Vegetarian Mums and Babies!

[Kitten]

I'm Sam, 23, been veggie since I was 5. I hate eggs but eat them as an ingredient and I do dairy and gelatin too, just no meat or fish. I have a 15week old son, Theakston who I intend to raise veggie but like you girls have said, it'll be his choice when he's old enough to make it. OH is a meat eater but we eat together so all our dinners are veggie.

 

[jen1604]

Have any of you given your babies meat substitutes yet? Byron had a little bit of Tivall drumstick tonight and tried some Cheatin' Bacon a few days ago. I'm worried about the salt content of them really. Does anyone know when it's ok for him to have things like that?

Hiya
Yup we have given Ophelia meat substitutes.
Do you use Quorn?If yes,we've given her that with no problems at all.
Like you say with the things that are made to look like sausages or bacon,or things like that,its the salt content you need to keep an eye on but I dont think its a problem to give him it every now and again
I'm trying to remember when we let her taste little bits of it,I think maybe 9 months-ish?
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[jen1604]

I'm Sam, 23, been veggie since I was 5. I hate eggs but eat them as an ingredient and I do dairy and gelatin too, just no meat or fish. I have a 15week old son, Theakston who I intend to raise veggie but like you girls have said, it'll be his choice when he's old enough to make it. OH is a meat eater but we eat together so all our dinners are veggie.

Hiya Sam! << I was trying to find you a waving smilie but I couldnt find it so you get that one
Theakston is SUCH a cutie!
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[PeanutBean]

Thanks Jen. I don't like Quorn much so we don't really use it as an ingredient, it's more the sausages/bacon type things that we eat. Well, DH likes the chunks in fajitas but fajitas make me ill so I don't eat them anyway.

 

[Fossey]

Have any of you given your babies meat substitutes yet? Byron had a little bit of Tivall drumstick tonight and tried some Cheatin' Bacon a few days ago. I'm worried about the salt content of them really. Does anyone know when it's ok for him to have things like that?

I've given quorn, TVP (soya chunks/mince etc) a fair amount of tescos meat free range like vegetable fingers cauliflower cheese grills (not the whole thing) vegi burgers/sausgaes etc. I just work out the salt and the usually give her half. I avoid linda mc stuff as thats quite high in salt specially sausages!

 

[PeanutBean]

Hate linda's!

 

[Seraphim]

Hate linda's!

Me too, it's blergh.
God only knows how she got a name for herself/the brand, it's foul.

 

[kirsten1985]

I was wondering what substitute stuff people used, we don't really eat much of it, I have the odd veggie burger but not found any sausages I like yet. I haven't checked out the salt content yet.

So far meals I cook which are suitable for Freya include:

Vegetable casserole
Vegetable Korma
Roasted vegetables
Pasta (would have to be gluten free) and homemade sauce (either cheese or tomato).

I will think of some more. I want to learn how to make a nice pie and a nice pizza. Pies are my favourite and I can never find any decent vegetable ones. I haven't made one for a few years so haven't tried without salt yet.

I used to use the Quorn chunks in curries and things but not so much recently.

I need some more ideas for veggie, gluten/wheat free, salt free meals for a nearly BLWing baby! I neeeed to practice them!!

 

[PeanutBean]

Kirsten have your tried holland and barrett's own sausages? They are way my favourite. Pretty cheap and tasty. I don't really like any other veggie sausages.

I've no idea for gluten/wheat free things I'm afraid. Have you made things with spelt flour as an alternative?

 

[kirsten1985]

No, I need to get some different flours and give it a go

Thanks, I will try them from H&B!

 

[reallytinyamy]

Hi thanks for inviting me!

I'm Amy and Chloe is nearly 15 months, we are both, and OH, veggie.

The weaning process with Chloe was very slow and she's only just now eating 'normal' food. Myself and OH have a terrible diet, I'm very lazy and we tend to eat frozen stuff I'm desperately trying to give Chloe a better diet but don't know where to start really.

She loves her veggies, and is a stickler for culiflower and broccoli cheese, she also has a lot of pasta with tomato and cheese sauce. She can often be found with a dried apricot in her mouth too!

I have some lentils but I'm not sure what to do with them. I struggle as I've only been veggie a couple of years and I live with probably the only vegetarian in the world who doesnt eat veg!!

I do things like bolognaise and shepherds pie with quorn which Chloe loves, but I'm stuck on variety really.

 

[jen1604]

I need some more ideas for veggie, gluten/wheat free, salt free meals for a nearly BLWing baby! I neeeed to practice them!!

I will have a think and try and think of a few more things but you can make a few really quick easy things for BLW out of baked potatoes.Either bake and cut into kind of wedges and let Freya have those plain with cheese sticks and maybe some steamed carrot sticks etc.Because the potatoes are baked really its just like wedges of mashed potato so easy enough to chew
Or,(be prepared--this is slightly messier ) I bake potatoes,scoop out the middle and mash up the potato with cooked kidney beans/chickpeas/lentils then push the mixture back into the potato skin with a spoon,put cheese on top and bake again for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted then cut them into wedges again like the ones before...

The second ones though obviously probably wouldnt be great for first stage weaning when youre just introducing individual tastes xx

 

[jen1604]

Hi thanks for inviting me!

I'm Amy and Chloe is nearly 15 months, we are both, and OH, veggie.

The weaning process with Chloe was very slow and she's only just now eating 'normal' food. Myself and OH have a terrible diet, I'm very lazy and we tend to eat frozen stuff I'm desperately trying to give Chloe a better diet but don't know where to start really.

She loves her veggies, and is a stickler for culiflower and broccoli cheese, she also has a lot of pasta with tomato and cheese sauce. She can often be found with a dried apricot in her mouth too!

I have some lentils but I'm not sure what to do with them. I struggle as I've only been veggie a couple of years and I live with probably the only vegetarian in the world who doesnt eat veg!!

I do things like bolognaise and shepherds pie with quorn which Chloe loves, but I'm stuck on variety really.

Hi Amy!!
PeanutBean had a good idea for lentils on the 1st page and there's a good Annabel Karmel recipe too but thats more for littler babies.
We have tons of pasta and tomato sauce in this house too!
You sound like youre doing great with Chloe's diet-why are you worried that you need to give her a better diet?Just because you're eating a lot of frozen stuff?
xxxxxx

 

[kirsten1985]

I try and avoid frozen veg, but I also have a husband who refuses to eat most veg and fruit, so I have taken to buying things like frozen spinach, sweetcorn and broccoli and putting them in his food - he doesn't really notice they are there, and they don't have as much taste as the fresh stuff, which although rubbish for most of us is good for him!

Obviously we still buy fresh veg too, infact I have ordered from Abel and Cole this week off the internet - does anyone use them? This is the first time I have, I will have to see what it is like.

Thanks Jen! I will definitely try the baked potato, and I guess the same goes for sweet potato too, so will try both. I can't wait to start in a few weeks!

 

[soon2b6]

Hi All, Im Hayley and Im 36. I have been a veggie since I was 14 (OMG thats 22 years, urgh!!) Its been a fairly easy journey for me as my Mum and sisters and brother are veggie as is my husband and his mother. We have 6 children all of whom are vegetarian and have been since birth, their ages are 13, 11, 9, 6, 5 and 8 weeks (OK including the 8 week old is a cheat, she just has milk)
Amy - my sister is also veggie and doesnt eat meat, I often wonder how she manages to survive, lol. Frozen veg is fantastic and the vitamin content is similar to fresh, so dont feel bad, your giving her good stuff!!!

 

[kirsten1985]

Amy - sounds like you're doing really good anyway! Dried apricots are great, I hope Freya likes them when she is older!

My DH thinks he likes vegetables, his complete list is onions, chillies and peppers.

Silly man!! I really do have to hide a lot of things in food for him, like you would for a stroppy child! Lol.

 

[PeanutBean]

Amy - I thought I was the only veggie who doesn't like veg! I hate wet food, it makes me retch, so I really struggle with most veg. I like spinach best and broccolli second but teh latter has to be done sort of al dente and the former has to be stalkless so not stringy. I find the Sainsbury's frozen spinach is best. I dislike all sweet veg too. Can't mix sweet and savoury.

We have loads of frozen things too as I am a lazy cook (though quite good at it when I want to) so DH cooks and as he works he's often strapped for time.

Here's another recipe for people to try.

Cheese souffle
Make a white sauce - 1oz marg gently melted in a pan, sprinkle over 1oz plain flour (I use wholemeal but doesn't matter). Make sure the flour is absorbed into the fat and leave on a low heat to cook a little. It's ready for next step when it looks sort of light and fluffy but I find it tends to burn at the edges before I'm satisfied so I just carry on and mine always turns out lovely! Turn the heat right up, pour over 1/4 pt milk and whisk the flour/fat mixture into the milk quickly with a fork until it's all mixed in. Then allow the milk to boil for a short moment then turn off the heat. The sauce thickens by itself. Off the heat, add three egg yolks and stir in, then add 3oz cheese (any I use Cheshire as cooked Cheddar makes me ill). S&P as desired.

Meanwhile, whisk 3 egg whites until stiff. Fold the cheesey mixture into the egg whites with a wooden spoon. By fold, don't beat or stir as this whips the air out of the whites and will result in a flat souffle. Folding is sort of scooping the sauce from the bottom (it sinks as it's heavier) upwards folding in the unmixed white above it. Do this until the whites are all folded in and pour into a souffle dish. This will be round, quite tall, and about maybe 8" or so in diameter. You can use bigger dishes if you double quantity but they might take ages to cook through in the middle. The mix should be about half the volume of the dish so that it doesn't spill over when it rises.

If you're feeling fancy you can use the handle end of a wooden spoon to scopp a ridge around the edge of the dish and this gives a 'top hat' to the finished souffle.

Into the middle of the oven (not too high so it doesn't rise and stick to top of oven) GM6 for half an hour. Don't open the door in the middle, like with a cake, as it'll go flat. To test, stick a knife into the middle. If it comes out with wet mixture it needs longer. It should be steamy wet but not with mixture on it.

The good thing about souffle is you can add other things to it. My parents eat fish so they add tuna. We've toyed with the idea of adding spinach but I love cheese souffle so much that I don't really want to ruin it!

 

[reallytinyamy]

what sort of thigs do you do with spinach. Chloe used to love the baby jars with spinach in when she was younger but I'm clueless!

 

[kirsten1985]

I put spinach in EVERYTHING!!

I put it in curry, casserole, pasta bake, on pizza, baked potato, I eat it on it's own, pretty much everything I make has spinach in!

I find if you buy the baby leaf spinach it shrinks a lot when you cook it, and if you buy it frozen I usually use two of the blocks at once.

 

[jen1604]

Curry is good with spinach
Or I probably use it most in cannelloni.
Or cheesy pasta.Yummmmmmmmm.Oh I really shouldnt have come to this thread before dinner,its making me want to eat huge mountains of spinachy cheesy pasta xxxxx