What, No Meat?!: What to Do When Your Kid Becomes a Vegetarian

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Teens are leading the rush to vegetarianism, with millions of preteens
close behind. What, No Meat?! is part cookbook and part handbook, a
guide to what it all means and how to keep it simple.

First, the terminology. Vegan, lacto-ovo, and semi-vegetarian are
defined, and symbols for each used throughout the recipe section. Next,
the whole nutritional argument is aired, with a look at the real scoop
about protein, calcium, and iron requirements and at vegetarian sources
for these. The many manifestations of soy and gluten are explained, as
the recipes make extensive use of these ingredients. There are some
innovative recipes, but overall the recipe section is both uninspired
and poorly laid out, making it rather hard to follow and not very
practical for busy meal-makers. The absence of metric measures and
nutritional analysis for the recipes is surprising and disappointing.

Rounding out the book are chapters on adhering to a vegetarian diet
when eating in restaurants, organic farming, and the link between diet
and disease. A special chapter discusses the etiquette of being a
vegetarian in a meat-eating society.

Parents of vegetarian children and preteens are the intended audience
for the book, but it will be useful for teens, family friends, and
anyone interested in supporting others in their vegetarian lifestyle
choice.