My Daughter Does Not like Meat

My family is vegetarian- My 2 1/2 year old son is very health and at the 99th percentile for growth, no iron deficiency b/c fortified cereals (like cheerios) or oatmeal actually has 40% daily serving of iron- much more than even meat has. He gets a lot of protein from dairy- eggs (great w/ veggies mixed in), try yogart in ice cream cones, grilled cheese, and of course milk. He also loves humus w/ pita bread, lentil/split pea soup (also have a lot of protein), and Dr Praegger's veg burger which does not have a texture at all like meat. I've been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years and I've had no health problems at all and I'm not anemic (but my sister who eats meat is). Don't worry about the meat, it's really not necessary for nutrition. My husband is an MD and also a vegetarian for past 15 years. The pediatrician/nurses are always remarking on how healthy my kids are (also have a 6 mo old at the top of the growth chart) and to "just keep doing what you're doing".

try morningstar farms stuff. they have a wide variety of products. i don't eat meat and my kids don't really either, but my husband does and he'll eat the morningstar farms stuff. it's in the frozen aisle. they even have fake steak strips. and they have veggie burgers loaded with veggies, which i really like for my daughter cause then i know at least she's eating some veggies. good luck!

Hi, Monica,

I think it's wonderful of you to try to find ways to please your daughter's palate.

I can tell you from personal experience that kids can do really, really well on a meatless diet. You can google lots of great resources, like this one:

http://vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes.htm

I heard when my son was really little (he'll be 13 the day after tomorrow) that a junk-food meal eaten in peace and joy is much healthier than a "healthy" meal eaten in stress and bitterness.

My son, first a vegetarian by default, now a vegetarian by choice, has never been told he *had* to eat anything or to clean his plate or "just take three bites" or any coercion around food. The result? He tries everything I give him, he's lean and healthy and athletic. Very, very rarely does he get sick. Does he eat candy and ice cream? Of course! But, because he knows he could eat those things whenever he wants and as much as he wants, he is not fixated on it and actually seldom eats candy and turns down ice cream as often as not, preferring fruit and hummus and veggie snacks.

All the best,
Marji, wishing I had the same attitude about food as my son does! ;-)

My son did not like the texture of meat either when he was littler. He ate mostly chicken nuggets, roasted chicken in chunks, and occationally hot dogs and fish sticks. He would not touch any type of beef or pork. He's outgrown most of it, he is five. I think that the texture kind of puts them off. It could be worse, my niece would not eat anything but sweets, chicken nuggets, milk, corn and french fries between the ages of 3 and 7.

I would not worry about having the same meat item with your child. We keep a package of purdue chicken nuggets in the fridge and he ate those, with whatever veggie or other sides that I fixed for the family meal. Or if she likes them, you could keep a few boiled eggs in the fridge to have instead, and if she doesn't like the meat, she could have an egg. It was not that much extra effort. In time hopefully she will try more. When she gets older, it will be easier to talk her into it.

That said, small children do not need as much protein as we probably feed them. If she drinks a lot of milk she's probably getting most of her daily requirement from that. One good brand of milk is farmland dairies, it has about 11 grams of protein per serving, which is about as much as a child size piece of chicken. Other good sources are cheese, beans and tofu. They even make meatless chicken nuggets that are usually available where you find the Tofu. They are absolutely delicious. My son loved them when he was smaller. I would think in terms of total grams of protein a day. Get in touch with your pediatrian, or just search the internet for "daily nutitional requirements" and the USDA recommended daily requirements should be easy to find. This will put your mind at ease.

I'm not here to convince you that you should be vegetarians, because obviously you are not, but if you are concerned that she is not eating right, perhaps you can get a good kids veggie cookbook that will teach you how to make balanced meals for your daughter, that the whole family could enjoy on occation, or a least as a side dish that could be enjoyed by the family and eaten as an entree when the family is eating something that she does not enjoy.

Hi Monica,

You didn't mention how old your daughter is, but it is very normal for young kids not to like meat - and it often is a texture issue. My daughter was 5 before she ate any "meat" other than chicken nuggets and hot dogs.

I think it's important to remember that meat isn't a necessary part of the diet, as long as there are other good sources of protein to replace it. You don't need to eat what she eats. I liked The Vegetarian Mother Baby Book for ideas about non-meat nutrition. The other thing to remember is that your daughter IS eating meat (ground beef and chicken cutlets). Although lack of variety makes US crazy, familiar foods are comforting to kids and as long as they are hitting each food group, they don't need to eat a half dozen choices from each one. Since you know she will eat the thin cutlets and the ground beef, experiment with different dishes using these foods.

Good luck!

Hi Monica, My daughter is not a meat eater. When she was little and I tried to give her meat she would gag. As she got older she really didn't care for it and I was always trying to force the issue. One night she ate meat at dinner and was sick after it. Being we, my husband and I, were meat eaters it baffled us. I did talk to her peditrician and he said that she just may not like meat and just to make sure that she got protein. She also did like "Chicken breast" cutlet...not on the bone so she did eat a lot of that. She would eat chop meat in taco's or meatballs. She, when she was a teenager, would go to McDonalds and order a cheeseburger and then take out the meat....go figure. We used to laugh at that one all the time. She loved vegetables, salad and fruit. I started adding more cheese and I tried fish which she also loved. Today she is 29 and still doesn't care for meat. She is very healthy and cooks that way for her family. Her husband isn't a huge meat eater but her children are starting to enjoy some meat. She does use a lot of turkey chop meat and her family enjoys that...it's not my favorite but everyone has their own taste. It's just interesting to see how young taste can start. Good luck with your daughter.
D.

Hi Monica. This isn't a big deal. She may just not like the taste of meat. My 2 yr old son very rarely will try any meat dish. He does enjoy some salmon now and then though. I was exactly the same way when I was that age too. My parents hated it because they were big on meat. I remember many nights sitting at the table for hours refusing to touch my dinner. And to be honest, I still very rarely eat meat except maybe on some holidays. But we still love all vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, sprouts, fish, and everything in between. So this may just be a stage she'll grow out of or you may have a future vegetarian on your hands. You should just google "vegetarian recipes" and you'll find thousands of recipes to experiment with. I'm sure she's getting enough protien thru dairy or dairy substitutes, nuts, beans, grains, and veggies, so she'll be more than fine with that. And if it's the iron you're concerned with, there are many ways to get plenty of it without eating meat. Many cereals and other processed foods are fortified with iron. Check the food label on the box and look for iron under the daily values. And foods such as beans, whole grains, spinach, and dried fruits have a significant amount of iron. And if you're still worried, you can always get a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement that includes both B12 and some iron. Good luck!

Get "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld. Its more about hiding vegetables in dishes, but has some meat ideas as well. Mostly ground up or pureed, then hidden in foods. I love this cookbook. Dont know much about diet though, but I dont think she will suffer any ill effects if she doesnt eat meat. As long as she gets protein from other sources, she should be good to go. Don't quote me on that, but it makes sense! Lots of people are vegetarians and many of them are balanced and healthy. Plus, I think as she gets older, she'll come around. They are just picky as kids!

I would suggest trying soups like vegetable soup with a beef broth that you can buy in the supermarket. Or how about macaroni and cheese with hamburger in it.
I have always had a problem with my daughter when it comes to being a very picky eater, even today! I believe that giving your children vitamin and mineral supplements will greater give her what might be missing from her diet and alleviate your fears about having proper nutrition.
I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
L. McCabe

My daughter doesn't like meat much either. Nor do I. The only tricks that have worked for me was to lie. I would make a well seasoned (kid friendly seasonings) pork loin, tell her it was chicken & serve it with ketchup (gross but it works). Meatballs also work well for me. Baked beans and low fat cottage cheese also work. Other than that it is a daily struggle. Trial and error is what it will take. My best to you!
A.