Do you have a vegetarian child? I know it can be very hard to adjust to your kid wanting to change their diet, and you may worry that they don’t get enough vitamins and other nutrients, but there is no need to worry! Here are a few useful tips for dealing with vegetarian children.
1. Stop worrying
Most parents believe that a meal should include meat, that’s why they start worrying when their children want to be vegetarians. There is no need to worry that your kid wants to become a vegetarian. Their new diet will definitely involve some changes, but it’s not the end of the world! So stop worrying!
2. Support your child’s choice
Perhaps, the most important tip for dealing with vegetarian children is to support their choice. Even if you don’t understand why they want to become vegetarian, that’s their choice, so try to respect it. If it’s just a fad, it might pass, but they’re more likely to be committed to not eating meat.
3. Be proud
If your child tell you that they want to give up meat, your first reaction may be fear or panic. But you should be really happy and proud of them. They might have thought about everything and come to the conclusion that they want to give up meat. Be proud that you’ve raised a child who reasons.
4. Cook together
Initially, vegetarian cooking might seem intimidating, because you are used to cook a ‘regular’ meal for your family. Why not get your vegetarian child to help out with the cooking? It can make things much easier! Cooking is an important skill that you have to teach your children anyway.
5. Have meat-free days
Nowadays a lot of families have meat-free days. If your objection to your vegetarian children is that you think it’ll be difficult to cook something different for them, why not cook a vegetarian meal for the whole family? That’s a really great idea, isn’t it?
6. Buy vegetarian products
There are a lot of vegan products available in many supermarkets, which can be good replacement to meat. Look for veggie burgers, sausages, steaks and mince. You can also look up some recipes and try to make your own delicious burgers or even sausages.
7. Look for vegan cookbooks
Today there are thousands of cookbooks for feeding vegetarian children. They are a perfect place to start if you are feeling completely lost, and they are a good source of useful information. Go to your local bookstore, order online or go to the wholefood store, which can also give you some tips.
When your children tell you that they want to become vegetarian, you might be worried or annoyed. But there is no need to worry about them! You will soon adjust to their new diet. Moreover, it’s not as difficult as it may seem at first. Do you have any other tips for dealing with vegetarian children? Share them, please!