Now, for those of you who, after reading the post title, think that I just started playing poker with a pinochle deck, nothing could be further than the distance between lucidity and The Donald or The Hillary. I are still a meateater, with the occasional bit of poultry and fish thrown in for fun. However, the need to write a post of subsistence this week has forced me to drift to the dark side of humanity.
Namely, vegetarianism.
Earlier this year, my wonderful 15 1/2 year old daughter, Jenelle (she had just dyed hair prior to this pic and was vamping it up for dear old Dad) decided, after careful thought and consideration, to become a vegetarian.
The reasoning she used was what most people use when deciding to eliminate meat from their eating habits. Which is to say, that family life as we know it, got turned sideways and wrapped itself around a sunflower.
For those of you who may have not paid attention to my various ramblings about vegetarianism, long story short, while I'm not overly thrilled about it, I accept it at face value, and so long as those who do, don't try to mock me for what I eat, I don't mock them. I also try to learn about it as much as possible, since I have friends and co-workers who are, so at the very least, I can help my daughter get along with what she is.
Shopping for her can be an adventure, and indeed it was for the first few months as we tried to figured out she liked or didn't like as it applied to her new diet. But it did eventually settle down to something that made things, if not slightly redundant, at the most slightly compatible.
The only adventures we have in regards to her new eating lifestyle, is that because she is such a high energy/high octane kind of gal (skating, marching band, dance, skater gurl), is making sure she gets enough protein. So the collective (family, skating coaches) that deals with her on a minute basis 24/7, gently (and I do mean gently) nag her about eating the right kind of foods that will give maximum protein.
The other adventure we have is making sure that she can participate in eating out activities. Nothing worse, I believe, than not being able to participate in group eating activities. Which usually means I'm always on the prowl in finding suitable places for her to eat at. I found some places (Burger King & Moe's Southwest Grill) that carry veggie burgers on the menu. There are others (Subway for example), that she is not thrilled about. Then there are places that she has found on her own that satisfies what she needs/craves for fast food.
While there are the occasional blips (hissy fits for accidently having meat sauce inadvertently placed on her pasta), overall it has been a relatively smooth transition. We don't question her reasoning as to why the change nor do we speak disparagingly about it and she appreciates the time and effort that we spend in assimilating her wants/needs to every day life.
And ultimately, that really is the only thing you can honestly do as a parent: respect the decision that your child has made and help make the transition that much smoother in the long run.
(c) 2016 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.
I think a great many teenage girls become vegetarians, mine haven't as they love chicken nuggets too much. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteMine used to love chicken nuggets. But, as they say, in today's world, it's very easy to become well informed. She was, and thus, a vegetarian she now is.
DeleteVegetarian food can be quite delicious. I had a bowl of exquisite curry chickpea soup for lunch on Sunday -- and chickpeas are so chock full of protein that that one bowl of soup filled me up for the rest of the day!
ReplyDeleteShe absolutely loves hummus, so we buy that for her when we can. I'm not sure how much of a soup eater she is, but she does love hardboiled eggs and tuna.
DeleteYou are a good dad to honor her desires to be a vegetarian. Better that than a vegan. Probably the good effects will rub off on everyone. She will indeed be Supergirl:-)
ReplyDeleteI don't think she'll every become a vegan since she absolutely loves dairy products.
DeleteI have no problem in respecting her desire to become a vegetarian. In the overall scheme of things, this is a relatively inconsequential thing to get in a snit over.
There are a lot of alternatives now. Check the frozen department for Boca and Morningstar Farms products.
ReplyDeleteWe don't eat land animals in our household and we use soy milk. I almost never have an issue finding something to eat though.
You're a good father for letting her make the decision.
We do. Not sure if she likes Morningstar, but she does like Boca as well as the version that Aldi's carries.
DeleteThanks for the compliment. :D
Good on you for dealing so well with it. A lot of fathers would have just mocked and ridiculed her. Even if it just ends up being a phase, it's still her phase to go through. Personally, I don't understand it (I'll eat anything with a heartbeat that isn't a person, basically), but like you, my rule is just that if you don't make fun of me for eating it, I won't make fun of you for not.
ReplyDeleteTo be very honest, I used to mock the veggie lifestyle for a very long time. But, as I came across a few friends who took the time not only to explain why, but to understand my point of view in a non-condescending way, the more I began to tolerate and the less I mocked.
DeleteI love my daughter very much and I'm willing to support her in the majority of her choices she makes in life. Like I stated previously, this is pretty much an inconsequential thing to my get my undies in a bunch over.
I'm afraid you lost me at tofu! :)
ReplyDeleteSorry 'bout that. Pretty sure I lose myself everytime I mention/see tofu.
DeleteI love her new look! That's a fun photo.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're reacting reasonably to her decision. I was veggie for 2 years in my early 20s. It's certainly a good way to start eating consciously. Even though I now eat meat again occasionally, I pay attention to my food choices more than I did as a teenager.
I try to react very reasonably on all the decisions that she makes. Sometimes I don't, at least in front of her. But, it is the joy of being a parent.
DeleteNone of my kids have gone off on particularly extreme dietary habits. I still eat meat though I eat far less than I used to. I've been toying with the idea of going vegetarian as food doesn't seem as appealing to me the older I get. I'd say I'll still be eating fish and poultry for a while and I don't think I'd ever totally discontinue beef and pork, but you never know.
ReplyDeleteIt's best to let our kids go the way they wish as long as it's not harmful to themselves or others. Going vegetarian is something I could easily accept for any of my kids, but I'm not sure that I'll be seeing that happen.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I go through phases with certain meats, fish and poultry, where I'll eat nothing but for weeks on end (like for lunch, I'm currently eating those tuna fish salad snack packs) until I get tired of it.
DeleteWith veggies, it's a been little different. While growing up it was corn with my version of a salad. It took me as an adult to tolerate and enjoy other kinds of veggies.
I have no problem with my daughter going veggie and my son does it from time to time as well.
I eat vegetarian about 80% of the time - I just like the food, but will eat meat - especially when it's served to me.
ReplyDeleteI have two nieces who were vegan, but who have both gone back to eating meat and cheese. Both lasted about 10 years - I think it's that their partners and friends were meat eaters and it made life easier to do that, too.
That's cool.
DeleteShe had a mini meltdown a over the weekend because she was tired of being served the same stuff every evening. The problem, which she has been slow to pick up on, is that her day often doesn't end until late in the evening (roughly a 14 hour day for her), which in turn makes it difficult to cook something for her that isn't time consuming.
How come I am picturing you taking her to a BBQ place :)
ReplyDeleteShe was a meat eater early on and actually enjoyed BBQ. Somehow though, I don't think BBQ and Black Bean Burger sounds none too pleasing.
Delete