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Notes on a Vegetarian Diet for Children
Children can thrive on a vegetarian diet, as long as they get the maximum range of different kinds of food: pulses and grains, raw and cooked vegetables and fruit, eggs and dairy products especially yoghurt.
Growing children need concentrated foods rich in the many nutrients needed for growth and energy. They also need more fats in their diet than adults. There are many ways for children to get the right kind of fats, such as peanut butter, avocado, cheese and yoghurt, nuts and seeds, rather than fried take away foods or empty snack food, which should be viewed as only “occasional” foods.
To make up all the amino acids of a protein look at the traditional diets of vegetarian populations, they will always contain complementary groups of foods, ie in India - lentils and rice, Mexico - beans and corn, the Middle East - felafel, hommous and bread. Many studies have shown that a diet high in unrefined foods is insurance against dietary imbalances, and health problems such as obesity, and sugar cravings. It will even go a long way to prevent many western degenerative diseases.
Most importantly, sugary processed cereals should be avoided first thing in the morning. Instead, foods with higher nutrient content, and complex carbohydrates which will slowly release energy throughout the morning will give children, and adults, a calmer start to the day, and more ability to sustain concentration and energy. This means putting more effort into planning breakfast: wholemeal toast with baked beans or scrambled egg or peanut butter, along with some fruit and yoghurt, makes for an excellent breakfast, while keeping sugary cereals for the occasional change on Saturday morning or an after school snack. A good morning cereal is an uncooked meusli containing perhaps flaked almonds and sunflower seeds, (not toasted which has a high concentration of sugar and the wrong kinds of fat), with yoghurt and fruit. Or cooked cereals such as oats, or the nutrient rich millet porridge.
The following group of recipes have often been known to tempt even a sick child to eat healthy, life giving foods. I know that adults enjoy them just as much.
Get your children involved in cooking –
Children can help a lot in the kitchen!! They can always measure out ingredients into little bowls, wash and tear the lettuce into pieces, pick herbs from the garden, wash other vegetables, stir a sauce or a jelly, and even cut tofu with a very blunt bread and butter knife (it just means an interesting shape for a while!)
One thing that is guaranteed to get children involved in cooking is to present all the ingredients, and get them to make up their own mini-pizzas. You can just use toasted bread and tomato sauce as the base if that is all you have in the cupboard. Otherwise pita bread is great, and pasta sauce, then top with a selection of thinly sliced onion, capsicum red, green or yellow, zuccini, mushroom, calamata olives are great, pineapple essential, and top with cheese, grill for a few minutes, and presto – instant chefs-in-waiting. (The importance of teaching them to cook will only become apparent when they are teenagers, and then demanding about 6 meals a day!)
Favourite Snacks :
Sesame Chips
Heat oven. Peel and thinly slice white potato and/or sweet potato. Brush baking trays with a little oil and place slices in tray. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and bake around 15–20 minutes. Presto! Irresistable home-made chips – eat immediately.
Makes a great fast food meal at home with some fried vegetarian sausages and cooked greens or frozen peas.
Peanut balls
Mix in a bowl 1 cup peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of dessicated coconut. Can also add sunflower seeds and sultanas occasionally. Roll into balls and coat with either lightly toasted coconut or toasted sesame seeds. Makes great lunchbox snack.
Savoury Pancakes
Cauliflower, Brocoli steamed lightly 3 or 4 minutes, Grated Zucchini/Carrot, (to blanch dip in boiling hot water, and drain.)
3/4 cup plain flour, 2 Tbspns S.R. flour, pinch salt, grated parmesan or tasty cheese, 2 large eggs. Whisk eggs into flour and add enough water to make a thick batter. Allow to stand for 1 hour. Mix vegetables & cheese into batter with freshly ground black pepper, fresh parsley or coriander. Shallow fry in oil spoonfuls at a time, drain on paper. 10 minutes to prepare. Can reheat next day. Great for the lunch-box.
Cheese & Leek Muffins>
1 cups SR Flour, pinch cayenne, 2/3rds cup grated cheese, 1/4 tspn salt
and 1 T sugar - Mix all together in bowl.
Add 1 chopped leek fried lightly in butter, 1 large egg beaten with 2/3rds cups milk
Mix till just moist. Bake 200o 15 minutes
(Can also try spinach leaves and cheese, spring onion, roasted red capsicum, or canned asparagus with sour cream, spring onion & cheese and chopped olives.)
Main Meals
Tofu Satay- in 20 minutes
Ingredients : rice, vegetables, tofu, garlic, half teaspoon each thyme and turmeric.
One teaspoon dried cumin, and tamari or soy sauce. Satay sauce to serve.
First put rice on to cook, then a selection of vegetables on to steam. Cut tofu into small blocks, peel and finely chop 1 or 2 cloves of garlic. Prepare all spices prior to cooking as this cooks very quickly. Place skillet on stove with a small amount of oil and heat. When hot add tofu and garlic, toss for a few minutes. Add a half teaspoon of dried thyme and toss. Then add half a teaspoon of turmeric, toss to coat, then add 1 teaspoon of cumin and toss, then sprinkle a small amount of tamari or soy sauce into pan and shake to distribute evenly. It should sizzle. Remove from heat and rice and vegetables should be ready. Serve with a satay sauce. Taylors is a good brand. You can water it down for children, or warm some coconut milk and peanut butter and add a couple of tablespoons sauce to dilute. (You can buy coconut milk in powder form and use it as needed.)
Burgers
You can make burgers out of practically anything, and it is nice to grate in some sweet potato, parsnip or add sweet corn.
Ingredients: 1 cup cottage cheese, ¾ cup walnuts, ¾ cup slithered almonds or meal,
2 eggs beaten, 1 medium chopped and browned onion (can add some rosemary or sage while frying), ½ cup breadcrumbs or wheatgerm, ½ cup oats, dash sweet chili sauce (optional). Mix together and leave in refrigerator for 1 or 2 hours. Shape then coat with flour, egg and breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs. Improves firmness if you pop into the freezer for 20 minutes before frying. Shallow fry, and serve with crisp salad or in burger buns with lettuce, tomato and cucumber.
Roast Cashew Terrine
1 cups chopped celery, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped capsicum, saute in 1 Tbsp oil or butter until tender.
Meanwhile in a large bowl mix 1 cup roasted, roughly chopped cashews, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, 1/2 cups rolled oats, 250gm pack cottage cheese, 3 eggs, salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of rosemary/marjoram or sage or a combination or fresh herb leaves.
Add celery and onion and mix to combine.
Fill loaf tin and top with grated tasty cheese.
Bake in oven at 180oC for 35-40 minutes.
Great for special occasions like Christmas Dinner, with roast vegies and salad.
Cashews can be substituted by almonds, pecans etc.
Curry in a Hurry
Ingredients : 1 Tin of chick peas. 1 teaspoon prepared curry mix (eg Pataks) or ½ teaspoon each turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, and a fresh chili or 1/8 th teaspoon dried chili. Vegetables, such as onion, carrot, potato, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn. Coconut milk OR a couple of tablespoons pasta sauce. Steamed rice to serve.
Put rice on to cook first.
Heat oil in saucepan and add mustard seeds. When they pop add chopped onion and garlic, fresh chili, fry till browning. Add other spices and fry for a minute. Add vegetables and two cups water. Cook for 5 minutes then add chick peas. If using Pataks add with chick peas. Cook another 5 minutes, then add seasoning – coconut milk or tomato paste, salt to taste. To make a thicker gravy stir a spoon of cornflour into half a cup of water and add to saucepan.
Mexican Barley and Beans
Soak ½ cup barley, and 1 cup Adzuki beans in separate bowls for 1 or two hours. Boil barley for ½ hour before adding adzuki beans, then cook for another 45-50 minutes, then add 1 cubed sweet potato and cook a further 5 minutes.
In a separate pan fry a chopped onion, chopped garlic, and a half teaspoon each of dried thyme, rosemary, and sage, (chili – optional). Add to pan of beans, and also add a tin of chopped tomatos or half cup pasta sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and cauliflower and broccoli if available. Cook a further 5 minutes, stir occasionally so doesn’t stick to bottom of pan. Lastly add a tin of sweet corn, ( frozen peas/chopped parsley if using ), and serve with grated cheese on top, and corn chips.
Mexican Barley and Beans is great the next day on toast, or served with pasta and salad. Can also be used as base of Potato Bake, place in bottom of baking dish and top with layers of thinly sliced potato, cottage and or tasty cheese, and silverbeet or spinach. Top with potato and cheese, bake with foil on top 45 minutes, then remove foil for the last 15 minutes. Serve with salad.
Frittata
Fillings :
- Spinach and fetta with roasted red capsicum / or mushrooms
- Grated Pumpkin, sage and onion
- Finely sliced potato, red capsicum and herbs
(1, 3, Roast the red capsicum in the dish for about 15-20 minutes before preparing egg mixture. 2, Fry onions until caramelised)
Basic Mixture : mix gently (do not overbeat) in a bowl 3 or 4 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tablespoon sour cream if using, (may need more milk if using spinach because it cooks down but grated pumpkin is more dense, use less), freshly grated nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper, tspn salt and 1 Tablespoon plain flour
Layer vegetables on bottom of oven proof dish, then pile spinach on and gently pour custard in. Place fresh basil leaves on top then thinly sliced fetta. Fillings should be high in dish. Top with crumbled or sliced fetta, or grated tasty cheese.
Bake approximately 45 minutes – it will “puff up” when cooked. Serve with salad.
Bread and Cheese Pudding
Make enough sandwiches up with butter, sprinkling of mixed herbs and grated cheese trim crusts – and line to fill baking dish. Mix together a quiche-style custard - 3 - 4 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 Tbsp cream (optional), salt and pepper. Pour custard mix over bread and bake mod.oven for approx. 30-35 minutes. Serve with salad.
Souffle Macaroni Cheese
Cook macaroni only till very al dente if you are baking.
Cook onion in butter till soft then add flour & cook 1-2 minutes
(Proportions roughly - 2 onions, 2 T butter to 2 T flour, 2 cups milk, 2 eggs)
Add milk all at once, & cook till thickened, remove from heat then add egg yolks and cheeses, mix in well.
Recipe suggests use Marscapone, Gruyere, and Parmesan for best taste - (keep roughly half parmesan for top) - I have found that a nice strong cheese like Epicure works quite well. - experiment. (For children, cottage cheese and tasty is okay.)
If you are entertaining, separate eggs first, add yolks, and whip whites to soft peaks and fold into mixture. Gently fold into macaroni - Bake for 10-15 minutes.
This dish looks impressive with steamed green beans and strips of roast capsicum on top. Or serve with Greek Salad.
If you are starving - omit the egg white step and baking, just sit down and eat!
Green Pea and Coriander Soup
1 potato, 1 onion, garlic, 1 stock cube, 1 x 500 gm pack frozen peas, fresh coriander and or parsley, salt & pepper and tamari or soy.
Fry chopped onion and garlic, add chopped potatoe and all but 1 cup peas with stock cube and 4 cups water. Cook for 15 minutes, then add a dash of soy, salt pepper and blend or mash. When re-heating add remaining green peas and chopped herbs.
Serve with toasted cheese sandwiches, or savoury muffins.
Vegetarian Moussaka (as already listed) is also a favourite with children
Salads for children – invest in a very fine grater, and you can use just about any fresh vegetable – carrot, beetroot, zuccini, cabbage, spinach, and fresh parsley, as well as tomato, lettuce and cucumber. Sprinkle with cheese, avocado, breadcrumbs, sunflower seeds or sesame seeds, flaked almonds. Always use a little dressing, like mayonnaise, or make up 1 part oil and one part lemon juice or a dash of balsamic vinegar, a crushed clove of garlic or bruised basil, salt and pepper makes a tasty dressing. Get the children growing their own herbs in pots or in the garden, its easy and so much cheaper than buying them.
Lemon Custard Slice (Impossible Pie)
8 eggs 2 cups sugar
200 g butter 2 cups coconut
1 cup plain flour 1 tsp salt
4 cups milk/cream juice and zest of 3/4 lemons
Blend all ingredients together. Spray baking pan and pour mixture in. Bake approx. 1 hour until centre is firm. Makes 16 pieces.
Left-over rice pudding
First method : Add milk to the left-over rice in the saucepan, add a handful of sultanas, crush a few cardomom pods and sprinkle the seeds in, and simmer for about 5 minutes, then add a couple of spoons of sugar and serve.
Second method : If the rice has been stored in the refrigerator overnight, place in baking pan, add a larger amount of milk which has had 2 or 3 eggs beaten into it, then sultanas, cardomom seeds if possible, and sugar, and bake for ½ an hour in the oven.
