Vitamins and Red Meat for 14 Month Old Tots

Pleae don't feed your baby red meat. The BGH "bovine growth hormone" and antibiotics found in most red meat are very unhealthy for the little ones. (All of us really)If you must eat red meat please try to find grass fed organic meat suppliers. I cannot reccommend any as we do not eat red meat. But I know they are out there. FYI Boca burgers are loaded with soy protein and full of vegie and grain sustinance. Just my little opinion. Best wishes. :)

Your 14 mo old should be eating everything that you & your husband are eating. He can eat red meat cut up very small and mixed into white or brown rice, Ground beef sauteed with chopped onions, chopped up broccoli, peas, cooked carrots, etc. Vitamins are good as a backup in case you think he isn't getting enough through his food intake. Also calcium is very important, so make sure he drinks about 24 ounces of milk a day.

Ask your Dr. He/She can give you flavored vitamins with floride for his teeth!! Good luck!

Hello L.,
Vitamins are just like eating food, except in a concentrated form. My family does not eat red meat, to avoid the levels of growth hormone in animals. I supplement my family with Kids Mealshakes, Soy Protein Shakes and now our new Cinch Shakes in a variety of flavors by Shaklee.
Learn more at www.shaklee.net/natural_family_products
Good Luck!

The most important thing is to ensure that your child is nourished with balanced meals. iron is found is many sources other than red meat so it's not the only option. Ask your Dr about vitamins but if your baby eats well, lots of fruits, veggies & grains then you should be fine. Its only as we get older and have control over our intake that vitamins become an issue. Right now, since you have control over her intake, you can see to it she gets what she needs. If vitamins make you feel better about her health, check out juice plus. They use tree/vine ripened fruits and veggies in their formulas, they are organic with no artificial formulas.
Best wishes
J.

I dont know about toddler vitamins. However, I have a 16 month old and she started to eat adult food around her 1st bday. we gave her pizza and sliced meat ( very little at first). now, she is eating, little pieces of steak. she loves it. as long as she has teeth and chews her food, she can have whatever she can eat (of course, make sure that it is the right size for chewing and swallowing).

a multivitamin is a good idea and so is fluoride. You can get them together in a chewable. Toddler diets are so sporadic it's good to try and get some vitamins into them. Also red meat is not crucial especially since there are many other sources of iron and many foods and beverages are now fortified with iron (cereals and juices)

I'm grandmother of twins. Doctor just started them on vitamins with florid for the teeth that they are trying to cut.

If your child eats has a healthy balanced diet, including fruits, veggies, meats, grain, and dairy he should not need vitamins. Only toddlers that are very picky eaters or toddlers who's parents do not serve them appropriate food items need vitamins.
Yes, it IS important for your child to have red mean for not only iron, but protein. Fish is also a very good source of these vitamins and minerals - your 14 month old should be eating regular meals of the same foods that you do, at least at breakfast and dinner. He should be on all table food at this point, NO BABY food.
You also do not need vitamins for fluoride - most local tap water is fluoridated, which is why most, if not all, pediatricians recommend parents serve their children tap water and never bottled water when at home.

And just as a response to the woman above me:I live in San Jose, CA a very LARGE CITY and Ive never heard anything as ridiculous as prescription fluoride. If you brush the teeth of your children twice a day, NO prescription should ever be necessary. And unless it is your way of life to raise your children red meatless, a toddler should be fed A BALANCED DIET with all food groups accounted for, including meat and protein. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, then your children need vitamins as they do not get the nutrition their bodies need to grow, especially when it comes to brain development.

I don't know where Kirsten L is living but a lot people have told me there isn't enough fluoride in Northern CA water so I have a prescription for fluoride I'm supposed to give my toddler every day. I've also heard negative things about fluoride so I don't know for sure it's even a good thing so young. And at 14 months your baby doesn't have to be OFF baby food, it depends on how many teeth he or she has. My youngest got teeth really late and then for the longest time he only had two on top and two on bottom and then three on bottom and then just four on bottom, still two on top. Is your baby breastfeeding or on any formula anymore? If not, you don't have to feed your baby red meat. Just as long as they get plenty of iron and protein in other foods;broccoli,fish, tofu, beans, spinach, chicken, etc. My little guy doesn't like much chicken or red meat, but he eats a lot of chicken/turkey hot dogs-not the very best food, but it's protein. And he's still nursing so I try to eat a balanced diet. You can also cook cubed extra firm tofu in chicken broth of beef broth and try it. My kids both like tofu. I think black beans have some iron, too. You can make refried beans with them or soup or just cooked!
Sheesh, don't let anybody tell you it's either this way or that way. There's always an exception and kids/babies are all different.
I did give my oldest liquid vitamin drops when he was a baby but he was really picky and sick a lot. My youngest is very healthy and a better eater. Just try to eat as colorfully as you can!