Daughters gone veggie, help with vitamins?

[toots82]

Hiya

My dd (14) has decided to try and follow a vegetarian diet. We've seen it coming for a while and are more than happy to support her but with no pressure at all.

Today is her 1 week anniversary of being meat free and she's really impressed me with how she's tried new things (quorn fajitas, linda mccartney sausages, plant based kiev... that one didn't go down so well but she tried). I'm just looking for some help with what vitamins she may need as she's not great with dairy and doesn't like egg she's great with her veg, especially salads, loves pasta, will have cheese sauce. She also loves home made soups etc. so I know she can get lots of nutrients in her diet but she's super active and possibly still growing so I want to make sure we're giving her everything she needs.

Any hints/tips/food recommendations etc. very welcome. Tomorrow we are making vegetarian lasagna to see how that goes.

[Rac20]

The key is to ensure that she’s getting enough iron and vitamin b12.

I would check out the vegetarian society website. I’m sure there will be lots of excellent information on there.

I’ve been veggie since I was 12 and do sometimes have low iron so take vitamin and mineral supplements. I tend to eat a lot of beans/pulses/spinach leaves and soya.

Have to say that I am not keen on a lot of the new vegan fake meat produce. Had a vegan burger today whilst out and it was like eating raw sausage meat. 🤢

Edited to add: good luck to your DD. It took me 3 attempts but now, I don’t even think about it and could never imagine eating meat.

[Willeve]

I’ve been vegetarian for nearly 40years(&#128561, never needed to take vitamins. B12 is often found in breakfast cereals.

[mitch84]

We’ll done to her 🥰

As she is so active, maybe consider her protein needs as eggs and meat are two of the biggest forms.
Milk, cheese, cottage cheese etc all a good source but you say not keen on dairy.
Oats are good, as are nuts and seeds, and lentils. But mostly all lower than the meat and dairy.

You could do a dummy day in your mfp app to see what’s she getting. There are some nice bars and shakes she could have on her back from dance maybe if you feel too low.

Broccoli also has protein and loads of vitamins so add that if she likes it to her meals

Good luck x

[skalexander]

I agree with others - iron, B12 and protein are all things to keep an eye on.

B12 can only be found in animal products, including eggs and dairy, and even some carnivores can find it hard to sustain levels. It is not in breakfast cereals, but iron is, albeit not in great quantities.

I’ve had iron and B12 deficiencies on and off, and I’m not in a hurry to have them again. Berocca (boots equivalent) and feroglobin effervescent see me right. I have one of each a day when in the office, I always forget at hone.

[loldis]

As above, B12 is the only vitamin that will definitely be lacking in a balanced veggie diet with little dairy or eggs so will need supplementing. Anything else is pretty easy to find, but a good multi made for vegans should cover your bases.

Protein shouldn't be too much of an issue, there is protein in pretty much everything except pure fats. Especially if she's eating faux meats which are often soy based.

[Buzz242]

I’ve been veggie for almost 40years.’ I’m not keen on a lot of the ‘veggie products’ available so generally just have pasta and rice dishes with lots of veg, roast
dinner without the meat etc.
I think the only time I’ve needed to take vitamin supplements and iron was during pregnancy.
Will she eat fish? I add salmon to pasta/rice and salads, very quick and easy meals that she could make herself.

[Floridarules]

Originally Posted by Rac20

The key is to ensure that she’s getting enough iron and vitamin b12.

I would check out the vegetarian society website. I’m sure there will be lots of excellent information on there.

I’ve been veggie since I was 12 and do sometimes have low iron so take vitamin and mineral supplements. I tend to eat a lot of beans/pulses/spinach leaves and soya.

Have to say that I am not keen on a lot of the new vegan fake meat produce. Had a vegan burger today whilst out and it was like eating raw sausage meat. 🤢

Edited to add: good luck to your DD. It took me 3 attempts but now, I don’t even think about it and could never imagine eating meat.

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Yes, I tried the Richmond meat free burger and couldn’t even cook it. It smelt awful 🤢

The linda mccartney stuff and old school bean burgers are the best. Unfortunately many are laden with Palm Oil which I can’t tolerate. 😔

[frances01]

I also gave my daughters daily multi vitamins even before one became veggie and the other developed a dairy allergy (but also doesn't really eat meat). As they are now adults I encourage them to keep their eye on their iron. The veggie daughter takes b12 supplements and they both put protein powder in their smoothies. I also buy them the pro biotic veggie choc balls from Holland and Barrett for their good enzimes. Hope your daughter gets in well with her veggie diet.

[Lola]

Good for you supporting healthy eating but I do smile remembering my Mother in Law bringing me tubs of vitamins for DH to take as he had stopped taking sugar in his brews. Apparently she decided he needed the energy. 😆