How Bad Are They?

my daughter went through a faze where she LOVED Vienna sausages and wanted them all the time. Since she wouldnt eat any other meat, I let her have them. Now she'll eat chicken, so we've phased them out and she only eats them very rarely (twice in the last 6 months). They arent super bad for you, and he'll get over his meat aversion, or he'll become a vegetarian.

You might also want to look into peanut butter or vegetarian diets just to get a feel for how they get in the protein. Good luck, mama!

3 moms found this helpful

Instead of the Gerber meat sticks why don't you try the Hebrew National hot dogs? Aren't they made from the better parts of the animals?

2 moms found this helpful

Bad is a relative term. If your child needs protien they are not at ALL bad. We try to stay away from processed foods to but sometimes you just gotta feed a child what they will eat. My daughters nutritionist put my daughter on a high calorie diet when she was about 18 months, believe me I felt horible standing in the grocery store trying to find the waffles with the MOST not the least calories and fat. Protien is protien, processed or not. You may have to go with processed foods and keep experimenting until you can find something that he will eat. Also you can enrich foods he has with protien, make a white bean puree and hide it in puddings, smoothies, mix it up with mac and cheese etc. (You can supplement with pediasure or carnation instant breakfast starting at age 1).

1 mom found this helpful

I actually went to two different lectures about a year ago by these two authors: Jordan Rubin "Patient Heal Thyself" and "Perfect Weight America" and Brendan Brazier, "Thrive: the Vegan Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life."

They both created protein powders. I believe Jordan has sold his product line called "Garden of Life" (?). When I heard him speak, he was excited about a new micro-nutrient called "Fucodain" only found in sea plants. Brendan is a professional tri-athlete and his protein powder, VEGA, is made completely from plants. I've been mixing the Vanilla Chai flavor with fruit juice combinations (ex. apple + orange), and I love it.

1 mom found this helpful

How about drinking soup? There doesn't have to even be anything in it. Just the soup in a sippy cup. It could be as easy as canned soup... or home made. You just strain out the solids.

Milk also has quite a bit of protein in it (ahhhh milk, the super food - fats proteins carbs vitamins and minerals). If straight milk is being boycotted... hot chocolate made with whole milk and syrup (or melted chocolate on the stove in a pan with milk) I've only ever seen turned down by one child, ever.

Here's a few other options just on the fly:

- avocado
- marrow bones
- butter in *everything*
- protein powder or formula
- cheese in all of it's various forms
- deep friend whatever (like chicken katsu, tempura - can be shrimp or veggie)
- biscuits & gravy
- nuttella
- quorn chik'n nuggets (made from mushrooms)

But as to your original Q... not they're not THAT bad for you. Especially for kids who need high fat diets (to coat the axons of their nerves with myelin, which is almost pure fat, and to build bone marrow for their immune system... which, again, along with the majority of the immune system -like antibodies... is almost pure fat). Processed foods are about 1000x worse for adults than children. I mean, you don't want a diet that comes entirely out of a box or can, but those self same products are ideal for "fattening up".

1 mom found this helpful

I can't answer your question about the Gerber meat sticks because they grossed me out too, but have you tried a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store? I really don't like chicken too much and my kids (2 1/2 and 12 mos) won't really eat it, but they LOVE the rotisserie chicken. It is very moist and tender and it is easy for my 12 month old to eat. My 2 1/2 yr old daughter only ever wants mac and cheese or buttered noodles so the chicken is the only way to try to get something nutritious in her. I know you said you tried everything but I figured I just ask anyway. Oh, what about beans? They are great for you and have protein. My son likes when I mix them with rice and some diced veggies and then toss with some cheese.

1 mom found this helpful

We used to give our daughter bones to chew /suck on like pork chop or steak bones. People thought it was weird, but she loved them and would happily sit and suck on 1 while the family ate.

1 mom found this helpful

REALLY, they are that bad. Frankly, all meat is.

But you can get protein from green peas, spinach, or broccoli. And protein is not what will put weight on him anyhow. If he drinks even 1 glass of milk a day, you are going to be fine. You mentioned beans, but have you tried chickpeas? If he wont eat them whole, get some hummus and he can dip his veggies into it. Also Tahini (sesame seeds), which is super high in protein and 100 calories a TBSP! Great for weight gain. There are pastas made from soy also which have tons of protein.

http://www.13.waisays.com/protein.htm (a neat protein article)

You mentioned that he would eat some cheese, how about cottage cheese or yogurt? Try the Greek Gods yogurt brand available at Sprouts or Whole Foods, and get their full fat variety in Pomegranate or Honey, if you give him honey. They have 270-250 calories per jar and he should def eat a jar at a time, no prob. Also, Sprouts has a "pasture" butter in a bright green foil wrapper which has 110 cal per tbsp (vs reg butters that have 80-100) so that is a great additive to any food to boost cal for weight gain.

If you email me back I can help with lots of other ideas as our 2yr old daughter was below the 5th percentile and is only now below the 10th. So in comparison, you have nothing to worry about. ;-P

My kids LOVE beans!They love kidney beans and black beans, good source of protien!!

Have you tried ham? My son is the pickiest 1 year old ever, but he now is loving ham. I think we have a precooked salted ham.

Sorry I haven't read all you answers. You said he can't have milk...can he have yogurt? My son is 23 months and yogurt is about the only protein he will eat on a regular basis. I give the the regular Yoplait, not reduced fat or the kid version, and he loves it. I know it's not a high protein food, but it's better than nothing!

How about peanut butter or a shake made from some protein powder?
C.

I'm sorry you are going through this. Ask the ped if a protein/fruit milkshake you make in a blender would help until your child is willing to eat better. You are right - he needs the protein and fat. Protein is really necessary for his brain development, and losing weight like this is worrisome.

I don't know what protein powder would be okay for a child - hopefully the doctor will. Herbalife makes a protein powder I like (no I don't sell it), so I guess you could ask the doctor about it.

Best of luck,
D.

Barilla-Plus is protein enriched pasta (with lentil flour). One of my kids was a vegetarian for quite a while, so this pasta is a staple in our house.
Sun Butter is an alternative to peanut butter (your son is too young for peanuts in this age of allergies).
I make smoothies with rice milk, flax oil, frozen fruit and protein powder, then freeze them in the popsicle forms. I use vanilla flavored whey protein, but there are several options. You can toss half an avocado in a smoothie for good fats and the flavor is mild enough that it disappears.
Don't worry too much about his picky eating as long as he is healthy and growing. It's normal for them to slow their growth rate at this age, so they eat a lot less too.
My daughter refused all meats from age 1-5 (but ate eggs, peanut butter, cheese and yogurt). It turned out to be a sensory issue - the smell of meat was too strong and offensive to her. She also hated crowded or noisy places and flipped out if anyone other than me or my mom touched her without her initiating the contact. Once we understood sensory integration, we figured out what kind of help she needed, and now at age 10, those quirks are ancient history.

My daughter doesn't eat meat either. We just say she's a vegetarian and don't worry about it. Hubby adn I aren't super meat eaters anyway. Little ones are great at honoring what their body is telling them. Mine is about your son's age and she has also slimmed down (but not skinny), but I think it's just her getting taller and not gaining like she did the first year.

Dear B. B:

This was an issue I dealt with a very long time ago myself. I got tofu, pick whatever texture you want, and mix it with pudding or fruit baby food. You can just mash it in with a fork, or if you really want to mix it well, put everything together in a blender. Tofu has lots of protein, more per ounce than meat, and blends with everything.

Good luck with that picky little eater!

I just saw your post about no milk. Tofu can also be made into pudding, which is dairy free.

L. F., mom of a 14-year-old daughter

I see that you already posted that he won't eat the meat sticks which was your initial question, but only part of the problem. I just wanted to add that Pediasure is a good way to get him his fats and proteins. I have identical twins, and one of them was born with some health issues and was along the 10th percentile for awhile. Their pediatrician told me to get her the Pediasure which can get expensive. She actually wrote it as a doctors note and since I received WIC at that time it was covered through that.

He really does not need to eat meat. You said that he likes cheese and that's also a great source of fat and protein. I definetely would not discourage his eating of fruits and vegetables. The healthiest diets include mostly plants. I know that you said he doesn't care for beans, but I find it hard to imagine that includes all legumes. Just keep trying different combinations. I also second the avacado, hummus, beans and rice (together provides aminos), Quorn, tofu, and quinoa (which is the only single source of plant based complete protein that I know of).

Best of Luck!

babies are good at listening to their bodies, and they don't eat what they don't need. Its okay, quit stressing.

To get some added protien and other nutrients I give my daughter, who hates all meat, some soy products. Her favorite are the soyjoy fruit bars. They are quite good. You mentioned he hates eggs. Have you tried just hard boiled eggs (yolk or not) with a tiny tiny dash of salt on them? She loves those as well, but not really scrambled.

Those things really grossed me out, too. We just ate a lot of yogurt and scrambled eggs. My boys didn't start to eat meat until fairly recently (they are 4 and 5 years). Have you tried frying some tofu? You could always make smoothies with some peanut butter and protein powder. Add some spinach, it tastes delicious!

Have you thought about some of the protein sources that vegetarians and vegans use? If he's ok with rice and pasta and such, you might try quinoa. It's a grain but provides a complete protein.

Some children are very sensitive to what is happening inside their bodies. Perhaps the protien is making his "tummy feel icky" (which it would if his body is not making enough protein-digesting enzymes). Have him drink a little pineapple juice before or mixed with the meat. Don't worry too much about his getting hooked on processed foods, children go through lots of questionable food fettishes before they are grown. Keep up the good food, offer a wide variety of choices as he gets older and be patient. If you have to, you may need to resort to 'meal replacement drinks' like PediaSure to stablize his weight for a short period of time.

protein is not fattening, its not the absence of meat that is making him skinny, it sounds like what you are doing is good, id offer avocados, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, maybe some whole wheat cookies or muffins with a cream cheese topping.

I make a lot of smoothies (fresh fruit, milk, yogurt, flaxseed meal, and protein powder). Really, you can put a lot of different things in them and they still turns out creamy and delicious. I nursed my daughter for 26 months, so I worried less about the table food she was eating (knowing she was still getting all the basic nutrition she needed), however now at 28 months, I am glad that she likes the smoothies and is able to take in fruit, protein, and omega-3s all in one drink. Some times I freeze the smoothie and give it to her as an "icy". Hope this helps.

Beans and rice or other grains are used in combination to provide all essential amino acids in societies where meat is not eaten. And some grains, like quinoa, are exceptionally high in protein.

Eggs are another great protein source. Puddings? Omelets?

Have you tried tofu? The softer forms (like Silken) can be whipped into smoothies. Soy milk also has good protein, and tastes remarkably good. Flavored ones are available.

We buy a protein powder at the health food store. It has a short ingredients list, which we like. You could try a fruit smoothie with the powder or peanut butter (if no allergy) in it. We use frozen fruit or cocoa powder, cinnamon, peanut butter and juice (to make it thinner and easier to drink). If you make a chocolate smoothie, maybe you could use rice or almond milk instead?

My daughter doesn't like a lot of meat either, unless it's the processed stuff like chicken nuggets and hot dogs, but she will eat baked beans and any kind of cheese (slices, chunks, string cheese, cottage cheese), and those have protein. You can also try hummus. Give him some crackers or vegetables to dip in it. Yogurt has some protein as well. Another thing my daughter really likes is imitation crab, so you might try that. Also, don't worry too much about weight/growth percentiles. My daughter is in the 10th percentile for weight and we don't sweat it - and neither does the doctor. As long as they're growing and healthy, that's what matters. Good luck!

Have you tried salmon?
Cooked very simply, maybe steamed.
Tastes MUCH better than most other fishes, imo.
Also perhaps try a lamb roast,
cut up some of it very small and see if he'll go for that.

I know I loved Vienna Sausage as a kid...gross to think now! I still grew to eat normal meat.
When my sons refused protein, I gave them skin fast in sippy cups. It's great protein but not as many calories as ensure. They're 7 and 3 now and eat great!