OK my daughter's eating habit.?

Question

My daughter will not eat meat of any kind not even fish. I have tried dressing it up and I offer it to her every time. She eats a lot of veggies and fruit. The doctor said she is fine and as healthy as can be, but no recommendation on giving her more protein. She eats a lot of peanut butter, but is there anything else I can give her to make up for the lake of meat intake, or will she be fine. She eats about 4-7 peanut snadwhiches a week.

She'd only 2 1/2

Answer 1

Proteins are made up of amino acids. There are a total of 22 amino acids. The body makes some of the amino acids but other amino acids can not be made by the body, called essential amino acids. These amino acids are only available from an outside source, such as foods (i.e. meat). A good source of protein is called "complete" which contains all of the essential amino acids, such as meats and eggs. But, incomplete proteins do not have all the essential amino acids. Nuts and legumes (e.g. soybeans) are in the incomplete protein category. Her daughter needs another source of protein besides peanuts, such as eggs or fish or other seafood (e.g. shrimp, crab, lobster...etc.)

Another concern is iron. Only meats are a good source of iron. Iron is needed to produce red blood cells. If your daughter has already started menstruating then a great deal of iron is lost in the mense. I have seen many vegetarians develop anemia due to poor iron intake.

A iron supplement should prevent her from developing anemia. A once a day vitamin, such as Centrum, couldn't hurt either.

Vegetables and fruits are fine but she needs carbohydrates. The main fuel source of the body is carbohydrates, such as: bread, cereal, rice, noodles, potatoes and even corn.

Answer 2

Eggs, bananas, nuts, all that stuff. If the Doctor says she is in great health then I would be happy. My daughter too loves her fruits and veggies...not much of a meat eater. She does take a vitamin every morning and I make sure she does get the protein she likes. But if she really doesn't like meat I wouldn't try and make her eat anymore. She may grow out of this then again she may not. You should look up some really good vegetarian recipes to make her something cool for dinner, or even something she can help you make

Answer 3

soy protein bars, beans are a good source of protein, I can't imagine any child eating it but tofu is protein.. :)

Dairy and legumes all contain a little protein, read the labels on what she's eating and do the math for a couple of days, add up all the protein percentages, you'll be surprised.

Get off the peanut butter, it is FATTENING.... yikes! 250 calories for a tablespoon, most of them. Not a good habit to get into.

Answer 4

She may be healthy now, but it could be because of her active(?) lifestyle. This diet is NOT healthy at all, her body is void of protein and has too much sugar, fat, cholesterol and sodium if this is all she eats. She may have some type of metabolic or gastrointestinal disorder if she can't handle some foods. See a GI specialist or dietitian for a more accurate diagnosis. This poor diet will catch up with her and it will lead to serious chronic diseases later in life.

Answer 5

Hmm....if the doctor said that she is in good health condition then it's fine. Just a FYI, she's going to be a vegetarian. Salads and fruits tend to carry proteins and thus give her the necessary vitamins. Being a vegetarian isn't a bad idea. In fact, I've know lots and lots of people who are vegetarians.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian for more info to help your daughter.

Answer 6

It's good that she eats a lot of fruits and vegetables and peanut butter. Most kids prefer junk and processed foods, however, you may want to introduce a mixture of nuts (source of protein) and different kinds of seafood. Shrimp are high in protein, but also high in cholesterol, so you may want her to eat only small to moderate portions of it. Eggs are also another great source of protein. If these don't work, as her doctor what he/she recommends as a good source of protein and give it to her.

Answer 7

Peanut butter is fine. My son won't eat meat either. I give him peanut butter and cheese and baked beans. I also get him to drink milk with Ovaltine and Boost or other energy drinks. There are a lot of people that go their whole lives never eating meat. She is going to be fine.

Answer 8

Many children are raised with a vegetarian-type life style, and they're alright. Try not to worry, but talk to your doctor about your concerns for your daughter.

Answer 9

I think that if the doctor says she is really healthy, you shouldn't worry so much. I know that it is natural for you to worry about your daughter's health, but is she eating eggs? Eggs are practically meat, so if she is eating eggs, you should be fine.

Answer 10

I'd go with the others. plenty of good quality fruit and vegetables, especially thing like beans and peas, milk, eggs. She shouldn't need any supplements either. Try to encourage her to drink whole milk, rather than skimmed.

PS Not tofu, I hate tofu.