my 14 year old daughter doesn't meat what should i do?

Question

my family and i eat meat everyday at least for dinner and my 14 year old daughter refuses to eat the meat so she wont eat anything. then complains of headaches, stomaches and such.

Answer 1

i know how she feels i am 13 and i dont eat when i dont have to but at school my friends make me eat or i will get in trouble so just tell her it does no good not to eat it just makes you sick and it does not help your weight or anything and she probably still has her baby fat and she will loose that and she will be more smaller ok hope that help you!!!!

Answer 2

If your daughter won't eat meat, you want to make sure she gets some other sources of protein (see the top link below).

Also, if she decides to be a vegetarian, make sure she gets a vitamin B12 supplement as it is not found in any significant amounts in plant foods and is necessary for certain body functions (second link)

Talk to your daughter, is she fundamentally against eat meat because she cannot imagine that cute cow cut up on her plate to eat. Or does she really get sick when she eats meat? If it is the former, then I believe accommodating her choice is a good idea even if it will cause you extra work (buying/making something different just for her) - or she's 14 and can probably make her own separate meal. If it is the latter, then you may want to go to your family physician. There are certain nitrites that are used in meat preservatives that can trigger headaches. There could be something wrong with her gallbladder or other medical problem.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

Use other sources of protein. I know a gal that is a vegetarian. You need to bend it a bit Ok so you are having meat don't put it on her plate instead if she will eat an egg put that on there some vegetarians won't eat eggs either. Sometimes you gotta bend the rules. My son & daughter who are a lot younger than you daughter are vegetarians and my hubby & I are meat eaters. My daughter just follows in suit of my son who had "Sensory integration" A spectrum of HIGH Functioning Autism. He'll eat an egg but wont eat meat because of the feel of it in his mouth. He wears certain clothes etc.

Answer 4

It sounds to me that your daughter may have a eating disorder, and she is using the reason for not eating, saying she dosent like meat. At 14 years old she should at least be able to make a sandwich or some cereal if she dosent want the meat. So i dont believe she dosent eat because she dosent like meat.You should sit down and ask her if she has a problem. Also, ask her friends if she does the same thing at school, with not eating....She may have a problem

Answer 5

Her headaches and stomach aches could or could not be related to her refusal to eat meat. You should take her to the doctor to get that figured out- he might also have some reccomendations for her diet. You want to make sure that she's getting enough iron in her diet from green leafy vegetables like spinach. She can get plenty of protein from beans, nuts, and meat substitutes- of which there are plenty. Try Morningstar Farms veggie burgers, chicken nuggets, and burger crumbles (use just like you would for ground beef). You'd be surprised how many of the dishes you would normally make for your family can be made into a veggie version. If she eats eggs you can also have her eat them for protein.
Check out books about vegetarianism in your local library or bookstore. Try "The Teens Vegetarian Cookbook" by Judy Krizmanic and "A Teens Guide To Going Vegetarian" by Judy Krizmanic as well.
Try to find foods that she enjoys and that can be made en masse beforehand like pasta, rice, cous cous etc. They are pretty simple foods that can have protein added to them like veggie meatballs (in your frozen food section), beans, or veggie crumbles.
Encourage her to start cooking and experimenting with her own foods so that the burden doesn't lay entirely on you.

Answer 6

As I see it you have three choices...

1. Give her the option to eat what is cooked for supper or not eat.

2. Offer a vegetarian option for her. When supper is made, there is at least one dish that is completely vegetarian.

3. She's 14? She can cook her own supper. If she isn't happy with the choices in front of her, she can be in the kitchen cooking! She can find many vegetarian meal choices (on-line, in cook books, etc.). When the grocery shopping is done, she can go along and fill her menu necessities.

Personally, I like the idea of having the vegetarian option for her. Everyone else can eat it as a side dish, and she gets to eat her fill.

Answer 7

Provide her with a high protien meat alternative. Beans. Bean burgers. Veggie burgers -- tofu.

I would tell her that she has to get protien. There are ways to get protein other than meat. Go to the grocery store together and have her decide what she would like to eat in place of meat (hummus, tofu, to-furkey, soy burgers.....etc). Require her to eat what she chooses from the store.

I would google vegetarian alternatives before hitting the store so you know what to look for.

Answer 8

As a teen, it is perfectly normal that she try vegetarianism. Be sure to tell her that she could start losing her hair if she doesn't make sure to get plenty of protein (and could become anemic like others have said). My best friend did the same thing at that age and began losing her hair. Peanut butter every day worked but she really needed healthier protein like eggs and beans. Make sure she takes a multivitamin and have her plan and maybe cook her own vegetarian dishes. Don't make her feel like an outcast, and occasionally join her in eating her dishes. She may grow out of it, but it is perfectly normal and healthy as long as she takes care of herself.

Answer 9

Skipping a meal or two will not hurt her since she chooses not to eat anything from the meal that you've prepared. You could try explaining to her that if she doesn't eat (something meat or anything else) then these symptoms that she complains of will persist for her body needs food to function.

Answer 10

Your daughter needs to get appropriate nutrition so that she'll grow healthy and strong.

If she's going to be a vegetarian, that's fine, but you should provide her with vitamins to supplement that choice.

I don't understand why you say she doesn't eat anything. You don't serve anything other than meat? Try providing tasty vegetarian meals.

Answer 11

It's fine if she really wants to be a vegetarian, but she needs to start taking some responsibility for her decision. Tell her that she has to do the research about nutrition and the foods she needs to eat. She also should know how to prepare the food. Then you can buy what she needs and help her to prepare it. She is old enough to start thinking about how her choices affect others as well as herself.