I think letting her cook dinner once or twice a week is a great idea. I know you said you love meat but there are so many yummy things that are meat free and being a vegetarian a couple days a week is an idea lots of families are embracing.

Check out the blog peas and thank you for some free recipes, she has a book I love. Mayiams vegan table also has simple not a million ingredient dinners the whole family will love.

My daughter has never been a meat person it's just who she is but there are many yummy recipes for veggie based things and a ton of regular recipes that I omit meat from like chili and soups veggie burgers are awesome coming from a meat lover. My kids love the morning star corn dog things and the "chicken" nuggets

I agree you can embrace it but at 16 I had a job and anything extra I wanted, I bought and prepared myself. I went through a health kick too but I paid and shopped for my own "special" foods because they were expensive. It was important to me back then so I made it happen. I think it was a good lesson in personal responsibility and self control with my money. Gotta get ready for adulthood somehow:) Personally I'd say great, good for you! However, when you make a decision like this you need to take on the responsibility. There will always be food here available but anything you want above and beyond is up to you.

I don't know what kind of space you have at your home but would putting in a garden for her come spring be a possibility? I do a large one every year. I make all my own spaghetti sauce, salsa, can or freeze veggies. It takes some work but I only put about $50-70 into it a year and it saves a HUGE amount of money. If you don't have a yard suited for that the are that I live in has some county land that is divided into plots. You put a request form into the county and you are assigned a plot that is yours to plant for the year. The county even has it tilled so it's easy to start.

That seems to be what has been going on. This has been coming about for a while. I think she put it off because of me and my how does this come in to my life???? mentality. I do take her into consideration when I cook and will continue to do so. She's my kid, I don't often cook stuff deliberately knowing she doesnt like it. I do sometimes though cause that girl has always hated meatloaf but I'm sorry. ..mine is amazing and we love it and she is wrong.
I made a huge amount of orange chicken the other night and I don't think she touched it when she came home. I was surprised but she had veggie lo mein to eat. I promise I wasnt trying to entice her, haha. It was just coincidence that it was day two.

Anyway, as for working around the house to help out with extra costs, I'm all for that. Right now shes just working with her usual snack budget . So long pizza rolls. This is all a work in progress and I didn't want to cone at her too hard. As I start learning extra costs (if any really) it'll be different.

Maybe you can cook the same meals as you have been & just make a little for her without meat. That's what my mom did when I decided to become a vegetarian & if I didn't like what she was making, I'd buy my own food that night

She was all about the cooking once a week or so for the family so thanks. That'll give good practice and that way she can say hey does this sound good, Ill need this stuff for it and my life will be easier. I always have fruits and veggies on hand anyway so she can make a salad or have a banana or whatever. I'll look into protein shake mix so she can make smoothies. She got some nuts and seeds for now. We bought a few morning star things for after school. She had a "chicken" sandwich already (which I don't get, why call it that?) and it was pretty good. She's gonna toss a burger one on the grill later. We don't buy frozen foods ever really so maybe she can find a recipe to make a large amount and freeze them? I'd help with that.
Thank you ladies. I'm gonna come back later and write down your suggestions so I have them in my phone.

I agree with @ging 100%.

Instead of completely devaluing something she wants to do why not embrace it? I understand that it may be a pain in the ass, but mothers have to deal with things that are a pain in the ass on a daily basis. Like I said before, sitting down and making a list with her could really help. It would show her that you are being supportive and involved and help give her some control over the situation. So that way, if she doesn't eat it, it's her own fault because it something that she chose.

I am in no way shape or form some "haughty mother" that decided to come in and rain on your parade. I'm sorry, but you came off incredibly resistant to anything she wanted to do and it made you sound really unpleasant. I understand that it can be difficult during meal times, but this may just be a phase. Do what the other posters have said and give her some more responsibilities. It will either show you that she serious or that she's completely done with it altogether.

Falafel, dolmades, and veggie samosas were a hit with my vegetarian daughter

What about having her pick up some/ additional chores to support the groceries and have her shop them so she is aware of and understands the cost. Maybe she is less likely to waste food or go overboard on foods she may not like. I did all household cooking st that age so it wss easier for me to transition. My son decided to bulk up and go on a strick fitness regimind which included supplements, Protein powder (very expensive ) isopure. 2 dozen eggs daily. 2 gallons of water and about 6 meals daily. .. nutrition/protein bars etc. Greek yogurt etc. I had him do additional chores (I prob would have asked him to do the chores anyway) and then I got his stuff in bulk at bjs. He always kept his room clean, always cleaned up after himself, got good grades never Sassed me, so I would rather pick up a couple extra hours at work to support him. He really read up on it. His care of his body starting at a young age and supporting it had had benefits that may be overlooked.. he never smoked cigarettes, a mini glass of wine with our dinner on holiday, rare.. didnt drink in HS or college and no drugs. He rode his bike and stayed active even now with a car. He will be 20 next week. It kept him serious about the people around him. It might be better than you think to encourage this and not let her think it's a burden (trust me.. I had more mouths to feed not just his)

Actually, it's super easy. My son went through this in early fall and he is 10. So when I make my Chipotle knock off burritos, I omit the steak from his, so it's just black beans and rice (with salsa, etc) You can do this for just about any meal...if you make chicken and sides, replace her chicken with a baked potato. You just have to be a bit more open to it.'Fake' meat is usually warmed in the microwave and literally takes no effort. If she still eats fish, you can buy single wrapped tilapia filets and just put it on foil, add lemon and dill and throw it in the oven for 5 mins...easy peasy!

At sixteen I think she should be totally capable of cooking her own dinner and dealing with breakfast and lunch herself. But- veggie meals can be super delicious and it really is better for your health and the planet to go meat free at least a day or two a week.

What if she cooked dinner for the family twice a week?

On other nights, you can do stir fry and just cook the meat separately, chicken parm with a substitute chicken for her, pasta with meat free sauce, etc. It's actually pretty easy. I cook a lot of vegetarian meals even though none of us are vegetarian.

She's been reading, ging. I just need some quick ideas so she's not wasting away on me. I'll hit up the frozen section in a few and bring her with me. I was going to surprise her with some things but she surprised me and came home early.

And I am quite pleasant but I knew some haughty mother would say wow you should be embracing this and doing everything in your power to cook her extra meals. False. I'm lucky to get one meal done but I'll definitely put meat free stuff to the side when possible. Maybe this is her way of forcing me to stop making casseroles she hates so much.

I did the same thing at a younger age and when I made the decision I had done a lot of reading to base the decision off of. I think she should be involved and maybe make a list.. that will get her to be aware (if she isn't already) of what she will use to be the main protein source and how to eat a balanced and nutritional diet instead of substituting meat(protein) for carbs like bread crackers, pasta etc.. as she will need to restructure her food pyramid.

Woooowww

You're pleasant.

weiknd sit down and shush. I have two toddlers and a husband to feed. My daughter is nearly grown and if she wants to veer in a different direction at dinner and change it all up then a lot falls in her lap. She needs to learn how to cook and eat if this is what she wants to do. And by big girl pants- shes gonna be off on her own in a very short time so again..just don't.

However I cooked my own food. If my mom wanted some she would eat little bits but her conditions for it were I made my own meals and was responisble for my diet which was perfectly fine. It gave me some practice cooking and grocery shopping

Jeez.

I like meat, too, but if my child made the decision to become vegetarian while wearing her "grown up pants", I'd try my best.

Maybe sit down and make a list together of the foods she likes and dislikes?

I did the same thing at about 16 but went completely vegan. It's definitely easier to pick out vegetarian friendly products but I stocked up on quite a bit of tofu and meat substitutes.

I may have to venture out of this two store town for better selection. I've never even noticed this frozen section but it could be right there and I never paid attention. It's gotta be on a dime too. I'm not spending half my grocery budget on overpriced whatnots for pickey puss who snubs her nose at broccoli. She's always been pickier than my toddlers. Quite annoying to feed her not to mention shes gone half the time so I hate "cooking around her". Many times she's come home and I say "hey there's some this and that in there for you"
Oh we ate taco bell but thanks.
Grawr.
That's why I say quick stuff she can fix herself while she's starting to fit into her grown up pants. If anybody here needs to learn how to cook tofu it's her, not me.

Veggie burgers
Beans (black, kidney, lima, etc)
Chickpeas
Greek yogurt
Hemp hearts
Chia seeds
Tofu
Spinach, kale, broccoli, other dark leafy greens
Dark chocolate (has more iron than beef!)

I buy a protein powder called VegaOne that I use in smoothies. It has lots of protein, and 2 servings of greens. It's completely vegan and is very filling in a smoothie or just blended with milk/juice/water.

I'd get her some protein shakes as a substitute until she learns what foods to eat.

If you have a whole foods around you they have a great vegetarian selection. You want her to get as much leafy greens as she can, beans, and have her take a multivitamin.

I've been a vegetarian for a while now. In the beginning I felt great but I wasn't eating right and had to change that because I wasn't getting enough nutrition, so I became sluggish.

Get a vegetarian cook book. There's a lot of options in there. You can also cut out a lot of ingredients because sometimes it seems almost too large of a task.

Also tofu is OK every now and then, but I don't recommend using it as a complete substitute. There are pre made veggie "Meatloaf's" that are great, that have no soy products in them, just vegetables.

There is a lot of meat substitutes. Morning side? I think that's the brand. Morning something.

It's in the freezer section, there's a substitute ground "beef", patties, and corn dogs. Stuff like that. There is definitely lots of options.

Veggies burgers are good. Black bean burgers.Morning star makes "chicken" pattys and vegetarian breakfast sandwiches. You could get black beans and stuff for burritos. Pasta and regular pasta sauce. If you are up to it you can google how to make your own veggies burgers.

Look in the meat alternative Aisle. That's where I find most of my main food. I eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies as well.