Toddler Food Advice

maybe hide it? there is a cookbook called the "sneaky chef" that has recipes for "hiding" healthy stuff in foods that kids like... I would try maybe putting some ground beef in with mac n cheese? maybe the cheese will hide the meat enough that she eats it... stuff like that...

My daughter was the exact same way. She is now 26 months old and is finally starting to branch out. She will now eat grilled chicken and a little ground beef (taco seasoned). I think she's trying more food now that she's in daycare and sees the other kids eat it. We're still working on the veggies though....

As long as she is getting plenty of protein, eating gresh vegetables and fruits, not loading up on sugars and sweets, I wouldnt worry about it.
Don't make a big deal out of it...continue to offer a small piece of meat on her plate...of she eats it, fine, if not that is fine too. Please don't make food an issue...so many young people already suffer from eating disorders and warped senses of what the "right shape " is for their body!!
There are perfectly healthy vegetarians, so if she doesn't eat meat, that's ok. Does she take a children's vitamin? Maybe that would make you feel a little more comfortable.
Let her get involved in helping out with the meal prepartions, give her a little bit of hamburger and let her make her very own mini hamburgers...let her put something special into the patty...maybe a little bit of parsley or chopped tomato. Let it be her special creation. I wonder if it would help if she made one for herself and one for Daddy...and the two of them could enjoy her masterpiece together?
My 2.5 yr old grandson has helped in the kitchen since he was about your daughters' age...he loves stirring and measuring and other things that a child that age can do safely. I just bet she would find dinner a lot more fun if she was involved in getting it ready to put on the table!!!

My daughter is a great eater, but is the same with meats, she won't eat them, never has. She unfortunately doesn't like beans either. Beans are a great source of protein and canned versions are very soft and easy to serve to little ones. I was lucky my daughter has always liked scrambled eggs w/ cheese, but now at 2 1/2 doesn't care for them much. It has been a challenge and I am always worried about her protein intake, probably like you w/ your 16 mo old! But I will tell you what she likes an maybe your little one will like it too. She likes a pre-cooked packaged chicken and turkey from Perdue that is all natural, it comes in different flavors like honey roasted or italian style, great on salads too for us Moms! She still likes the Gerber meat sticks (chicken or turkey) the only baby food from a jar she would eat other than fruit. And lunch meat from Hormel, I get the all natural no preservatives, either turkey or ham. She likes the Boca burger, flamed grilled and the Boca chicken patty (I get both w/ No GMO's). And of course peanut butter is a great source of protein. Sometimes I get firm tofu, I will cut little cubes and roll them in cinnamon and sugar for a treat, she loves them. She's not a fan of the tofu in a salted dish yet. Remember there is also good protein in pasta, whole grain breads and dairy like milk and yogurt. Oh and there is a hot dog that I get that is all natural that is really good! I hate hot dogs, and this one I actually like! It's from Applegate Farms, they have bee,f chicken or turkey. you will have to go to a health food store to get it. But at least you can feel good about giving baby hot dogs!! I hope some of this helps. Good Luck!

Hi Momma

Probably not what you want to hear, but my oldest son is 5 and is still picky. Just continue to offer her the foods you are eating at meal times. As time has gone by he has started eating more meats, such as chicken, ham and " meat balls." My daughter eats any and everything. My youngest is starting to take on his brother's habits... Frustrating I know, but I found that trying to FORCE the foods in only makes it worse. If they don't eat their meals, they are only able to have fresh fruit as a snack later.

Updated

Hi Momma

Probably not what you want to hear, but my oldest son is 5 and is still picky. Just continue to offer her the foods you are eating at meal times. As time has gone by he has started eating more meats, such as chicken, ham and " meat balls." My daughter eats any and everything. My youngest is starting to take on his brother's habits... Frustrating I know, but I found that trying to FORCE the foods in only makes it worse. If they don't eat their meals, they are only able to have fresh fruit as a snack later.

I have a 16 month old vegetairan daughter who does not like eggs either - of any kind. But she is perfectly healthy. Keep trying other new foods to see what she will eat. There are other forms of protein your daughter can get until she is interested in meat. Just make sure to keep offering her new options and try something more than once because sometimes the first time does not go so well...BEST OF LUCK!

Try as many healthy protein rich foods as you can: yogurt, cheese, milk, edamame, tofu, fish, mac-n-cheese(Annie's wholewheat organic). Here's a great recipe:

Baked Chicken Bites

2 chicken breasts
1 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp mustard
1 cup bread crumbs

preheat oven to 375. cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and mustard. add cut up chicken and stir to coat. put bread crumbs in separate bowl. dump chicken into bread crumbs and stir. spread coated chicken onto baking sheet. bake for 20 minutes turning after 10.

(recipe is from "the petit appetit cookbook" by Lisa Barnes)

My son is the same way and he is 4yrs old!! He used to eat any type of meat then one day he just decided he wasn't going to eat it unless is was processed like nuggets, hot dogs and fish sticks!! This has been going on now for about a year and I've noticed it is slowly changing. Last night he ate steak for the first time in months!! We went out to eat a few nights back and he got fish sticks (fresh seafood restaurant) and it was fresh grouper and he ate it all up!! He will eat those Salisbury steaks things from Oncor and his Dr said that was better than nothing! lol I have found that he'll eat ground turkey over ground beef in things like tacos and hamburger helper. Which is fine by me.

But his Dr and the WIC office don't seem too concerned about it either. His weight is on track and they just say to keep trying and offer other things of protein like peanut butter and what not.

Good luck!
S.

I have the some of the same issues with my 21 month old. I started making foods that help to disguise the food you want her to eat. I take whole wheat bread, the kind with flax and nut bits, mix egg, whole milk, cinnamin, vanilla, grapeseed oil, flax powder, and a tiny bit of honey or sometimes sugar... mix place bread slices on a baking sheet (not being baked) and pour the batter over it. I found soaking it like this before I cook the french toast on the pan helps to soak more egg mixture into each slice. Then I just spray the pan and cook each one. Idea for chicken- I found out she likes rice, but you can do this with overcooked-soft pasta. Cook and mince chicken and tons of veggies into rice, but increase the chicken veggie mixture a little more at each feeding, so she develops a taste for it with the rice. Also chicken and veggie pizza, my daughter will even eat garlic on it! Then I bake banana muffins or bread with extra egg and sneak in pureed carrots or zucchini. Be creative. Dr. Oz says you can make shakes and sneak carrots in it, but I haven't tried that. Most of this stuff can be freezed too. I use Pyrex bowls, so I can just take it down from the freezer the day or two before and just pop it in the microwave. Lots of work, I know, but your daughter will benefit from it! Good luck.

Your daughter sounds EXACTLY like my son when he was 16 months old. He absolutely refused to eat any kind of meat, with the exception of a chicken nugget here and there. We just made sure he got his protein from other foods - peanut butter, cheese, hummus. He's 3.5 years old now and he has slowly progressed into eating some meats. But he still won't try steak. He won't go near a hot dog. And he freaks out if we try to get him to eat pork. But he will eat burgers (beef, turkey and chicken), he loves beef tacos and he occasionally eats fish. We still give him other foods with protein in them, but he is getting better. We try not to make a big deal out of it because we know he'll recognize our frustration and keep not wanting to eat the food.

Don't freak out about it. It has been shown that kids need to be introduced a new food 10-15 times before they actually eat it. And if she never eats meat, that's okay too! Good luck!

My 17 month old lives on cereal, hot dogs, and macaroni. He usually eats whatever we have for dinner but he strays from healthy food most of the time. Try cereal for breakfast. If she can eat with a spoon, put some cereal in some milk in a toddler size bowl and see if she will eat that for breakfast. Most cereals nowadays have all the vitamins and minerals and whatnot needed. My toddler likes coco puffs and fruity pebbles. And if people tell you that all the hotdogs and bad food will hurt her, it wont. Mine is as healthy as a horse. Plus there are hotdogs that are nitrate and preservative free. Good Luck

Some kids just don't like certain foods. My oldest is three and he's NEVER eaten eggs. My 21month old also won't eat them. My 21 month old will eat almost anything, yet is very small for her age. Her brother is very picky and it's a struggle at almost every meal, and yet he's in the 95th percentile. Kids are different. They like different things, just like you and me.
Chicken is great for kids. If you're worried because she's eating 'processed' chicken nuggets, try making your own. Good luck!

I would just make sure she's getting the protein elsewhere until she she starts branching out. Keep offering it, though. Sometimes it takes kids 10 times before they'll like something.

My son basically does not eat meat either. He is 16 months also. I do give him eggs...but otherwise is loves peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and he loves beans. I give him plain Goya pink beans from the can. I rinse all the gook off and just keep them in a container in the fridge. The perfect finger food and super healthy and protein. You could try hummus for protein too. The only meat my son will eat is meatballs I think it is the texture...tender and easy to chew. I figure so long as he is getting protein there is no need to worry
And you can have hope for the future. Tonight a miracle happened...we were eating chicken and he asked for some and ate a whole portion all by himself!!
good luck!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Kids change their food tastes all the time. My son used to eat eggs everytime I made them for him, now he eats them maybe once a month. He also used to not eat meat much, now he eats meat all the time. Just keep offering it to him and try cooking or presenting it in different ways. Don't get discouraged. Maybe try making a pot roast or any other slow cooked meat and offering it to her. My son starting to really eat meat when I cooked pot roast. Hot dogs are still a favorite, I buy ones that are makde with turkey and pork instead of beef and have less fat and other bad stuff.

I think you have a little vegetarian on your hands. Don't panic. Mine declared at age 4, "No more meat." and it has been that way ever since, 20 years later! Try mashed lentils and rice (perfect protein combo), and if not allergic to wheat, give her whole wheat cereal (Wheetabix is a child's favorite. It can only be found in gourmet food stores, and I think it's made in Canada or England--delicious and very nutritious). Or try Cream of Wheat for a hot cereal. Wheat is a good source of protein. You need to experiment so as to not give too much fiber, causing loose stools. And do consult with your pediatrician or dietitian about this diet change. If you get the go-ahead, also add meat protein substitutes like soy. You can find soy hot dogs, hamburgers, "chicken nuggets" (most of these are easily found in the Morningstar Farm section of your normal grocery freezer). Even soymilk, "Silk" is a favorite, especially chocolate. However, if she will still drink regular milk, go with that. For protein, cheese is usually well-liked by kids (think macaroni and cheese), but don't overdo this or you will contribute to weight gain. Also, too much cheese can be binding. Peanut butter spread thinly on wheat bread with thin banana slices is good, if she not allergic to either peanuts or wheat. Meanwhile of course, include lots of green and yellow veggies and fruits. Give these meat substitutes (i.e., protein substitutes of soy, wheat, beans with rice, cheese) one at a time to be sure there no problem with allergies, and as I said, be sure and consult your doctor and/or nutritionist. If your baby seems to enjoy these foods, in the place of meat, you very likely have a natural vegetarian. Do not worry if the rest of the family isn't. She can easily "eat around' the meat in a well-balanced family meal setting. You will find it easier to deal with vegetarianism than it sounds if you don't make a big thing of it. Just leave the ground meat out of a small amount of tomato sauce, or simply buy marinara sauce to put on her spaghetti, with a bit of grated cheese. And keep the beans and rice veggies and the fruits coming! Not saying she is a vegetarian, but it sounds like it. My daughter's pediatrician was appalled, but later when she was a healthy teenager, he bragged to others in the office, "This young lady became a vegetarian on her own at age four!".

My kids won't always eat beef or pork, but they do eat chicken. One thing I do is put a little bit of katsup on it. I know that's not good for them either but they eat it with katsup now. I still try without but it doesn't work out so well. Ground beef or hamburgers are hard for my kids too, they don't like them. Love those hot dogs. I do spend more and get hebrew national all beef when I get them so they are healthier. If you have a trader joes up there you could try their fish sticks (they look like nuggets). The kids love those and they are better than any regular freezer section fish. It should get easier as she gets older.