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  1. #1
    Starting to feel at home...
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    New dcb is vegetarian - help!!!

    So I new 4 year old dcb starting in morning, which I was totally cool about, until I mentioned it to my husband, and he was all "oh no you are gonna need vegetarian butter, check all food contents, not give jello (not that we ever have jello). But my question is am I over simplifying this by saying we will have home made mac and cheese etc on the 2 days he is here or is my husband right (oh no!! Lol)???

  2. #2
    Euphoric !
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    That will totally depend on the family so ask. Some exclude all animals products. Others include milk and/or eggs and especially for children. If it is true vegetarian then you will need to exclude milk, cheese, look for dairy in breads, crackers, breading on chicken nuggets etc. Yes geletin is an issue so jello, some yogurt but then that would be off because of dairy anyways. There is a becel margarine that is dairy free I had to use with one of my daycare kids that had an allergy to milk. Milk is in a lot of foods. It is also in a lot of my baking - muffins especially.

  3. #3
    Euphoric !
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    I cater to these specific diets and it's not hard at all. Don't worry....and you don't have to serve mac and cheese every day that he's there. There are tonnes and tonnes of vegetarian foods that you can make easily. They're cheap, healthy and everyone can eat them. Look at simple things like spaghetti, tofu, stir fries, french toast, pancakes, muffins and fruit, eggs and toast....loads of meat free meals. I would suspect that they are likely going to want a reasonable protein replacement with the meals. I've been using quinoa, eggs, cheese, TVP (textured vegetable protein in spaghetti sauce), tofu, beans and lentils, etc. If the family stated that they're vegetarian, I would almost suspect octo-lacto (egg and dairy ok) but ask. Usually, if people are off animal products all together, they'll indicate that they're vegan.....that's a whole other ball game. But gelatin, I believe, is an issue right across the board, so watch for that on your labels. Astro yogourt is gelatin free

    If you need a few recipes, pm me and I can pass some along.

  4. #4
    Expansive... BlueRose's Avatar
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    If they show up today and say no cheese, just steam some rice and veggies for lunch.
    They should have gone over what their child could and could not eat in the interview.
    When you have a moment make a list of what you normally sever for lunches and snacks, also listing the condiments. Have the parents look it over and tell you what they will allow and what they will not. Also ask the parents for a few recipes that they use.

  5. #5
    Euphoric !
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    Be sure to come right and specifically ask about dairy and eggs as that is what will make the difference on how much of the regular daycare diet the child can eat. If they are on the list then a scrambled egg or omelette can be used as his protein for the meal. IF they are not allowed then much of the other foods you normally serve will also be off the menu for him because they contain a dairy product (don't forget casein and whey) or egg product.

    For eggs in baking there are substitutes you can use to have the same effect but not for eating of course.

  6. #6
    Euphoric ! kidlove's Avatar
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    are they vegetarian or vegan? there is a dif. and if it becomes too much for you to handle, ask the family to provide all food and snacks. I wouldn't mind having a child that needed special diet, due to lifestyle or religious beliefs, but I would ask for the parents help to provide for the child what the parents desire. def would not turn my normal routine upside down for one child, and would be leary to take a child with any allergies (requiring special diet) due to safety issues, but if the parents were willing to pack the lunch each day and provide a list of what the child can and can't have, no big deal. i did have a parents come to me for care who was raising her child on a no nitrate diet!!!! that was a little extream and I had many concerns, luckily for me it didn't work out. those kids couldn't eat much of anything. felt bad for them.

  7. #7
    Outgoing DisneyPrincess's Avatar
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    If I parents of a vegetarian child wanted to register here, with such specific needs, they would have to supply the meals for the hole day. Yep bring the lunchbox everyday. But sadly I wouldnt change the rate so... !!

  8. #8
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    The first child who signed up with me is vegan. I almost turned him down because it seemed like too much trouble, but he is an absolute joy! I did have to do some research, but we've got it figured out now and it's all good. Lots of fresh fruit and veggies, steamed rice with veggies, pasta with vegan cheese sauce, potatoes mashed with vegan butter, soy milk and soy yogourt, crackers. It would probably be more difficult if I had to feed him dinner, but lunch and snacks are pretty easy now that I'm more familiar with what is available.

  9. #9
    Euphoric ! bright sparks's Avatar
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    Just to clear up, there is no such thing as "a true vegetarian". Vegetarianism has evolved a lot and there are many variations now. No animal products is vegan and actually to be a vegan is not simply dietary. It's a way of life. My son is vegetarian through his own choice and if you are making home made non processed meals then it is no more difficult then cooking for meat eaters. If anything it's easier as cooking times are dramatically reduced and you make larger batches without the fear of them going bad as quickly.

    As others have said you need specifics from the parents. Rather than a casual chat, ask the parents to make a list of everything the child CAN NOT eat and post it on the fridge. My son wants to be vegan as he has chosen this lifestyle for humane reasons and I have tried to support him as much as possible but have had to put my foot down with a few things. It's not that he couldn't get sufficient nutrition being vegan even as a 10 yr old, even though most people would argue otherwise, but with a busy schedule I don't want to have him undernourished if I don't have time to make him a well balanced meal at every mealtime. He drinks fortified unsweetened almond milk and he eats fish. You want to try getting supplements in a 10 year old for the omegas and DHA lol

    There are lots of soy meats, tvp (textured vegetable protein)and tofu which cook in minutes and take the place of meat. It isn't that much more difficult to make a separate pan, although in a daycare it's different having more people to cater for. Also one of the biggest protein packers for vegetarians is beans. You can purée it and add it to EVERYTHING.

    A couple of warnings though.... There is a term in the vegetarian community known as "Junk food vegetarian" This is someone who eats lots of cheese. It can be "the automatic go to" but is super unhealthy in regular and large doses. A couple of meals a week but not every day. Why not ask the parents to give you a list of meals they usually make for him.

    Lastly, I recommend that you charge a higher rate as it does cost more money to buy the alternatives and while it isn't difficult to prepare, when you have other kids to think of and have to spend more time, it's something they should pay extra for. It's not like you are making a family meal and maybe you have 1 of 2 of your own who can entertain themselves while you prepare. Most people have 5 or 6 plus there own and don't have that extra 5-10 minutes to devote to making a special meal. As the mother of a veggie kid, I wouldn't expect to pay the same rate and would have no problem paying an extra few dollars as a premium to be able to have my child's dietary requirements catered too.
    Last edited by bright sparks; 01-16-2013 at 07:58 AM.

  10. #10
    Euphoric ! bright sparks's Avatar
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    Becel have actually got a vegan margarine available at most big grocery stores and the other one available that I recommend is Earth Balance. Becel is required by law to test on animals though due to the ingredients where as Earth Balance doesn't have to. Earth Balance is available at most if not all large grocery stores like Metro, Superstore, sobeys, fortinos etc.

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