Now, you have to understand that the whole notion of going without meat was pretty much unheard of in those days. It was even considered unhealthy by many. I remember having a discussion once with someone who advised me that I should never have children if I intended to feed them meat-free meals of any kind.
All I can say is that my four sons did just fine with my “meatless marvels”. We did not eat exclusively vegetarian, but mostly so, and their health most definitely did not suffer.