My daughter is allergic to dairy and does not care for eggs, fish, or soy butter. I am at a total loss as to what to serve her for protein Fridays during lent. She used to eat soy cheese but has lost the taste for it. We've tried the soy protein crumbles and they were nasty. Anyone have any suggestions because I am at a total loss.
I know that the guidelines do not apply to children but I feel that if my kids grow up abiding by the regulations it will not be so hard to get them to abide when they are older.
ADDED: It slipped my mind when I wrote this. She is also allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Not that it matters but I thought I should add that. Keep the great ideas coming. Thank you all!
Morningstar "chicken" nuggets and the broccoli cheese bites, etc.... are all AWESOME! The nuggets taste just like chicken but are all vegetable!
Beans and more beans! Also, I know she doesn't like soy butter, but has she tried tofu? It generally takes on the taste of whatever it's cooked with, so you could flavor it in any way you like. Not the healthiest way to eat it, but my boys LOVE fried tofu! Quinoa is tasty as well and pretty high in protein.
You could make vegeterian lasagna. You can control what goes in it. You can find lactose reduced cheese or focus on more veggies. I would say you could also make spaghetti with lots of veggies. you could grin them up so she does not see them. Most stores have a gluten free section that you can food from. You could also make sir fry with tofu. I would soak it in some chicken broth first and then mix in with some fresh veggies like broccoli and then some noodles. Good luck
Beans and rice are a nice hearty lenten meal and you get a good protein source in the beans, we are mexican, so this is our Friday meal, if there is not a fish fry at church. If she likes fish or shrimp or the crabmeat substitute, I would try one of those too. Maybe tunafish sandwhiches for dinner? We have done all of those.
Honestly though, the church would rather that you feed your daughter if she has a medical issue and cannot find something that she can eat, fridays are not a fast day. She would even get dispensation from the fast if she had a medical need, so I would not stress out too much. I would focus on what our priest has suggested, which is to stop giving things up for lent, and start doing things instead. Like going to staitions of the cross every friday, instead of giving up sugar, it benefits you more. So, you might suggest to her, if you cannot find some way to feed her without meat, that she do something special like this to compensate. Just a thought.
M.
I agree with "NY Metro mom of teens" and Martha:
Given your family's dietary restrictions already, frankly I think that you're already "giving up" plenty in terms of diet. So instead of focusing on giving up meat on Fridays, focusing "giving to help others" (or sacrificing in some other way), like doing a Rice Bowl program (every day, everyone contributes their pennies to a "Rice Bowl" in the center of the table; at the end of Lent, the money is donated to a food program. Or, find some family community service to do together if possible. You'd be giving up fun time or TV time to help with that.
If you really must go meatless, beans and rice are good choices (beans + rice = a whole protein source); or try Quorn (you can find it in the freezer section of Whole Foods; its a protein source that is based on mushrooms or other fungi). Very thinly tofu that is breaded and cooked (baked or fried) is supposed to be good.
If she doesn't like soy butter, try sunflower butter. It's a semi-passable replacement for PB (and I think it tastes a lot better than soy butter), especially if you add some jelly/jam to the sandwich.
I'm a vegetarian, but my children and husband are not. So, I cook a lot of kid-friendly, vegetarian meals.
One of our favorite high-protein foods is chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). I'll cook up some veggies, throw in a can of chickpeas, and toss it all over couscous. If your daughter doesn't like "chunky" things, you can puree the veggies and chickpeas before you put them over the couscous.
My kids love vegetarian chili, black beans and rice, and lentil soup. These are all very easy to make using a crock pot, if you don't have time to cook in the evenings.
If you have a Whole Foods near you, try buying a bag of Quorn "chicken" chunks (in the freezer section). They are meat-free, but taste, look, and have the texture of chunks of chicken. You can use them like real chicken, in fajitas, stir frys, and just about anything you can think of. I usually cook them in water or in a sauce, because they can get dried out if you don't. Hope this helps.
http://keystosimpleliving.com/kids.php
I would suggest that you consider "giving of yourself" for Lent and not worrying os muich about the food restrictions. Honestly, "no meat" on Fridays is an observance and a reminder, but it sounds like your family is already doing that in worrying about how to be in compliance!
Volunteer on Friday nights as a family instead of hanging out and watching t.v. or movies! Our pastor encourages us to stretch our volunteerism, charity and goodwill rather than "give up" something which is probably going to be "forgotten" quickly after Lent is over.
**Does she like hummus? It's easy and protein-based. You can add a lot of veggies into it to make it more flavorful. You could make her a veggie sandwich using hummus as the condiment!**
Red beans and rice, chile with no meat, refried bean burritos and mexi rice. I also use the Barilla/yellow box of pasta. It is a good source of protein/has more than the standard variety. In addition, I found it tastes the most like the "white"pasta as opposed to the heartier flavor of the whole wheat pastas that my family won't eat.
I wouldn't worry too much about her missing protein at one meal, even if its once per week. She can probably just eat sides.
If you're really worried, you can blend silken tofu into a lot of things and it doesn't really have a taste. Puree it into pesto or tomato sauce and it's like a cream sauce for pasta.
Will your daughter eat beans? There's tons of stuff you can do with chickpeas, which are excellent for you. Not to mention black beans, kidney beans, etc.
Good luck.
These lentil tacos have become a favorite in our house. The hubby was very skeptical the first night, but he wound up eating four at dinner. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tasty-Lentil-Tacos/Detail.aspx And now when they get requested. As an added bonus they are quick and easy.
Quinoa is also high in protein. My kids seem to enjoy it. We usually cook it up and add a can of black beans and then experiment with ideas...last time we also added a little sliced smoked sausage and bell pepper. There are tons of recipes for quinoa online.
quinoa is a complete protein and cooks up like rice, but you have to dress it up. it's bland on it's own. Go online to find a recipe for "cold quinoa salad," I used to have one and it was delicious.
Also hummus or anything with beans. Try to soak the beans first before cooking so your daughter doesn't get gas.
Try Boca brand "chicken"--it's in the freezer.
My kids love chic peas and tofu too. lots of good suggestions!
I believe the poster asked for meatless suggestions. Not your opinion on her religious observance. If she wants to raise her daughter observant to meatless Fridays during lent she should. My boys go to Catholic school and it would seem strange if they were eating meat at lunch on a Friday in Lent. It is one way as a Catholic community we sacrifice. If she can make it work around her daughter's dietary restrictions she should.
BD - I wish I had a good suggestion, but I'm a terrible cook and we'll be having tuna salad or pasta for dinners! Fridays are pizza lunch at my kid's school!
We're vegetarian and have a 2 year old, so I'm always looking for more meals he will eat. One of his favorites is tofu sloppy joes. The key is to freeze the block of firm tofu before you use it. When you thaw it squeeze it to get out all of the extra liquid and then crumble it up with your hands. When you freeze tofu it takes on a very meaty texture and I've used it in place of ground beef in lots of recipes. Unfrozen tofu also makes a great ricotta substitute in lasagna and similar things
Other things he loves: cubed, baked tofu, humus, sunflower butter, whole wheat pasta, soy yogurt.
Another thing to keep in mind is that we worry a whole lot about protein and probably don't need to. 100 calories of broccoli has as much protein as 100 calories of beef, you just have to eat a lot more broccoli to get to 100 calories. The point is that if your daughter is getting enough calories in a day and you are giving her healthy, whole foods then she is also getting enough protein.
Beans. Avocados. Hummus. My kids never eat meat except at other people's houses and protein is the easiest nutrient to provide-it really is in most things-you don't even have to bother much with soy. Engineered soy stuff (pretending to be cheese or milk) is bad anyway. Stick to plain tofu and edamame if you're going to eat it.
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but we use TVP (textured vegetable protein) in our meatless meals (we're not vegetarians, but do need protein in our meals): http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/TVP.htm
I think the link also provides recipes. Good luck!
Beans and hummus coming to mind. Maybe a black bean burger (you could make your own for allergy sake) or hummus sandwiches. My daughter loves hummus and crackers or hummus sandwiches.
Updated
Beans and hummus coming to mind. Maybe a black bean burger (you could make your own for allergy sake) or hummus sandwiches. My daughter loves hummus and crackers or hummus sandwiches.
MorningStar products are wonderful "fake meat" like chicken nuggets, little ribblets etc. I actually started eating this because my older SD has problems with digesting true meat and she eats alot of MorningStar foods instead. I LOVE it, and I'm not vegetarian. You can find these at Winn-Dixie and Wal-Mart for sure I know, and probably other stores too.
Also, Amy's Kitchen is a really yummy line of vegetarian and vegan food (so no milk etc). Wal-mart usually has a few different Amy's Kitchen products, but if you want a bigger selection, Whole Foods has LOTS of them.
I think these would be really good and healthy substitutes for her for Lent, and she might want to keep eating them after Lent too. Good luck!
How about a good ol peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Beans, Lentils, Chickpeas and Peas are great sources of protein AND fiber. They work great combined with whole grains to create satisfying meals. (My daughter loves eating cooked edamame, and seems to sometimes really enjoy tofu as well - especially in stir-fry). Although nuts may be off limits, there are also seeds to consider. Like sunflower seeds. (Ever try SunButter? It's a great substitute for peanut butter, if you want to try making PB&J) Remember, too, that protein is in almost all foods (though in varying amounts). Look at your store-bought sandwich bread sometime - or your cereal, if she eats either of these. There's protein in a slice of bread and cereal, too. Some grains are more protein-dense than others.
Have a look at the Vegan protein chart here! It's illuminating!
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm/#table2 (You'll have to copy & paste the link because, for some reason, Mamapedia isn't accepting the whole link for clicking.)
How about a meatless lasagna? Either loaded with veggies, or just plain cheese? Cheese and yogurt are also good protein sources. Also, we often worry too much about protein - check out the newest pyramid at mypyramid.gov. I can't find the link, but I met a nutritionist a few months ago and was astounded when she mentioned that a single hot dog is enough daily protein for kids up to age 6. It's not a lot, in terms of ounces.
We eat a lot of meatless meals, not for religious reasons, just because we like it.
Beans are a big favorite at our house, as well as stir-fried veggies over quinoa.
I find myself making alot of soup on Fridays during Lent - there are so many options for vegetable based soups - you can always add beans or tofu for protein if you like. I usually add potatoes, pasta, or rice to make them more hearty and filling, and honestly don't miss the protein component.
