My daughter won't eat meat. Any ideas?

Traci - posted on 01/10/2011

My daughter is the same way, and I found the only meat I can get her to eat is in spaghetti... I guess because its "disguised" in the sauce.. but other than that, I dont know what to tell you, I have tried just about everything also, and my daughter is 9!! Good luck

Amy - posted on 01/10/2011

Like every one else's kids,mine were the same. I didn't try hiding it, Kids aren't silly, they can still taste it! I just hunted down some great vegetarian cook books and made sure they had plenty of cheese & milk. Our family is now healthier because we only have the recommended 3 servings of red meat a day. Plus my kids now like a wide variety of foods, including meat!

Melissa - posted on 01/10/2011

my two year olds very fussy she wont eat any meat. ive tried hiding it in pies,currys, soups and bolognese and all she does is suck all the sauce off the meat and leave it. i hope she grows out of it but i think its best to keep offering it to them, as people have said before me there tastes change all the time

BILLIE - posted on 01/25/2010

My son is a picky meat eater ,,, When I want him to eat meat I make Quesadillas and he seems to eat the meat in it without much problems. I guess because it is hidden by the salsa and cheese. Try it, maybe it will work for your daughter too.

Alice - posted on 01/25/2010

My daughter is just like that i give her lots of beans and dairy because the two together make a complete protine, try chicken nuggets that is what i started my daughter on.

in till you can get her to eat meat the beans and dairy will help with her protine in take.

Louise - posted on 01/25/2010

my 2 yr old was the same i just kept giving her it and encourging her to eat it but wasnt worried if she didint as she always ate her veg! just be patient! my daughter will eat and try everything now she is havin haggis neeps and tatties tonight lovely!!!

Tora - posted on 01/24/2010

A born vegetarian! Excellent. It is not difficult to raise a vegetarian child, I think you should try to respect her wishes and not feed her something she does not want to eat. My son has never eaten meat in his 11 years of life and he is smart, strong and tall. There are some great vegetarian cookbooks out there for kids, Check out www.vegetariantimes.com I have been a subscriber for 20 years.

Amanda - posted on 01/23/2010

I know this probably wont help but my son is good with kids and they really respond to him he says"tell them it's Gremlin Poo & it gives you magic powers" so not sure if you could tryit or not but you could make it a bit of a game if it is especially important for you that she eat meat. Personally no child under 6 i have ever heard of has starved themself. But i do stand corrected. xoxo Blessings

Ashdin - posted on 01/22/2010

i blened tha cooked meat untill pureed and put it in her veges or watever she is having for dinner and she doesnt even know

Cathy - posted on 01/22/2010

My son would not eat meat as a toddler either. He is 10 yrs. now & still has never eaten any meat. Thru the years, I spent alot of time worring about that, but his pediatrcian has never been. As long as they get daily protien & iron from other sources, they are just fine. My son was on a liquid vitamin his dr. prescribed that provided him those things when he was younger & now he takes a chewable vitamin. Every year at his annual physical they take a little blood to check his iron levels & he is always just fine. He is the picture of health, very athletic & always has a abundant amount of energy. So, do yourself a favor and don't stress too much, as long as you're communicating with your pediatrician about their eating habits, they should be just fine!

Anette - posted on 01/22/2010

My little boy used to be exactly like that... I would have the smallest pieces of chicken in with his pasta, and after feeding him for a while, would discover an enormous ball of chicken in his one cheek!! Now he loves any meat.
What I want to tell you, what the pediatrician told me... don't worry. Make sure he gets other forms of protein in, like eggs, cheese, yoghurt or fish. I would say not to push her, as you will only create added stress in your life which, as a mother of a 2 year old, you do not need! Good luck!

Rita - posted on 01/21/2010

Look online for vegetarian solutions to provide protein. It doesn't really matter where she gets it, as long as she does. Preparing meals can take a few minutes longer, but it is worthwhile, and the whole family will benefit! Good luck!

Heather - posted on 01/20/2010

my two year old boy wont touch meat , i think its a texture thing . I dont push it i just make sure he has lots of selection when he eats and i always offer it to him. My two daughters went through the same but out grew it .

Anna - posted on 01/20/2010

I didn't read through all the comments so I don't know if I am repeating anyone but try TVP (textured vegtable protein). You can find it in the organic section of your grocery store or at a health food store. They are little granuals that you soak in water and you can add it many foods such as rice. I give this to my 17 month old son and he loves it. I use it as a meat substitute. I hope this helps you.

Tammy - posted on 01/20/2010

If you really think it's important to have your 2 year eating meat then you can grind it up into soups. I would make chicken or vegetable soup for my daughter and throw it in the food processor. She always ate it. :) I was determined to get mine eating meat only because I was afraid she would never accept it if she didn't eat it early on. There are very few foods my kids will not eat now. They LOVE veggies too because I always offered them early on.

Carly - posted on 01/19/2010

Nobody needs meat. In fact, it's not very good for you. I have been a vegetarian since childhood and am raising mine the same. Rather than try to make her eat meat I would embrace this as a chance to broaden your horizons on vegetarian cooking. Not saying the whole family becomes veggie but there is a world of deliciousness out there and it's better for you too!! Just try to get her to eat some other protein rich food like tofu, beans, lentils, eggs or nut butters.

Kathleen - posted on 01/19/2010

Hi Rachel,



I have a nephew that is like that, in fact he wont eat very much at all, the only thing he eats is noodles, yoghurts, crisps and biscuits. He started this when he was only about 3 and he is 18 now and he is ok, as long as your daughter is eating something and drinking, try and not worry to much, as she gets older she may start trying meat.

Claudia - posted on 01/18/2010

hola Rachel,

(i hav no nutrishonal train'n, but i'v been work'n n th food businss for well ovr 22 yrs and hav learnd somthngs about nutrition and food value).

i'v been thrgh tht stage w my dghtr @ 1 time, she's nw 7 y.o. =)

i tried ths "lik" o "yuk" game w her and it works.

th wy tht ths game works, is lik ths: hav ur child/rn sit n her/his hghchair o table, tell thm to wearsunglasses o blindfold and to try evry piece of item and to tell u tht if they "lik" o "yuk" of th item tht they tried and u cn write down n a lttl memo pad w th child/rns name on it, cn giv u n idea of wht he/she liks o disliks.

if ur chld/rn still continue not to eat "meat" u may wanna nform ur chld/rns doc. but here's nothr idea, u cn use all kinds of beans n place of "meats" to get th proper amount of nurishments tht ur child/rns need.

good luck. hope this idea helpd =)

write to me here and let me knw hw th game went,k.

claudia

Carrie - posted on 01/18/2010

Nope,But it won't kill her.Just introduce peanut butter,beans and other hi protein thing's and she'll be fine,My now nine year old when she turned about two stopped all meat intake and only ate peanut butter and bean's and such and she only recently started to eat hamburger,and over the years and number of children I have and each one being different in appetite,food is literally the only thing they can control so don't fuss to much cuz kids will not starve them self's.

Raquel - posted on 01/18/2010

Well it's better she doesn't eat meat anyway...lsn't it? It takes a long time to digest,my 2 yr old like fish & salad more than anything,oh and lentils &beans,those are good for you anyway:)

Rachel - posted on 01/18/2010

Thank you for all the comments. It has given me a lot to think about and try. It is nice to know that other people have been through this too. It was foreign to me. We have never had a vegetarian in the family so I was unsure of what to do. But thank you for all the ideas , I am definitely going to try!

Paula - posted on 01/17/2010

Hello. I have a 5 and 7 yrs old now. But when my daughter was younger she gave me a hard time as well. I would cook the chicken or ground beef and season it well. Then I'd use the grinder until it was very fine. I would then mix with rice and beans, or mashed potato. She had no idea. Little by little, the pieces were a little bigger. Sometimes kids will refuse to eat meat because they have to chew and chew. Hope ti helps!

Pearl - posted on 01/17/2010

hi rachel, have u try mince meats and cook it with vegestables like pasta sauce. i guess u just have to try all sorts of cooking way.

Lisa - posted on 01/17/2010

My oldest son was not really fond of meat either. I was told that if they don't like meat to replace the meat with a protein., aka. peanut butter, etc. My son grew out of it, some kids just don't like the texture of meat. She is two though, she may grow out of it soon.

Natalie - posted on 01/17/2010

The only way I could get my two year old to eat meat was buying Tyson Chicken Fries. He loves french fries and he thought they were the same. Now, he will eat chicken prepared any way. Good luck!! He still won't eat red meat of any kind. I figure that will come in time.

Jean - posted on 01/17/2010

Two of my 3 children had issues eating meat and it happened to be related to their tonsils. They just naturally had very large tonsils and the texture of meat is such that they had to chew forever to get it to the point they could swallow it...therefore, they didnt like to eat meat. After they had their tonsils removed, problem solved.. I realize this wont be the case for everyone, but something to think about.

Beth - posted on 01/16/2010

It is normal. Most toddlers won't/don't eat it. Don't push it on her. Don't make a big deal about it. Is there a reason you feel she has to eat meat? Esp at 2? You can always ask for a referral to a nutritionist from you doc..

She gets plenty of iron and protein from other foods. Continue to be a good role model eating and she will eat it when she wants to. My 4 yr old just asked for chicken the other day for the first time.. (But 50% of our meals are vegetarian.)

Good luck!

Heidi - posted on 01/16/2010

I was the same way as a child. I'd starve before I'd eat meat.My mother would try to force it. The thing is she's fat and I'm healthy. So I've been a vegetarian since childhood. You do not have to eat meat to be healthy. I encourage my children to eat a rainbow,meaning a colorful diet of fresh fruits and veggies. It's not about the food pyramid ,but about nutrients. By the way it is very common for children to not like meat. After all it smells disgusting ,but what would one expect from a poor dead creature? Think of all the spices and sauces it takes to make it appetizing. About pork...ever heard of trichinosis? My daughters both love vegetarian chili. I have 2 ,but only one likes meat. I let them choose.

Shamarra - posted on 01/16/2010

My eldest son is the same, he's 4. All he ever wants is pasta lol I try making pies with lost of meat & veggies (because he won't eat those either) I think the reason he won't eat meat is because it's too hard for him to chew. Because he does occasionally eat chicken & sometimes pork. But it's a rare occasion.
Another thing is spaghetti bolognaise, again with minced beef & heaps of veggies, because he loves pasta, he would be quite happy having that every night lol And also soups, with shredded chicken or something.

Emma - posted on 01/16/2010

hi my son is 14months an he was like that wen he was younger so wot i used 2 do is blend what ever meat u r doin and blend it with veg and i used 2 put a bit a bread in it so its like soup he loved it an now he will eat meat any. hope it helps gud luck an take care.x

Laura - posted on 01/16/2010

It may be that it constipates the child or gives a metal taste in the childs mouth. Not a big deal, usually kids change there diet as they get older, just make sure the child gets his protien elsewhere. Eggs, cheese, high protien foods.

Corrah - posted on 01/15/2010

You could try adding ground beef to mac n` cheese. It's quick and yummy. Or making stews or soups with shredded meat. If you'd like, I've got some recipes for stews with meat. Just send me a message and I'll be glad to help =D

Melaniya - posted on 01/15/2010

It is normal. Just give her other food that has protein like fish, eggs, beans, tofu. try to find variety of food that she likes and at the same time healthy. she may change her taste later. Many kids have different taste to different food during their development. My son did not want to eat a lot of food like fruit and veggies. however from his choice I always had variety of food with a good nutrient. I also breastfeed him more than 2 years. even people told me to stop. He is is 17 now and in a great health. :)

Anyway it is up to you just try think what is good for him and do not listen to many advice. every one is different.. Good luck to you

Stephanie - posted on 01/15/2010

I'm in the same boat.... my 2yr old daughter won't eat no meat, and eggs. its frustrating.

Aimi - posted on 01/15/2010

Ck this site and there are great recipes that are meatless .http://www.youngveggie.org/recipes/kids_...

Deborah - posted on 01/14/2010

i wouldnt worry about it try chicken and fish see if he eats that, there taste changes all the time

Jean - posted on 01/12/2010

My son went through it to... he is 15 now. I just loaded him up on vegetables.

Catherine - posted on 01/11/2010

Most important: do not panic. Meat is not desperately necessary and any vegertarian/vegan will tell you that there are plenty of alternatives for sources of iron. [Have you tried fish or other seafoods? I only ask 'cause you didn't mention it]

Sometimes, it's presentation. At 2, you're better off introducing them to sausages, minced meats or nuggets because it's easier to chew.

Try a risotto.

AJ - posted on 01/11/2010

well 2 yr old sometimes just decide not to eat certain things and sometimes you just cant convince them other wise until they change their minds, the only thing i can think of until she comes around is to try making casseroles/pot pies things that include the meat and veggies together where they are indistinguishable and if that doesnt work then just give her the protien she needs with different kinds of nuts or peanut butter :) i'm pretty sure she'll come around maybe she's just seeing how far you will go to cater to her its a part of the terrible twos ya know

Deirdre - posted on 01/11/2010

both of my girls have been thru that. my 3 yr old is going thru that now. i shouldn't say she won't eat ANY meat, she's just really picky. as long as ur daughter gets her protein whether it be from cottage cheese or even cubes of cheese she will be ok. it's just a spell. peanut butter is a good source of protein too. i think it's like 1 tablespoon of peanut butter is equal to a serving of meat. good luck

Tanya - posted on 01/11/2010

My eldest son is the same.. he is now 6yrs and trys bits here and there but it isnt really his thing.

I refused meat when i was younger and now eat chicken and fish. I never tolerated it.

Kids go through a picky stage and can grow out of it, so i wouldnt force the issue, i hide meat and chicken in things like muffins, small amounts into mashed veges etc..

Just to get them used to the taste. If u are worried about lack of iron and proteins, there are many supplements out there instead of eating meat. I used to give my son, Penevit drops with iron, just to make sure. :D