Vegetarian Mums and Babies!

[PeanutBean]

Sorry I know about B12 deficiency, is the issue then that if you BF you are not passing on enough B12? Perhaps there is a way to supplement for the baby rather than switching to formula. I wonder what a baby needs by way of B12? It might be that the risks of nutrients and antibodies lost by changing from BF would outweigh the risks of low B12.

 

[kelly342000]

Sorry I know about B12 deficiency, is the issue then that if you BF you are not passing on enough B12?

yes, that is the issue. if i am deficient then the risk of baby becoming deficient and developing problems is very real.

Perhaps there is a way to supplement for the baby rather than switching to formula. I wonder what a baby needs by way of B12? It might be that the risks of nutrients and antibodies lost by changing from BF would outweigh the risks of low B12.

i am sure i have seen some figures somewhere but cant remember them off hand. this is something i need to think about, but am not sure the risk of problems that comes with vit b12 deficiency are outweighed by the benefits of BF.
i think i will have to wait and see results of further blood tests, if my levels improve, i should be able to BF. will just have to hope they are good enough by the 6 week post delivery bloods to continue BF or will need a rethink.

 

[Kitten]

I've not seen this research into BF and low vit B12, what's the synopsis?

i came across quite a lot when i googled it and am quite surprised a doctor said he didn't "believe all that nonsense" as some of the side effects on baby can be quite severe.

Vitamin B12 deficiency in an infant can cause:

* Anemia
* Irritability
* Failure to thrive
* Poor appetite
* Apathy
* Developmental delays.

there is some research here
https://www.veganhealth.org/b12/apinfants

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1438012/pdf/jrsocmed00246-0086.pdf


my blood levels are being monitored as i still have enlarged RBC's (megoblastic aneamia) caused by the vit b12 deficiency and they will be defo checking them again 6 weeks post delivery to see if they have improved by then.

He's a twat to put it bluntly. He's an awful doctor. However, Theakston has never been anything but the epitomy of 'thriving' but if he were to start being ill or go off his food I'd see another dr and make sure they knew I was veggie. The dr said there was a lot of conflicting research too I think but I let it go as Theakston was well.

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As for the Quorn thing, I'd stick with mince but ask them to take it easy on the sausages.

A 'banger' contains 0.5g salt.

It's harder to put in terms of mince but the bangers contain 1g salt per 100g, mince is 0.2g salt per 100g, and a cumberland sausage is 1.3g salt per 100g!

All the info is here: https://www.quorn.co.uk/Our-Range/

 

[toffee87]

You could always try making your own veggie sausages (if you have time of course) hehe. Veggie food can be made relatively fast, another benefit

 

[PeanutBean]

Thanks for the salt info. The plus side is that his daily allowance is now 2g and I don't add any salt to anything he eats, as I said he mostly eats veggies at home so they are obviously very low salt. It probably balances out ok but I will keep an idea on how often he's getting sausages.

broody21, it's not at home, it's at nursery so I don't really have much control over what he eats. That said, it was a birthday party today and he had some cake and when I collected him they asked me if that was ok. I have no beef with cake to be honest and I reckon that becuase he's veggie they've now cooked up a bunch of really stereotypical middle class ideas they think I buy into! It's good they asked I guess though it was after the fact anyway.

On the B12, I was low too (clearly not as you are) and had to get injections right at the end of term. Byron actually came about 2 days into the jabs and they carried on giving me them afterwards but no-one ever mentioned anything about BF at all.

 

[mummy_mi]

Hello all,

I just came across this thread, I had been wondering if there was a veggie group/thread! Well I've just turned 27 and have been veggie for at least 10 years, my OH isnt veggie and nor is anyone else in my family nor any close friends. My OH is more then happy to eat veggie stuff I make and says he cant tell the difference with quorn mince/pieces once its in a meal, he does sometimes eat meat at home but not often, I dont give him a hard time about it or anything, he just knows that if he wants say a chicken, he has to cook it not me. When we're out he'll eat meat stuff but I've never preached to him about going veggie, its his choice and as long as he can live with the choices he makes in his life I'm happy.

We will be bringing Chloe up as a veggie until she is old enough to grasp the concept that the cute piggy at the farm actually dies to give people bacon and sausages etc, as I think when some kids are small and are taught bacon, sausages etc come from piggies they dont really get the whole concept, I think they think its like eggs come from chickens, if that makes any sense!

Anyway, I am quite a lazy veggie cook, maybe thats due to never having a veggie role model in my life to guide me and show me how to cook with lentils etc. So basically I just cook what my mum used to cook me but without meat in, oh and quorn features in at least 4-4 meals a week I think, although this year I'd like to try cutting that down and using other things like beans, lentils, tofu (past experiences with it have been iffy but I'm sure it was probably due to my lack of experience with it).

It would be nice if maybe people could share their own dinner recipes as I get so stuck sometimes, especially now with the LO, my brain goes blank and we have the usual spag bol, sausage casserole, veggie pie, veggie curry/sweet and sour meals nearly every week!

So I'm open to suggestions please!!

Thanks for listening x

 

[jen1604]

Hi all!!
Sorry I've been a bit absent,been busy with having the new baby around
Mummy_mi have you tried making like a chili and just putting loads of beans/pulses in instead of using veggie mince?Thats the easiest way I can think of to start cooking with beans&stuff
xxxxx

 

[Kitten]

I started a veggie recipe thread in the recipe forum but it didn't catch on, lol. I'm the same - I don't branch out much from my regular Quorn meals. I've been looking for recipes online & have a few I might try soon.

 

[kelly342000]

On the B12, I was low too (clearly not as you are) and had to get injections right at the end of term. Byron actually came about 2 days into the jabs and they carried on giving me them afterwards but no-one ever mentioned anything about BF at all.

my b12 and folate seem to have begun to pick up now but they are now worrying about ferritin levels! honestly, seems like they just like looking for problems and aren't happy till they find one!

 

[toffee87]

Tesco have an offer at the moment, three quorn items for £5 in the chilled section (some are 2.40 each).

Also iceland/farm foods are cheap for quorn, I know they get a lot of stick, but they do have some bargains hehe xxxx

 

[mummy_mi]

Chili is probably one of the only meals my OH doesnt like!! Any more ideas would be fab tho, or even just to share what your going to be cooking this week might give me ideas. I'm sure there are tons more things I can cook I just get stuck in a rut.

For us this week, we have had/are having:
Veggie sausage casserole.
Roasted veg and Yorkshire puds. (I call it our roast)
Veggie pizzas.
Veggie stirfry.
Veggie curry.
and then something from the freezer to fill in gaps. Not very adventurous as you can see!

Any ideas welcome! x

 

[jen1604]

That sounds pretty adventurous to me hon!Youve got some good variety in there..

Veggie curry is probably the easiest one of that list to get beans and pulses in to (try chickpeas) depending on whether youre making it from scratch or from a jar?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[mummy_mi]

That sounds pretty adventurous to me hon!Youve got some good variety in there..

Veggie curry is probably the easiest one of that list to get beans and pulses in to (try chickpeas) depending on whether youre making it from scratch or from a jar?

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Would I use tinned chickpeas or dried, and if dried do I have to soak them or something? lol clueless! And what kind of pulses or is there only one kind?

I make from scratch sometimes but more often then not a jar, but I do tend to make it up in the morning and leave it to cook and develop all day, i usually put in quorn pieces but like I said I want to change.

I had an amazing tofu green thai curry once when out but when I tried it was watery, the tofu was flavourless and was a big letdown!

 

[jen1604]

Pulses are classed as anything like chickpeas,kidney beans and lentils (according to wikipedia anyway )

I always always use tinned for stuff like chickpeas and lentils,I just find it easier and nope you don't need to soak them,just put them straight into whatever you're cooking.I'm sure there are probably some benefits to using the dried ones but I have no idea what Maybe they're cheaper?

I found this recipe for chickpea curry which looks easy enough and yummy but I normally just make a tomato based veggie curry with whichever veg I have lying around and just add the chickpeas to that,I'm not great at following recipes tbh,I tend to just make it up as I go along xxxxx

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chickpeacurry_2213.shtml

 

[Kitten]

This week we've had:

Quorn spag bol
Stir fry with rice noodles and tofu
Veggie burgers & homemade chips
Pasta bake
Roast veggies & yorkshires (and I'm having a quorn crispy fillet)
Lentil mix bake thing (from a packet) stuffed into peppers topped with feta

Other regulars are
Quorn chilli
Spaghetti with pesto & parmesan (more of a light snack though)
Melanzane parmigiana
Stuffed aubergines

And I'm thinking of trying:
Chickpea curry
Casserole
Aubergina tikka massala
Potato gratin pie
Paella

 

[mummy_mi]

Thanks for the info Jen, have just added some tinned Chickpeas to shopping list for next week and I shall use them somehow!!

Kitten - What kind of Tofu do you use in your stirfry and how do you prepare it? The one time I tried to use Tofu it didnt soak up any flavour and just tasted spongy like! Also do you make your veggie burgers?

And has anyone come across a good online veggie recipe site? I use Good Food sometimes but there isnt many meat free recipes!

Thanks for your help x

 

[jen1604]

Kitten--all your meals sound yummy,can I come and live at your house?xx

 

[Kitten]

Lol if you don't mind doing the housework, hehe.

We used normal tofu this time and I just cut it up into little chunks to just get some protein in the meal but the Cauldron marinated tofu is the best, and the only one my husband will actually eat. I still haven't figured out how to get tofu to take on flavour.

I don't make my own veggie burgers I'm afraid, I use Tescos cheap and cheerful ones.

These are the sites I've used recently for ideas:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/
https://www.netmums.com/food/Food__Recipes__Vegetarian.865/westsussex/
https://www.mydish.co.uk/recipes

 

[Joyzerelly]

Thanks for the info Jen, have just added some tinned Chickpeas to shopping list for next week and I shall use them somehow!!

Kitten - What kind of Tofu do you use in your stirfry and how do you prepare it? The one time I tried to use Tofu it didnt soak up any flavour and just tasted spongy like! Also do you make your veggie burgers?

And has anyone come across a good online veggie recipe site? I use Good Food sometimes but there isnt many meat free recipes!

Thanks for your help x

I found a brilliant one https://www.vegetarianlunches.com/ unfortunately I just tried it and it said 'the owner has reached the limit of their bandwidth' whatever that means and to try again later... Hopefully it'll be back soon as I was planning to use it for reference, wish I'd saved some recipes now!

 

[abster]

Am pretty certain the vegetarien society website features recipes x