How do I get my 3 yr old to eat meat?

Question

My 3 year old daughter is determined to not eat "fresh" meat. She will eat fast food meat, but we get fast food maybe once every few months. I make fish, chicken, steak, things like that and she will not eat them at all. How do I get her to eat this stuff so she gets the protein she needs?

I have tried giving her condiments to help her eat it but this still does not work.

If I mix it in other food she seperates the 2. She is a very smart cookie :)

Answer 1

I understand what your saying. My 3 year old Boy won't eat any Hamburgers or Chicken unless it comes from McDonalds and that he doesnt get very often. The only other thing he will eat that is meat and not from a fast food rest is Hot Dogs, and that is occassionally. He will eat a whole can of corn before he touches any meat that hasnt been fried. Well anyways, the problem came up at the Pedi's office, and he introduced Nutripal bars, and Nutripal Shakes- They are great, my son considers the Nutripal bar his Candy Bar and the shakes his Milk SHakes, and he just eats them up- Even if your daughter isn't eating the meal you've made, make her a sandwhich (if she likes peanutbutter include it because it is loaded full of protein) and for desert give her a Nutripal bar, she will get all of her nutrition from that! Good Luck! Any Pedi and book,mag will tell you that you can't make a 3 year old eat anything!

Answer 2

I have a 4-year old who is a very picky eater. When your child is hungry, they will eat. I started by giving my son just a couple of tiny peices at first, and if he ate it all, then he could have the rest of his meal - veggies, pasta, etc. I made sure to season the meat so that it was tasty enough for him that he would eat it on a regular basis from then on, and it's been getting much better. He won't touch red meat yet, but he's conquered chicken, pork and some fish with this technique. I know it sounds cruel, but if she sits at the table long enough and sees everyone else eating, she will come around. Good luck!

Answer 3

A couple of things I have learned from my VERY picky son:

You can't force a kid to eat. It just causes a bigger headache that it's worth.

Children do not need all food groups at every meal to survive. Find other ways to give her the nutrition that she needs. If you are worried, see a doctor.

When she is old enough to compromise, ask for one bite of each item on the plate. Then if she still claims to not like it, don't push. Eventually she will change her mind.

Don't give into the the fast food. If you keep giving her the fast food, she will think it is ok to only eat the fast food. Don't give her fast food until she gives in on the healthy food.

Answer 4

Well you need to find out why your child is such a picky eater. Does she have an ethical objection to meat? Or is it a taste preference? There are also many other ways to have protein in your diet with out eating meat. Tofu and bean/rice combinations are on the top of the list. I would also suggest taking a look at Indian cooking, much of the Indian diet is meat free and very very tasty (darn now I am making myself hungry).

Answer 5

There are plenty of other things you can try to give her the protein she needs. Scrambled egg with cheese, some almonds, peanut butter? Dont worry about it she will be fine. I took my daughter to the Dr when she was little because all she wanted was mac & cheese breakfast lunch & dinner. He told me no child has every died from a mac & cheese od and to give it to her. She out grew it, now she eats meat, chicken & seafood. Emjoy her, they are only babies once!! If you still feel you want her to have meat, buy her the Gerber Meat sticks. Kids love them

Answer 6

Just wait. Toddlers are picky eaters. My daughter went through a period of several weeks when all she wanted to eat was toast with butter. Within a month she decided to start eating everything, including "fresh" meats and vegetables. Have you considered alternate sources of protein such as cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, eggs, etc.?

Answer 7

my son went through this phase at two it didn't last long get some one she is crazy about like a big brother or nan or aunt to make some chicken with her its the least offensive but keep her away from the yucky bit and don't make to much of a big deal if she does or doesn't eat it when she does eat it tell her well done but remember it is "normal" behavior to eat meat treat it normally .


eat or nothing didn't work for me he choose nothing and did not give in for a whole day he ate nothing and that's bad for a two year old

Answer 8

Hi my name is Susie. My little sister has always had a BIG problem with eating meat. My mom always thought that she just didn't like it. But as she got older she has started eating meat. Maybe you should just give it time to heal itself or you could find out if there is maybe like a protein shake for toddlers.

Good luck!

Answer 9

I think that it is pretty normal for toddlers to not eat much "fresh" meat. It could be the texture. Mine would eat Mc Donald's nuggets but not Whataburger's strips. McD's is processed and much easier to chew. Mine usually ate pieces of chicken better than beef, especially steak.

For protien, offer her peanut butter, cheese and beans. In the meantime, continue offering some meat and eventually she will be ready for it.

Answer 10

My kids wouldn't touch meat until they were older. It took my son until he was 8 to really like it. I think the texture is hard for them to chew and swallow.

My advice: Keep offering it, but don't worry about her not eating it. Toddlers are so finicky...this is completely normal. Just make sure she is getting protein from peanut butter, cheese, or somewhere else.

Maybe try diced ham or turkey. My kids would tolerate that from time to time. And don't worry, mom! She will come around when she's a bit older.