And so we have gotten over the start of the new school term in September, survived the October Half term holidays, Fireworks night & Guy Fawkes celebrations (a British tradition) and are now approaching the Christmas holidays, all while remaining mostly vegetarian!
This is such a massive achievement considering our foray into vegetarianism only started as an experiment that was supposed to last 2 weeks!
Of course it would have been so easy to revert back but surprisingly the majority of my family members including myself have stuck to the vegetarian diet while only two of them have had an occasional chicken dish. I could blame the schools and the establishments that they go to but actually that is not the case. Think about it ...years ago it would have been much more difficult to maintain a vegetarian/vegan diet as a school child having school dinners because a) the school probably would not cater a hot meal for you and b) no child wants to be seen as different.
Thankfully things have moved on. So much so in fact that it's kind of seen as cool to have some kind of dietary requirement or another. Well this is more the view amongst middle class primary age school children. But it means that at least you can ask the school not to include dairy in your child's meals without being snared at or worried that your kids will get singled out in a negative way by the other kids. 🙌. If you find out who does the catering in your school, it is pretty easy to speak to the catering manager if your child has special requirements and you don't want to go down the pack lunch route. Catering managers are usually very helpful if you ask nicely. More managers and catering staff are not only aware of foods nutritional value but they are also more aware of allergies such as nuts, dairy and shellfish and are trained to handle food in ways that ensure our children's safety😊. Of course if you do not feel this is happening in your school, SPEAK OUT! Believe it or not teachers want parents to be more involved with school life.
And on those days when its not school...
here is a quick easy veggie at-home hot lunch that the kids will love too
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| Homemade - Goats Cheese, Red Onion and Mushroom Pastries with 'Cheats' Caramelised Red Onion Chutney in Jar for topping |
Quick Homemade Goats cheese, Red Onion and Mushroom Pastries
Makes 6 portions
Ingredients:
1 Ready to Roll Puff Pastry (375g)
11/2 cups of Mushrooms - Any type
1 tsp pre-crushed garlic
1 Red Onion
1 bag of spinach - 200g
200g of cherry tomatoes
100g of Goats Cheese (Optional)
To Serve:
Caramelised Red Onion Chutney for topping
Rocket Leaves
Method:
Saute the red onion, mushrooms and garlic in a pan on medium heat for 10 mins or until onions are soft and the mushrooms are soft and brown.
While this is cooking, cut out pastry squares from your ready to roll sheet. Pinch the edges of each square. Then place a portion of the cooked mixture into each pastry square. Sprinkle on the goats cheese (optional)
Put into the oven at 200°/180°(Fan Ovens) for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve immediately topped with caramelised red onion chutney and rocket leaves.
Enjoy!!!
