View Full Version : Is it possible?
Do you think it is possible at only 15 months old to know you’re a vegetarian?
No matter what I do with meat/cheese/fish/eggs bub won’t eat it. I have tried just about everything but she just can’t stand the taste and spits it out.
I made a special dish with mushrooms instead of meat the other day and she thought it was the beez kneez.
Should I keep trying to feed her disguised meat and wasting tonnes of food or start feeding her vegetarian? Is it too early in life to do this?
I am a meat eater with very little knowledge into the vegetarian world any advise? Is there more to it than mushrooms, tofu and lentils?
Any advise appreciated
Thanks
Kaylene
Gosh Kaylene your little one sounds like my 16 month old. I also offer meat, cheese and egg to DD and she tries it but spits it out. With the cheese, I put it in her vegies or on toast melted and she eats it, but she won't eat a bit of cheese.
I'm not sure if they know they are vegaterians or just a bit fussy atm. Will be interested to see what others post. :)
Hi I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian (I don't eat meat or fish but I do eat dairy foods and eggs).
I'm no expert on vegetarian diets for children, but seeing as your little one isn't having any meat, fish, cheese or eggs, it is important that bub isn't becoming deficient in vitamin B12. Will she drink milk or yoghurt? Both of these have vit B12. Children also need fats, so if she will drink milk, make sure it is full fat.
If bub won't drink milk or take any other dairy, you might need to give her a vitamin B12 supplement.
One tip I can give is that if you give orange juice to drink with her meals, it helps the body absorb iron better (dilute it with water if she doesn't like it straight).
To get protein into her diet, offer her tofu, peanut butter, grains and legumes (peas, beans, lentils), veggie burgers like "Not Burgers" made of Textured Vegetable Protein (you can find TVP and food made with TVP in the health food section in supermarkets).
Edited to add: I got your PM, but my computer crashes when I try to reply :confused:
So I found a web site with a bit more info on vegetarian diets for kids - it has a guide as to what foods are needed for a balanced vegetarian diet for kids:
http://www.thevegetariansite.com/vegchild.htm
For more info, here's a google search I did which has many more sites:
http://www.google.com.au/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-38,GGLG:en&q=vegetarian+diet+children
I hope that helps.
Yes thankyou this does help. She is still having formula S26, she has this twice a day and sometimes she will drink A2 milk but that’s all. At this stage Im not willing to remove formula from her diet until I get her eating healthier.
She has never eaten yoghurt, ice cream or creams either but will go for the occasional banana custard but this is rare. I do see a lot of recipes for vegetarian foods but they have a lot of garlic, ginger , onion etc which I am not sure how this goes on a baby tummy. Do traditional vegetarians alter their meals to accommodate their babies diet?
http://www.thevegetariansite.com/vegchild.htm is a good site thankyou. I think I have a lot to learn. :confused: She is due to go back to her Dr in two weeks; might see if I can get a referral to see a baby vegetarian dietician? Is there such a thing?
Mel, its nice to know others have the same concerns. Its hard to know what to do isn’t it. Good luck and lmk how you go.
Thanks
Kaylene
PS. Any recipes would be appreciated.
Thanks BJelly for the info. I do give her lentils and peas, peanut butter etc but never thought of tofu - I guess cos I don't like it! But I will give it a go. I offer meat and hope that she has a bit of a chew on it. :)
Kaylene my DD is also still on formula - S26 too - and I'm going to keep her on it a bit longer till she starts to eat more of a variety of foods. I also offer her full fat milk.
My DD likes to eat what's on my plate so at dinner time if she picks the vegies/meat off my plate, I let her. Even though she has already had her dinner.
Good luck
That is so interesting. You guys with 'vegetarian' kids should go and read the thread called "What is an Indigo Child?". According to a book I'm reading, the new generation of 'crystal' children often prefer vegetarian diets. :rolleyes:
Indigo baby?. I just want a happy healthy one but I took the test just in case.
- usually born 1995 or later - Yes
- large eyes with intense stare - No dads small shaped eye with a look to kill
- magnetic personality - not met a baby that isnt yet so Yes
- highly affectionate - not usually but ok to me and dad and her cat when not trying to poke his eyes out
- start talking late - started talking at 4 months so No
- musically oriented and may sing before talking - does like music but its more opera and after speech so No
- use telepathy and self-invented sign language to communicate - I think all mums and babies are linked arent they? Yes
- may be diagnosed with autism or aspergers syndrome - been told many times how advanced she is so its a No here too
- very connected to nature and animals - only likes her cat because he doesnt move so No
- exhibit healing abilities - Yes heals overnight like me - thats just good genes
- interested in crystals and rocks - loves to eat dirt so is that a Yes :D
- often discuss angels, spirit guides and past life memories - I know she has an angel so Yes
- extremely artistic and creative - gets that from me Yes
- prefer vegetarian meals and juices to 'regular food' - Yes
- may be fearless explorers and climbers with an amazing sense of balance. - No will fall over her own feet
Overall I think no but it was fun doing the checklist - thankyou
Kaylene
My DD likes to eat what's on my plate so at dinner time if she picks the vegies/meat off my plate, I let her. Even though she has already had her dinner.
Sorry a bit off the topic of vegertarian diets but have you tried eating dinner at the same time as your child? I worked out early on with my DD that she eat a lot better when we all ate our meals together.
Hi again, I did a bit more searching and found this page that has some nutritional info about what vegetarian toddlers need, and it also has a diet plan and some recipes. Unfortunately some of the ingredients might require a visit to a health food store - I don't think you can get nut butters at the supermarket - I'm not sure as I've never tried them.
http://www.vegfamily.com/babies-and-toddlers/weight-gain-veg-toddlers.htm
With regard to tofu, there are two main types - firm and soft/silken. The firm kind is used in things like stir fry. And the soft/silken can be used to make desserts or thick milkshake like drinks. Tofu is very bland, but it is good to mix with other things - it takes up the flavour of whatever it's mixed with. Maybe try mixing some soft tofu with some pureed fruit - that should make it a bit more palatable.
Edited to add a savoury tofu recipe I just remembered:
When I was vegan, I used to make scrambled tofu - an alternative to scrambled eggs.
1 Tablespoon olive oil
tofu (I prefer to mash up some firm tofu, but you can use silken, but I think it takes longer to cook as you need to wait for it to firm up) Use as much as you like
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 mushrooms, chopped
Heat frypan with oil, add tofu and cook about 2-5 mins. Add onions, cook until soft. Then add tomatoes and mushrooms. Add herbs eg mixed or Italian herbs or dill if you like. Serve on toast
Tips for using and storing tofu
Drain tofu before using it.
To keep excess tofu for later, store it in an airtight container, cover it with water, ie so the tofu is totally underneath the water. Keep it in the fridge for up to a week. You will however, need to change water daily.
A great book I've found regarding babies and children's food is Optimum Nutrition for Young Children (or something like that) by Lucy Burney. I had to order it in at my local Angus and Robertson bookstore but it's well worth it.
Young children and babies dietary requirements are different to adults and older children. They do not need much protein in their diets because their kidneys are still underdeveloped and they will not be able to process the by products of amino acid breakdown. They have a high fat requirement which is why it's recommended that you not give young children any reduced fat foods (bearing in mind not all fats are the same, and some are better than others).
Although lentils are high in iron and a good source of protein, they can also irritate young bowels. You should introduce it gradually and stop if you notice any negative effects. Large amounts of soy products are not recommended either because of the effect it has on the oestrogen hormone receptors in young developing children. Peanuts are also not recommended for children under 2 because of the risk of allergies (4 if there is a history of any allergies in the family). There are plenty of other healthy nut butters available in the health food section of my local Coles and Woolworths.
If your daughter is happy eating vegetables then I'd be going with it. My personal view is that children know what they need better than we do, so we should be listening to their bodies. That's providing that we are offering healthy food and they are not making a choice between something healthy and something like chocolate. They also go through so many phases, that this could be something that will pass.
Chickadee
07-12-2005, 20:36
I'm not knocking veggie diets. I'm just curious if you've tried bacon or sausages. These and ham are pretty much the only meats my daughter will eat for me. I'm guessing the salt and higher fat content tasted pretty good. Her now constant refusal to even taste other meats seems to be more of a habit than a dietary preference.
Sorry a bit off the topic of vegertarian diets but have you tried eating dinner at the same time as your child? I worked out early on with my DD that she eat a lot better when we all ate our meals together.
Rell, thanks for the advice. I eat brekky and lunch with her, but serve her dinner at 5pm. Maybe I will try eating at the same time as her.
LucyE - You have put my mind at ease and will look out for that book. Thanks
stormanet
07-12-2005, 21:29
Heya :) before you give up.. try this risotto recipe.... my friend was having trouble with her bub... she tried it and it worked :) Substitute chicken mince for where it says chicken... add mushrooms to bulk it further if you want and I use the campbell's salt reduced liquid chicken stock. Trust me to try it... it's pretty yummy for you to eat as well :) Let me know how it goes :)
KChicken Risotto
1 tblspoon olive oil
200g chicken breast, skinned, boned, rinsed and cubed I USE CHICKEN MINCE!! EASIER!!
Half a small onion finely chopped
200g risotto rice
250g butternut pumpkin peeled de-seeded and diced
2-3 stems fresh sage(I DON"T USE THIS)
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock or filtered water(Cambell's liquid salt reducede stock)
Heat oil in a saucepan. Cook the chicken and onion for 5 mins or until lightly browned.
Add the rice and continue frying 1-2 minutes or until rice looks transparent, then add butternut, leaves torn from the sage stems and mix together. Pour over half the stock, stirring frequently. Bring to the boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 mins, stirring frequently and topping up with remaining stock until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy and soft or desired consistency is reached. Puree in a blender.
Just a note… if you do freeze it, it turns into cement when you defrost it so you have to add water J
k
I also wanted to add that any juice offered to children (again not recommended because of high sugar content without the fibre goodness of eating whole fruit) should be diluted at least 50/50 with water and preferrably even more.
I also wanted to add some meat ideas that works for our very fussy eater:
* pureed chicken with avocado
* pureed tuna, banana and avocado (sounds blergh but DS loves it)
* crumbed pork cutlets pan fried and sliced into thin strips
* homemade baked fish fingers (I just toss thin strips of white fleshed fish into some egg wash and then rice crumbs mixed with a bit of olive oil)
I'm not knocking veggie diets. I'm just curious if you've tried bacon or sausages. These and ham are pretty much the only meats my daughter will eat for me. I'm guessing the salt and higher fat content tasted pretty good. Her now constant refusal to even taste other meats seems to be more of a habit than a dietary preference.
Hi Martha, She has never eaten any product other than milk, that comes from any animal, yoghurt, eggs, custard, meats, cheeses anything… but will eat a bowl of fruit salad in a flash. Not sure if it’s a habit as she has not changed since starting on solids. Yes I have even tried to hide or disguise bacon or sausages only to have a mess to clean after. I did however give her a cheerio cold and straight from the pack out of desperation two days ago and now she’s hooked. I don’t know what the nutritional value it has if any, but at least I can now start her onto other small (healthier) snags. It’s a huge step in my eyes. Bit by Bit I will get there. Thanks for your help though, will be looking out for bacon snags next.
K
Kaylene my DD is also still on formula - S26 too - and I'm going to keep her on it a bit longer till she starts to eat more of a variety of foods. I also offer her full fat milk.
Good luck
Hi Jenna, I heard there was a step 3 in the S26 range but haven’t been able to find it on the shelves so DD is still on Step 2. I found that the A2 milk is filling but she wont go for the Pauls/coles/woollies brands must be the taste? It gets expensive trying to work out their peculiar taste buds doesn’t it... As I said above, DD is eating cheerio’s. Give it a shot cant hurt.
Good luck n let me know how youre going.
K
With regard to tofu, there are two main types - firm and soft/silken. The firm kind is used in things like stir fry. And the soft/silken can be used to make desserts or thick milkshake like drinks. Tofu is very bland, but it is good to mix with other things - it takes up the flavour of whatever it's mixed with. Maybe try mixing some soft tofu with some pureed fruit - that should make it a bit more palatable.
Edited to add a savoury tofu recipe I just remembered:
When I was vegan, I used to make scrambled tofu - an alternative to scrambled eggs.
1 Tablespoon olive oil
tofu (I prefer to mash up some firm tofu, but you can use silken, but I think it takes longer to cook as you need to wait for it to firm up) Use as much as you like
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 mushrooms, chopped
Heat frypan with oil, add tofu and cook about 2-5 mins. Add onions, cook until soft. Then add tomatoes and mushrooms. Add herbs eg mixed or Italian herbs or dill if you like. Serve on toast
Tips for using and storing tofu
Drain tofu before using it.
To keep excess tofu for later, store it in an airtight container, cover it with water, ie so the tofu is totally underneath the water. Keep it in the fridge for up to a week. You will however, need to change water daily.
Hi Bjelly, Thankyou, as I didn’t actually know anything about Tofu especially storing it.. I was feeling adventurous so I made a dish, bed of rice and stir fry mushies, tomatoes onions mixed vegies and diced tofu and a little soy sauce the other night, much to the dismay of DH. DD gave her tofu to the cat eagerly waiting under the high chair for any chance spillages. No, Dave the cat didn’t eat it either. After a moment of silence DH was off to KFC…
I will try again as I still have a stack of it left. Never thought of mashing it.
Thanks
K
A great book I've found regarding babies and children's food is Optimum Nutrition for Young Children (or something like that) by Lucy Burney. I had to order it in at my local Angus and Robertson bookstore but it's well worth it.
Young children and babies dietary requirements are different to adults and older children. They do not need much protein in their diets because their kidneys are still underdeveloped and they will not be able to process the by products of amino acid breakdown. They have a high fat requirement which is why it's recommended that you not give young children any reduced fat foods (bearing in mind not all fats are the same, and some are better than others).
Although lentils are high in iron and a good source of protein, they can also irritate young bowels. You should introduce it gradually and stop if you notice any negative effects. Large amounts of soy products are not recommended either because of the effect it has on the oestrogen hormone receptors in young developing children. Peanuts are also not recommended for children under 2 because of the risk of allergies (4 if there is a history of any allergies in the family). There are plenty of other healthy nut butters available in the health food section of my local Coles and Woolworths. If your daughter is happy eating vegetables then I'd be going with it. My personal view is that children know what they need better than we do, so we should be listening to their bodies. That's providing that we are offering healthy food and they are not making a choice between something healthy and something like chocolate. They also go through so many phases, that this could be something that will pass.
Hi Lucy, you’re one wise woman. I started this thread to see if I could get a tip or two on how to get DD to eat more protein/Iron. I love the responses. I have been told that protein breaks down slowly and allows bubs to sleep longer. DD has never been one for sleeping. I almost had a routine set then it changed back to getting hungry up to 3 times a night again. I thought she would sleep for longer stints with a touch of meat in her diet and maybe help her grow some hair??.. hehehe. I was hoping for vegetarian equivalent to meat as she hasnt been one for animal products. I fluked a meat product by chance by adding cheerios to her diet and she has been sleeping right through for the last couple of days. Love it. The world is a much nicer place to be with adequate sleep.
Thanks for your tips
K
I have been told that protein breaks down slowly and allows bubs to sleep longer True because meat is generally considered a low GI food. There are other non meat foods that are low GI and will help your DD to feel full for longer and help stablise her blood sugar levels. Eg. honeydew melons are better than rockmelons which are better than watermelons for slow release energy. Just by looking at the types of fruit and vegetables that she's eating may help without having to stress about introducing something she's not interested in. Try googling it and you should come up with some comprehensive lists of foods.
Please be cautious with giving children too much processed meats. They are usually full of saturated fats, salt, preservatives, colours and flavour enhancers which all put stress on developing kidneys and livers. They are great as an occasional treat but for everyday eating, they don't provide much nutritional benefit. Have you tried adding grains like millet or amaranth to her meals? They are a good source of protein (actually, amaranth is more 'complete' than meat and also provides other minerals) and provide slow release energy.
Hi Kaylene - My DD is also on S26 step 2. She has 3 a day - brekky, lunch and dinner. I have been giving her full fat milk but she only drinks half of it. Might try the A2.
I have tried J on normal sausage but I'm not too keen on it being a regular meal. She did like it though.
Thank you LucyE for all your wise words! :)
From 6-18 mths my son wouldn't eat anything but fruit or vegies. The early childhood nurse suggested adding a 1/4 of a teaspoon of meat to his favourite vegie and every 2 weeks I slowly increase the amount of meat, sometimes I added cheese to hide the taste of the meat. Finally he got used to the taste of meat.
Now he is just over 2 and will only eat meat/fish or eggs and I am struggling with the fruit and vegies. I have to hide them in the meals. Sometimes mealtimes seem like a :)
Big top, my DD was the same. She also went through quite a fussy period wher she just wanted to eat the same things day in day out.
Kaylene, your DD may just be going through a fussy stage and I think someone suggested to eat dinner with her instead of seperate times, this could really help, it did with my DD. And also try little amounts of meat in her food but try to make sure it's really minced so she doesn't get any big lumps. She may just not like the texture of the foods. My DD used to detest chicken cos of the texture (she's grown out of that now) and still won't eat cheese simply because she doesn't like the texture.
Hope things improve for her (and you) soon. Ask your doc about it he/she may offer some more useful suggestions.
In the meantime she isn't going to cause any damage to herself eating what she is until you get to the doc.
GOOD LUCK!
Please be cautious with giving children too much processed meats. They are usually full of saturated fats, salt, preservatives, colours and flavour enhancers which all put stress on developing kidneys and livers..
Yes this was a concern right for the start, and I was happy to see them tossed aside in favour of the low fat beef sausages yesterday. All in all a good result (Dave the cat got the rest of the cheerios so he’s happy there too). It was worth doing for a week and getting her to try other things. I have a varied arrangement of recipes from bubhub mums I have been trying with many a success. I’m relieved that she is finally eating other foods aside from fruit. She is back to sleeping through too. Im really grateful to everyone for their help and advice.
Thanks again
Kaylene
Hi Kaylene - My DD is also on S26 step 2. She has 3 a day - brekky, lunch and dinner. I have been giving her full fat milk but she only drinks half of it. Might try the A2. I have tried J on normal sausage but I'm not too keen on it being a regular meal. She did like it though.
Im happy to say after a week of a cheerio after dinner is over, she has now progressed to beef snags. Also found cous cous with saltanas a real hit here.
Did you try the A2?
Big top, my DD was the same. She also went through quite a fussy period wher she just wanted to eat the same things day in day out.
Kaylene, your DD may just be going through a fussy stage and I think someone suggested to eat dinner with her instead of seperate times, this could really help, it did with my DD. And also try little amounts of meat in her food but try to make sure it's really minced so she doesn't get any big lumps. She may just not like the texture of the foods. My DD used to detest chicken cos of the texture (she's grown out of that now) and still won't eat cheese simply because she doesn't like the texture.
Hope things improve for her (and you) soon. Ask your doc about it he/she may offer some more useful suggestions.
In the meantime she isn't going to cause any damage to herself eating what she is until you get to the doc.
GOOD LUCK!
Yes it does help, we rarely eat dinner apart and sometimes i just put her on my lap so she can eat off my plate (What a mess !) I have blended, chopped, stewed, minced and pulverised meat of all kinds into all types of brews but the flavour is still there I think. Chicken is the hardest though, how can I expect her to eat pulverised chicken when I myself gag at the look of it. Now she is on sausages, I have bought chicken sausages from a sausage specialist at Chermside shopping centre. I bought pretty much one of each type of snag in their low fat/salt gluten free range. Snags worry me still as I cant see what is actually in them. Im hoping to upgrade her to a T-bone real soon.. hehe.. Thanks for your input and will let you know what the Dr says.
Good luck
Kaylene
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.1.9 Copyright © 2012 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.