My Son (18mo) won't eat meat thinking of switching to vegetarian. Any tips?

Question

Want him to get his meat protian and he's getting tired of rice and beans. Is tofu a meat protian. what elese?

Answer 1

tofu, yes. Handful of nuts for protein. Sprouted grain bread.
Hopefully he will still do dairy at his age, you can get better, eggs milk at places like Trader Joes, and health markets, with- out
" growth hormome" like they sell in reg store.
Falafels, humus etc. Go into veg store or start looking up recipes on line, its easier than you think once you get the hang of it.
( sorry I thought it said 18 years !!!) you could still use some of the advice though it applies.

Answer 2

Look into amino acids. These are the building blocks of protein. Most legumes (nuts and beans) have 7 of the nine essential amino acids. Whole grains (like corn) have the other two. These foods should be eaten in the same 24 hour period (though not necessarily in the same meal) in order to assure a complete protein. The only vegetable source with all 9 amino acids is soy. Dairy products also offer complete proteins. Another concern with a vegetarian diet is iron deficiency. Fortified breakfast cereals and malt-o-meal supply this, but you may have to start reading labels.

Answer 3

Don't worry. My kids wouldn't eat meat until they were about 3 or 4. I guess it took too much effort to chew.
Tofu is good. So are eggs, milk, fish (in small doses), and numerous other similar items. My kids also like farina (high in iron although not a complete protein). Just go through the rotation and see what works. If your kid doesn't drink milk try Ovaltine. Try ice cream, yogurt, or cheese (ravioli with Alfredo sauce is a good combo).
I think that it is very important not to make eating a big deal (how often do you see a mal-nourished child?). Eating is over-rated. Your child will never starve himself. Put out healthy meals with a small variety of items. Stay with small portions (it seams that children become overwhelmed if there is too much). If he doesn't eat then let him go. But do not substitute snacks for meals (the inverse is also true). This builds bad eating habits.
Do not make food a point of contention. Food should bring families together.

Answer 4

My daughter wouldn't eat it either at 18 months. SHe would chew on it and spit the meat out...then she got to where she wouldn't touch it...she went through this for almost a year.

Peanut butter has protein in it....there are lots of sources of proteins you can give him. tofu is a meat substitute, however it's nasty! I never gave her any tofu or anything like that.....she got enough nutrients everywhere else she was fine.

Now I just have to cut her meat up into tiny pieces...and she will eat it...but if it's not in little tiny pieces she wont. Also, she dips her steak in ranch....she will dip anything in ranch....but be an idea to get him to eat it if he loves dipping his food.

Good Luck

Answer 5

Read labels carefully. Some nuts are full of protein. There are Protein Bars in the Grocery stores, and protein supplements that you can drink. There are millions of vegetarians in the world, so it is not a bad thing.

Answer 6

you should feed him seafood, very high protein. how do you cook your meat? kind of weird he doesn't want to eat it. make something light, not heavy or greasy.

try this dish, it's very easy to digest and make

ingredients: ground or dice pork or chicken half of a pound is good
3,4 stalks of diced/chopped celery
1 medium diced/chopped carrot
1 cup of rice (i use long grand white rice)

you put everything in a pot, with water that twice as high as food, bring it to boil and lower the heat to simmer, stir it occasionally so it won't stick to the pot. add water if it gets too thick.

cook it for 30 to 45 minutes or until everything is tender, oatmeal like but not thick, sort of like stew. add salt, pepper and cilantro for seasoning. skip the pepper if your son can't have spicy food.

Answer 7

Ask your baby doctor! Babies need protein and that is most easily provided by meat. If you wish the baby to be a vegetarian, you have to be very careful to make sure his nutritional needs are met by what he eats. You could also consult a dietitian or nutritionist or better still a pediatric nutritionist.

Answer 8

All these people above are crazy!!!! Do not listen to them. Consult your pediatrician. If you introduce tofu (soy protein), nuts, peanut butter, or seafood you may be risking your child's life. All these foods are known allergens. If you expose your child to these foods to early, they may become deathly allergic!!!