Vegetarian toddler that hates beans and nuts and wont drink milk. What do I do?

Question

He's allergic to eggs and nuts, and we are a vegetarian family. He hates cheese, milk, formula, soymilk and beans, he even hates pudding and chocolate milk. The only proteins I get get him to eat are soy yogurt and romano cheese(not even parmisan). All he ever wants to eat is fresh fruit, raw veggies and rice. Any suggestions on how I can get him to drink milk or eat dairy? How do I know that he's getting enough protein and calcium?

We're vegetarians as part of our family's religion. We did have him tested and he's allergic to most meat products too, so it's not an option.
We've been to the doctor for this and she says he's fine.

Wow, it seems that most of you didn't even read the question. He's ALLERGIC to most proteins. Allergic to the point where he would die if I tired to feed it to him. If I had not already been to the doctor, I wouldn't know that he's allergic.

I really wasn't looking for a lesson in nutrition, I was merely looking for tips on how to sneak dairy products into his food and/or some good alternatives.
I'm pretty disappointed that most of you think I'm some sort of neglectful parent.
My son not only goes to a pediatrician, but an allergist, and a doctor who specializes in vegetarian wellness. All say he's doing fine and in fact more healthy than most kids his age. He's developing ahead of schedule and is in the 95th percentile (height) for his age.
I'm not an idiot who would rely on strangers from yahoo for the health of my son. I'm just the type of person who explores every single crevice of information that I can.
And for those who think that I should give my son dead carcass to eat and let him decide later if he wants to continue eating it or not, why don't you give you kids candy bars and fast-foods and let them decide later if they want to continue with it; but I'm sure you already do.

Answer 1

does he like tofu? My toddler loves tofu...I sustitute in place of meat for a lot of her foods...(we are not a vegetarian family but she just doesn't like meat so i've learned to cook vegetarian for her) I will make her tofu mixed with fresh tomatoes and cucumber..i usually add a little italian dressing..and cheese..you could sprinkle romano on it...

some cereals have added protein...my daughter loves cheerios..and smart start...and raisn bran..and i know she gets a lot of vitamins from that.

also you might introduce fresh fruit smoothies with added protein powder if the doctor says its ok...i dont know what exact protein your son would be allergic to so you would need to talk to a pediatrician about this one...

have you tried mozzarella? you might be able to sneak into something..it is a higher protein cheese (i know you said he doesn't like cheese...)

some vegetables with higher protein are asparagus and spinach

I also found a huge list of protein vegetables that tell how much vitamin/proteins are in each vegetable when you click on it

http://www.highproteinfoods.net/vegetables

hope this helps and good luck

hope this helps

Answer 2

I know you said that he is allergic to most meat products, but has he been checked to see if he is specifically lactose intolerant, or is that one of the proteins he's definitely allergic to? Maybe he naturally doesn't want milk/dairy because he's intolerant or allergic to it.
As far as the emotive issue of bringing a child up vegetarian, whether for religious reasons or not - I'm all for it. As opposed to the people who think children should be fed meat until they are old enough to decide if they want to give it up, I believe it should be the other way round. They should be fed a vegetarian diet until they are old enough to understand where meat comes from, see a slaughterhouse etc, then decide if they wish to start eating it.
I have some agreement with the person who pointed out that you are the parent, so the child should eat what it is given. The other person who said "toddlers are picky enough anyway" - the reason toddlers are picky is because they are allowed to get away with it by the parents.
When I was a child, a meal was put in front of me and I ate it. If I didn't eat it, I went hungry. When I was growing up, the words "Oh, I don't like that..." didn't really exist when it came to food. I ate the same as my parents at every mealtime, went to restaurants, ate at friends' houses and was never "picky".
I hope you get your son sorted out - a good nutritionist should be able to incorporate your son's vegetarian diet into a good, nutritionally sound plan with possibly some suggestions of how to get foods into him!!

Answer 3

Yes, your toddler needs the calcium in milk, but contrary to what one may think, a toddler does not need more than 2 servings a day (2 cups). When giving milk don't forget that up to 2 years old, toddlers should drink whole milk as fat is very important for brain development. You can try adding fruits and making smoothies, or adding flavor (chocolate or strawberry). You can also cook using milk, such as adding to soup and rice instead of water. Cheese also counts, does your daughter like cheese? I guess a good excuse to give her Mac & Cheese :-) Another thing you could try is Soy milk. My son was lactose intolerant so I always gave him soy milk. As with cow milk, you should buy whole soy milk. And also make sure you buy fortified soy milk with vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium.

Answer 4

This is the toughest time to enforce dietary restrictions because toddlers are picky enough, then to limit what they are offered- well it's the difficulty raising children vegetarian. In principle I think it's great, a very healthy lifestyle, but very hard to get the right nutrients when kids don't understand the point of your family's eating habits.

What about soy "chicken nuggets"? Other soy "meat" products like sausages? Barilla pasta now has a version that contains 17g of protein per (adult) serving. Have you tried ricotta cheese mixed with pasta? Also, french toast, where you have really let the bread soak well into the egg is a good way to hide protein and they never know its there.

Answer 5

Get his favorite food that is a vegetarian food that you can make. While you are making it. Take something dairy or something in good nutrition that he needs or something maybe in high calorie. Try getting him to eat it. If he likes it. Keep doing it and try it with other foods too. I am so sorry that he is allergic to most things of that sort. Try and find one though! All for the health of your son. Get get em'.

Answer 6

Have him eat and drink as much as you can. Give him Marmite for vitamin B12 (it might not be a hit at first, but maybe later) and give him other protein sources (maybe Luna bars are a bit too far, but stuff like that). You should give him the Barilla pasta with all that good stuff in it, and try to get him to eat other kinds of milk- rice milk, almond milk, etc.

Best to your toddler!

Answer 7

He absolutely needs more protein than what he's getting, is your pediatrician aware of the fact that you're not giving him meat? Will he eat tofu? You may have to smuggle it into his food, put it in fried rice. Kids go through picky stages, but since your little guy is more at risk of stunted growth, you need some extra help. Hopefully you'll hear from some other vegetarian parents who've been through this. Good luck!

Answer 8

barilla makes pasta that is enriched with omaga 3 and all kinds of good nutrients and you cant taste the difference - i serve it to four kids all the time. there are yogurt drinks that i used to mix with milk to give to my daughter when wshe was weaning from breast milk (she was 2y/o). whole foods has a lot of options, too. mix sauce in with the rice. i became the master of sneakiness - i hide good stuff in all the time. still do. what religion is against meat? the bible ... never mind. not my business. anyway, having help you prepare the food helps.

Answer 9

Let him get hungry and whine for a while. He'll eat. YOU are the parent, and decide what a toddler may and may not do. And BE CONSISTENT! Once he sees that you won't cave anymore, you'll have a much smaller problem. Remember, firm, fair and friendly with kids. Best of luck.

and, beans and rice together make a complete protein.

Answer 10

We use sunflower butter instead of peanut butter, he might like that. We're out right now, so I can't check for you how much protein. Sorry no other suggestions, but I'd make sure he's taking daily vitamins.