My 16 month old doesn't eat meat!

[nervousmommy]

Hi,
We didn't really do BLW although I don't force him to eat anything. We offered purees, but if he didn't want to take another bite..we never tried to force it. He now eats a lot of things...eggs,yogurt,cheese,any fruit he can get his little hands on, bread, he used to eat more veggies, but sticks mostly to tomatoes now and some carrots..I've been working on more veggies and also black beans and rice. He's not big on pasta or any kind of meat. He also is still breastfeeding at least 3x a day if not more and throughout the nite. He's in the 90% for height and 80% for weight and head circumference. So he's a big guy, but has absolutely NO INTEREST in meat.

Should I be worried? Will he come around to it? I'm nervous he's not getting enough complete proteins without the meat. He has 12 teeth and is working on his k-9's now.

Thanks

[calebsmommy25]

It sounds like your DS is doing great! I personally wouldn't worry too much. He's getting protein through your milk, other dairy, and eggs. I would try some more beans. How about some hummus? It is always fun to dip veggies! Your DS sounds like mine with sticking to tomatoes! He loves other veggies, but he can eat tomatoes like an apple and be the happiest child in the world!

[wendy1163]

we're vegetarians, so we've never even offered out kids meat, and they are growing just fine. there is protein in a lot more foods than you would think, so I wouldn't worry at all. sounds like he is doing great.

[JennTheMomma]

DS1 didn't like meats until he was 2 years old, and he is selective with which kind of meats he likes. Protein is found in many other foods, here are some foods that are rich in protein -

Milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Eggs
Peanut Butter
Beans, tofu, lentils
Grains
Nuts and seeds

[TzippityDoulah]

i don't see it as a problem if he's getting dairy and mama milk! mama milk is just liek a liquid form of meat in a lot of ways. if he's still nursing meat may be something he dabbles in but doesn't have a need for yet. if you're really concerned add fishoil to his diet, or make his rice and beans with chicken stock.

[lkmiscnet]

Read "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman (your library should have it and it's a quick read) about the havoc meat creates on our bodies and how you get MORE calcium and protein from plants such as kale, broccoli, etc... I was surprised to learn that fact in addition to lots of other facts referenced in the book from many leading research studies.

[christianmomof3]

We are not vegetarians, but my oldest did not really eat meat until she was 5. She was and is fine. Her pediatritian, who is from Burma where there are apparantly lots of vegetarians was not concerned at all. It may be better for him not to eat meat anyway as others have mentioned.

[fruitfulmomma]

My oldest girl really doesn't like meat. I have heard that children who have zinc deficiencies can have a reaction to the texture which makes them prefer not to eat it, but she eats plenty of other good stuff so I am not overly concerned.

I don't think you said how old he was, but really he seems to be pretty young to be worried about getting enough nutrients in through solids and it looks to me like he is eating a pretty varied diet as it is.

[nervousmommy]

It seems like the "not liking" meat would cause the zinc deficiency...not the deficiency causing the "not liking" meat.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/zinc.asp

He's 16 months. I'm starting to get a little concerned about his vegetable intake. Not a lot of veggies recently. He's still gaining...and I keep offering...but I'm starting to get stumped about what else to offer him as he's learning to say "no" to food.

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by nervousmommy

It seems like the "not liking" meat would cause the zinc deficiency...not the deficiency causing the "not liking" meat.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/zinc.asp

actually deficiencies tend to play on one another. kinda of a which came first the chicken or the egg? a deficiency can make one not crave more of that which would fulfill the deficiency. why?

for instance when my daughter is lowin zinc and magnesium she is a VERY finicky eater. I up he zinc and mag supplements and her diet expands. she's been this was since she was little. some people don't get nutrients well through their foods for various reasons (she is celiac) so therefore their body will theoretically stop craving those foods as they aren't getting the right stuff from them. Also there is the fact that zinc and mag are calming in the body and it affects food intact all together (not just specifically meat).

that said, 16 months is totally ok with getting a lot of his nutrients through you. I would make sure YOU were eating plenty of good healthy foods and maybe even supplement if your diet isn't ideal.

so... what does he eat?

[KaliShanti]

I'm a vegetarian so my son (3 yrs) gets meat only once in a while and usually doesn't like it anyway. I have never eaten meat in my life (beyond a taste or a mouthful) and I am very healthy.

[Mom2M]

My DD is almost 5 and has never had meat or any kind of meat broth, etc... She's very healthy! We are vegetarian also.

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by JennTheMomma

DS1 didn't like meats until he was 2 years old, and he is selective with which kind of meats he likes. Protein is found in many other foods, here are some foods that are rich in protein -

Milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Eggs
Peanut Butter
Beans, tofu, lentils
Grains
Nuts and seeds

Great list.

I'm not vegetarian but my (barely nursing anymore) 12 month old is not fond of meat.

However, she is crazy about cheese, loves whole grain breads and pastas, and peanut butter. She gets LOTS of protein from these things, only meat she'll eat is occasional seafood.

Two slices of whole grain bread is about the same protein as an ounce of meat. Depending on the variety, same goes for 2-3 ounces of cheese. Offer plenty of dairy and whole grain, try beans and put peanut butter on anything.