A Few Questions About My Sons Eating Habits

Kids never seem to like meat at this age - it's all about the texture. Meat is tough to chew. I think that's why kids LOVE hotdogs & baloney - it's all smooth. You can find both products without all of the nitrites & additives - at stores like Trader Joes, etc. You can trade off meat substitues like legumes & tofu so he's not always eating hotdogs & baloney. Just remember to cut into little bitty pieces so it's not a choking hazard.

As for the coins - think like a toddler - there's this cool shiny thing and it's hard to pick up, it's smooth and isn't like any of my toys. It kind of reminds me of my cheerios and sliced grapes. And every time I finally get my hands on it my mom takes it away from me. While some little ones don't put every thing in their mouth MOST do. It's part of the sensory process - they're still learning to use their hands and fingers - but they've been using thier mouth since the day they came out of the womb.

(My son, once he was done with diapers & began to wear underwear seemed to try out everything on his winky. He's pick something up, look at it, then shove it down his pants! If that's not indicative of a typical male I don't know what is!!! )

My kids loved beans! and cheese or yogurt has protein too!
Maybe try to cook extra veggies at dinner time or something, so you have leftovers for the next lunch? That way you don't need to buy anymore Gerber food! Doesn't take very long to steam carrots! I would do on Sunday and again on Wed or something like that.

Not sure on the coin thing, I would just stress that it is not food so it does not go in his mouth.

Replacement proteins could be beans or cheese. Also, try different textures of meat... sometimes that makes a difference. My daughter used eat steak, now she does like how it feels when she chews it. She will eat hamburger and chicken...

Good luck!

Other good protein sources include beans, tofu, dairy, and eggs. You could even try a tiny bit of all-natural (no sugar added) peanut butter if there's no history of peanut allergies. I doubt him wanting to put coins in his mouth has anything to do with any nutritional deficiency but you can always call his pediatrician just to make sure.

Babies this age are still getting most of their protein/fat from formula, milk, or breast milk, so I wouldn't worry about his meat eating habits just yet. If he likes yogurt or cheese, that will help him get those nutrients as well. Some kids have a hard time with the texture of meat at first. My older daughter used to chew meat but not swallow it. Hours later, we'd find that she had a bunch of meat tucked into her cheek, like a chipmunk! Gross!

I've never met a baby who didn't love putting coins in his mouth. I don't know what it is about it, maybe the size or the fact that it is shiny, or the interesting taste of it? But babies love change.

I wouldn't worry about him not eating meat, my daughter didn't eat it either until after 3. Just make sure to give protein in other forms, like eggs and beans (most pasta has protein in it).

Babies and toddlers will put all kinds of things in their mouths. He will most likely start to put other stuff in there too.

Babies put things in their mouths. My 2.5yo still does it. ugh.

Also, many babies don't like meat. It's a texture thing. Buy some firm tofu, cut it into squares, and see if he likes that. My 2.5 yo is just starting to eat meat, and she still only eats a little bit.

Ooh. I just saw some of the other suggestions. Beans are also a great idea. Garbanzo beans, refried beans, and white beans were always big favorites in our house.

My son was the same way he would pick meat out of his mouth dispite what it was mixed in. I made chicken and rice he actully found the little piece of meat and took it out. Not sure about the coin except like another poster said its small and shiney. Try beans or meat raviolis that's about all the protein my son ate at that age

I thought they were gross, so I just skipped ahead to what I'd want to eat. Pasta shapes are easy to make. You can look around at other protein options - maybe he'd like egg or beans instead. Or look up "vegetarian baby food" and see what you might try instead. If he'll eat mashed potatoes, you can hide all sorts of things in there. See also if he'll take yogurt and cheese.

Here are some more sources of protein: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-...

I think the coin thing is that the are small and kids put everything in their mouths.