My Kid's Don't like Meat

We don't eat a lot of meat either. We eat a lot of beans, tho! Very high in protein. My 15 mo likes the finger food aspect. Peanut or almond butter. (Don't worry, most Americans get more protein than really required.)

Do some research they dont need meat you can find protein in many other foods. They have a healthy diet now then as adults they will also have one.

Proteins are really easy to get into the diet-even from non-meat sources. My kids aren't huge carnivores, and I swear they'd prefer to be vegetarians most of the time.

One of the best sources I've found are edamame (soy beans). You can get them frozen either shelled or unshelled. I prefer them shelled.

Most nuts are high in protein (almonds, etc), eggs, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, and beans of any kind.

I'd recommend asking your pediatrician how much protein/day they should receive and if there are any sources to avoid.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a new parenting site that has nutritional recommendations based upon their policies:
http://www.healthychildren.org/ENGLISH/AGES-STAGES/PRESCH...

Beans are an excellent source of protein. I have never been a big meat eater and my kids have pretty much fallen in the same line. They actually prefer not to eat meat for dinner. But they do like beans. And black beans have more fiber as well.

I know what you mean!! We're a vegetarian family. You should do a search for Tofu receipes. Here's a good site too.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

Best wishes to you!

you have some good suggestions here but I didn't see anyone mention cottage cheese. It's very high in protein and very good for you...not like most of the other delicious cheeses! ;) Hummus is also a favorite of ours too...if you don't want to make your own, Muhammad's is our favorite and it's made locally. You can find it at Whole Foods. We don't make a big deal about eating meat either, but the older my child gets the more intersted she becomes in chicken and some beef. If you're not a vegetarain family, just make sure you still offer those meat choices because someday they may want them.

One of my favorite protein sources is hummus. I make it myself with garbanzo beans, tahini, lemons, olive oil, salt, pepper, and anything else I want to throw in.

You've gotten a lot of good ideas here: peanut butter, other nut butters, any beans (I love refried beans, too!), fish (if they like it). Have fun feeding your healthy family!

beans are great. you can do almost anythign with beans. also; those meat replacement foods (morning star/boca), they are awesomely yummy! :) im glad you dont want to make a big deal out of making them eat meat; its not all that good for us.

I second the idea of hummus. My kids also like fruit smoothies with tofu blended in. That will give you a protein source that you doesn't require you to support a multi-level marketing scheme. You got some good suggestions--not including the ones for ham and chicken!!

When I was a vegetarian, I remember reading about making a "complete protein" by mixing foods. When you mix a grain with milk (or dairy), they somehow combine and make a protein source. There are other combinations too, but I don't recall the specifics. You could probably look it up online - search vegetarian complete protein. You can make almost all essential amino acids (proteins) with a vegetarian diet, with just a couple of exceptions.

If your kids like peanut butter you could add a little honey (just to make it easier to scoop) to some and give it with apples. You could also put peanut butter and dried crandberries on celery. I always have hard boiled eggs in the fridge, my kids love them as snacks. Toasted garbanzo beans are also a big hit around here. You just drain a can of garbanzo's and toast them dry in a skillet for 10-15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes add a little salt and paprika. All these examples are staples we use as sides for dinner too. I also add toasted almonds to fresh green beans.

Oh my kids also like to snack on edamame. They eat them like nuts but you can also add them to salads and they are really good.

Hope you get some GREAT ideas.

Would you be interested in a good protein drink. If so, I will send info.
Victoria

beans, nuts, tofu, ect.

Go to your local library and check out some vegeratian cook books.

chicken, all kinds of beans, fish, tofu...it sounds like your kids have the diet i wish my whole family had! smoothies with protein added too. my husband is a steak and potatoes kind of guy - he complains if i try to make a meal without meat - even breakfast! i can't even just make pancakes for breakfast, he has to ask if there's sausage or bacon....*sigh*....lol.

Beans are an excellent source of protein. Be careful about going too heavy on the soy products -tofu etc because there are studies that show that there are estrogen-like qualities to it that can affect the body.

Beans :baked beans, pork & beans, ham & beans (light on the ham, of course), peas, soy beans (edema, I think)-all beans and many legumes are high in protein. Tofu is rich source of protein and a good meat substitute if you can find recipes to use it in. It takes on the flavor(s) of whatever you cook it in/with. Most grocery stores carry tofu now and I usually find it with the salad mixes. Nuts are an excellent source of protein and you can eat them right out of the shell, can, or bag.

my daughter and i arent big meat eaters either, but we still get a lot of protein! black beans are our favorite. We use black beans instead of beef in tacos, quesadillas or even on "chips and cheese" as my daughter calls it. Last night i made some VERY yummy vegetarian jambalaya that had lots of beans. Egg white omlettes are always good too! my kids also love sunbutter or chocolate soy butter sandwiches! those are all some pretty simple ways to sneak protein into the diet too.

Great for you that you don't feel you need to give them meat! Animal flesh is simply unhealthy for human consumption not to mention ethically wrong. A great site is http://www.pcrm.org/ it's the physician's committee for responsible medicine. There's TONS of information there for you.
While I think it's great that you are so concerned about your children's health, protein is really not the top concern. If you are feeding them generous servings of beans, grains (lots of fresh whole grains so important), lots of different veggies and seeds and then some fruits you are getting all nutrients needed. People always ask about protein but there are no cases of protein deficiency in America except in perhaps the most impoverished areas. What we need to focus on is other things like minerals, vitamins and stuff like that. Those are things NOT found in the flesh of animals. Don't switch over to cow's milk for calcium and proteins as you're make them deficient in minerals and most likely become anemic. Check out www.notmilk.com. If you're concerned about calcium eat sesame seeds and lots of green leafy veggies. Also try to stay away from processed foods and sugars. Sugar robs the body of all essential nutrients not to mention creates many other problems in our body long term.
Keep up your amazing work!

Dear MAMA_3,

A wonderful protein supplement is soy protein - you do have to be watchful and know how it is being processed. Alcohol-washed soy powder looses most of it's isflavones (beneficial elements in soy protein) While water-washed soy powder retains most of the beneficial isoflavones found in the soy bean.

Here is what one physician says about soy protein;

In my search for a protein product to use in my practice, I learned about the Shaklee Corporation. Not only did I find their Protein Supplements to be far superior in quality than other brands; but also, I found all the Shaklee products to be of unexcelled quality.

The results that I observed in myself, my family and my patients were so significant that I had the products placed in the hospital pharmacy as well as in my office.

I am impressed with the philosophy of the company, the naturalness of the products, and the science and research behind the products. Most of all I am impressed with the results achieved by the products. Having tried many different brands of products over the years, I can say, without hesitation, that Shaklee products are the best and produce the most consistent health results. I recommend them with confidence to anyone!

Sincerely, CHARLES GRANT, M.D.
Mainland, Florida 32751

Approximate Isoflavone Content of Soy Foods

Soy Food Portion Size Total mg of Isoflavones

Cooked Soybeans 1/4 cup 18
Tempeh 1/4 cup 20
Soy Flour 1/4 cup 25
Soy protein drink mix
(water-washed) 1/4 cup 31
Textured vegetable protein 1/4 cup 18
Soy milk 1/4 cup 10
Tofu 1/4 cup 20

Shaklee's Soy Protein Shakes are now available in four different flavors:
Vanilla, Chocolate, Cafe Latte and Strawberry. They also have French Vanilla and Bavarian CoCoa Meal Shakes in a Dairy Protein Shake that kids love!!

To find out more go to: http://S..myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20322 for Meal Shakes - Kid's Love
for Energizing Soy Protein http://S..myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20665 OR
for Cinch Shakes to get Healthy http://S..myshaklee.com/us/en/category.php?main_cat=Weigh...

Maybe a protein shake will be just what you need to add a little variety and increase the protein your family's diet.
Remember soy protein has very little or in some cases no fat...just another thing that, makes it soooo awesome!

---
I have been a Health and Wellness Advisor for 16 years and love helping others create a healthier home and a better life!

S. R.

I just learned that Quinoa is a complete protein, but I don't know of any recipes yet that kids might like. Food.com and Allrecipes.com are recipe goldmines though. There are lots of different kinds of beans that have different qualities, so don't be afraid of serving them every day. They have wonderful fiber too. I have a friend that makes a lot of Mexican dishes - not your typical tacos, but authentic dishes using beans and veggies. I love lentil soup, but my 2 y/o daughter isn't really into it yet. I'm not a veggie, but I try to do 2 veggie meals a week because it is much more economical than using meat and good for you.

I second avoiding a lot of soy. It does have estrogen-like qualities and so it isn't good for little ones. Or mamas! Also, there are a lot of mamas on here with good intentions, but some are sales reps for companies like Shaklee and might have good intentions but still will be biased...

I know this is older but I just wanted to add for those that are peanut allergic or not, you can also use other nutbutters to make sandwiches. Or to scoop with apple or other fruit slices if you don't do much bread.

I thought I'd add to this even though it was an old post. My kids love the nachos that I make and I think they're pretty healthy (my twins are 2). I use the Tostitos Artisan chips that have the black bean and roasted garlic flavor (they seem to have some good fiber and whole grains to them). I drain a can of black beans and sprinkle them over the chips. I then spoon mild/medium fresh salsa over the top and fresh grated cheddar cheese and then put it in the oven to melt the cheese. I'm sure there's some protein in there and they eat it up quick! Plus the chips, salsa, and block of cheese I get them all at Costco. : )

Our 8yr old has been an ovo-vegetarian (no meat, no dairy) since birth and is thriving perfectly well on her height & weight percentiles.

Here's a great book series that might help you. Though it's vegan, you can add dairy and egg if your children like them.

http://veganlunchbox.com/

My son doesn't like meat either. Faux chicken nuggets are his go to - Quorn makes ones that don't taste like the box they come in - great protein source. Peanut butter obviously if they will eat it. Eggs if they like them. Tofu. Beans and rice together form a complete protein. I'm sure your kids are very healthy. My pediatrician said not to worry about it - virtually all of India are vegetarian and they are fine! His words, not mine. LOL