My 16 Month All of Sudden Won't Eat Meat....????

I wouldn't over-think this one. Just feed her what you're feeding the rest of the family and don't react at all if she chooses not to eat, or spits it out, or whatever. You'd be amazed at how little toddlers can eat, and still grow just fine! Chances are that this is a phase that she'll quickly outgrow. I'd avoid catering to the whims of a toddler, if at all possible - that's a road you really don't want to go down if you can help it.

I would recomend quinoa which is a grain that can replace meat . You make it just like rice , I like to make it with milk and cheese. Good luck

It's a phase, don't worry! Back off for a while, so that she "forgets" she "doesnt like" it then try again occasionally with various things.

Both my daughters developed sudden adversion to meat around the same age. Both eat meat now. I think it was the texture and having to chew it harder/longer.

First off, don't worry. Children go through phases and this will pass. It might just be the texture and the fact that you have to chew meat much longer than other foods. Try tofu with memmi on it . Memmi is next to the soy sauce. It has a better flavor, sweeter. Another one is try the chicken breast that is sliced really thin. Dust it with salted flour and lightly brown in in some butter and olive oil. It is softer than nuggets. Another trick I used when my little one wouldn't eat certain foods was toothpicks. The cute ones with the curly colored stuff or umbrellas. Cut everything in little sizes and put it on a toothpick. It's fun! They forget what it is and just eat it because it's different. Good Luck :)

Hi A.,
I'm a vegetarian and have raised my twin daughters vegetarian. There is absolutely no concerns about kids getting enough protein if they drink milk, eat eggs, cheese or other dairy products. My kids also love tofu, other soy based products, and all kinds of beans - black, kidney, garbanzo, and refried are a few of their favorites. If you serve the beans with a grain, it makes for a complete protein. I actually went to a child nutritionist early on to make sure that my kids would get what they needed and she said the same thing. Kids are raised vegetarian all over the world and they grow to be very healthy with very healthy eating habits. My daughters love their lightly steamed veggies, salads, etc. At your daughters age, you just need to introduce new foods at least seven times before they acquire the taste or acceptance of new texture. Don't give up on trying new things and she'll end up being a good eater!

Hi A.,

She will eventually if you continue to serve her. She is learning. Make the meals more delicious she will eat it. Even she refuses to eat meat you can still serve other sources of protein to her. Check with your doctor for approval. Good luck.

My now four y.o. daughter went through a no meat stage. We got through it with lots of tofu, beans and rice, high protein pasta (Barilla makes a good one), split peas, hummus, etc. and now she'll eat chicken and hamburgers again. Bonus: she likes veggies.

She still does prefer tofu over most meats, and now that she knows that her meat comes from dead animals, she sometimes says she's sad about it. But she will still chow down on a chicken leg from KFC, and tried ham for Thanksgiving.

And there's nothing wrong with Boca burgers, we eat them a lot here too.

I didn't really like meat until I was in my mid-20s. It's hard to describe, but it felt too heavy. Now, in my 30s, I eat it everyday. When I was a kid my parents insisted that I eat white meat and fish at least sometimes with the family, but as soon as I went to college I naturally shifted into a vegetarian diet. I don't know why this happened, but I've always been very healthy so I guess it isn't a big deal.

My daughter is 16 months and is hopefully at the tail end of this. She went so far as not eating anything but yogurt! I was concerned about her not getting enough protein or iron, so I tried eggs and Cream of Wheat in the morning and she did pretty well. I still gave her meat, but she really didn't care for it, except for meatloaf...for some reason, she would eat that. It has been about two months and we are slowly getting better, so hang in there and keep trying and know she will be okay!

it is totally normal. my daughter did the same thing. eventually your daughter will eat meat again. good luck!

Hi, A.,

We are raising our kids vegetarian, and they are healthy and normal weight. My 2 year old daughter is really big, in fact.

Good substitutes for the protein in meat are eggs, beans (just open a can it is easy), tofu, nut butters.

She is probably just going through a phase, but hopefully you can find some foods to fill her up in the meantime!!

H.

Hi, A..

I wouldn't worry about this at all. Kids generally know what their bodies do and don't need at this age. Try other high-protein foods like eggs or beans or even tofu if she'll eat it. Even dairy products have protein. If she's not allergic, nuts are high in protein, too. I was told to look at what they eat over the course of a month as opposed to one day.

One caveat: a friend of mine, now 36, didn't like meat as a child either. It turns out that she is highly allergic to pork (this allergy got worse as she got older) and her body can't handle red meat. She does eat fish and chicken though.

I'd go online and look up vegetarian dishes high in protein and just try a whole new way of cooking. You might really like it, too! Good luck!

Give her beans and ask your doctor about a vitamin b12 pill (they taste sweet and melt in your mouth). She will be fine without meat and it probably will pass. I would not do too much soy, but my daughter always loved plain old beans, garbanzos, kidneys, pinto beans. She would eat them as a snack. Maybe snow peas that she can pop out of the shell herself would be fun? Take care, C.

My children were 100 % vegetarian their first 3 years. They are slender and very healthy. They don't like meat much now but occasionally have it. I gave them a lot of variety of foods. Look into all the vegetarian recipes you can. I avoided tofu for the estrogenic properties of soy on young developing bodies. you can make patties out of beans. Hummus is great. Nut butters work well. If overally concerned about protein eggs are a great source. I also occasionally give them whey protein shakes with fresh fruit.

Dear A.,
I think you're doing a great job!
My daughter, whose name is also A., was such a fantastic eater. She ate EVERYTHING, but went through a phase where she wouldn't eat eggs for a while. Don't ask me why because she went right back to loving her eggs. I think for children this young, it might be a texture thing or maybe they just don't feel like having something as opposed to making a conscious choice to delete it from their diet. My daughter loved oatmeal and one day when she was about 2 1/2, she told me she was tired of it.
Let your little one have beans and lentils, fish, and as long as she's not allergic, let her have peanut butter. You can try giving her some ranch or yogurt dressing to dip her meat into, or some mild honey bbq sauce. Little kids like dunking things. Just keep offering her meat and I'm sure she'll be back to eating it.

Best wishes!

Meat tends to be too chewy or dry for most young ones. Try making a meat sauce for spaghetti and whiz it up in the cuisinart to make it more fine. I also chop chicken pieces into very small pieces to mix into stir fry and other dishes. Chop it up really fine and add it to macaroni and cheese or layer on a grilled cheese sandwich. Processed meats (like hot dogs) are easy for kids, but they are not healthy. But, also, don't worry. Lots of kids are raised as vegetarians and are perfectly healthy, as long as you give them rice and beans combinations and only fermented soy products like tempeh or miso. We only eat poultry and fish and my son is super healthy. He also eats organic dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Your child can get protein that way too. You can also get a whey based protein powder and mix a little (find out how many mg's from your pediatrician) into some rice, oat or hemp milk. It's safer and better for the environment to limit meat anyway - and only choose organic. The lack of food safety in the US -especially when it comes to meat products, like ground beef, is driving people to give up meat, source local, organic meat and start their own gardens! Good Luck.