vegetarian and vegan support

Miss 5 and I are ovo-vegetarians and have been for about 3.5 years now.  Before that we still used dairy as well as eggs, and we also bought eggs from supermarkets as well.  That's an old habit that was broken once a little research was done.  Just popping in to say hi and glad there's a group for vegetarians. So hi!

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

Children who want to be vegetarians need to "fill in the blanks" of their low-protein diets by eating alternatives to red meat, fish and poultry, experts say.

Good examples are soybeans, fortified soy milk and nuts. Those are important sources of the protein, iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin D that most kids get from meat.

Nutritional yeast — which has a cheesy flavor — has the much-needed vitamin B-12. And flaxseed is good for linolenic acid.

Vegetarian children who eat eggs and dairy products will most likely get all the nutrition they need. But those who become vegan — abstaining from dairy — need to be more diligent, said Dr. David Ludwig of Children's Hospital Boston, a specialist in pediatric nutrition.

"It really requires much more attention to avoid nutrient deficiencies," Ludwig said.

Children can start on a vegetarian diet from birth, said Sarah Krieger, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association who is a registered dietitian at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Breast milk or an iron-fortified formula are necessary in the first six months, she said, adding that soy-based formula is an option.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

This is the first time I've come on here and can't seem to find any up to date messages - I'm hoping I'm in the wrong section.

I have an 11 month old vegetarian baby and would love to talk to other  parents of vegetarian children.

Hopefully you're all out there somewhere :-)

Jenn

10:55 pm Hot Docs: Slaughterhouse: The Task Of Blood The vast majority of people in Britain eat meat but have little knowledge of how that meat ends up on their table. In a powerful observational documentary, Slaughterhouse: The Task of Blood reveals the day-to-day workings of a small, family-run abattoir and attempts to get inside the minds of the people who work there. It's a hidden part of British life, but the reality is that thousands of animals are slaughtered every day in abattoirs. This film shows the process of meat production as animals are killed, butchered and stored in fridges before being transported to retail outlets. It reveals the attitudes of the workers to their task, their colleagues and life. (From the UK, in English) (Documentary) MA (LVA) WS

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21708613-2,00.html

I put this in Q&A but people thought that Vegans really treat their children like this and I thought I'd post it here too. It's disgusting and not one of my vegan friends has unhealthy children.  Soy milk and apple juice is not what any of them fed their children as babies. It's included in their diet as they get older, but not at this age.  Just after thoughts from people.

My wife and i have been vegetarians for 20 years+ Great to see a few others out there too.

Can anybody help me with dinner ideas for her?

Any ideas on recipes with tofu?
I like it in stir fries and tried that. Not sure on the best way to cook it.
Any ideas would be appreciated :D

This recipe is a favourite in our house. The original recipe was for spinach canneloni but I got sick of the stuffing the shells. The lasagna is quick to make and I find all the ingredients keep well (sealed packets of bacon and ricotta usually have a reasonable fridge life) so I can have the ingredients on hand.
We  find that the leftovers reheat ok the next day. I recently had enough to freeze a single serve and my husband says it thawed and reheated well.

Spinach Lasagna (serves 4)
 1 250gram packet frozen spinach
1 small tub ricotta or cottage cheese (250 gram)
1 large bottle of pasta sauce
packet of instant lasagna sheets
1 or 2 eggs
1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or crushed
Grated cheese  

Defrost and drain spinach.
Mix with ricotta cheese, eggs and grated cheese (parmesan or tasty or both)
Mix garlic into bottle of pasta sauce.
Spread base of oven dish with pasta sauce.
Add layer of instant lasagna sheets (do not overlap).
Spread ricotta mix then  cheese then tomato mix then pasta.
Repeat until all ricotta mix is used.
Finish with layer of pasta covered with pasta sauce and top with grated cheese.
Bake in oven 200c for about 45 minutes.

Hi,

Does anyone have a good veg lasagne??