Toddler Will Not Eat Meat Products

I love bean salad and my daughter loved it at that age too. I mix several types of beans, for example, kidney, chickpeas & green beans, some olive oil & balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic, chopped red onion & a little salt. Mix it all together & let it marinate in the fridge. It's great on salads, and my daughter would always just eat them right off of her tray.

Have you tried putting sauces or gravy on the meat? That's what I did with my first (who also wouldn't eat meat) as soon as I put some marinara over her chopped chicken she gobbled it up. The only draw back I found to this was that it was pretty messy, but at least she was eating :)

I have five children (two are grown and three are still at home, the youngest is 11). I had this problem with two of mine when they were toddlers. I think they get used to the sweetness of milk/formula. I simply mixed in sweet potatoes or whatever was their favorite vegetable at a ratio of about 1 part meat to 2 parts vegetable. Give it a try.

Hi H.- I know this is going to sound gross, but i saw someting that Jerry Seinfeld's wife is doing with her kids in reverse of your situation. . . she cooks and blends veggies into different recipes. I know she has a book out. What if you did something like that, maybe make a morning biscuit, with blended sausage in it or maybe even corn-muffins. I know you can get protein powder from health food stores or sprouts, maybe that would work in drinks and stuff. Have you tried the vegetarian options, they have some good suff out there. Also, try giving dip. My daugher wouldn't eat chicken nuggets until I gave her dip (usually katsup, sometimes Ranch). If they can do it themselves, maybe then she will eat it. Good luck!

My three girls will not eat meat, and I've worried about it. But dairy products have a lot of protein, and luckily my girls love beans. They also get nutrients from eggs that I use in recipes (like make your own pancakes instead of using a "water only" mix). It really all balances out and they get what they need.

My son had the same problem, the only meat he would eat is chicken, he is now almost 4 and eats all kind of meats, so it is just a stage that she will grow out of, try sausage,do chicken,try shrimp,the first time my son had shrimp he loved it, he ate all his dads at the resteraunt, that was the first time he had it.

Hi H.,
I have a 9 year old and she is a self proclaimed vegetarian we are meat eaters but she is not.Like your daughter it started out by her not caring for the texture then as she got older its more about the animals. Go to your local GNC store and ask for a supplement for kids that can replace the protein in your child's diet. They can help you choose one that will work best your child. Also there is a ton of vegetarian cook books out there for kids and they will give you all kinds of choices in protein replacements and they are fun to cook together... Good Luck

How old is she?? Has she had eggs? I think they are a good source of iron and protein. My 17 month old loves eggs! We usually just scramble them for her and she just loves them. Have you tried chicken nuggets? My little girl is also a very picky eater and usually loves them. I would just keep offering the meat, possibly try dipping it in barbecue sauce. I know someone who had a little one who would not eat meat but if she put a little bbq sauce on it, the child would eat it.

Hi H., I understand your concern about your child not wanting to eat meat.and in many cases, that is not really a bad thing. If you are willing to do some research, There are many foods that your child can eat that has plenty of protein. For example: , nuts and seeds and in raw fruits and veggies. Here in The United States, we concentrate on having enough protein.I would like to encourage you to talk to a nutritionist or travel to a nearby health food store and do your own research on protein. They have many books on vegetarianism and how you and your family can learn and benefit from diversifying your diet. My family drinks alot of rice milk. We do not eat alot of soy butr we have found foods that suffice by doing our own research. We eat ALOT of fruits and veggies too. I wish you the best of luck with your ray of Sunshine!
A.

Hi H.!

My son didn't like meat either. He was about 18 months when he started eating some meat and then it was only hot dogs. I just kept trying different meats every now and then and eventually he got into it.

You can try to give your daughter beans. I have a 14 month old who LOVES refried beans, black beans and kidney beans. Great source of protien and small enough for them to feed themselves.

Good Luck!

Hi H.,

Yes you are right...toddlers are selective:) You are being a good mom for wanting her to be healthy. Try not to stress too much about it though. Her tastes could change any day!
You can continue to just offer a few pieces of protien at every meal...eventually she might try it. I have heard alot of great responses about the book "DECEPTIVELY DELICIOUS" by Jessica Seinfeld. She has tons of recipes of sneaking in good for you foods in meals and children dont' know they are eating them.
You also might have a natural vegetarian on your hands. Don't force the issue...I'm not a vegetarian and I know meat products offer alot of really great nutrients for our bodies, but you can also try legumes and dark veggies. Also try protien powder in a fruit smoothie. If she can't eat peanut butter, try almond butter. It's way more expensive but it is healthier and packed with great nutrients. Check out vegetarian websites or books for more info.

Much good energy to you and your family.

In peace,
A.
mom of 4

My toddlers all went through a time like this. Keep offering a bit anyway, one day she will suddenly surprise you. In the meantime (it may take months), beans are a great source of protein. Even if you are not a big fan of pintos or lentils, she may love them. You can offer beans straight from the can (rinsed to reduce sodium), cook your own, or make lots of chili. There are some great ways to serve beans and legumes.

My son, who just turned 3, has never been interested in meats or eggs. We make sure he eats foods high in proteins daily - yogurt (we only serve plain yogurt, preferably goat), chick peas/garbanzo beans, lentils, cheeses(again goat, and definitely not processed), quinoa, almond butter, among others. He gets calcium from the yogurt and cheeses as well as leafy greens - he loves swiss chard, kale and broccoli. And healthy fats from foods like avocado and minerals from fresh beets, carrots, cucumbers. He's very healthy, alert and energetic, so we don't worry.
We offer him tastes of fish and chicken periodically, but no interest. And he knows when it has been mixed in.
Remember, the largest animals on the earth are vegetarians.

Yes, toddlers can be picky!! My son did not care for meats either and I wished he would eat meats! But it will come, gradually, with time. I second the advice of allowing dipping sauces - kids LOVE to dip. My son "magically" started eating stuff he would not even touch before once he could dip veggies into salad dressing, other stuff into ketchup, he LOVES sour cream (my husband and I joke that he eats his (whatever) with his sour cream instead of the other way around!) and all that.

Also, if she doesnt like something, that's ok, maybe she will like it later when she is bigger. We do have a rule that he has to take 3 bites, first to try, second to taste, third to decide. Then if he truly doesnt like it, ok, maybe later! My son is a good eater, he can be just as picky as any other child but he knows he has to have that 3 bites (or since he is 6, he has to take 6 bites + 1 to grow on - he's a skinny little kid) The only thing he truly does not like is fresh tomatoes, that is his thing he doesnt like now but will like when he's bigger (he says so every time now when we have tomatoes. We respect that, smile and say, yes you will like it when you are older.)

Little kids really do get by on so little food, so just because she only ate a bite of a chicken nugget doesnt mean she isn't eating *any* meat. Just offer plenty of healthy foods and be mindful of the protein that she needs to get more of in other foods like beans and cheese and eggs (and yes peanut butter.
I wont argue with your pediatrician, not knowing whether there is a specific reason for your daughter to wait till 2, but I will say that I read not long ago that they are actually now finding that the OPPOSITE is true, that giving your kids common allergenic foods earlier instead of waiting longer MINIMIZES the odds of being allergic to that food later!
Moderation in all things though! Dont suddenly start giving her peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, peanut butter spoons to lick for snack, peanut sauced noodles, all that - overdoing it is probably MORE to blame for allergies than the age of first exposure.)
My son hated peanut butter. Wouldn't have a thing to do with it. Darn, and I was trying to fatten him up cuz he is sooo little. (MY pediatrician actually said to put butter on everything he ate. That backfired big time and besides, I wanted him to gain weight on FOOD, not FAT. Consequently it took 2-3 years before he would accept butter on bread, toast or pancakes!!) Anyway, back to peanut butter - my son would not eat PB, and in Kindergarten, they had lunch last (they had mid-morning snack) and I did not want to send ham sandwiches etc that needed to stay cold cuz I didnt know if it would still actually be cold by lunch. So I got Nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread, MMMM yummy!) and he loved it. Throughout the year, I gradually increased the amount of peanut butter I mixed into it. Now he will finally eat PBJ sandwiches (not his favorite, but he will eat it).

Anyway, that was quite a digression, sorry about that!

Chop up meat (ham?) really small and mix it in with bits of her other favorite foods (veggies? cheese?) in a cream cheese base and spread it - call it confetti spread or something like that. (My son loves "Rainbow Sandwich" which is simply pink ham, white spread, green lettuce, yellow cheese... It's all in the name & presentation sometimes -well, most of the time I think!)

Something my son ate surprisingly well when he was a toddler was stir fry which we ate often. He loved the yellow/red peppers (!!) raw OR cooked, he loved the rice (oi, so messy but...) broccoli raw or cooked, carrots, etc etc. and after a while, he'd start eating the small chicken pieces since it was all blended in and sauced up. Only a small portion of his (still very small) meal would be meat as an older toddler but now he is normal as can be in his eating habits.

Your daughter will love hamburgers soon enough, so be glad she's eating veggies, fruits, whatever else that she's eating now.

Oh and dont get me started on little kids being vegetarians! TEACH THEM THAT SOME ANIMALS ARE RAISED FOR FOOD! Americans are sadly way too dissociated with our food sources. Yes, chickens have bones and no there aren't any chicken parts called "nuggets" Just be matter of fact about it. It's not like you're eating the family pet, dont even compare it to that. To each their own though!

Tofu is another thing you could use, I dont remember if it is "equal" to meat, but make lasagna or stuffed shells (that uses eggs too, she wont know!) with tofu. (My husband does not like eating anything that he cannot recognize in its natural form, so we dont eat much tofu, but I've cooked with it before and it tasted ok to me.)

Another thing, I know you're asking about meat, not milk, but that was something my son never would drink (and neither does my husband, so I didnt push it). I just made sure they got a lot of dairy products in non-milk form, like yogurt and go-gurt and make my own popsicles out of smoothies and such.
Bottom line, just watch your daughter's overall consumption of foods and as long as it balances out by the end of the week, it's fine. (sorry, another story here. My mom said I bugged my grandma (and she my mom I'm sure) when I would ONLY eat one thing, like broccoli, off my plate at dinner. The next night, I ONLY ate the rice. and so on. My mom said by the end of the week, my diet was balanced!

There are some more exotic high protein grains out there...like quinoa. (spelling?) I have seen powdered protein..whey, pea, rice..I'd avoid soy (allergies) You could mix it up in shakes. Can she do fish? It is a much softer texture. Just be sure to chose safer fish. Real wild salmon is a good choice...farm raised is killing off the wild kind and is very contaminated.The list on KidSafe Seafood is very short...sorry to say. Good luck. Many (but not all) people do well on vegetarian diets...so maybe there is not so much to fret about.

Just an egg idea... my son (who just over 2) will only eat eggs one way, we call it "surprise eggs" my grandma made it.
You take a slice of bread (we like it better with wheat bread) butter one side, put it bettered side down in a pan on medium heat, then crack an egg right on top of the bread, use a knife to break the yolk and spread it around on the bread, let it cook for a little while on each side until the egg is cooked through and the bread is toasted to your liking. Some people also like to cut a small hole in the middle of the bread and crack the egg in that to kind of trap the yolk. Good luck! My son was the same way for a couple months, and now he is much better, keep trying, oh, have you tried cassaroles? My son would do chicken in a cassarole if it was shreaded.

Hi H. -

You can add Spirulina (blue-green algae) to her diet. It is very high in vitamins, minerals and protein (65-70%) that is easily assimilated by the body.

You should be able to find it at local health food or herb stores.

Blessings,

M. M. Ernsberger
Certified Clinical Herbalist

Have you tried beans and other legumes? They are a great source of protein. Good luck.

I have the same problem with my 15mo son. He won't eat hardly any meat. He liked lunch meat for a little while but now he won't eat that either. He can't stand chicken in any form but will usually eat spaghetti. He doesn't really care for beans either. He's milk and egg protein intolerant so those are out. Soy gives him diarrhea. And he can't have peanuts, tree nuts, or shellfish until at least 3. I make sure he has enough iron in the food he does eat but I worry about the protein as well. You've gotten some great suggestions.

Our toddler doesn't eat meat willingly either, and only eats eggs if they're scrambled. We've had really good luck with plain yogurt - and you can mix fruit into it if you need to. You could also try other dairy - cottage cheese or hard cheese.

Why no peanut butter till 2? We just waited till 1 year of age.

Good luck!!

why cant she have peantu butter. all my kids and grandsons have had peanut butter since they started eating solids. but you may want to try lentilsand other types of legumes.you can also "hide " eggs in puddings and other foods. howabout omelets

When my hubby was little, my MIL would tell her kids (when they didn't like something) that maybe they weren't big enough to like it yet. She would make them try a little bit just to see if they were "old enough" and if not, she didn't push the issue. My hubby says that he still remembers sitting down to dinner hoping that he was old enough to like what was on the menu! Once your little one is old enough to understand this method, you might give it a try. It has worked very well for us, too.

H.,

Certain protein shakes with amino acids plus a good nutritional supplement should get her through her picky phase well nourished. You are welcome to read more at this website if you are interested.

www.shaklee.net/patriciamorrison/prodNutChildChallenge

With thanks,
P.

O soy yogurts are yummy and a good source of protien. Both of my kids love em.

Our son ate peanut butter (we did not have a nut allergy in the family though) at age 1. We just had to spread it really thin. He did fine with it.

Also, any beans. Black beans inside a cheese quesadilla would be good!

I would suggest beans - black bean and cheese quesadillas are a staple in our house. Would almond butter work in place of the peanut butter? Dairy has protein - how about smoothies with yogurt, banana and frozen berries? Also, it is good to be aware that your daughter is probably just fine, and will likely grow out of this. If her pediatrician is saying she is developing well, then it may reduce your stress level by making sure that what she DOES eat is very high quality food. That way, you know that everything she is eating is good food, and it may be easier to trust that she will get what she needs to get. Good luck!

I had the same issue with my son (and still do!). Fortunately I was able to get him to eat this ravioli from Costco with spinach in it to give him some iron. It has pasta and cheese in it too, which most little ones like. Will she eat pasta with sauce that has had meat in it (even if the meat is taken out just to introduce the flavor)? My son is still picky and now will only eat bacon, chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and the occasional piece of steak, but he LOVES peanut butter and jelly. We just had to keep trying until he got to where he is now. It's so frustrating but that's all you can do- keep trying. Good luck!

there is only one type of nutrient that you get from meat that you don't get anywhere else. be sure that she is getting a good variety of fruits and veggies, with the emphasis on green leafy veggies and she'll be fine! milk is a good source of protein, as is hemp milk. (soy is okay in moderation- but raises estrogen levels in excess)

I know I'm swimming upstream here but let me tell you that the meat and eggs thing is not a big deal. If she is eating other fruits and veggies, she will get plenty of proper nutrition. Try to include broccoli, beans, spinach, or various nutbutters like almond or coconut butter too. Also, various blends of brown rices or other whole grains are great too. These proteins are better assimilated by the body. My 3 year old doesn't care for meat at all but will do chicken nuggets from McDonalds or Carls Jr. She is perfectly healthy and is well rounded for her age with her diet. I have never liked eating meat that much and I strictly nurse my 4 year old son. He is 4 months old and a big chunk of healthy boy. I don't have a problem with eating meat other than the fact that I just don't like it.

I raised my (very healthy) 16 year old as a vegetarian, so do not fret too much if your daughter won't eat meat right now. There are plenty of ways to get them the protein (or the amino acids in protein needed by the body), including dairy products, soy products and beans & legumes. I would recommend checking into the vegetariam cookbooks available for feeding children. In the meantime, there are ways to sneak meat into foods, such as adding a can of tuna to mac & cheese adding finely cooked ground beef or turkey to spaghetti sauce. Eggs can be baked into food in ways that they are unrecognizable. Hope this helps a little.

My son did not like meat at all until he was 5. The dr had no problem with that because he would eat tons of vegetables. So we would go out to an all you can eat and he would take one of the adult plates and load it up. He would then clean the plate off and all the adults around would comment on what a good eater he was.....

Now he eats meats and veggies as well although, some of the veggies he no longer cares for. (like green peppers and onions)

It took mine a long time to eat any meat either, and still will just occassionally eat a little chicken nugget, lunch meat or cut up meatball with lots of sauce...on rare occassions. However, we've learned to hide just about everything in a grilled cheese sandwich. From pureed sweet potatoes, to a tiny bit of sloppy joe meat or a thin slice of ham. It's worth a try if you're getting really desperate.

Pinto beans (add in sour cream and/shredded cheese), refried beans (with or without toppings) and of course cheese are all easy kid foods for protein. My daughter has tended toward vegetarian from early on. Two weird things she will always eat: crispy bacon and spam that has been well-fried. She used to eat vienna sausages sometimes, too. Lately her favorite is Ranch Style BLACK beans (not the regular Ranch Style beans). She LOVES those any time day or night. Also, sneaking eggs into fried rice, pasta dishes, etc., is sometimes possible if you pay attention to breaking them up in the dish so they aren't so visible. French toast is a good egg dish that kids will often eat, too. We use Agave syrup or healthy preserves and NO powdered sugar to sweeten the dish. And quinoa! My girl is a huge fan of it. Can't get enough. It is a very very special food nutrient-wise. Look it up.

Here is an easy thing to try, use ketchup or BBQ sauce. Kids love dipping, let them dip away in the ketchup with some hamburger, steak even chicken. My son loves meat this way. Also try to make some shreded BBQ chicken sandwiches and have them help. That way they feel like they are included and you can tell how good the food THEY made is good and they are more likely to eat it. I also over exaggerate how good things are so that they will try it. It take many many tries of food for kids to truely not like it. At this point it may be a texture thing for them, so try different recipes. I also suggest making some spaghetti sauce with ground meat in it, only make sure you ground it very small. Generally they will not even notice the meat there. You could also try little meatball subs with lots of sauce and cheese.

Most of all, as with us, you need to flavor the meat really well. Don't be afraid to use spices and seasonings, kids LOVE them!

Good Luck :)

W.

I wouldn't worry about it just yet. My oldest Now 14 did the same thing the only kinda meat I could get her to eat was McD's chicken nuggets. I just made sure she took her vitamins & other things in the protein group. As far as eggs have you tried putting ketchup on them or mix them in with something else she is eating. Not sure how old a toddler we are talking but as long as you don't feed her it by the spoonfuls but maybe just lightly spead on bread peanut butter will not hurt her my daughter was eating it when she was 1yr it was one of the replacements I gave her (just not the chunky kind get smooth)