%20Shirley%20Cai.jpg)
I became vegetarian 25 years ago, as an idealistic college student with an anti-animal-cruelty agenda and an innate dislike of eating meat. Before kids, my adult life as a vegetarian was easy. I never missed meat, and I was excited by the possibilities of a plant-based diet.
After I had kids, though, things got complicated.
Early on, my traditionalist mother (who is Chinese and from a meat-loving culture) was quick to step in to ensure that I didnāt plan on raising my kids as vegetarians. To be honest, I hadn't even considered it. I thought of vegetarianism as a personal choice, and wanted my kids to make their own decisions, in their own time. Each childās first food was jook (aka congee) laced with chicken and dried scallops.
In those days, I closely attended to my kids' meat habits. I would spend hours preparing a ragu, and happily dished out roast chicken, sausages, pork chops, and steamed fish for dinner. As my kids got older, though, I began to question our familyās food choices. Even though I was eating a vegetable-rich diet, my children were consuming more flesh than plants.
So about two years ago, I made the decision to stop cooking meat (though I didnāt insist that my children become vegetariansāthey were still permitted to order meat when we ate out). And it turned out to be one of the healthiest and most empowering decisions Iāve made in my lifeānot to mention one of the most environmentally-friendly.
My new book, Family, is in many respects the story of my own familyās journey to becoming a vegetarian household. Surprisingly, despite being vegetarian for over two decades and having written two plant-based cookbooks, I had to think deeply about how to adapt my plant-based food to feed my family. One of my first and most important realizations was that certain foods set off alarm bells for my kids. For as long as I could remember, I had topped my dishes with mountains of herbsāwhich turned out to be a major turnoff for my kids.
So the parsley and dill got relegated to the side. Here's what went in the center of the plate.
Salads
Salads, I found, are actually an excellent meal for kids, because you can incorporate lots of different elements and textures. I serve them at least twice a week, but not the lettuce-based kind. I opt for heartier salads, based around one or two veggies that I know my children will eatāusually potato, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli, or kaleāto which I add a legume like chickpeas or cannellini beans, topped off with a dressing I know they'll like.
A big plate of vegetables can feel daunting for young ones, so I always add a familiar and comforting ingredient to the plate to ease their doubtsātry croutons, avocado, eggs, or a bit of cheese. Children tend to be visual, so presenting their meals with a few ingredients they find nonthreatening can make a huge difference. (When in doubt: add oranges.)
Pesto
Pesto is a classic option in our household, and I now think of it as a base to which even more greens can be added. Iāve never been a proponent of hiding vegetables in food but, to be honest, Iām also never going to turn down an opportunity to add more greens to my kidsā diets. In a blender or food processor, I fortify homemade or good-quality store-bought pesto with a big handful of baby spinach or wilted kale, along with a sprinkling of sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Another quick, reliable dressing is my Caesar-style tomato mayonnaise, for which I punch up store-bought mayo (usually vegan) with a finely chopped tomato, a little olive oil, finely minced garlic, and a few chives.
Beans
Canned legumes are my midweek saviorāand an affordable, protein-rich way to feed your family. If your kids are vegetarian or mostly veg and donāt love beans, it's worth investing some time in changing that. I add chickpeas, cannellini beans, or black beans to salads or soups, crisp them in a hot oven or panfry them with my favorite spicesālike my magic trio of ground cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Crispy beans can be paired with roasted or grilled vegetables and topped with a lemony tahini sauce, as in my deconstructed falafel salad. You can smash beans with a little garlic and a touch of spice to serve in place of hummus, or turn them into a flavorful, nutritious soupāin Family, I've got a recipe for black bean soup with crispy tortilla strips that my kids love.
Raw Veggies
Some children, including mine, are sensitive to texture, so try serving certain veggies raw. I recently discovered that my kids love raw fennel, which bears just a slight aniseed flavor but offers a refreshing crunch. My shaved fennel salad, with orange, marinated black olives, and a quick apple cider vinaigrette, is a family favorite. Kale is also a good veg to try rawāmassaged with a little olive oil and salt, it becomes an easy green to eat. I like to serve it with disks of panfried store-bought polenta and kale pesto.
The Occasional Pasta Night
Raising healthy vegetarian or "flexitarian" children means looking past bread, pasta, and cheese as everyday staplesāand eating green as a family takes practice and perseverance. In our home, we strive for a diverse diet that is vegetable-forward, with a pasta night thrown in sometimes for balance. Growing up, my Cantonese parents always served our meals family style, and I encourage this as a way to achieve an inclusive, egalitarian, and social way of eating. Food placed in the middle of the table allows children to serve themselves, and often emboldens them to try new things. Thereās less pressure and, in turn, more openness. That's something we're always striving forāboth in our relationship with food, and with our children.
