Dear Diary-
Housewife 2.0 to the rescue... maybe i need a cape. My friend Tricia has her hands full with a busy family and kids. Her oldest has decided that she is now a vegetarian and Tricia is in need of some help...

okay miss house wife 2.0...:o) My 8 year old animal lover Alexa, just decided that she is now a vegetarian! Will not eat meat and barely ever touches her veggies... got any creative recipe's for kid friendly veg. meals??? or perhaps good website to check out some recipes? and don't forget this has to feed Jeff, myself and 3 little boys! :P... up to a challenge? :o)

Tricia- I'm on the case! Anyone else have this problem? It's so important for growing kids to get a balanced diet so for their growing bodies- we don't want any malnourished kidos on our hands! The important thing is to provide a balanced meal that will please the new vegetarian and keep the rest of the family happy too!
Here some tips...

1. Interactive Cooking Family Style- get the kids in the kitchen- Tricia...hubby Jeff can help too! :) How bout have a kabob night? The whole family came make their own kabobs- have plenty of fresh hearty veggies for Alexa ( take her shopping to pick out new and cool veggies at the store, ibet she would love a mom and Alexa day to a local Farmer's Market...kids love to be involved ) and some added cubed chicken, steak or shrimp for the rest to add to their skewers. Same can go for build your own pizzas or loaded baked potato bar.

2. Sneak in the protein! Casseroles or stuffed shells are a great way to sneak in some meat here and there...

3. Beans and Eggs are great sources of protien and needed nutients. It's ok to have breakfast for dinner too! Pancakes and eggs can make for a fun and unexpected dinner for the kids. Egg salad sandwiches make for an easy school lunch and Cheese and Bean Burritos or Quesadillas are always a hit too!

Important thing again is to make sure your animal loving miss Alexa gets what she needs. A daily vitamin is essential if she is wanting to take a stand against eating meats. Here is a nice article on kids and vegetarianism.... good luck mom! :)
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/vegetarian_diets.html