How Do I Get My Daughter to Eat Meat?

I have the same problem. When we took my daughter in for her 18 month appointment, we mentioned it to the pediatrician. She said that my daughter wasn't eating meat because she was getting most of her protein from milk and wasn't craving meat. We have reduced the amount of milk that we give her each day and she is starting to eat a little more meat. Unfortunately, she is still picking up new meat items before she eats them and smells them, then decides whether or not she wants to eat it.

maybe she's a vegetarian!! :) you can give her many things that are full of protein...try fish since it's easier to chew, but if she still won't eat that, offer her tofu squares, peanut butter (if it's safe for her age), beans...i think it would be MUCH healthier for her anyway! good luck!

Serve that to her first. Or don't let her have "dessert" (fruit or anything else) until she eats some meat.

Your DD needs protein, but she doesn't need meat. Milk, cheese, beans, tofu, lentils, even many whole grains have some protein. If she's eating her veggies, run with it! Most of us eat too much meat and too little veggies, anyway. My DD has never been convinced by eating meat, but our pedi says that's fine as long as she gets her protein from other sources. And we've actually ended up cutting most of the meat out of our diet--my husband's cholestorol is down by 90 points (this was our main motivation for cutting out meat!), he's lost 20 lbs, I've lost 10, and our little girl is enormous, healthy, and loves her veggies! Let your DD teach you how to eat!

My 19 month old hates meat also, but her dr said to stop worrying about it- people eat too much meat as it is and you don't need it to be healthy. Make sure she is getting complete proteins like beans with cornbread, spinach with cheese etc. My daughter WILL sometimes eat the raviolis made by Gerber and they do have a small amount of meat in 2 of them- you could try that.

Just keep offering her meat when you eat it, but don't force her. There are plenty of other ways for her to get protein. Milk, edamame (soy beans), any kind of bean, nut spreads, eggs, cheese, rice and beans (combined makes a whole protein), yogurt...and many more foods contain protein. We really don't need as much protein as we think. At your daughter's age, she only needs about 13 grams of protein a day (see the CDC website page on nutrition - www.cdc.gov), and 1 cup of milk has 8 grams of protein alone. Celebrate the fact that she eats vegetables! She'll learn to like meat - and if not, ask your pedi for a referral to a nutritionist who can help you develop a balanced vegetarian diet for your daughter. Good luck!

I had the exact same problem with my now 7 year old daughter. She did not like it and would not eat it at all. I didn't force it, I just put her on vitamins (couldn't hurt anything anyways!) and started giving her more eggs for protein. She is now 7, happy and healthy! She is a very healthy eater, she would prefer an apple or carrots (with ranch) over a bag of chips or candy any day! I would still offer it at mealtimes, just don't force it. Kids have their own likes and dislikes but if your really concerned for her health, put her on vitamins. They have chewables but if she won't take those, they have liquid form that you can add to her drinks. Good luck!

B.,

My son will be 3 on the 20th and he is still not a big meat eater. He does pretty good with things that have ground beef in them and has gotten better about eating the hotdog in corn dogs. Every once in awhile he will eat chicken nuggets but we have to be so careful because he tends to pack the meat in his jaws. Is she taking a vitamin yet? I would speak with your doctor and I think you could probably supplement her diet with something else that provides the necessary protein.

It is hard to give you advice when you give no information about what you have tried. I don't remember what I did with my kids but I have seen many family members feed the smaller ones with chicken, to the point that it is falling off the bone, instead of a spoon, they will just feed the child off their plate using their finger with taco meat.

I don't think my boys were big on meat until they discovered chicken nuggets. You keep offering and don't stress about it. Also, if you have things like spaghetti with meat, she would getsome there. Provide more information and you will get more direct and valuable answers.

I think it is the texture that they don't like so meat that is in stuff and is in tiny pieces like ground meat or really tender chicken is going to go over better than a chicken nugget when they are little.

My won't eat meat either, but I am ok with that as I eat very lil myself. I give her the Morning Star brand soy meat-type foods which she loves! Also she loves yogurts and cheeses. I would not worry.

My son is five - 95% for height, 75% for weight. He wears a size 7 slim pants, and can lift 25lbs of feed as easily as I can... he has visible muscles in his stomach, chest, and arms. He has never eaten meat. In his life. He eats beans, peanut butter, yogurt, cheese, even some soy (in smoothies, and drinks soy milk) - and I buy protein enriched spaghetti, but the boy is a total vegetarian... it hasn't hurt him.

Find a vegetarian recipe book - learn about combining non-animal sources of protein to make 'complete proteins' and make yourself feel much better about your little healthy eater. :)

S.

B.,

My son is eight. He did not eat meat until probably 3 1/2 to 4 years of age. His doctor said not to worry, he would one day. It is a different texture and some kids just don't like it. Dr. told us to give him yogurts, cheeses more daily. He would also alot of nuts. When he did start eating meat he had to drown it in regular mustard...He is now breaking away from the mustard. He was and is a great eater of everything else in the food groups. Be patient, she will come around.

B.,
There are lots of other foods that are high in protein, eggs, cheese, beans... My niece doesn't like meat either, my sister use to hide it in the bread and smash the bread together... It worked for awhile but then as she got older she'd find the meat and take it out.
My kids eat everything with Ketchup or BBQ sauce. Maybe try that or gravy for them to dip it in. I'm not sure how many teeth she does have, but just like one of the mamas said it's hard to chew. And the baby food meat is nasty, my son wouldn't eat it either. (I don't blame the kids on some of that food)

My daughter would only eat broccoli. I was consulting with a formula rep for my older child who was on tube feedings and she gave me the most comforting information. The correct amount of meat needed was just a teaspoon full per year of age. Yes basically all I had to do is get two teaspoons of it into her three times a day and she would grow and prosper. Well, she learned to like scrambled eggs with cheese, she loved her broccoli with cheese and now I would give her bits of meat or grind the meat up to make a dip for her broccoli. All had the right amount with very little effort. As soon as she started playing with other kids and going out to dinner more, well, we got a new Lubys cafeteria in town, she started venturing more toward new foods. My friend next store solved it by cutting all foods into small cereal sized bits and that worked.
By three there was no problem until she decided to be a vegetarian at age 17 through 24. Then it was her problem...

Just keep trying different varieties. My son is the same way, but I gave him turkey sausage (not the link kind, but the big u-shaped one) and he ate that. I also give him lots of eggs, and he ate a veggie burger last night. I know that's not meat, but I figured if he liked it, I could slowly start substituting ground beef... Otherwise, be thrilled she'll eat veggies, because that's usually the problem!

If she can keep drinking her milk, yogurt, cheese-- that should hold her
maybe letting her be a big girl and dip chicken/fish sticks into ranch dip or ketchup sweet-n-sour/honey mustard or mild b-bq sauce??
Do you think it is to hard for her to chew-- maybe waiting until more teeth come in?
good luck!

I would'nt worry. My daughter would not eat meat ill she was 5 years old. theres plenty of protein in fruit and veggies. As long as she is eating veggies and fruit, she is fine. My daughters 3 year old, will not eat red meat, Only chicken and fish. But she loves veggies. Even eggplant.So i would'nt really worry about your baby not geting enough protein. She is getting plenty now.

I know you're worried, but not eating meat is no problem at all! My daughter never cared much for meat when younger, and at 15 decided she wanted to be a vegetarian. It is a very healthy lifestyle as long as you do a little research. Make sure you offer your daughter beans (canned are okay as long as you give them a rinse) and peanut and other nut butters. Cereals are fortified, and milk, cheese and eggs are also high in protein. I'm sure she'll eat more things over time as long as she sees you eat them and you don't make too big a deal out of wanting her to eat it.

My daughter did the same thing at about the same age. She went from eating everything to not wanting to eat meat. She would only eat a little bit of chicken and not any beef, or pork. She would eat all the fruit and vegetables I put in front of her, but wouldnt touch any meat. This continued for almost 3 years. It wasnt until she was over 4 y.o. that she started eating more meat. She is now 10 and perfectly healthy. My advice would be to call your pediatrician and see if there are specific fruit and vegetables you can fix her that are high in protein, and see if he would recommend any supplementation like Pediasure. Good Luck

Protein isn't a concern, if she isn't eating meat. As many of the other posters have written. But, you do need to make sure she is getting enough B12 and iron. You can get a liquid vitamin supplement from most health food stores. I know Whole Foods sells one specifically for vegetarians. I have been giving these to my kids just to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need.

My son has always done pretty well with meat, although for the past several months he really backed down on it. After a while ofthat, I got concerned about his protein intake. I did some research and found that as long as he drinks 16 oz of milk a day, he gets all of the protein that he needs. The only other issue at that point that concerned me was iron intake. That's a little more difficult, but he needs about 7 mg of iron a day. So, we did a lot of grains, fortified cereal, nutrigrain bars, and beans. While that type of iron (plantbased) is not absorbed as readily as meat sources, it is still very beneficial. At his 2 year check up in Sept his iron levels were a couples of points above the minimum, so we seemed to be doing fine there too. He has since (in the past few days) started being interested in ham and chicken again, but I know where your'e coming from for those several months!

B., I'm not sure if this is helpful or not. My oldest did great in the baby stage with a diverse diet and then when he turned 15 or 16 mos old he boycotted any 'texture' items. For him this included every type of meat and any sort of pasta. He seriously didn't touch meat until he was 3. I continued to offer it and then got creative in the protein department. My second is completely different, if I let him he would eat only meat-go figure!

I would continue to offer it and maybe sneak it in like in spaghetti. I'm sure it's just a phase. Best of luck!

My grandchchildren were the same. They love the Boco flame grilled burger patties that are soy. One patty is 14g's of protein. They will usually eat half. In the frozen food and you heat them 1 minute for one in microwave. Sometimes I put cheese to melt on top. They are extremely tender and flavorful. I sometimes use ketchup if they want but usually they eat it plain. My husband use these for our low fat hamburgers and they are delicious when you put all the usually trimmings on them.
Also, they like the vienna saugages. I buy the ones made in chicken broth and Libby's brand. I just heat them gently in the microwave. Again, easy, tender and they can eventually eat them as a finger food. Just three little links is 5g's of protein and he can usually eat four.
Another tip, is I always gave him his meat first. If they eat just a few bites that's ok. Then give him his vegetables and fruit. I do think the vegetable and fruits are more important for if they don't learn to love them early, it is harder when they get older.

Organic tofu is an excellent source of the protein, especially for girls.

My son is 9 and he is not a meat eater. We have four children 10,9,8, and 5. He is my picky eater but the doctor says he is the healthiest of them all. If you have concerns just learn to supplement the protein with other foods that contain protein.I believe they grow out of when and if "they" choose to. Best of luck to you!

Looks like you have gotten alot of good suggestions especially of other sources of protien besides meat. My 22 month old daughter won't eat meat unless it is in a flour tortilla, otherwise she will spit it out, so we have alot of taquitos and such. That's what works for her otherwise I just turn to the other sources of protien she will eat such as beans.

I wouldn't worry too much about the "meat" issue. For protein intake, you could serve protein milkshakes for breakfast! Protein but no meat! Like the other posters have said, meat is not the main issue here, it is whether she gets enough protein and protein is available in many very different sources! If you buy unflavored protein you could mix it in with milk or juice or (warm, not hot) oatmeal or apple sauce or pudding.

When our babies were very small we hand-ground some of the meat we cooked for dinner (no salt or seasonings) and mixed it with cereal to introduce it. I don't know if that info would help.

Good luck!
A.

My daughter went through this phase as well starting around this age. Sometimes she eats her meat and sometimes she does not still. I did hear from my daughter's ENT that sometimes kids don't eat meat b/c of ear infections and/or adnoid problems. You may want to make sure she does not have an ear infection. The doctor said b/c it is hard to chew. If it is just being picky, I would make sure she gets a vitamin supplement with iron. Just keep on giving her the meat eventually she will eat it.

You do not need to force it on her. Red meat is a complex protein high in amino acids. It is harder for the body to break down than fruits and veggies. Some people just don't digest them well. I don't know if that is the issue obviously, but it was with me. My parents would force me to eat meat, and I hated it. As I got older I cut out an animal at a time. My mom always said how picky I was. It wasn't until I was 18 and out on my own that I realized I wasn't fussy. I just don't like meat. I do not digest it well, and it makes me feel bloated and sluggish. I slowly became a vegetarian.

I have been raising my children as vegetarians as well. They(twins) are nearly 7 years old and very healthy. The other posters already recommended some good protein sources. Another on of our favorites is "quorn." It is a non-soy veggie protein. I buy it at Central Market.

Besides the health benefits of a meat free diet you will also find that your grocery bill is substantially reduced. Since I have been a vegetarian all my adult life, I was astounded by what other people pay for their groceries.

She may not become a vegetarian, but embrace it while you can.

I have the same problem with my 15 month old. He gets his protein from other things like eggs. The doctor said to mix the meat with the other things he eats. Just make the meat as small as you can get it to where your child doesn't know it's there. If she figures out that there is meat in it then it's not small enough. Good luck.
R.

Will she eat beans? You try them as finger foods. They are loaded with protein.

My 5 Yr. Old DD cannot stand meat and we got tired of cleaning up after her gag-reflex so we don't force it. We serve plenty of things that are high in protein-natural peanut butter, eggs, cheese, multi-grain breads, oats etc. and she gets plenty of protein and she is perfectly healthy. Personally, I wouldn't sweat it, unless your Ped. says that she is low in protein I wouldn't worry about it. Oh and btw, she WILL NOT eat beans either so I didn't suggest those either but they are great for protein as well.

I recently talked to someone that used to do this as a kid. She always hated the texture of meat and she's a vegetarian! She said her parents would work the meat into mac/cheese...anything and she always picked it out!! Research veggie protein options - will she eat all types of beans? As a nutritionist, we really aren't suppose to eat the amount of meat we all eat anyway...she'll be ok. Will she eat cottage cheese? Eggs? Fish? You have a lot of options. Good luck and no worries. Oh, milk and cheese too!

My daughter is the same...very little meat (with the exception of ham chunks [not slices or pieces, but specifically chunks - crazy girl!], sausage and hot dogs) gets past her lips. I really used to worry about it, but just try to go with the flow since she seems to be very healthy. She loves the pasta in spaghetti and so I get the curly noodles (rotini) that allow as much sauce and meat jibblets to stick to them. Same principle with a delicious chicken noodle soup recipe I have - she won't eat the chicken, but loves the noodles which I know have soaked up some of the nutricious chicken broth.

Because of an illness that put my 7 month old into the hospital for four nights she didn't eat solid food until she was about fourteen months old. It wasn't because she had a physical limitation, she just won't do it. She also didn't eat meat until she was much older, I would say 4, if I'm remembering correctly. Now she is a healthy 9 year old who loves meat, sometimes. There are many other sources of protein, beans for one.

My oldest daughter was the bean eater. Any bean, any time and that was it. No meat no french fries either so it was very difficult when sometimes you need a quick snack between a destination. Anyway, after what felt like forever of meals with no meat, she finally just came around on her own. I always put a couple of small bites on her plate to encourage her to try it. I was able to hide it sometimes when i fixed a pot of pintos and ham. Teh ham was so small she didnt even realize. My doctor told me not to worry that she was very heathly and beans were good for her. Hey it could have been a donut diet! So from my side.they out grow it. She is a great eater now at 8 but she is my pickiest eater out of the 3 girls. But she knows what she likes and i'm ok with that. Now that she is older though i make her try new and different things or a repeat of something b/c i tell her that her tastes change all the time and who knows what her next kick will be. One thing...i never let her dictate what i am fixing, what we are eating as a family. She will have to get full on what is on the table. Seh i old enough to understand that.

I agree that when molars are starting to come in, it's just hard for them to chew (or sore) so they don't like it. My son liked it, then hated it when your daughters age, liked it again, and now is picky again. I do make sure my son eats things like yogurt, cottage cheese with a little fruit, and I'll give him a cheese stick for a snack: cheddar, colby-jack, or pepper-jack with a cracker, or a couple slices of pear with mozzarella. I had no luck at all with fish sticks, but he likes fish. What my son DOES like all the time is Mexican food. I'll give him a cheese enchilada with a little meat sauce on it, and serve that with spanish rice and refried beans. A tortilla with a little beans and cheese is a fast lunch. White or Red beans and rice go over well too, so he's getting the proteins he needs with these kinds of things.
Another thing that has helped a lot: casseroles! My son will eat as much King Ranch casserole as I do if I'd let him! The chicken is shredded and "hidden" in the casserole, and it's his favorite meal.
If you have a pressure cooker, make friends with it! I have a fairly large one and will season several pounds of chicken with Tony Cachere or garlic salt (or whatever) and throw it all in at once. In half an hour, I have cooked, falling apart chicken that can make enchiladas, casseroles, quesadillas, a chicken lasagna, whatever. The softer, and often more "hidden" the meat is, the easier to feed to your toddler. My son loves chicken rice soup (easier for him to eat than noodles), and a dish that has some success in the crockpot is that chicken and rice thing, with green beans and cranberry sauce on the side. The popcorn chicken at Walmart's deli (when fresh) is very soft and actually quite good. If we're having steak or something, I get him some popcorn chicken, macaroni, and peas and he's fine.