Ways to get picky toddler to eat meat?

[babyjonesmama]

DS is 23 months, has always had trouble eating and gaining weight, got the whole FTT diagnosis, etc. We've been working on it and things are slowly getting better, but I think he needs more protein in his diet. He eats a lot of yogurt, cheese, and milk, but we just don't eat that much meat at our house. Maybe once or twice a week. I'd like to get in the habit of serving it at least once a day. What do people give their toddlers for meat? He loves hamburgers, but that's about it.

[Alyantavid]

We do eat alot of meat, but there are other sources of protein.

My kids favorite meats:
chicken nuggets/strips (homemade)
steak
finger steaks
hamburgers
ham and pineapple kabobs
breaded pork chops

We do eat some sort of protein at every meal. Breakfast is eggs or oatmeal, sometimes bacon and sausage. Lunch is leftovers from dinner or sandwiches (either meat or peanut butter) and dinner always has some type of meat.

Does he like eggs? Those are really good and you can get some fat in there as well if you cook them in coconut oil or serve them with toast and butter.

[redvlagrl]

DD did not like meat until about 20 months when we changed our source of meat to really good grass fed/pastured stuff. She also much prefers it if it's seasoned or marinated and generally yummy. In general she only likes eating things that taste good (lol, don't we all?) no matter what it is. I made a very average Quinoa/cabbage concoction the other day for lunch and she wouldn't touch it.

[sewchris2642]

None of mine liked a lot of meat at that age. Their protein sources were dairy (mostly cheese and yogurt), mushrooms, beans and legumes, eggs. Of course all real foods have some protein in them and instead of looking at the daily diet, track the protein over a week. That will give you a better idea of how much protein is eaten. And a toddler serving according to one website (http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/pyramid.htm) is about 1 Tablespoon per year of age or 1/4 of an adult serving per year of age. Here's a good website for toddlers who are still breastfeeding. www.kellymom.com › Nutrition for Mom & Baby Here's another good article on feeding toddlers. http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/toddl...r_toddler.html

[Fi'sMom]

My 2 year old daughter goes through phases... Some weeks she's into meat (ground lamb, turkey or beef; sardines with mustard on top; bacon), but some weeks she'll only eat buttered toast and fruit. What I believe in is obeying your child's cravings, as long as it isn't for sugar. Their bodies (esp. digestive systems) are much more honest than ours' (adults)!

[LaughingHyena]

My two are also quite picky about meat, I think it's mostly texture issues as neither of them like anything to chewy.

I recommend getting a meat thermometer. I am much better at cooking roasts now, I tended to overcook them and get them a bit dry. We also prefer to do larger roasts and have leftovers, small ones dry out too easily.

They like casseroles and stews, again where the meat is nice and tender.

Other favourites here are shepherds pie and spaghetti bolagnaise. DD is a fish fan and loves smoked mackerel, tuna, prawns.

Both kids used to like fish cakes, left over mashed potato and a tin of mackerel. Form into patties and fry. It's easier if you have time to chill them before frying.

[pumpkin]

We struggle to get enough fat and protein into our very tiny DD. We found the trick with meat. Ravioli!! You can put all sorts of things inside a ravioli and she will gobble it up.

She also needs some kind of dip. Her favorite is pesto.

[theatermom]

I agree about making certain that the meat is tender and juicy. Little ones are still developing jaw strength and it's easy to overestimate their ability to chew something.

Also, if he likes pasta and sauces, it's very easy to mix ground turkey or beef into the sauce, or to puree beans into it. Stews are a good idea, too.

Mahi Mahi is a favorite fish around here (though now that I say that, I realize that we haven't had it in quite awhile) -- when my now 7 year old was little, he thought it was chicken (though it's lots easier for little ones to chew). Dh also makes fish nuggets.

I add eggs to oatmeal, and my guys love scrambled eggs. A friend likes to take bread, put it on a cookie sheet, cut out the center with a small cookie cutter, and crack an egg into the opening. She then bakes it in the oven until it's done. I've done this one or twice, and it's yummy. We don't do it often because we try to avoid a lot of wheat, but if your LO isn't sensitive to wheat or eggs, it's a great high protein snack.