My Little Carnivore

I mentioned in a previous post that The Youngest, aka The Wild Child, still eats meat. The girls will also indulge on occasion but not like The Wild Child! He is a full on carnivore, that kid. When DH and I went totally veg I decided I wouldn't buy meat at the grocery any more but the kids would be able to make their own choices when we went out. That's working well for the girls but I've noticed The Wild Child getting a little... peaked lately. He was looking pale, developing dark circles under his eyes, and lately he's been cranky. He refuses to eat beans, our main protein source, so I've been worried that he was having some problems with the no meat at home thing. (He'll eat peanut butter sandwiches but not often and he makes his own bagel pizzas with cheese so he is getting some protein, just not enough, I think.) When I had him with me at the grocery the other day I caved and bought him some turkey breast at the deli counter. The clerk handed him a sample and it was like Cookie Monster; little bits of meat were flying everywhere as he shoved it in his mouth. Poor kid; you'd think I was starving him! I bought half a pound and it was gone the first night. (The Middle Child ate a little bit of it, but not much.) So I've changed my mind. I will buy deli meat at the grocery store for my darling boy. I don't want him to be malnourished, for Pete's sake! I bought another 3/4 of a pound yesterday and he was one happy camper while he was eating his sandwich at dinner; he was grinning from ear to ear. (Yes, while chewing; it was quite a sight.)

DH and I are sticking to it so far; we've both been vegetarian since Christmas. I may go flex at some point, or I may go totally vegan at some point, but for now it's working for us. I'm loving the new meals and I'm figuring out my new stand-by, pantry recipes that everyone should have in their repertoire, along with more complicated dishes that require fresh ingredients that (most of) the family loves. The Middle Child and I both comb through the vegetarian cookbooks to find new things to make; she's even turning out to be quite the little cook. It's fun and I am so pleased to report that I don't miss meat at all; there are too many other things to eat!