A couple of weeks ago Logan announced he wanted to be a vegetarian. After a lengthy conversation with him, asking him to explain what being a vegetarian means, why he wants to be one etc. I quickly deduced, he doesn’t actually want to be a vegetarian. He just wants to eat meat that doesn’t take too long to chew. Which is fair enough, he’s at the stage where he very much wants to eat as quickly as he can so he can get off the table to play.
After this chat with Logan, I jumped on Instagram stories and asked if anyone else was going through a similar phase with their little one and how they are managing it. I had more “OMG, Yes!” responses than I expected. After going back and forth with some of the Mum’s, most agreed it’s also more of a texture issue for them rather than an actual want to be a vegetarian. This is really important to understand. My Dad was a vegetarian and so are a lot of my friends. They made this choice at a young age, so you need to ensure you listen to the reasons why your little one does not want to eat meat.
For EVERYONE, me included, this has been a positive experience. It has forced me to become more creative with veggie based meals and find more protein alternatives.
I’m a huge fan of Rachel’s recipes – Little Veggie Eats on Instagram. Her cookbook is packed with delicious veggie/vegan meals suitable for the whole family. She also shares really useful posts, like this one on plant based protein sources.
What is toddler meat aversion?
Picky eating is a common phase most children go through. Meat can be dry, bland compared to other foods and hard to chew. So it’s no surprise that toddlers refuse to eat it.
Children are intuitive eaters, they eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. During their formative years, they also know what their bodies need at certain times. You will find that during some periods they will eat more or less protein and carbs to facilitate what their bodies need to grow.
There could also be other deeper reasons why your little one does not want to eat meat. If you have any concerns, please speak to a childhood nutrition expert. I am more than happy to field any questions to our nutritionists.
What do I do?
Have an open conversation with your little one, if they’re old enough of course. If it seems to you that they don’t want to eat meat for texture reasons and are not actually committed to being a vegetarian:
- Try serving meats on the bone, mince (meatballs, bolognese) or more fatty cuts of meats. Swap chicken breasts for chicken thighs for example. Thighs are higher in iron and they’re not as dry as breasts.
- Marinade meat/fishes for at least 30mins before cooking. This provides new flavour combinations and also tenderises the meat, making it easier to chew.
- Try different cooking methods. BBQ, slow roasting and cooking in a sauce, can all provide a softer, melt in the mouth texture.
Avoid
Forcing them to eat meat/fish when they clearly do not want to. This will set a negative mindset towards these foods.
As always, please drop me an email or DM and I will be happy to support further.
Have a delicious day,
Tijani x
