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I've been thinking about your post since I responded this morning. I really recommend that you both read "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I haven't quite finished it yet, been reading it this week, but the more I read, the more I'm impressed, and I think he has a good approach for non-vegetarians to read, as well as vegetarians. His main point (he has many good points) is that the bulk of anyone's diet needs to be lots of fresh vegetables, with legumes and fruits. It's a good idea to continue to read different books, to get a comprehensive and balanced viewpoint, and new ideas. I have read through the library and then some. I still grab up new books, even if most of the material is really familiar to me.

I also think it would be good if you got a vegetarian or vegan cookbook and tried out some recipes. There are also raw "uncookbooks" out there. It gets really boring when you just chop up veggies and eat 'em, plain. I met a lady in the grocery store who had been vegan for years, and raw vegan for 2 months. During those 2 months, she just chops up veggies and eats them. I can't believe she's gone so long! All the better to her. There are many wonderful recipes, not just for salads. Not to mention sprouting, dehydrating, at the more complex realm. These past two weeks, I've had raw taco salad, coleslaw with an oil/vinegar dressing, raw sprouted brown rice pudding, raw strawberry banana pie, raw mashed potatoes made with cauliflower, avocado and asparagus salad, broccoli and apricot salad with an almond dressing, cooked 16 bean Italian soup, baked sweet potato fries, raw sticky date and nut balls, and some other tasty concoctions. Once you get creative, you can really eat a lot of different things. It livens things up. I say that so that your daughter can be encouraged to eat more. You really can't get fat from too many green veggies, just healthier. Things like nuts, avocados, and dates can help a person gain weight or keep them from losing weight. Bread shouldn't be consumed too much, it really clogs people up and creates allergy problems, even if it's whole grain.

In my family, I have, for the past 10 years, usually just fixed myself something separate to eat from the rest of my family. They don't mind. Sometimes I fix the meal for the entire family. Sometimes I eat what they eat. My mom will tell me what she's fixing, and then she will make more vegetables and brown rice for me, for example.

I think as a concerned parent the best thing you can do is show interest. Ask questions about if a certain food is healthful, what is the most nutritious thing, why does she do such and such. Be interested in what she says, and willing to try things. I think that with your help you can both eat more healthfully.
I think it's great that you are interested and concerned! Hopefully you will both grow through this experience! Again, best wishes! Tweet