Help my DD won't eat meat!!!

[Pinny-mum]

I've noticed over the past two months DD 3.5 yrs doesn't like meat. She used to love it and was a big meat eater. Lately though she only wants to eat her vegies, not complaining about that

The only time she eats a little is in spaghetti bolognaise, but even then only wants very little sauce on her pasta?? She doesn't like mushrooms either so I'm a little worried about her iron levels.

Is this a phase? Would love to hear from other parents with similiar experiences and the outcomes for their child/ren......

By the way my DH is a butcher by trade so you can imagine he isn't impressed with the sudden taste change.

[Lulu]

We called all meat 'special chicken' when sdd was about the same age - she ate it all...

[Pinny-mum]

LMAO about the "special chicken". Might have to try "special vegies" as she's off chicken too!!

[Lulu]

Yeah, sometimes you can get around them with a simple language change, sometimes not!

My picky man likes slowcooker meats and vegies - the taste is all infused so he is more likely to try it.

[blessedatlast]

At least she eats veges.. All DSS will eat is chicken or sausages.. We bribed him to eat pumpkin last night.. He would actually like it if he let himself but makes these exaggerated vomiting sounds as soon as we offer veges he wont even try them.. He used to eat them but hasn't for the past year..We used to marinate steak and put them on skewers and call it special chicken too.. I am definitely no help sorry..

[ACJ]

Ohhhh DS is the same at the moment....He ate some beef out of our curry on Saturday night but it was slow cooked and feel apart in his mouth so I was pleased with that. I think the skewer idea might work with DS just for the fasination side of it!! Whether he just pulls it off or actually eats it I dont know!! Lol.

[Nai]

DD1 doesn't eat a lot of meat either but that doesn't bother me as I am vegetarian. She eats chickpeas and lentils etc so maybe give those a try. Sometimes she will sit and eat a bowl of chickpeas as a snack.

[berrme]

DS1 really only likes slow cooked meats too. He will happily sit and gnaw all the meat off a lamb shank, but won't eat steak, sausages or chicken. Oh he likes ham too.

I think they all go through stages where they decide they don't like things that they ate happily just a week before. Maybe just try to give her other things with iron in them aswell as meat so hopefully she will get enough. I wouldn't stop offering the meat, if she doesn't see it then she may not want it again.

[Inertia]

I am pretty sure its a phase, and it will pass. All mine started fine with meat (Haz still prefers gnawing on a snag) and then 'went off' it.

Many veges are good for iron so don't stress about that too much - its the b12 you need to keep up in the interim. Look for b12 fortified foods that the will eat until it passes. Can't rightly say how long that will be - all my kids were off it for different lengths of time. Angie was the longest where it was a couple of years until she just ate meat because she wanted to - not because we told her she had to eat x amount of each item on her plate for dessert.

[Pinny-mum]

Thanks everyone for the replies, unfortunately she does not like slow cooked meat either. Will just make sure I keep placing a small amount on her plate so at least she is offered it.

I don't ever make a big deal about food and amounts she has to eat just go with the flow, my SIL force feeds her kids until they gag and I can't stand it so I've always made a point of being fairly easy going around meal times.

Thanks inertia forf info around b12, will keep an eye out

Nai i might offer things like lentils and chickpeas, I actually think she would like them.

[Phteven]

If it's not meat it's veges.
Just try to make sure that you're providing protein and iron from other sources (dairy, eggs, legumes etc) and you needn't worry too much. There are lots of perfectly healthy babies who eat a vegetarian diet.

[Bathsheba]

Yep, I wouldn't worry too much. Will she still eat eggs? Or diced tofu? there are lots of alternatives that are probably even better for her. I also grew up with a butcher step father and had a very hard time at home I actually felt physically uncomfortable after eating red meat but he wouldn't have a bar of it. Since then i have discovered that people with blood type A (which is what I have) have body chemistry (eg low acid in their stomach) which is not conducive to digesting meat, although fish is easier. So there could have been a physical reason behind my reluctance. I haven't eaten red meat since the day my mum left my step father, over 20 years now. My DH doesn't eat red meat either and neitehr do our children... and they are perfectly healthy.

Chickpeas are fantastic! My kids adore them! Check them out. Even the tinned ones are ok... they tend to be softer than the ones you have to soak yourself so I'd try them first.