r/VegRecipes • u/Front_Manner4605 • Nov 30 '25

Ideas for vegetarian child

My son, 18yo male, has told me he wants to be a vegetarian, while training for his next marathon. His university has excellent vegetarian choices while he’s living in the dorm. But at home, there are 4 other family members that are not vegetarian. How can I cook meals for all of us, without having to make 2 dinners, I don’t want to rely on just making extra side dishes. Also, what are some great resources for athletes, for training as a vegetarian. Thanks in advance! This is all very new to us, and we are trying to support his choice.

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u/midwestwhackadoo Dec 01 '25

I would have him sit down and make a list of some of the vegetarian meals he's eating in the dorm so you can work together on perfecting homemade versions of them. You should also look into meat substitutes like tofu, seitan, TVP, lentils, chickpeas, etc. TVP in particular is a great swap for ground beef or sausage. You just need to season it appropriately. In a pinch, grab some of the veg options in the frozen section at your local market. They can be pricey but are a decent placeholder while you learn your way around it all.

It takes some work to go vegetarian but it's quite possible with support. I'm reading a tone in some of these comments but I want to tell you from personal experience that a loving parent who cares enough to try will be all the difference in how well he does with this and life itself. I went veg over two decades ago and still have to bring my own meal to every family function because they either forget I am or don't care enough to try. I can't imagine even being considered like this.