need help getting child to eat protein

[luckygreen713]

My dd will be three years old in a few weeks. I've been having problems getting her to eat protein-rich foods. Over the past year, she is gradually refusing to eat more and more proteins. She has never liked cheese, except cream cheese and has never liked peanut butter. SHe used to eat chicken, beef,



If I try to get her to eat any of these foods, she gags and vomits. I'm not into forcing a child to eat, but I don't think she can live off of fruit and toast. Or can she?

Here are the proteins she will eat:
milk (cow's)
yogurt, sometimes
cream cheese (a little bit spread on bread with strawberry jelly)
peas

She loves all fruit and some veggies(carrots, broccoli, peas). Meal time has become so frustrating because I feel like she never eats a balanced meal and I don't know what to give her. For breakfast she'll eat cereal/milk or whole wheat toast and some fruit. Lunch is usually a cream cheese and jelly sandwich and dinner is just a big fight. I don't want this to be a power struggle but it's becoming one.

Any ideas of other protein sources, or ways to make them more appealing would be appreciated!! Thanks!

[star792]

my kids like hard boiled eggs, would she eat those? also, maybe a white bean dip type of thing to dip veggies in.

[organicmidwestmama]

kids do go through phases about food and they somehow manage to survive and even thrive! my son now for protein will eat only a few certain items as well and he is 7! he will eat: parmiseano reggiano, "hambuger" (it doesnt have to be a burger but this is what he calls ground beef and if i explain that there is burger meat in something he will try it), gyros (yum but i dont know how to make gyro meat so we only eat this maybe once a month or two, occaisionally he will eat white meat chicken peices or chicken nuggets (there are pre-made organic frozen ones or you can make these yourself from scratch), peanut butter on anything or plain, custards that i make with lots of cream, eggs and not much sugar, homemade chocolate pudding also made with good organic grassfed cream, pastured eggs and not much sugar, he will only eat the yolk of chicken eggs and it must be hard boiled, not the slightest bit soft, he also loves quail egg yolks, he loves beef pie with whole wheat crust, whole wheat buttermilk waffles, tacos made with black beans and or ground beef and shredded cheese.

[wholewheatchick]

Here are a few recipes. They are made with tofu, the kind in the little aseptic containers that I usually find in the oriental section of the grocery store

Chocolate Pudding/Pie
Ingredients:
2 pkg. Mori-Nu silken soft tofu
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
chocolate or regular graham cracker crust (optional)

Directions:
In a blender, puree the tofu until smooth. Add in cocoa, sugar, and vanilla and puree, scraping sides as needed, until smooth and combined. Add more cocoa or sugar depending on taste desired. Pour into ramekins or the crust, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. She can dip graham crackers or even fruit into this.

Ranch Dip:
2 pkg. Mori-Nu Silken tofu
1 pkg. McCormick and Schmick's Ranch Dip/Dressing (or Hidden Valley, or whatever)
Place tofu into blender, break up with spatula. Pour in dressing mix. Puree until smooth. Yummy on veggies, or even thinned out with milk and used as a thick pasta sauce???

Hope that helps!

[mumkimum]

Cottage cheese on bread is nice & pretty high protein, and similar to some foods she's used to.
Eggs (scrambled/hard boiled)
Beans - whole or mashed
tofu in a custard or pudding (works nice with pumpkin)
Lentils

[tanyalynn]

Even as an adult, I found that I really craved foods that my body was having problems with, and once I cut out my intolerances, my palate really changed and I was interested in more foods and a wider variety. For me, those have been dairy and gluten, and cutting those out has really expanded the types of food I enjoy.

[Llyra]

I know it can be hard, when your kids won't eat. My oldest is a binge eater, and even on the best days has a selection of about twelve foods she'll eat and that's it. She once went through a phase where she ate nothing but plain yogurt and peaches for months. It drove me nuts, but somehow she grew and thrived, and she's moved through that phase, through a few other frustrating ones, and now at almost 5 she's starting to broaden her tastes a lot.

I really do think the best thing to do is just to offer a balanced meal, and leave the LOs to eat what they choose from those options you offer. Mix up the options-- serve some things you know she likes, and small amounts of stuff you don't think she usually goes for. Let her see you enjoying those foods, but don't be manipulative about it-- like don't say things like, "ooh, ummm, mama likes this, do you want some to?" Restrict junk foods, but otherwise don't even mention what's eaten or not eaten. No begging or pleading, no "just try a bite," no power struggles. Just "here's dinner, eat what you want from these choices" and even if they choose not to eat at all, "okay, fine, we'll have more food in a few hours, go play."

Seriously, there are enough power struggles day-to-day with a 3 year old. And in the end, you can't win-- you can't make her eat, and she knows it, and it may be she resists just exactly because you seem to care so much.

A healthy child being offered a reasonable variety of nourishing foods will not starve herself. She will eat just exactly what her body demands, as long as her access to empty calories and artificial foods is restricted. You really can trust this.

And when she stops being 3 (3 is a rough age for many reasons), and the pressure is off, she will probably start branching out and trying other foods all on her own.

Just my opinion, but it's really worked wonders in our house.

[Alyantavid]

How does she feel about eggs or beans? My kids love both so I make them alot and don't worry so much about meat.

[jpamama]

I completely agree with Llyra - my 3 year old goes through so many food dislike/like phases that it drives me nuts... but she is a happy, healthy, growing girl who sleeps great, so how can I complain. She certainly has taught me to continue to offer food and some days she eats things I thought she would never try and other days she doesn't eat something that was her favorite just last week - argh argh argh! My real only suggestion though for all mothers is keep trying. I agree with giving her a balanced meal (always with something that she will eat) and what she eats is what she eats and don't fight or you will be in bigger trouble, opening up a whole new cup of worms with regards to food. You are doing a great job mama - keep up the healthy foods - she will cave and try new things at some point I promise!
I know this seems kind of crazy but have you tried grilled cheese sandwiches, I only say this because my daughter doesn't "like" cheese but loves loves loves grilled cheese sandwiches.... only a thought. Also, adding things like parmasean cheese to pasta, etc is a great protein and fun to add for her....

[luckygreen713]

Thank you all for the advice!! I think I'll try cottage cheese and call it something else, not cheese. Also, today I got her to eat some whole milk yogurt with strawberries mixed in. She loved it and ate the whole bowl. And right know she's eating a hardboiled egg white. Yay!! I just wish I could get her to eat some type of bean. She hates them, gags if she tries them. Oh well, it'll pass, and she's growing and healthy, so I'm not sure why I care so much.

[fruitfulmomma]

Zinc deficiencies can cause meat to taste bad to the eater. I would check in to that.

[Shakti77]

Maybe it's the texture of the beans she doesn't like?? Would she eat veggies and hummus? You could also make a bean dip with black beans or white beans etc... serve with veggies and crackers.. Maybe she might like a dip made with cottage cheese or any other soft cheese and herbs to go with the crackers?

[Mere]

I can so sympathize with you, as my ds1 eats about 20 foods, total. Of those, the *only* protein foods he will eat are almonds, peanut butter, cheese, yogurt, cow milk, salmon burgers from Costco, and chicken breast (sometimes). Unless it's easy for me to throw a salmon burger on the grill or into a frying pan, I don't indulge him (although there's much to indulge him with). I serve food, he hardly ever eats it, and we don't make a big deal out of it. I do have to keep track of his protein though, and that is the only battle I do pick. Generally, for "dinner" he gets himself about a half a cup of almonds and a raw carrot. Sometimes he eats cheese instead of almonds. I generally make him a sugar-free yogurt smoothie at some point in the day too, to which I add raw eggs. I also keep the sugar and carb intake to an absolute minimum for him.

Despite what seems to me like an appallingly boring diet, he seems quite happy with his food choices and has no desire to expand them. To his credit, the last time I remember him getting sick was 2.5 years ago (not even a cold since then), so it must be working for him. There is also no problem with growth...he's topping the charts out there.