wont eat meat pin 1

Having a kid refuse to eat a whole category of food tin can be such a challenge, so today I'm going to share what to do when a toddler won't eat meat—including easy steps yous tin can accept to aid amend the situation and how to worry a picayune less.

toddler plate of meatballs

When a Toddler Won't Eat Meat

This is a common question that I hear regularly from parents trying to augment their toddler's eating habits, and so I idea that I'd take the question to one of my favorite nutrient experts. Maryann Jacobsen, MS, RD, is behind Raise Good for you Eaters and is the co-author of Fearless Feeding, which ranks up there as one of my favorite feeding books.

I asked Maryann for her thoughts on why and what yous tin can practise when a toddler won't eat meat. Here'south her take:

There are a variety of reasons that toddlers shy away from meat. First, it tin exist too hard to chew—softer and cut upwards meat works better. Second, the texture can bother children, especially when it's a new meat. To remedy this, parents can encourage toddlers to bear upon and guess how the food volition feel in their mouths.

Merely growth and development contribute to. Growth slows around ii and appetites decrease. Toddlers and preschoolers tend to favor more starchy, carbohydrate heavy foods. For case, if parents serve pasta with a side of meat and veggies, the toddler oftentimes goes direct for the pasta. A contempo study in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences shows that growth slows so energy can be diverted to the developing brain. And a key source of energy for the brain is glucose. To requite you lot an idea, a 5 year quondam's brain uses ii times the glucose an adult brain does. This peak of glucose utilization for the brain is age 4.

This doesn't mean toddlers and preschoolers should only exist fed carbs, simply information technology can help parents understand why kids adopt the foods they exercise. Mixing poly peptide and carbs can aid like in meatballs or pulled pork sandwiches.

Keep offering foods without force per unit area or forcing, or kids could develop food aversions. At around age half-dozen, my daughter started eating more poly peptide foods like fish, meat and chicken. My son is slowly getting in that location too. Patience and exposure are key.

instant pot chicken and beans with rice on kids plateBest Meats for Kids

If you're looking for some softer meats to try, think footing beef, ground craven, crumbled sausage, and shredded craven thighs, which are often much moister than breast meat and easier to chew. Relieve the steak for later, or requite them a large piece that they can chew on to enjoy the flavor without having to worry too much about bodily chewing. Here are some recipes to try that work for both babies and toddlers:

  • Instant Pot Butter Craven
  • Healthy Toddler Meatballs
  • Broiled Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato
  • Chicken Nuggets with Sweetness Potato
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
  • Skillet Stuffed Peppers
  • Moroccan Lamb Meatballs
  • Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs

TIP: Keep in mind that all kids have unique flavor and texture preferences and some may only just non like meat that much.

Is my toddler getting enough poly peptide?

If you have whatever concerns about whether your kid is getting enough poly peptide, this post volition assist. They don't necessarily even need to be eating meat regularly to hit their protein needs, which may exist a lot lower than you realize. Most kids get enough protein without us even needing to worry near information technology at all, so you tin can likely relax if that's your main business concern.

For more tips on introducing new foods to your toddlers, check out my Resource Library for a free download with tips.

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