Daughter Won't Eat Meat

My son's pediatrician told us not to even worry about meat until he was 2. He is now almost 3, and still not a big meat eater. He will occasionally eat chicken nuggets and chicken legs/thighs. He loves Boston Market's chicken legs. :-) I highly recommend Jessica Seinfield's new book called 'Deceptively Delicious'. It teaches you how to hide veggies and fruits (and even meats) into food that your kids do like by pureering. So far I have made my son brownies with carrots and spinach, chicken noodle soup with cauliflower, chicken nuggets with broccoli, and mac 'n cheese with beans and cauliflower. All the food has been really good! I now also give my son a multi-vitamin daily as well as a probiotic to make sure he gets all he needs.

D. -
I am the mother of (3), including a 14 year old daughter who has not really eaten meat since age 6. Occasionally, she will have some chicken, but in her case, if it had eyes, she won't touch it. We did seek advice of professionals and learned a great deal. Her reasons are different, but I can relate.

My first tip: Don't make food an issue. She is exerting her control by not eating something you want her to. 2 year olds have very little control of their life and the 2 areas that they can control - eating and going to the bathroom - you don't want to battle with. The less of a deal that you make of it, the quicker it will turn around for her. As hard as it is, do a shoulder shrug and excuse her from the table when she first starts to flex her muscle or disdain of meat. Pull the plate away, clean her up, give her a hug and send her on her way. She will be shocked.
My second tip: The key word in your scenario is "NEWBORN". As much as you tell your friends that she is doing "great" with the baby, forget it. She is mad that there is another one in the house that is getting attention, so let her be. The sooner you let her work through those feelings, the better. We have 2 girls, only 21 months apart, and we have been around this as well. New siblings bring a world of unrest to a 2 year old. They will survive, but you don't want her to be feeling any worse about it and making her see herself as a "bad girl" for not eating meat. Go ahead and let her win this one for a while. Trust that it is a phase that you bring less attention to.

Please do your best to deep breathe, rest when you can and let her have some control where she can. For right now, that may be not eating meat. Do not depend on too many "extras" like ketchup and gimmicks - you don't want her to depend on these for the future and create habits that may make your life miserable later.

Good luck. Many moms have had the exact same issues, stay calm and remember this is not a food issue, it is a control issue.

How about trying other sources of protein? Meat is not the only one.

Hi D.,
I have 2 kids, a girl 3 and a boy 6. My daughter will eat anything you put in front of her and she loves chicken the most but mu son won't eat any meat. he never cared for it growing up and I didn't force the issue. Now I tried to have him taste it and i get the same response everytime. "t deosn't tast good to me and it smells awful!" So I decide if he gets enough proteins with his daily diet then it's ok. It's a matter of taste and it's nothing personal, it's not about my cooking or anything and there are plenty of things i don't personally like either. So my advice will be to make sure she gets enough protein somewhere else and it's not a battle worth fighting for because she might resent you or might refuse the meals altogether or develop some weird eating habits just to get you off her back.
Good luck

Our son is not a big meat-eater either. He LOVES peanut butter, though, so he gets Triscuits with pb for dinner sometimes, just to get some fiber and protein. You can also get protein in eggs and cheeses. Our doctor said that we shouldn't really worry about what he chooses, as long as he is offered all different things to choose from. Our doctor suggested letting him pick one of his dishes, and then choosing other elements to balance his diet. For example, he says he wants a waffle for lunch, so we let him have it and then we say, "let's have a couple of pieces of bacon with them for meat and maybe some apple for a fruit." Then they learn about how to balance a meal and also feel empowered by getting to choose one part of their menu.

It's really not important that they eat meat. In fact it's only our culture who make our children eat meat. As long as she is getting complex proteins she doesn't need it. All it adds is fat and you can get that other places. It may make her stomach upset. Some people were not born meat eaters. I love meat but my son, 3 years, and husband don't eat it that often. Some examples of complete plant protein combinations are:
Brown Rice and Black Beans
Corn and Lima Beans
Whole grain wheat bread and peanut butter
Whole Wheat Tortilla and Black Beans

Those are just a few get a good book on vegetarian diet or see a dietitian. It's one of those battles that is not as important. Now eating veggies and fruit is. But not meat. Make sure she is getting plenty of fat (from oils, dairy and eggs) and she will be fine. Best of luck. Take care of that newborn and yourself. :)
~M.

Hi D.,
My name is also D. and I went through a similar situation with my son. I read that a lot of children are naturally vegetarian and may not like the texture or taste of meat. My son also refused to eat meat at that age. However most Americans far exceed the daily requirement of protein. Protein deficiency is almost unheard of in our country since their are many not-meat sources, including: milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, peanut butter and other nut butters not to mention the soy products. There is also protein in many vegetables and fruits but usually you should combine these with whole grains (wheat, brown rice ect) in order to form a complete protein. Also, now there are many protein-fortified products like pasta which can help when a child still is not getting enough protein. I hope this helps, the biggest thing to remember is that you don't have to worry, my son still eats very little meat but he is healthier than most other kids his age. D.

D.,

Pick your battles. She won't eat meat. So, what? Don't make her. Go get a good vegetarian cookbook (always available at second-hand stores, or sign one out from the library, or search free websites online), learn some things about a balanced diet and alternative sources of protein, and move forward. No sense making yourself crazy over something that she has clearly indicated is her choice.

Best wishes,
K.

I had the same problem with both my boys. Some say feed them more beans and legumes. That a meatless diet will not hurt them. What I did was chop the meats up real fine and mix it with mac and cheese. I also chopped tomatoes with it too. Maybe a fourth just enough for color and told them it was their special meal and only they were allowed to eat it. It worked.
Also see what your ped. feels about a vegie diet. Will she eat eggs? Try tuna and other fish.
I personally have an issue with beef products. They taste sour or bad to me.

there are lots of other food that offer protien. peanut butter, beans/legumes, tofu, cheese. chicken, turkey, lunch meats, hot dogs all have protien too. my daughter is almost 2 and goes through stages where 1 day she'll something and the next she won't, then the next time she will. also if she's a strong willed child, she might be refusing meat, just to test you. if she doesn't want it, don't force her, but don't let her have treats or fix her a separate meal either. it'll only reinforce the behavior. if all fails...you can supplement with pediasure.

Hi! I am vegan, which means a vegetarian who eats no meat or dairy products. I am pregnant for the first time, and my 8month unborn child is in the 66th percentile for weight. Every time I go to get my iron checked, they tell me that "sometimes we worry about vegetarians, but everything looks good with you." I have a friend who was vegan all through her pregnancy, and she and her husband still are, and have two of the most robust, bright, beautiful, well-adjusted boys, 2 and 6, that I have ever seen. In a nutshell, it is simply not necessary for your child to have ANY animal products at all, as long as YOU educate yourself about protein intake. It's not actually that hard for someone to get enough protein (or omega fats, or calcium, or other vitamins) from plant sources; most people in our culture just do what they were taught to do by their parents. Children sometimes lead the way. I wouldn't force the issue. Does she like cheese? Soy products? Beans and lentils? Dark leafy greens like spinach? All of these have plenty of protein. She might just be a person who is a natural vegetarian. If you are interested in learning more about vegetarianism and how to do it properly, I actually have a cookbook/nutritional book that's about 300 pages long; I think the title is something like Raising Vegetarian Children. Also, I have lots of connections to the vegetarian community, if you'd ever be interested in attending a potluck! Good luck!
-A.

The only meat mine will eat are Chicken Nuggets and I think that is beacuase she doesn't realize it is chicken! So I feel your pain! I decided to start giving her suppliments to help... and never stop trying. I'm a picky eater myself, so I feel guilty as most of the stuff I ask her to try, I don't like! lol We really like Arbonne Power Punch for Kids. It is like a Koolade Single, but good for you. I mix it w/ her OJ, and she loves it. It has also helped her immune system. She was getting a cold every 3 weeks or so, now we've gone all winter without any.

Many cultures around the world don't eat meat, don't raise their children as meat-eaters, and who are really healthy! As others have already stated, there are many other ways to make sure your daughter's diet is nutritionally sound.

A good reference is Ruth Yaron's book called "Super Baby Food" which you can likely check out of your local library for free. She gives lots of good, toddler friendly recipes (both meat and meat-free).

Alternately, you could google around for "vegetarian toddler diet" and "raising vegetarian kids" and see what comes up.

The best advice I can give is to follow your daughter's lead when it comes to food and to NOT force her to eat meat if she is giving obvious signs of not liking it. Children often avoid a particular food for a really good reason (like it makes them feel ill because they have an undiagnosed allergy to a particular food, for example).

Hope this helps!

My 4 y/o daughter refuses to eat meat too.....she will actually pick it out of spaghetti! We tell her she has to try everything that is made for dinner and if she doesn't like it fine, then I will giver her what she wants, which is usually PB&J. The Dr said not to worry about protein because she eats cheese, yogurt, Peanut Butter. She did tell me to give her a MutiVitamin that has Iron in it though, so I give her Flinstones.

I suggest picking your battles. There is no reason that she needs to eat meat. She is probably drinking plenty of milk which has lots of protein and most of the cereal and bread she eating is fortified. If she likes peanut butter and jelly, she is getting a ton of healthy protein in the PB. Many children throughout the world grow up very healthy without ever eating meat (it's against many religions). Our son (2 years old) only eats meat about once or twice a month and doesn't really care for it. Our pediatrician is very supportive of our decision to limit his meat intake and agrees that meat is not a necessary part of a toddlers diet. If you are really concerned, ask your pediatrician. Otherwise, try tofu. My son absolutley loves it (it has a really great texture for toddlers and a mild flavor). Also peanut butter, veggie burgers (another favorite of my son's), veggie bites, and all the other great vegetarian food will ensure your daughter is getting the nutrients she needs (with the added benefit of reduced saturated fats and increased healthy fats).

J.

I can tell you that most children until they get almost all their teeth won't eat except hamburger due to the fact they can't easily chew the meat. If you make a pork chop or roast make sure you cook it a long time to where it is very tender and make sure you cut it in very small pieces. I know this worked with my kids when they refused to eat any meat until I started this. Hope this helps.
M.

Meat isn't a big deal for 2 yr olds. As long as she's getting sufficient amounts of protein elsewhere, she's fine to not eat it. Try cottage cheese, various regular cheeses (swiss, colby, even american), yogurt, eggs, beans, peanut butter (if she's not allergic), are just some ideas. Evey soy products have good amounts of protein, as well. I wouldn't stress over it.

Do not force her to eat anything. There are other proteins and protein combinations out there that can substitute for the meat. Salad greens for the B vitamins, and beans and dairy for protein, for example. Making battles out of meal time is counterproductive for your child's development, way more counterproductive than her refusing meat. If she has a very limited diet, make an appointment with a registered dietitian.

By the way, I'm a different J. R.

Do you think it may be a texture issue? Maybe you could grind some up and add it to tomato sauce with pasta. I usually saute ground turkey to add to pasta sauce. What about making some homemade soup (canned soups have too much sodium) with the meat in either very tiny pieces or pureed.

Does she eat fish?

Have you tried other protein sources like nuts, tofu, dried beans, plain yogurt with a low sugar topping such as fruit, nuts or certain granolas? Tofu comes in many forms--my kids loved cubed tofu sauteed in a little olive oil with a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil, you could also dip the cubes in any sauce. You could make a smoothie with silken tofu. Maybe her protein could come from a meal other than dinner and then if she eats the meat, great, if not, it's no loss.

My daughter is almost 2 also and she rarely ever eats meat. The only time she will eat it is when it's sloppy joe's. I just give her lots of peanut butter so she gets her protein. I'm sure she'll come around.

Will she eat beans or PB? Those both have a lot of protein. My Husband learned in nursing school that as long as a child eats at least ONE meal every THREE days, their needs are being met. I know it doesn't make any sense, but our son was giong thru a non-eating period in his life at that time, and just knowing made me feel better. We just kept offering healthy, well-balanced meals, and one day he started eating it!