How to Get Toddler to Eat Meat

Try feeding it to him at the beginning of the meal when he is the most hungry. Put a small portion of small pieces on his plate and try to wait til he eats before you sit down. We also taught the kids to dip into ketchup or something else. Hope this helps.

My son (2 1/2) eats mostly chicken, pork and sometimes beef depends on how it is prepared. When he first started eating table food I would throw whatever meat I was cooking for dinner in the food processor once chopped up nice and fine I would mix it with noodles or rice. As he got older I started to give bigger pieces and now at this point I don't use my food processor any more. (well, now I grind up veggies and hide them in sauce). But, he loves chicken and pork now just has to be nice and moist. I do have to agree with the other posts to STAY AWAY from chicken nuggets and hot dogs. I have a few friends that thier boys will seriously ONLY eat hotdogs and chicken nuggets from McDonalds.

Good Luck!

A lot of young children do not like the texture of meat. Give him time and he'll likely eat it when he's ready. He doesn't need the protein at this age.

I agree with continuing to introduce meat...I don't agree with introducing chicken nuggets, hot dogs, or corn dogs at this age. You are forming their palates at this age--and all of those things in most forms are extemely high in salt. Why is that better than seasoned (not salty) small, cooked pieces of chicken, beef, or fish?

You didn't mention how many teeth he has? My daughter just got her front teeth at this age...she would chew all the flavor out and then spit it out because she couldn't get it small enough to swallow. It may just be a matter of dicing it extremely small and mixing it with something else.

I read that it takes more than 10 tries to get small children to accept new flavors. I find this to be true with my daughter. She readily eats many things now that took several introductions.

Animal sources are an important way to ensure that we get adequate amounts of vitamin B-12. Fortified foods can make sure you get plenty, you just have to be a bit more diligent to ensure he gets enough.

Some of the best advice I got about toddlers and eating was to not worry from day to day what they are getting. Look at what they are eating over a week or a month...I kept a journal for a few weeks just to keep track. I'm not normally that weird about things, but since she spent an enormous amount of time in daycare and with sitters, it reassured me that she was getting what she needed.

Speaking from a personal perspective, some people, like me, are not born meat eaters. Some people crave meat or wouldn't think of having a meal without some kind of animal protein included. I've never been that person. It's just a matter of preference. I did eat meat for a number of years because I thought that was what I had to do to be healthy but, now that I've been vegan (I have problems digesting dairy), I feel absolutely fantastic.

I don't know if this is the same for your son. Like another poster pointed out correctly, sometimes young toddlers don't want to eat meat because of its consistency and amount of energy it takes to chew it. But I did want to give you a different perspective on why he may not be eating meat. Whether or not your so does end up becoming a meat eater, there are a number of really great plant protiens out there like quinoa (cooks just like rice) that you can give a try while you are still trying to figure this issue out.

My 3 and 5 year old still don't get most of their protein from meat. They will eat chicken, thin sliced pork and (occasionally) thin sliced beef. They have never been big meat eaters. I think it's a texture thing. It's not a big deal. They do (have always) eat a lot of eggs and yogurt. That's enough to satisfy their need for protein. I am more likely to worry about if they eat enough veggies.

Many kids his age don't like meat because of both texture and the amount of energy it takes to chew meat. Don't force him to eat it but continue to introduce it to him. Try meats that are easier to chew (e.g. nuggets, small pieces of hot dot without skin (cut in quarters for safety, super moist meat). you can also try small pieces of moist fish.

Good luck!

I am not a vegetarian, and i may noy be giving you the answer you want, but I feel that your baby does not need meat! He will get his protein from other foods. Introduce the meat , if you feel that strongly about it, in small amounts at meal times.

I always put it in the food processor, and then would add juices from cooking. Or mix it with another fod, mashed potatoes, noodles, add a little gravy etc. My son is almost 2 and we still have a hard time with meat. think its the texture, and working on the chewing. But keep trying!

My son didn't like it either. He is 4 now and will only eat chicken. Our doctor told us not to force it. As long as he is getting enough protein from other sources, he isn't lacking any nutrients by not having it.

For my son it depends on how it is made. One thing he really likes and will eat almost always is meatballs. But some if the things I did also was give him other proteins, he loves white northern beans I soak them over night and then put them in the crock pot with a hamsteak. He will eat the beans like they are going out of style. I think as long as he gets enough protein, it does not matter the source. I have noticed the more tender the meat, the better chance of him eating it. You can also puree it and then mix it with Mac n cheese or some other food he will like. My son loves Lasagna. You can also get the MSG free lunch meat, that is soft and he might like it better. I make veggie sandwiches and put one slice of meat and cut it into pieces. So you can try mixing it with other foods so the "meat" taste is not there but he is still getting the protein.

They generally don't like meat. The only things my son liked originally were chicken nuggets (I get the large bag from costco - more real meat), and corn dogs (SIGH). But then he tried the samples they used to serve at the Target deli counter - they'd cut 1/4 inch slices into squares for people to try. That's the only other meat he'll eat - turkey and ham. Sometimes he doesn't want it at all. I give him cheese sticks and yogurt for another source of protein. He's groing like a weed.

Hope that helps!

I would not worry too much. Find sources of protien that work, like cheese, or beans and eggs and keep feeding him the fruits and veggies that he likes.

Texture is probably his issue, and if you look at addressing the texture without getting too processed, you will probably find that he is eating more difficult textures soon. At only 14 months, I would not worry about it too much.

If texture is the issue, and it continues past his third birthday, or he begings to develop other food aversions and gaging issues, see an occupational therapist. But at 14 months, not a problem.

M.

Gerber has beef meat sticks - they also come in turkey and chicken. They are in little jars, and are very good. They don't have any extra ingredients - just meat! My kids LOVED them when they were little, and would still eat them today if I bought them :) They are soft and easy to chew. Good luck!

Might be a texture thing. Just make sure he gets plenty of protein by giving him eggs, cottage cheese. If he'll still eat first foods, etc, it's better than him not getting the protein at all. Might also try putting it into a food processor and see if he'll eat it. If he eats it, then I you can be assured it's not the taste/flavor but rather the texture. Meat is DEFINITELY a different texture than all other foods.

In addition there is a book called FEED ME, I'M YOURS that tells you how to get kids to eat things, try things, etc and gives you some recipes, too. It would certainly be worth a shot.

You might be able to find this book at a HALF PRICE BOOKS store or on Amazon.

This is harder for me to answer because my daughter at that age (and still) devours meat. Seriously.... she's a carnivore. She also had all her 1st year teeth including molars by 13 months.

Anyway, one thing I did find was that things like steak or pork chops were more difficult for her. I had to cut them REALLLLLLY small. She did much better with ground meat options.... ground beef in pasta and such.

It could be a texture thing. It could be the pieces are too big. Try different methods. I'm not a big fan of the puree method because it doesn't give the kids the actual texture and flavor of what they are eating and in my opinion that leads to picky eaters.

I heard a doctor talk once and he said that kids have like 10,000 taste buds, as compared just just a couple thousand for adults. So, they are WAY more sensitive to tastes and textures then we are. Just keep trying to give him the meat... make sure it is very very small pieces. Hopefully he will come around. But if not... as others have said...there are plenty of people who don't eat meat. Just make sure he is getting good protein from other sources.

Will he do fish?? Fish was one "meat" my daughter really liked when she was younger. It's soft and very chewable.

Hi E., this is so normal, my 4 year old is still going through weird eating phases. Like your son, she will totally stop eating meat for weeks, then every once in a while she'll decide to eat it again. Feed your son anything with protein to replace meat. My daugher loves beans, well she loved them last week, hope she still likes them. Don't worry too much about this, he is fine.

M.
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Not having enough teeth to eat and chew the meat could be it. Try to give him ground meat and meat purees. Untill he has upper and lower molars he will have trouble with eating meat. Also try to strenghen his facial muscles by giving him sugar free gum. It did help my daughter ( she was a sick little baby for a long time and her facial muscles needed toning. Gum took care of it and she was able to chew food properly).

My son (he's 3.5) dips nearly all meat (pork, chicken, steak) into applesauce--- I know, most kids use ketchup but he likes applesauce as a dipper

Most toddlers I know won't eat meat. None of my kids did at that age. My 7 year old started eating more meat around age 4, my almost-5-year-old still refuses to touch it most of the time. No worries, though.... millions of people don't eat meat and are totally healthy. It's not needed for a good diet. As long as he's getting protein and the other minerals and nutrients from other sources, don't worry about it.