My 2-year-old doesn't like eating meat: Advice?

Does he like spinach, potatoes , or dried apricots? They all contain a good source of iron. You could even add flaxseed to yogurt or buy iron enriched cereal. Also, could try using an iron supplement in the meantime☺️

Pan fried tofu, beans, nut butters, smoothies with veggies snuck in.

Cut them up into really tiny pieces and mix a teaspoon full into mashed potatoes

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My son is 11 years old and still dont eat meat,I offer to him but dont make him eat it,Beans,eggs,Peanut butter and Pasta he likes

You cant absorb iron properly without vitamin c.

My son didn’t eat meat until he was around 8-9. He had trouble chewing and swallowing it, especially red meat. Get him a multivitamin and check with his pediatrician to see if there’s an underlying issue.

My youngest stopped liking meat around 2. Shes seven now and still only really likes chicken. She loves eggs tho so i make those for her alot. And she likes beans and peanut butter so i let her eat as much of that as she wants

Your child doesnt HAVE to eat meat. There are plenty of iron and protein rich alternatives.

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Don’t worry mommy he will eventually eat my mom had 6kids she told me this and be I had 5 kids and I’m telling you

My son was like this stick bones lol I would recommend pedisure and beans peanut butter stay away from milk I heard it gives you low iron baked potatos and cereal whole grain bread give him what he likes hun as long as he eats

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Most littles don’t like the fact that they have to chew more and harder to eat meat so tend to avoid it. Also if he is anemic limit his milk and dairy product intake as this will make it harder to absorb iron and he may end up with grey spots (looks like bruising) on his body

Flintstones children gummy vitamins plus iron!!! Lots of veggies have a good source of iron. My son will only eat raw veggies but there better for him that way, anyways. But yes, my son is now 7 and still doesn’t eat that much meat and hes fine. Never would eat it when he was smaller…

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Don’t give him meat?

My child doesn’t eat any meat unless it’s in a quesadilla and he can’t see it, but he does eat a lot of peanut butter which has protein.

He won’t even eat chicken nuggets or a cheeseburger? And are you giving him children’s multi- vitamins with iron?

Iron drops. My 2 y.o. doesn’t really care for meat cuz of the texture. Loves chicken nuggets n cheeseburgers n tacos tho lol

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Maybe he just doesn’t like meat? There’s vegan nuggets that my daughter loves. She just doesn’t like the taste of meat :woman_shrugging:t3: it’s literally not for everyone.

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Smoothies for the vegetable thing. My daughter loves the fruit smoothies, I just add some stuff :woman_shrugging:t3: She doesnt do meet much either, eggs and peanut butter will work for protein (as long as there isnt a peanut allergy)

I would mix mini pieces of meat in with darker foods my son liked so he wouldn’t even see there is meat in it .

V8 smoothie or V8 fusion or V8 splash juice is great for kids who don’t eat veggies! It taste just like regular juice but has both veggies and fruit. The body also needs Vitamin-C an order for your body to absorb iron so you could try giving a glass of orange juice with an iron rich cereal in the morning. It’s ideal if your getting both vitamin-c and iron together. My 4 year old refuses to eat veggies too. I also get him applesauce pouches that have both fruit and veggies in it as well. Make sure your giving enough iron and protein rich foods to make up for the lack of meat…eggs, yogurt and oatmeal are good sources of protein. Apricots and dried apricots are good fruit source of iron and use iron rich cereal. Also make sure your not giving more than 16-24 ounces of milk a day as too much milk can actually cause anemia as well. Invest in some pediasure daily as well. Also I would get flinstone vitamins as well (just don’t tell them there vitamins lol). And I would speak to his doctor if you think he’s anemic…if iron is too low they may want to put him on iron supplements (mine had to go on iron drops until we researched and tried a lot of different foods to get his iron back up naturally) as low iron can actually mess with there development so definitely speak with doctor as well.

My son is the same way. He loves his veggies and fruits, mac n cheese and any snack food you could think of but will not eat meat. He did for maybe 2 months after starting solid foods but then decided he didn’t like them I suppose. :woman_shrugging:t2:

Ketchup… all kids like ketchup.

Add other types of protein to his diet. Peanuts. Cashews. Almonds.

At this age depend on a good multiple vitamin, mineral supplement.

Try tofu. There is good stuff out there. Tree nuts, peanuts, beans-all good sources of protein. Eggs.

Most kids will eat meatballs or ground meat in spaghetti sauce.

My daughter went through this phase… I supplemented with pediasure and she ate tons of fruits and veggies… she’s 6 now and her main staple is pb&j :rofl::rofl: but she definitely eats chicken and ground beef (cheeseburgers plain lol)… from my experience it’s been an age thing that she was learning what she liked and didn’t like :woman_shrugging:

Cream of wheat is high in iron…
In spring plant a few veggies with him…let him water…he might like it if he knew he grew it…
Make a cream of veggie soup…
Smoothies…great way to hide the veggies…
A lot of choices on protein drinks from stores…great way to get nutrition…
My son hated hamburger…till he was 13…
I made different foods…lot of soups, stews, quesadillas, fish…
Hopefully he will out grow this stage…good luck…hope this helps a little

Raisins are high in iron…eggs brocoli

He doesnt need meat.
Lentils
Beans
Smoothies with cocnunt milk a handful of raw spinach strawberries or banana and yiu can add oatmeal to it too!
My toddler doesnt like to chew meat or chicken so i make
Make homemade chicken soup and put it in the blender :ok_hand: it tastes so good like cream of chicken

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My daughter did the same thing for the longest time. But if I mixed it into the rest of her food, she would eat it fine. I had to do that for probably about 2 years. Now she eats it most days, but some days can still be a struggle.

Girl I have the same problem with my 2 year old she wont even try it. She throws it and starts gagging before she even taste it.

My son was that way… He hated textures I was that way, give him protein shakes for protein. My son didn’t have his first hamburger until He was 10. He liked some chicken. But just do the best you can.

We added chocolate protein powder to our daughters milk when she was little. She wouldn’t eat any meat either until she was 3. She still barely ate any until closer to 4. If you do protein powder you have to make sure it’s label shows nutrition acts not supplement facts.

Try other forms of protein my son refused to eat meat till he was about 6-7

I have raised two children and helped raise my three grandchildren, all different in eating habits. Can you get info on why hey cry when meat and veggies? Sometimes for me, it helped when kids see how food is prepared.

My 9 year old still won’t eat meat! I pushed peanutbutter and eggs as much as possible for protein then started giving her vitamins with iron in them when she was old enough.

Dont need meat if you can find Meat supplements he likes. If iron is what your worried about, quaker instant oatmeal 3pks = 90% of an adults daily iron intake. I’m a vegetarian and while I was pregnant with my last one I was low in iron so I ate 3 pks a day theres sugar in them though

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As I kid I grew up on a farm we had cows and pigs, meat was served at most meals. I really only ate hamburger and some pork. To this day that’s still all I eat. There’s plenty of other options to get more iron.
Make homemade spaghetti sauce w cashews, ‘meatballs’ made from beans. Open up YOUR diet and try new things. Have child help make new meals w you.

Dont make him. Plenty of alternatives.

My daughter had the same issue. I started with adding ground mince to her spaghetti/bol sauced meals, stir fry veg or chopped up very small pieces of chicken to add but mixed up so she couldn’t see it.
Over the course of the next few years the sizing got bigger. She still can’t eat certain meat without a little bit of issues ie steak etc. But she is eating lamb chops, silverside, sausages & chicken etc. she is nearly 10

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Google high iron foods…there are foods other then meat that contain iron

So I have no idea how to get him to eat meat. I have a super picky 2 yo that will barely eat anything.

But something you can do while trying is making him vitamin drinks. I get a fruit/veggie all organic power from Costco that has lots of vitamins and nutrients.

Also get a good organic food based childrens multivitamin at the health food store. Herbal iron is good from mountainmeadowherbs.com

My 20 month old will not put a vegetable in his mouth!!! At all!!! So, i am still giving him the squeezy packs of baby food. Especially anything green!! Kale and spinach fruit mixes. I buy tons of these! I offer one with every meal

Iron supplements your ped can prescribe anemia is not something to play with. Reduce the milk, if that’s a thing with him. Milk slows your ability to absorb iron. They make blended fruit packs with veggies hidden and pastas made with veggies added. I had to supplement peanut butter, cheese, and beans for my son at that age cause he refused meats too

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Don’t need meat, find alternatives. My kid loves beans, soy milk, leafy greens, and nuts/seeds

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There are many protein alternatives. Our 2.5 yr old son wouldn’t eat meat for a long time. Now probably for the last 6 months he’s obsessed with “dip dips” as he calls them. Ranch for his chicken, or sour cream depending on the meal, Gravy on beef. He will clean his plate as long as its not ''plain" meat.

This is my go-to. I make spaghetti for my daughter and it tastes like any ordinary pasta.

Could have a texture/sensory issue. Try other iron rich foods. Also pedisure helps alot for the replacement of vitamins

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Beans and rice! (It’s a complete protein when eaten together)

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There are so many other foods that provide iron, peanut butter, oatmeal, grits, cereal and the list goes on so him not eating meat should not be affecting his iron levels and you disguise the meat if you crumble it so he doesn’t realize it’s there but really if he doesn’t want it then it still shouldn’t be a problem

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Meat is a odd texture Find other protein sources adding meat back in slow meat is also hard to digest I would suggest talking to your doctor

Throw some ground beef in the blender with sauce and give it a whirl til it’s so fine she they can’t tell

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My 2nd baby did this, it’s a phase. Find healthy alternatives dont make huge fuss about or it will get worse. They will grow out of. Today she’s ten and would prefer 3 pieces of whatever meat were havibg if i let her lol
Give kid ensure, kids vits, ask a dietician good alternatives anx food combinations that are a higher percent absorption for his body.
I asked wic another ago and they said cheese with juice is great, vit c helps absorb vit d. Theirs many combos to aim for, find out diff options for iron. I know zinc, but theirs more

Sneak the requested foods in his snacks. Learn new tricks.

Put your veggies and meat into a blender and turn into a puree to mix with his pasta sauce.

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So don’t make him eat meat? There’s other ways to get protein

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If he likes to drink milo with his milk give him that it has iron in it

I would seek out a nutritionist or at least talk to someone who helps run the WIC (Women Infants Children) food program in your area. I’m quite certain that such an individual would know how to address issues regarding anemic children.

As long as he isn’t anemic, which I doubt, I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s two and a picky eater. That’s not rare. Try to give him other things instead. Someone said peanut butter and oatmeal I think. Those are good. Let him drink pedisure and give him a multivitamin gummy as a reward for eating. It’s a treat for after dinner. He won’t know it’s a vitamin. You can always reintroduce things later. The bigger deal you make trying to get him to eat it, the worse it will be.

Given what he gets

He gets what’s hes give

If hes hungry he will eat.

Your the parent hes the child you give in he plays on it.

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American meat is adulterated with pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics, and it’s not that healthy, so just switch to a vegetarian diet for him. Supplement with vitamins plus iron.
For the no veggies:
•You can hide veggies in tomato sauce like shredded carrots and zucchini with diced or chunky tomatoes. You can add spinach if you’ll hide the sauce in lasagna.
• Purée vegetables with cream or puréed tofu for soup
• put yellow or orange squash in Mac n cheese, cauliflower in mashed potatoes.
• add yellow or orange squash to scrambled eggs
• There are lemon & chocolate pudding mixes that use tofu
• make zucchini bread, or add other vegetables to from-scratch or bread mixes
• will he eat vegetable sticks if he can dip them in ranch dressing?
• Can you present cooked carrots with honey as a dessert? Add whipped cream if necessary.
• add veggie purées to cake mixes or pies; may have to decrease liquid added
• get the bag of frozen mixed vegetables & tell him he can eat them (cooked) with his fingers at home if he will eat them. Try with different spices, herbs & spice mixes.
• hide veggies in pizza sauce, cover w cheese, & toss veggies in fruit smoothies as mentioned above.
• make baked zucchini “French fries”: dip in egg & breadcrumbs or panko & broil in (toaster) oven, air fry or deep fry & serve w ketchup, pizza sauce, cheese sauce
• frozen cauliflower crust pizza
• frozen spinach bites
• veggie filled raviolis
• red, orange & yellow or purple peppers might be appealing since they’re different and not green.
• cauliflower in oatmeal with syrup
• would he eat broccoli cheese soup?
• take him to a vegetable garden, plant one in containers. Get him to help you fix salads & vegetables. He might be more inclined to eat something he had a hand in making.
• keep introducing and re-introducing vegetables. Frequency will often lead to trying.
• I cook asparagus until crisp-tender & make a dip with mayo & Hollandaise (1/2 & 1/2) chill & dip away. He might like it.

Good luck! Model healthy habits & he’ll get the hang of it eventually.

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Nikki Rosbottom is there anything that isn’t meat you can eat when anemic?

My youngest child is not a big meat eater either. When he was smaller we’d give him suppliments, not pediasure but the milk kind (i dont rightly remember its been years and my memory is crap lol :smirk:). When he was older he ate deviled eggs and that was about the only “meat” i can get him to eat even now. He likes pepperoni so ill give him a handful when he wants them. He’ll eat baked beans so ill give him extra when i fix them. But at 2 years old id juat give him those drinks, theyre at the grocery store in a 6 pack, they look like little milks and should be on the baby food isle. Im sorry i cant remember what theyre called but you should be able to find them easy i hope lol :blush:. And he’ll probably get better about eating things when hes older. It took my son a good 5 years to even like the things he does like now, but hope is not lost :wink:

That kid is broken. I’d return it and get a new one

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Get the lottle side kick drinks for nutritional means. It has everything he needs and let him rediscover meat at a later age

My daughter went thru a phase like this. There’s plenty of other food that contain iron… green vegetables, and peanut butter

im mean, eat your plate or it gets warmed and served at the next meal stop special cooking for him reduce the snacks and starches he will eat when hes hungry. unless its something super spicy (hot spicy not just well seasoned) offer dips for veggies

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I would say give ensure and still attempt. Just don’t feel upset if he doesn’t like it. Beans and peanutbutter are good sources of protein. My kids favorite breakfasts which they like to eat for dinner are pancakes, peanutbutter and applesauce. Works just as well worth toast.

My daughter is almost two & doesn’t eat meat either. We don’t stress it, she may not
Like the texture either

Try beans and nuts until he comes around. I had to give my daughter protein shakes as well

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We feed nuts, cereal, our 2 yr old loves salad so she eats spinach in it. Veg ABC soup kind of fun and veg …but she us a picky eater too and still on toddler formula to top it off

Lots and lots of ketchup 🤷🤷

My son was the EXACT same way until I started putting ketchup on his plate then he learned to dip just about anything in ketchup lmao

Talk to a nutritionist. Nothing wrong with eating a healthy vegetarian diet.

The Dr told my sister one time that eating peanut butter was just as good as eating a steak

Leafy greens have a bunch of iron, but maybe try hiding the meat? My son does like just chicken on his plate (unless its chicken nuggets) but he’ll eat chicken pot pies, casseroles, soups with meat, anything where he doesn’t know its there haha! And he loves eggs with sausage in it!

There are vegetable with iron

Not even chicken nuggets?