Any ideas for kids who don’t like meat?

[Guest]

Anyone else have picky eaters that won’t eat meat? Mine will eat breaded fish sometimes and one will have scrambled eggs, other only the egg whites.

Looking for ideas to help get the extra needed nutrients other than just vitamins.

Fruits, veggies and peanut butter are always accepted by them

[Heidie]

We like the Kodiak pancake mix because it has extra protein and then I always add an egg to the batter for more protein.

Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie.

My son doesn’t like much meat but loves yogurt and cereal with milk, so I look for fortified cereals (mostly various flavors of cheerios)

[Holly]

I don't have anything super creative. Just beginning my journey in this picky stage. But I use protein pasta. It taste and looks just like regular pasta if your little one will take that I think they have like a veggie one too.

[Jenny]

I do bean fritters for my daughter. Mash beans, mix with cheese, flatten and fry in butter. Good fats, protein, iron and zinc! I also bake muffins and add Greek yogurt, but better, and ground chia seeds for extra nutrients. The only meat my child will eat at all is homemade meatballs made big enough she grabs it in her fist and takes bites lol so I make meatballs once a week with a different ground meat.

Also, she will eat beans or shredded chicken if I very sparsely add them into her cheese quesadillas. She won’t eat yogurt or cheese unless it’s quesadilla or on pizza, won’t eat any meat or seafood besides the meatballs, and rejects beans unless they’re fritters.

So, I do feel your frustration! Oh and I cook her noodles in bone broth instead of water.

Also, check out: Any tips for kids that won’t eat meat

[Eunice]

My kid only eats fish fingers or bacon. Recently he started eating tomato-chutney chicken.

However, he eats lentil and veggie soup daily as well as a double cream yoghurt, banana and peanut butter smoothie.

[Farah]

As much as it pains me, I introduced ketchup to my toddler so he would eat meat. We call it “dip dip” and he enjoys dipping his chicken nuggets or hot dog into the ketchup. He still won’t eat any old meat but somehow adding ketchup made it easier for him to accept some.

Don't forget to take a look at: My Kid gets no veggies or real meat

[Meara]

So my son (8.5) has liked meatballs (only if I make them), in the past year will eat a hamburger every once in a while, every blue moon a chicken nugget/fingers, and a few bites of grilled chicken only under threat.

But his safest of meals is somehow rice and shrimp with barbecue sauce on it. Somehow he took to it as a preschooler. Keep trying different things. We incentivize for “tries” (averages one a day or two)… and 3 months in, he is at least expanding his palette a bit.

It’s super slow going. I regret giving in to his limited palette as a youngster. Keep on trying…