I strongly suggest that you start by reading the books The China Study and Becoming Vegan
Even if you don't plan on eating a vegan diet, I think that they help to illustrate how important minimizing all animal protein is for our health. Right now, we have an almost vegan household. I usually cook vegan meals, but we do have cheese available to sprinkle on top, if someone desires. Also, I sometimes use the Quorn brand meat analogues (not often), and I think they have some dairy.
I try very hard to minimize the dairy in my diet. Ds and Dh are more open to dairy and eggs than I am. I will eat dairy and eggs, when at someone else's home or at a restaurant, if it's my only option. Also, there are small amounts of dairy in the processed foods that we sometimes buy, but I really try to limit it.
We have slowly changed our diet over the last 7 years or so from a SAD to a fairly healthy, whole-foods based, vegetarian diet. First most of the processed stuff went, then the hydrogenated oils (back when very few people were talking about them), then the corn syrup, then switched to mostly organic, and then to meat free. Right now, I think we're in the process of becoming vegan. It may take a few years yet, but I think that's where dh and I are headed.
Ds still eats a decent bit of cheese, and while we have cut back on it (and nearly eliminated the eggs he eats), I can't cut him off of it completely. I'm hoping that as he ages, we can explain to him better, why he shouldn't eat it often. He already understands that, if he eats too much, he won't feel very well.
Ds loves tofu (as long as I don't crisp the outside by panfrying in oil). So, I bake it or marinate and then heat in a pan. He loves rice and whole wheat couscous and ww pasta. He eats almond or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on ww bread. He loves broccoli and asparagus and just about any kind of fruit. He also loves the Kashi peanut peanut butter granola bars (they are perfect on the go food, IMO). We make veggie loaf (much like meatloaf) with mashed potatoes (made with soy milk and Earth Balance) and green beans. Sometimes, he'll ask for cheese and crackers and I oblige him, but it is animal rennet free, high quality cheddar. He usually won't eat pasta without a sprinkle of parmesan, although I could probably switch him to a vegan sub without much fuss. Since he is a toddler, I will indulge him with fake chicken nuggets or a fake corn dog every now and then, but I try to keep fake meats to a minimum.
It seems difficult at first, because you are trying to eat healthier, while appeasing everyone's taste buds. I guarantee you that a year ago, we were not eating as healthfully as we are now. I relied much more on meat analogues and adapted family favored recipes. I would introduce 2 or 3 new recipes a week, so that we still had some that were familiar to us. Some new ones were keepers and others weren't. That's really become my method. Although, now our family favorites are yummy veggie dishes and not our old family favorites.
Good luck!
Even if you don't plan on eating a vegan diet, I think that they help to illustrate how important minimizing all animal protein is for our health. Right now, we have an almost vegan household. I usually cook vegan meals, but we do have cheese available to sprinkle on top, if someone desires. Also, I sometimes use the Quorn brand meat analogues (not often), and I think they have some dairy.
I try very hard to minimize the dairy in my diet. Ds and Dh are more open to dairy and eggs than I am. I will eat dairy and eggs, when at someone else's home or at a restaurant, if it's my only option. Also, there are small amounts of dairy in the processed foods that we sometimes buy, but I really try to limit it.
We have slowly changed our diet over the last 7 years or so from a SAD to a fairly healthy, whole-foods based, vegetarian diet. First most of the processed stuff went, then the hydrogenated oils (back when very few people were talking about them), then the corn syrup, then switched to mostly organic, and then to meat free. Right now, I think we're in the process of becoming vegan. It may take a few years yet, but I think that's where dh and I are headed.
Ds still eats a decent bit of cheese, and while we have cut back on it (and nearly eliminated the eggs he eats), I can't cut him off of it completely. I'm hoping that as he ages, we can explain to him better, why he shouldn't eat it often. He already understands that, if he eats too much, he won't feel very well.
Ds loves tofu (as long as I don't crisp the outside by panfrying in oil). So, I bake it or marinate and then heat in a pan. He loves rice and whole wheat couscous and ww pasta. He eats almond or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on ww bread. He loves broccoli and asparagus and just about any kind of fruit. He also loves the Kashi peanut peanut butter granola bars (they are perfect on the go food, IMO). We make veggie loaf (much like meatloaf) with mashed potatoes (made with soy milk and Earth Balance) and green beans. Sometimes, he'll ask for cheese and crackers and I oblige him, but it is animal rennet free, high quality cheddar. He usually won't eat pasta without a sprinkle of parmesan, although I could probably switch him to a vegan sub without much fuss. Since he is a toddler, I will indulge him with fake chicken nuggets or a fake corn dog every now and then, but I try to keep fake meats to a minimum.
It seems difficult at first, because you are trying to eat healthier, while appeasing everyone's taste buds. I guarantee you that a year ago, we were not eating as healthfully as we are now. I relied much more on meat analogues and adapted family favored recipes. I would introduce 2 or 3 new recipes a week, so that we still had some that were familiar to us. Some new ones were keepers and others weren't. That's really become my method. Although, now our family favorites are yummy veggie dishes and not our old family favorites.
Good luck!
