My step son turned vegan ! help!?

Question

ok here is the story my step son went to california to visit a aunt and came back swearing he is a vegan his mother has gone along with it and is changing too. I think i cook a pretty balanced diet we have a meat and 2 sides usually a vegtable and a noodle or rice or bread. When he was telling my three kids about his new diet they just couldnt even emagine taking meat out of there diet so what i need to know is how to best make a meal where he has something that gives him the nutrition he needs and lets us keep are meat and potatoes lol help! i love meat!

Answer 1

allveggielinks.com

veggielinks.com

goveg.com

vegweb.com

supervegan.com

www.ecomall.com/eat.htm

veganbits.com

vegan books:

125 best vegan recipes / Maxine Effenson Chuck & Beth Gurney.



  The complete vegan cookbook : over 200 tantalizing recipes, plus plenty of kitchen wisdom for beginners and experienced cooks / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay



  The joy of vegan baking : the compassionate cooks' traditional treats and sinful sweets / Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.



  The Mediterranean vegan kitchen : meat-free, egg-free, dairy-free dishes from the healthiest place under the sun / Donna Klein



  The new vegan : fresh, fabulous, and fun / Janet Hudson



  The new vegan cookbook : innovative vegetarian recipes free of dairy, eggs, and cholesterol / by Lorna Sass ; photographs by Jonelle Weaver.



  Skinny ***** in the kitch : kick-*** recipes for hungry girls who want to stop cooking c**p (and start looking hot!) / by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin



  Vegan express / written and illustrated by Nava Atlas



  

The vegan gourmet : full flavor & variety with over 120 delicious recipes / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler, Mindy Toomay



  Vegan planet : 400 irresistible recipes with fantastic flavors from home and around the world / Robin Robertson



  The vegan sourcebook / by Joanne Stepaniak ; special nutrition section by Virginia Messina



  Vegan world fusion cuisine : healing recipes and timeless wisdom from our hearts to yours / [Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi and the chefs of the Blossoming Lotus, with a special foreword by Jane Goodall].



  Veganomicon : the ultimate vegan cookbook / Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

take a breather its not the end of the world he will be just fine a dn healthy like any other boy his age

Answer 2

How old is he? I'm 13 and a vegetarian (soon to be vegan) and while my family eats their meat and whatnot, I cook my own meals that involve things like tofu, mock meats (rarely), and they're based on fruit & vegetables. I would think that if he made the decision to be a vegan he would know a little about vegan nutrition and what to cook.

Answer 3

One suggestion is get a Vegan Cookbook from the library with easy, simple, and quick recipes for your stepson, and you and the rest of the family eat your meat and potatoes.  You may have to start giving him some kind of vitamin supplements for certain nutrients he's not receiving, but check with your doctor.

Answer 4

TRY INDIAN RECIPIES

THEY ARE HEALTHY AND TASTY.  A LOT OF HEALTH PHILOSOPHY GOES INTO INDIAN COOKING WHICH IS VERY VERY ANCIENT.

MOST OF THE INDIANS ARE VEGANS PRIMARILY.

THEY ARE INTELLIGENT TOO

BUY SOME INDIAN RECIPIES AND TRY SOME.

I AM SURE YOU WILL TURN VEGAN IN NO TIME.

IF YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE OF

" ART OF LIVING" BY PANDIT RAVISHANKAR GURUJI AT www.artofliving.org/

Answer 5

Cook what you were going to cook for dinner. If he wants a vegan option, he either cooks it himself or he just eats what you've made that's vegan.

Answer 6

Whole grains, fruits, veggies and some protien from nuts, seeds, beans.  

Its actually easier to cook this way, and WAAAY healthier, that the "normal" american meat based, fat-based diet.  

People eat way to much protien anyway....

Answer 7

First of all, its probablly a stage. Second of all, he wants to be a vegan, he cooks for himself (stuff like soy, onion perigoes, ect)

Answer 8

You could give him extra vegetables, rice, and bread.

Answer 9

tofu, its good and healthy

Answer 10

There are lots of ways to get protein without meat.  Beans, nuts, cheese (unless he's hardcore vegan that won't eat any animal biproduct) Same with Eggs.  

Soy is a good source such as soy nuts, soy milk, soy protein shake mix available at most health food stores and grocery stores.  

It's actually a pretty healthy choice he's made and he'll either be serious or not.  My husband was a vegetarian for 10 years and then one day he just wanted a burger and we cooked some up and he loved it.  He's now an avid meat eater.  But if your step son has chosen to be vegan, that's his choice and he should be able to tell you what he can/can't/won't eat.

Answer 11

So what theres nothing wrong with being a Vegan.  Its a healthy life style.  Most of my friends are Vegan because they think its wrong to eat animals that are treated like **** before being killed eaten.  There is nothing wrong with it but hey thats my personla opinion on this issue anyway just let him stay Vegan if he wants he might grow out of it when hes older.  If you force him to eat meat he might get mad so Its best just to let him be.  Hope that helps a little good luck bye

Answer 12

May I suggest Quorn products ? They taste like meat and they give the same nutrients as meat but they aren't and they are incredibly healthy for you. My mum used to replace my meat with quorn as part of her 'this is the final straw. We're eating healthy' phase.

Answer 13

You have to go out to a special store and get vegan foods. They sell just about everything you would normally eat (meat, cookies, drinks, etc.)except without animal products.

There are some really amazing vegan resteraunts out there, and you don't even have to be vegan to enjoy the food.

Answer 14

Well, if he's old enough with a job, you can tell him to start buying his own food. I mean, if he wants to make that choice, you should support it but if it's a lot of extra money (which it may be if you have three other kids) and isn't convenient for you or your family, he'll have to help out somehow. It's like my parents always said, "We're not a restaurant."

Answer 15

Now is the opportunity for you son to learn a new skill which is cooking.  At this age he is exercising control over his body.  He is in the beginning stages of separating himself from his family to become an independent adult.  

This also presents itself as a good opportunity to teach him respect for others values and beliefs.  He may think negative thoughts about others eating habits but he is not in a position to criticize because that is disrespectful.

Answer 16

it takes time but you will get used to it, I come from a VERY latin family who eats tons of meats but always make dishes for me. The internet is a lot of help, normal dishes can be made vegan by leaving stuff out (and each person adding them in) or my family ONLY uses vegan butter, it is yummy and works for the whole family. Tofu can be made with pretty much anything, flax seeds (very good for you) can be added into just about anything as well, and soymilk. The best thing to do is make sure he takes vegan vitamins/supplements to ensure he is getting what he needs. Good luck!

Answer 17

don't cater to children's special requests.  If the child is old enough to think they can switch diets, they can afford to buy their own food, otherwise he can eat your sides and be happy.  Better yet, tell him if his mother is doing it, have her send him money specifically for this diet of his.

Answer 18

All that you need to provide him with are basic things like bread, pasta, rice, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies.

When I say veggies, I mean to include lots of dark green leafy vegetables such as mustard, collards and kale. They should be eaten after something more with more soluble fiber such as pasta. Greens are good after being wilted in olive oil and seasoned with a little salt and balsamic vinegar.

B12 is the only nutrient that is not proven to exist in plant foods but there a vegan B12 supplements online. B12 deficiency is very rare, even in vegan people, and is usually due to biological defect that hinders absorption or reuse of B12 but we should all take the safest route as the effects can be dramatic if it does occur.

http://www.veganhealt.org/sh

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/index...

If you are worried that all vegan people are scrawny and unattractive, don't fret, do something about it and make sure that he goes to the gym or strength trains at home.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

Answer 19

You just keep cooking dinner as usual and your step-son can go graze in the yard. Vegans are unhealthy freaks!

Answer 20

replae his meat dish with tofu,... or meatless replacements... tofu will take on the flavor of its surrounding's and its cheap

Answer 21

my mom asked me for a list of things I won't eat

I'm a vegitarian not vegan

and I think being a vegan is going to be more difficult to cook for

He probably won't eat butter, or eggs, or milk, or cheese

Basically all he will probably eat is vegetables

You might want to get a vegan cookbook

it's probably the best resource for receipes

my library has awesome cookbooks

for a while all you'll be able to do is feed him veggies

tell him he'll have to help you a little

by finding receipes for you to cook

Answer 22

LOL, at least you didn't make him sit at the table for four hours screaming at him to eat his meat like my dad did. It's a perfectly healthy lifestyle and you need to support him in this!!! Please. Visit Vegweb.com. There are a lot of good recipes there. Some great cookbooks are:

Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson, The American Vegetarian Cookbook by Marilyn Diamond ( vegan recipes), and Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann.

Meat really isn't as healthy as people think. Seriously. Do some research on your own with an open mind and maybe you'll at least be able to see his side of it a little better.

Actually, lol, vegan cooking is CHEAP if you don't rely on the processed substitutes, but those can be handy ( and yummy) in a pinch. It'll open up a whole new world :). Give it a whirl, lol.