Anyone else raising meatless kids?

[peg2001]

I eat meat. My DH is a big meat-eater. Our 2 DD's won't touch the stuff at ages 3 and almost 7. They both drink milk and one will eat eggs but absolutely no hamburger, lunch meat, steak, pork, fish, etc.

A pediatrician once told me that it was because I didn't FORCE them to eat jarred meat baby food. They disliked it even as babies and I guess I'd rather them live meatless than to force anything down their throats.

Anyone else?

Peggy

 

[llebrekniT]

I have a nephew who eats meat, but has no meat on him. Seriously though, my DS-11 has never liked chewing meat. He never had anything except hot dogs and chicken nuggets until he was about 6. Then he starting branching out, first cheeseburgers from MickeyD's then tacos and ribs. Still doesn't like a lot of meats, but I don't force him. For some reason he loves Beef Jerky. He also loves yogurt, which is full of protein. You can find a way around the meat. Dr. Spock has said that we should all be vegan. Your Dr. was very wrong to make it look like it was your fault. I have 3 kids - DS-11 very picky, DD-6 not picky, and DD-10months, we'll see. I have learned that they each are individuals and it doesn't have so much to do with anything I've done. They each had different sleep habits, walked at different rates, talked at different rates and they eat in different ways. It is NOT your fault.

Good luck

 

[pumba]

has had maybe one burger in her life......she does eat chicken......as for steak....only if we would cut into slices.....and she had called it snake steak........she is a deer eater though

 

[tkd lisa]

Can't imagine hearing that from my pediatrician! My kids happen to eat meat, but I can't remember ever giving them meat baby food (other than chicken and noodles). The meat ones looked and smelled YUCKY!

If your kids don't like meat, I wouldn't force it. Just be sure they're getting balanced nutrition. Lots of alternatives for that.

 

[jacksonsmom]

My 4 yr old son has NEVER had any meat, no hamburgers, no chicken nuggets, no hot dogs
It isn't because he would not touch them, it is because that is how we are raising him. We are all vegetarians.

Anyway, I think your child's doctor was way out of line. Is he/she saying your child MUST have meat? If that is the case he is wrong. I have went over my son's diet with his doctor since he was born (since I knew I was not going to feed him any meat) & she has been very supportive right from the beginning. She actually said it is a good type of diet for kids..well, adults too.

I would not worry if your child isn't eating meat. There was lots of children out there not eating meat, whether or not they are being raised vegetarian or not. They are all growig just fine

 

[Pop Daddy]

I believe I started eating steak at 6 mo

 

[FreshTressa]

And I bet it was rare too!!

My DD doesn't like meat, but winds up eating it anyway. And she doesnt mind it mixed in with stuff, like lasagne.

 

[Pooh67_68]

QUOTE: A pediatrician once told me that it was because I didn't FORCE them to eat jarred meat baby food.

I hope you changed pediatricians after that.

When my sister was very young she hardly ate at all, (maybe a couple of bites and then would run outside to play). The doctor told my mother not to worry, she will eat when she is ready and by all means DON'T FORCE her to eat if she doesn't want to.
And when she fianlly did start staying at the table long enough to eat a full meal all she ever wanted was hotdogs.

I think as long as your 2DD are aleast eating, I wouldn't worry about them not eating meat.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I have to strongly disagree with that pediatrician as well. I fed my son (and daughter) the jarred meat baby food when they were younger. When DS first started eating (until about 20 months) he was my adventurous eater and would eat any protein I put in front of him. As time has gone on, he is practicically a meatless eater and his twin sister who was a picky eater is now open to anything (they're 3 1/2). Children are people, with likes and dislikes just like the rest of us.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Just make sure they get protein from other sources. I remember years ago when I went to Weight Watchers, they said...your body's day doesn't start until you've had protein! Always have something at breakfast. DS is just now trying some things. He'll eat a Weight Watchers salsbury steak. Wooo hooo! An accomplishment! And I always have reduced fat peanut butter around.

 

[padams]

I fed DSs the meat baby food and they (now 5 and 7) are now basically meatless eaters so there goes your ped's theory.

 

[peg2001]

Thank you for all the responses! I especially appreciate everyone's support regarding the pediatrician. She is still part of the pediatrician group that I see but we just ask for someone else at appointments. It is interesting to hear about the babies that DID eat jarred meat foods and later still didn't like it. Thank you for sharing those stories!

We do try to make sure that the kids eat protein rich foods to make up for the lack of meat in their diets. They eat a lot of cheese and other milk products, peanut butter, tree nuts, etc.

It's nice to hear about all the kids thriving with little or no meat!

Peggy

 

[llebrekniT]

One more thought on that jarred baby meat - I believe eating that stuff would put anyone OFF meat for life. Yuck!

P.S. I just took DD-10 months to Pedy a few weeks ago. She said she can soft meat now, but don't bother with the jarred meats because they just taste nasty! Love my Dr.!

 

[MosMom]

It is funny you mention that because at 6 years old my daughter has decided she no longer wants to eat meat. After learning about the food pyramid at school it finally dawned on her that she was eating animals. I never tried to hide what beef, chicken, pork, etc. was but I don't think she ever put two & two together. She came home in tears and said she didn't want to eat animals. I told her about how other animals eat animals and the "great circle of life" (Disney always comes in handy) but she didn't buy it.

So for now I'm seeing how far this goes. I'm guessing when the next opportunity for a happy meal pops up she won't want to opt for a burgerless burger but who knows. For now though, I'm honoring her wishes and working with her on other protein sources. I actually kind of admire the fact she has convictions at 6. We'll just see how long they last.

 

[CamColt]

My 3 1/2 yo will only eat bologna and hotdogs and even that is usually a struggle. With him I think its more of a texture thing than taste. Ive noticed when I try sneaking some in his mouth, he immediately cringes, too soon for him to realize the taste. Im lucky I can get him to eat hot dogs since the only other things he will eat for dinner are pizza and macaroni(either plain or mac & cheese). This kid eats nothing!

 

[FOJMO]

NOPE. NEVER. WOULDN'T THINK OF IT.

 

[mrsmom]

I have a ds who is 11 yr old , he doesn't eat meat. He hates the texture i guess, they did test his protein level and it was bad, we get him to eat peanut butter and bean and cheese burritos. He eats lettuce sandwiches all the time. My three other kids love meat. go figure.
Kim

 

[FergieTCat]

I will admit --

When I first saw the title of this thread, my first thought was "No, I prefer meat on my kids."

(only amusing to me, I guess ...)

 

[KathyFP]

Not my DD.

She is like her Dad - Ribs and steak

 

[moinab]

I'm a vegetarian. DH is a steak-aholic. DS-3 is a very picky eater and will not touch meat. DD-8 months will eat anything she can get her hands on. We all coexist in one household, happily and peacefully (usually )


I studied nutrition and dietetics at the University of Minnesota. Although I am not a registered dietician, I do have a lot of training in this area. It always disturbs me when people point out how carefully you have to plan a vegetarian diet to ensure you are getting the proper nutrients, but don't think twice about the typical Western diet of high-calorie, low-nutrient, processed foods. Sure, a child who eats only mac and cheese and french fries (which would be DS's ideal diet) is going to have serious nutritional deficiencies, but adding chicken nuggets and hot dogs isn't going to help much. (I'm not trying to criticize anyone's comments, just generalizing from my own experience.) It is true, however, that if you are unfamiliar with a vegetarian diet, you may find it challenging to figure out what to eat. There are tons of great books and web sites that can help. It really is easy, once you know what's available.

I love our pediatrician. She recommended that we give DS a daily vitamin and every day, for dinner, insist that he try one small bite of everything that we are serving. Once he has tried everything, he may have a serving of whatever he wants that is on the table, but nothing made only for him. If he chooses not to eat, he doesn't eat again until the next meal (breakfast.) This may sound cruel (it did to us), but she assured us that children will not starve themselves. Once they figure out that you won't cater to their pickiness, they will start eating what is available. We were very reluctant, but tried it. At first, he refused. The next morning, he ate a large bowl of oatmeal made with milk, bananas, and peanut butter. (I know it sounds weird, but he loves it.) He gets to eat his preferred foods (mac and cheese) for lunch. The next few dinners, he reluctantly tried bites, and spit them out. Eventually, he actually started swallowing the food. Some nights, he still chooses not to eat, but those are few and far between. We've been doing this for a month and we've noticed a huge improvement, not only in his willingness to try new foods, but also in his overall behavior. He's not as stubborn as he was before.

Sorry to write such a long reply, but I hope this might help. BTW, it's very common for kids to not like meat, because of the texture.