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Feb 11
2008
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But Mommy, that's Wilbur!Posted by crogers in Untagged |
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What to do when your child stops eating meat.
When my daughter was five, she heard a song about a dog that would never grow up to be a hound because he was about to be sold for 99 cents a pound since he was a hot dog. Then she read Charlotte’s Web. Then she saw Babe. Then she became a vegetarian — and a righteous one, at that.
“I’m proud of your convictions,” I told her, cautioning that one should never force one’s beliefs on others.
“Fine,” she said. “You can eat fish. But not catfish or dogfish.”
Go ahead and laugh. But it happens. So following are a few of the dishes that I relied on most, and that my daughter loved best:
Everything-but-the-sink stuffed potatoes.
Stuffed baked potatoes are healthy, easy — and with the right mix of ingredients — 100% nutritionally complete. Simply bake the potatoes, open them halfway, and stuff with your favorite vegetables and cheeses. My family is partial to potatoes stuffed with steamed broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes topped with a dollop of ricotta cheese, a handful of freshly shredded mozzarella, and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
Another favorite stuffing combination is roasted zucchini, black beans, chives and salsa topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and sunflower seeds.
Rice and bean casseroles.
It’s the same concept as stuffed potatoes, except it’s in casserole form. Simply sauté a couple cups of your favorite chopped vegetables, mix with cooked rice, add your favorite spices, then top with cheese and bake until the cheese gets bubbly. The result is a delicious and satisfying meal that appeals to even the most finicky eaters. For example, my daughter never says no to my black bean and rice casserole loaded with bell peppers, onions, carrots, cashews, sour cream, and lots of freshly shredded cheddar cheese.
By the way, my daughter is 16 now, and though her stint as full-fledged card-carrying vegetarian only lasted five years, she still rarely eats meat. And never catfish or dogfish.
When my daughter was five, she heard a song about a dog that would never grow up to be a hound because he was about to be sold for 99 cents a pound since he was a hot dog. Then she read Charlotte’s Web. Then she saw Babe. Then she became a vegetarian — and a righteous one, at that.
“I’m proud of your convictions,” I told her, cautioning that one should never force one’s beliefs on others.
“Fine,” she said. “You can eat fish. But not catfish or dogfish.”
Go ahead and laugh. But it happens. So following are a few of the dishes that I relied on most, and that my daughter loved best:
Everything-but-the-sink stuffed potatoes.
Stuffed baked potatoes are healthy, easy — and with the right mix of ingredients — 100% nutritionally complete. Simply bake the potatoes, open them halfway, and stuff with your favorite vegetables and cheeses. My family is partial to potatoes stuffed with steamed broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes topped with a dollop of ricotta cheese, a handful of freshly shredded mozzarella, and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
Another favorite stuffing combination is roasted zucchini, black beans, chives and salsa topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and sunflower seeds.
Rice and bean casseroles.
It’s the same concept as stuffed potatoes, except it’s in casserole form. Simply sauté a couple cups of your favorite chopped vegetables, mix with cooked rice, add your favorite spices, then top with cheese and bake until the cheese gets bubbly. The result is a delicious and satisfying meal that appeals to even the most finicky eaters. For example, my daughter never says no to my black bean and rice casserole loaded with bell peppers, onions, carrots, cashews, sour cream, and lots of freshly shredded cheddar cheese.
By the way, my daughter is 16 now, and though her stint as full-fledged card-carrying vegetarian only lasted five years, she still rarely eats meat. And never catfish or dogfish.
