Won't Eat Meat

[pebilz]

My nearly 18mth old DD refuses to eat meat. Whether it's minced, pureed, strips, chops, etc etc except for the odd sausage or piece of ham. I'm assuming it has something to do with the texture and the last thing I want to do is rely on sausages and ham. What can I do to encourage her? She's not a huge veggie eater and also no longer drinks milk so I'm concerned about the lack of iron she is getting. She will eat fish which is great but I know if that I tried to give her that every day she would be sick of it after 3.

Please help. I'm not sure what I can do anymore. :(

[reAllytee]

Ok this is fine honestly as hard as it is to grasp they eat what they need.
I have an 18mth old who doesnt like meat either he will eat it so rarely & prefers chicken.
The main thing is to keep up the right vegies.
So we have spinach & peas quite a lot because they are great for calcium as well as the spinach being great for iron & as are baked beans !
As long as their intake of great healthy vegies is going strong with enough to boost their iron etc then dont stress :hugs:

Here is a great table of vegies with what they offer as in iron, magnesium & the likes hope it helps !

http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/minerals-nutrition-chart.html

[Mum&bubs]

Sorry to dont have any advice to offer as I am going through the same thing myself. My 17 month old DD doesnt eat any type of meat the only thing i can get her to eat is ham or bacon- no steak, chops, mince anything like that!! :banghead
Good luck to us :o

[cobysmummy]

my ds is exactly the same with meat.. although he will eat his vegies and then go on to mine when he is done, so i am not extremely worried... he eats a little bit of meat, then puts more in his mouth, chew it and then pulls it back out!!! so i agree i think its the texture that he has a problem with also, he loves ham, chicken and salami...

[FourAngelKisses]

My oldest child was the same. He wouldn't eat meat until he was 5. :rolleyes:

Will she eat sausages?? If she does, buy her a variety....pork, beef, chicken etc. Don't worry about it too much though, she will get there eventually, Might pay to give her an iron supplement though.

[jasminesmum]

My dd is 16mths and is the same. I cook lentils and mix them in with her veges.

This is a good site too. http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/babies/IronReq.htm#howmuch

[LittleBoysRock]

My DS is 13 months and doesnt like meat either. I am vegie but have always offered meat to my DS. I didnt eat meat as a child as I didnt like it....maybe he will be the same?? I still cant stomach eating meat...the taste and texture are revolting!

[Merlion]

Jessica is not a big meat eater but will eat chicken, fish, mince beef (loves her spag bolg). I think meat is a bit tough. Unless we cook in the slow cooker she won't eat and will just play with it. she will eat her veges though

[bubhub]

Hi guys - just a gentle reminder. This section is for our Pero Clinic Expert to answer questions. General discussions go in the other feeding sections.

thanks

[the pero clinic]

Dear Pebilz,

To maintain her intake of iron and protein, continue to offer your daughter meat in different ways. Mix it into other foods, make soups, and add meat juices to vegetables. Is there another taste such as plain yoghurt, sauces, or even fruit puree which you could dip the meat into to make it more appealing to her?

To increase her acceptance of meat tastes, if you know she likes the texture of sausages, try her with a variety of beef, pork, chicken and lamb sausages.

If you are worried about your daughter’s iron levels, given that she is not eating many meats, vegetables or milk, it would be worthwhile to discuss your concerns with a paediatric dietitian.

This isn’t an easy problem to overcome, but remember not to become too anxious or frustrated about food around your daughter. Even at an early age, children’s behaviours and fussiness around foods can be greatly affected by their parents’ own attitudes, actions and reactions. Continue to offer meat in a variety of ways. Simply and calmly take it away if she won’t eat it. Avoid any means of force feeding or coercion.

the pero clinic