I Need Some Advice - Thorpe, WV

Other things are protein. Little children don't like meat. My grands live on lots of beans, rice, veggies, spinach, pastas, fruit.

Yep, sounds like my kids. I say don't sweat it. Serve them small portions (like one bite) so they get used to it being on their plates, and they'll start eating it sometime. A lot of the world's population is vegetarian by default because they can't afford meat; others are vegetarian by choice for one reason or another. Meat is not necessary for life, and in fact many experts note the many problems associated with eating too much meat. They'll become meat-eaters later, but for now, be glad that they love vegetables! :-)

I have three children, 10, 8, and 2. None of them really like meat either. The older two will eat it sometimes. We always offer it and don't make a big deal if they won't eat it. My 8 year old is the hardest. I have always said he hates meat. We found if we called everything chicken and offered him dipping choices this helped. Good luck, you are not alone.

C.,

You have some smart children. Chicken nuggets are processed, not all that great. And they probably may experience the after taste of blood in the meat. We really don't need that much meat anyway. Or maybe not even any. If you should decide to give them some meat, you may want to go with some of the best - natural or organic. Meat is not like it use to be. The chicken, cows, and pigs are grown and feed now a days a totally different way now. It may be better for them in the long run. Do a little looking online about meat. It takes a while to digest and so forth...

Fruits, vegetables, beans, brown rice and so many other wonderful things the children can enjoy now.

Don't sweat it.

C., try not to worry! Both of my girls were like this about the same ages....they just didn't like the texture of the meat. After a few months/years, they have been able to eat it. My youngest who is now 10, still doesn't like to eat meat, although she will at times. I try to make sure she has other proteins during the day, such as beans, eggs, and of course milk. As long as they are growing well and eating healthy fruits/veggies and at least other forms of protein, they'll be fine. Just like when you first introduced them to new foods, continue to offer them meat. Sooner or later they'll start to enjoy it. You're doing a great job keeping from pacifying them and making sure they eat healthy. My hat off to you! Take care!

My younger son was the same way. I would feed him the same things we ate but add some beans for protein. He also ate cheese and yogurt - greek yogurt is the best, it has the most protein - peanut butter, and other forms of protein during the day. As one mom said, we don't need that much meat but growing kids DO need protein. Just google vegetarian meals for kids and you'll get lots of good ideas. Don't sweat it, most kids instictively eat what their bodies need as long as they are not offered junk.

Fortunately, your kids do not need to eat meat as long as they are getting protein from other sources. And I agree that you should not be preparing them anything else... especially chicken nuggets. This is a bad thing to get into. So many kids today have a diet of nuggets, fries and canned green beans because it's easier than the alternatives. I assume that they are eating vegetables which puts you in a great spot. Cheese, nuts, soy and beans are excellent sources of protein that you can add to their meals. Keep offering a bite or two of meat just in case their tastes should change, but add beans to their plate at mealtime. Good luck to you and enjoy the money saving while it last...lol.

One of the things I learned while trying to lose weight and reading the book "Seven Secrets for Slim People" is that our body tells us what it needs. We have weight problems because we eat what we "think" we should be eating and eat at "normal" times. The body by it's cravings will tell us when and what it wants. I would say let them eat what their body tells them. My 2 children didn't eat much meat either so I made sure they had their protein in other ways.

My kids love Ham, have you tried ham? You can also try really shredding chicken and maybe adding in mac and cheese....do they like hamburgers? What about a hamburger casserole? What about adding chk nuggets into a casserole and then gradually adding regular chk with 'some' nuggets. I think that as they get older they may like it more...what about grilled cheese with a slice of lunch ham on it? Turkey? Ask the doc if it matters to make yourself feel better. Also, try going to foodnetwork.com or kraftfoods.com and see if they have any recommendations.

W.

My four year old has always been a great eater but she doesn't eat a whole lot of meat either. I give it to her every night for dinner and at best she takes a few bites. But I keep giving it to her. She will, however, eat peanut butter and eggs.
Have you tried pasta with meat sauce? Or chicken and veggie quesadillas? What about sausages (kielbasa, turkey sausage, etc)?
The one thing my daughter will always eat is meatloaf!! I've made it with beef, pork and turkey and she gobbles it up every time!!
Just keep offering it and don't push too hard - you don't want it to become a power struggle. In the meantime make sure they get their protein from other sources.
Good luck!!

hey, my son doesn't like the texture of meat either. I give him black beans and kidney beans for protein. There is protein in lots of other foods other than meats. I'm not sure what their "beef" is with meat (get it:) but some kids just don't like the way it feels. My son only eats meatballs and chicken. he won't eat any kind of ground meat orhamburger or meatloaf.

I'm with you, i don't make special foods. he eats what i cook. I do try to make sure that there is something that he likes to eat and kinda pay attention to what he has eaten during the day. so if he has waffles for breakfast and I'm making meatloaf for dinner, I make sure to have veggies that i know he likes.

Good luck, and just run a google search for foods with protein. I know beans have it, milk has it and there are lots of other things with protein.

My 3 year old is the same way. Many people tell me he will grow out of it, but it truly is a pain when it comes to meal time because I have to make him something separate. Doctors have told me not to force meat on him, and as long as he eats lots of vegetables, that is actually healthier. My doctor also told me that he is fine as long as I make sure I try to give him other things high in iron, or iron supplements. Good Luck!

Hi C.. My three year old has an issue with swallowing and texture and has just now began eating meat. I noticed he would sometimes chew up meat and then spit it out, and that he would almost always eat sausage, which made me wonder if texture was an issue. So I started cooking meats on low for several hours,or in a crock pot so it would be extra soft and now he eats it way more. My sons' issues are because he has an oral aversion/hypersensity relating to being premature but you might try making your steaks and chops extremely tender because your kids are very young and may not like the extra work it takes to eat meat when other stuff is easy,...just an idea :). Also, this doesn't apply to most kids either, but when we began making things a little more spicy and rich, our son really got into eating. Some kids,even young, like food with stronger flavors. My 18 year old daughter didn't have any eating trouble and was totally healthy, but she ate meats and other foods better if they had strong flavors, my middle child preferred more simple,bland foods...everyone is different :)

Look for some kids cookbooks and get them involved in making the food. (it might stress you out a little, it does me) but they really take pride in what they do.
Jen

Don't sweat it. We don't need animal proteins anyway. A couple of protein options I didn't see mentioned to often are: various veggies, raw nuts, raw sunflower nuts, pine nuts, edemomia (I buy the frozen out of the pod). My child enjoys all of these sources. We also buy & consume as much fresh fruit as we can afford. Generally selecting options that are on sale at Meijers. OT: Meijers is offering more & more options with their "Natural" & "Organic" lines.

All I can say is that a body usually kind of 'craves' what it needs, and if they simply don't want meat, maybe their bodies just don't really need it. As long as they're eating and drinking healthy substances vs junk food, I don't think I'd worry too much about it. Surely they like some forms/sorts of proteins (nuts, cheese, etc).

My son doesn't like meat either. I sometimes cut his meat into thin "sticks" and offer him stuff to dip his meat into like ketchup, barbeque sauce, honey mustard and ranch dressing. I let him pick one or two to dip into and that does help get him to eat meat more. I also limit the other foods on his plate until he has eaten some of his meat. I never expected to have to tell my three year old that he can't have any more carrots until he eats his chicken.

Sometimes I take poultry shears and cut whatever meat we are having into the shape of Mickey Mouse's head (basically, a round shape with two round ears). He loves Mickey so we have "Mickey Chicken" "Mickey Meatloaf" and "Mickey Steak". I also give him plenty of high protien yogurt to make up for how little meat he eats. Good luck. I hope this helps.

Don't worry about it. My family is vegetarian and my children are beautiful and healthy with good growth and weights. They drink milk and we alternate amino acid sources between beans, tofu, cheese, and peanut butter. Combine these foods with grains like rice, wheat, potatoes or corn and you have all 8 amino acids the body needs to make protein.

Meat is hard for children to chew. My Mother when she was young would chew and chew on the meat, suck out all the juice and flavor then spit it out. Before that she would not even chew it. Even now she prefers chicken over beef and if she has to chew on it for any length of time she won't eat it. As long as they get protein from eggs, milk and cheese I would not worry about it. Just keep reintroducing meat, they may never care for it. I will personally choose chicken over steak unless it is something like a pot roast that is very tender. Good Luck!

Hi C.. There is some great advice here... I just want to add my own little tidbit. I have a very picky 6-yr-old, and what we do is just keep offering different types of meats in different forms. We don't make a big deal about whether she eats it, but we do emphasize how Yummy! it is. =) I don't scold her for not eating it, I just give her small amounts so as not to waste too much, and encourage her when she makes an effort. She uses a lot of ketchup. =)I also make sure she gets lots of variety in her foods, and a multi-vitamin every day. She goes through stages where she will eat chicken, and then refuse to eat it for weeks. Bottom line... don't stress too much, just try to be patient and positive, they will come around in time! =)

C.,
All four of my children were vegetarians until they were school age. They just didn't like meat--except chicken nuggets and hot dogs--until they were older. I used to buy the big resealable bag of Tyson chicken nuggets and warm them up for them for dinner every night so that they would get some meat every day. Increase the dairy products and other foods with protein--eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, beans, peanut butter, etc.
S.

My younger daughter loved vegetables and fruits but was not keen on meat. They really can have a healthy diet without meat, but you might want to read more about it, and ask the pediatrician about a multi-vitamin.

One child I knew refused some foods until another little friend was over and was oferred some. Seeing the other child chowing down caused him to chow it down, too.

Another one ate meat when he was over at grandma and grandpa's for a few days. When he came back, the parents just set the same foods in front of him without comment.

So, sometimes a change of scenery helps. Sometimes some competition helps.

And in the meantime, just make sure they have a very healthy vegetarian diet.

Hey C.,
I haven't had any experience like you're having so this is just a thought. I have the Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfield. It is completely written for moms whose kids hate to eat 'healthy' food. She disguises the foods they don't like by pureeing it and mixing it into something they do like. Then she still serves a little of it on the side so they at least see it and maybe one day will try eating it. Also, just remember sometimes kids do what they know will get the most reaction out of you.

Hi, Chrissy,

I went through the same thing when my daughter was that age. We went to a stomach specialist at a major children's hospital and when I told him, he simply laughed and called her a self-made vegetarian. She remained that way until her late teens when she began to eat a very small amount of chicken or steak, but she is very healthy! The trick is to make sure they are given other good protein sources, like eggs and complete proteins like beans with brown rice. There are good quality protein shakes you can make and when made like a milkshake/smoothie, most kids love them. Making these items part of your family meal won't look or make you feel as though you are a short order cook and they won't think they can demand something different. There are many sources to help you add the protein they are missing from the meat without forcing them to eat something that they might be rejecting for a "natural" reason, such as the meat may make them nauseaus, or feel bad and they instinctively know to leave it alone. Sometimes it is simply the texture of the food that they don't like the feel of - or it is harder to eat (requires more chewing) and when they're hungry, they want to fill that stomach as fast as they can :-) I still believe in offering a small amount as you never know when they might find something they will like and be ok with, but as long as you've provided other sources of proteins, they should be fine.

Do you make your own chicken nuggets? If not, you may want to. The breading on the ones you buy are usually loaded with ingredients that aren't so healthy. If you make your own, you can dip the chicken into pureed veges, such as broccoli, squash, carrots (baby food is fine), then roll into your flour mixture (you can add ground flax seed, oats, etc. for extra nutrition). If you would rather bake them, than fry, put a thin coating of oil in your baking pan, then turn midway (might have to add another thin coat of oil). My grandchildren eat these and don't suspect a thing. My personal opinion is the less you make this a struggle and stress about it, the more you'll see their appetite come around :-) If you are offering healthy food, they will usually eat what their body needs. Good luck!

HI C.,
I suggest that you research vegetarian meals. You're children can get plenty of protein through beans and legumes, rice, lentils, and certain vegetables. They do not need meat, but if you go with a vegetarian diet, you need to be sure they are getting foods that will meet their needs. I have a 12 year old who has been vegetarian his entire life (except for once trying pepperoni.) He is an extremely healthy kid, and he is strong, smart & energetic. Chicken nuggets have no nutritional value, and may cause problems in the long run. It sounds like your children are naturally choosing to be vegetarian (I was like this as a child and never could swallow many meat options I was given), so I would suggest honoring their God-given nature and discover the vast array of healthy choices that do not include meat ~and they'll have a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer & diabetes! Hooray. Check out this link, & there are many recipes & info on-line if you google "vegetarian" www.veggie123.com/veggie/chapter5/
D. ~mother of two wonderful, healthy, vegetarian boys

Good morningmy name is S..it will be more easier to talk to you considering we are sisters in christ.i am also a christian and i tend to do my best to follow kingdom principals.for the children not to eat meat really is not a big deal.i work with moms and babies everyday and you would be amazed at the personalities they have.to be honest with you,i wish i had the drive to be a vegetarian.sometimes god will allow children as well as adults to have his mindset instead of ours.believe it or not in the bible when the children of israel were going through the wilderness,they ate manna from on high.they were upset because they were use to eating meat when they were in egypt.they began to complain so god gave them meat but they began to choke on it and some died.so because they don't eat meat,don't make it a big issue;it is more a blessing than anything else.all the issues that's going on with meat these days,its a good thing.this may not mean much but take it to the throne of grace and see what the lord leads you too.god bless you and keep in touch.we children of god always need to help one another.

It is not unusual for kids to not like meat much when they are younger. My 7 year old never ate much until last year. Now he eats almost as much as his father and I do as a serving size. With our 5 year old and 2.5 year old, it is always hit and miss. I realized at one point that they don't like a lot of meat because it is difficult for them to chew; of course, they have no problem with hot dogs or chicken nuggets, but I don't like serving those very much. I'd rather they ate no meat than live on those. At this age (thinking particularly of the 14 mo. old), they are still pretty bad about chewing everything well before swallowing. One thing that might help is to cut the meat into very very very small bites and only put a little bit on the plate. With certain meats, you can also "shred" it so it isn't so daunting to chew. While you may not think this is an issue for your four year old, it may be worth trying to cut the bites a little smaller. The other thing that seems to help is to offer something to dip it into. For some reason, this tends to distract them from what they are eating. In the meantime, make sure to take advantage of other sources of protein such as eggs and peanut butter. Eventually they will probably be just fine with the meats. If they never adapt to it, there are plenty of sources of protein that are just as healthy if not more so, so don't stress about it.

Keep trying! Eventually they'll decide it isn't bad. What if you give them something to dip the meat in? My DD is 2 and LOVES to dip things.