Picky Eater - APO, AP

Have you tried alternative butters like soy nut, almond, or sunflower seed butters for sandwiches? Also, try mixing tofu into smoothies for protein, as well as bulkers like sweet potatoes.

Eating better some days then others is a normal kids thing.
40% of children are picky eaters according to an article I recently read at parenting.com. It is related to a defense mechanism when we use to hunt for our food and it was not all safe.
I'm lucky enough to have a picky eater too. Be creative. If they are looking like they need a few more calorie/weight loss add sugar to there cereal. Mine likes cheese cake so when he is looking boney I buy one and feed him as much as he will eat.
You would be superised at how little protein children really need.
1-3 year olds only need .55 gram protein per body weight so your daughter only needs as little as a beael and a cup of milk.
bagel 9rram, cup milk 8 grams, rasin bran 4 grams, eggs 6 grams, Barilla noodles with added protein are a life safer with 10 grams of protein.
You can hide baby food in things like brownies or protient supplements.
Mine likes reeses candy bars and needs the calories and protein so I give them to him.

Do not worry about her not eating meat.. I myself, being a vegetarian, do not feed my children meat often--maybe 1-2 times/month. There are SO many other ways for her to get her protein...beans are great source, along with dark greens they also make "enhanced" products like pasta.

my boys don't always get enough meat just because we don't always have meat for supper that they can eat very well ( like steak) so i always have some of the pasta pick ups that gerber graduates makes at my house. They all have meat in them so even though it isn't always much they are at least getting some meat. They love those stupid things and can't ever eat them fast enough! Also for protein there is always eggs and peanut butter. I give my boys peanut butter toast a lot for breakfast.

First off, I just have to mention that even though you specifically said your daughter can't have eggs, milk, and peanuts, several of the responders gave advice like: give her eggs or peanut butter! Seriously! I just want you to know that I understand the difficulties of a kid with food allergies and the frustrations of those who just don't get it.

My five year old son is also allergic to milk and peanuts; he just recently has been able to tolerate eggs. When he was younger (diagnosed with allergies at 7 months), he didn't eat meat either. We found vegan cheese that he liked.

Instead of peanut butter, we have used both soy butter and sunflower butter. Sunflower butter is awesome - our entire family eats it! You can find it at Super Target, Cub, Kowalskis, as well as Whole Foods or co-ops. It is free of major allergans (unless your daughter is allergic to sunflower seeds, sesame, etc...)

We also rely on kosher products like hotdogs, etc...because we know there is not one drop of dairy in them. Although we don't eat them a lot, we buy the Hebrew National brand and everyone who eats them says they are the best hotdogs - probably because they aren't filled with as much junk.
Our son also drinks soy milk & eats soy yogurt, both which are fortified with vitamins and contain protein.

One thing I did with meat is to simply offer it every time I made it whether he ate any or not. I cut it up very small, and sometimes hide it in a bit of something he liked (pasta, rice).

Baked beans, if you can get her to eat them, are sweet and a good source of protein as are other legumes.

Hang in there and good luck!

S.

Try lemon hummos! Or other hummos. My little natural vegetarian loves hummos, abhors meat and peanuts (and we are big meat eaters). Fried tofu is another good one, or almond butter. Good luck- its very frustrating!

My son also hates eating meat, but LOVES bread. We use soft wheat bread and hide bits of meat in it by making little bread balls around the meat. It usually works, but sometimes he gets smart and pulls the bread apart. We also make open-faced sandwiches in the toaster oven, and melt cheese on top of the lunch meat (makes it harder for him to take it apart), but since your daughter can't have milk I suppose that may not be an option. Our dr. also suggested beans (lentil, pinto, black, etc). We didn't have much luck with it though. He is also in about the 1% for weight, so we try to get protein in him any way we can! Good luck!

Try soy... veggie meat may work better for her, also soy milk, or tofu (there was a post a while back on ways to cook tofu). Beans are a good protein, and refried beans with some soy cheese on crackers would be fattening and healthy. Pesto sauce is high calorie but great on veggies and enriched pasta. Come up with dips she can dip the veggies in, check out a health market near you, they may have stuff that will work. Potatoes sliced into homemade fries but with seasoning on them she will like and dip for them. Carmel dip for apples. Smoothies with protein powder (check the ingredients some may have stuff she can't have) ie strawberries, banana, soy ice cream, soy milk, and protein powder.

My mind has just been running with ideas hope this makes sense.
A.

My 18 month old likes hummus, guacamole, and refried beans. He also loves salsa -- you said yours likes veggies, so maybe she likes salsa too? You could try bean burritos with the guac for a little fat and protein. Mine likes the wheat tortillas, or you could try corn.

Good luck:)

What about legumes? My kids always loved black beans and kidney beans at that age and they're a great source of protein & iron. Soy products like tofu are another good option as well as soy yogurts. When my son was that age he couldn't have milk or eggs either and I added coconut milk to his soymilk because it was a great source of fats and concentrated calories. That might be another good option for you. Also, my toddler really likes soycrisps (rice cakes made with soy flour). They come in lots of different flavors and are pretty high in protein. Ultimately, you may just want to walk around at your health food store and see what you think might tempt her. It's always a process of trial and error!

Good luck!
J.

i have a 4 year old that is going to be a vegetarian, i swear. and she is very thin. i'll give you a list of things i feed her, and maybe some of them will work for you. and, don't make food an issue. it's something i struggle with every day. when my kids say they are done, i have to bite my tongue if they have only eaten one or two bites, and just let them go.

on to the food:
tofu. buy the extra firm, drain the water, press the chunk between some paper towels to get more water off, and cut it in little chunks. both my kids love it raw. sometimes i marinate the little chunks in orange juice, oil and salt and pepper and roast it in the oven. lots of protein.

burritos with just rice and beans (a complete protein)

i make meatloaf with lots of small diced veggies in it, and lots of breadcrumbs, and my daughter who doesn't like meat will eat it.

salmon. this has been the biggest thing for her to eat. she loves it, and it is so good for her. my husband jokes that while we eat frozen pizza, she's eating grilled salmon!

good luck

talk to your doctor about getting an appointment with a nutritionist. I ended up having to do that with my boys as they really don't like meat and they have severe allergies to most of the high calorie foods that promote weight gain. Most insurances cover a nutritionist at least the first time. There are also kid friendly vegan cookbooks out there that have many suggestions and since it is vegan leaves out the milk and eggs.

not eating meat is not a bad thing!!! :D its widly known that vegans (who dont eat meat AND dont eat eggs and dairy) are MUCH healthier than those of us who do eat meat and meat products.

just remember to get your child lots of fruits and veggeis (which you are doing) - and try to add some legumes - you know, beans and stuff.... and lots of water - and fiber. WHOLE GRAIN. even though bread with whole grains is more expensive it will actually leave you feeling fuller and you wont have to eat as much!

get some milled flax seed and sprinkle it on cereal, sandwiches, yogurt, ANYTHING - starting at a teaspoon a day, or more depending on how the stool reacts. fiber absorbs water (which explains needing lots of water) and passes through our systems in the stool, keeping stool soft, but if its TOO soft, use less. there is TONS of fiber in apples, and many other fruits and veggies.

anyway, eating meat is not only ok, but its a great thing, so go with it! morning star is one of a few brands that make non-meat meat that is actually quite good! :D beans, you know, black beans, kidney beans, great northern beans, split peas... all those kinds of legumes replace any need for meats.

good luck! if you are interested, check out the book called 'the china study' - which compares diet and its regard to health, or hans diehl - a great doctor and educator of food and diet. hes FANTASTIC, and hes totally right on. its amazing that most diseases we have these days are diseases of rich diets.
anyway,
good luck!