you some idea of how many products animal byproducts are in.

http://www3.telus.net/public/jross/beefprod.htm

Kathy