My 6 year old does not like meat....

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  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
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    If she likes chili, add your meat, finely ground and cooked to the chili! I find letting a child decide too much makes you a short order cook. No child will starve their selves for long, I say cook for her and give her what you want her to eat. She does not eat it, her choice, no snacks to make up for food rejection, she will eat when she knows that is it! Heck I would refuse to eat too if I thought someone would make me a Smoothie, equal to ice cream to a kid!

    You said "Cook for her and give her what you want her to eat. She does not eat it, her choice, no snacks to make up for food rejection...." What is her choice then???

    Eat what I give you or don't eat at all.

    Your Best friend seems to have had a daughter with Anorexia Nervosa from what you have said. How very sad that she had a heart attack at such a young age. It is actually very common, however, among us with such a fatal disease. There is a very big difference between being a picky eater vs. an eating disorder. You also say that she will not starve herself....That is the key ingredient to Anorexia Nervosa....starving oneself. Sounds like that is how your friends daughter ended up 87lbs at 23. An Anorexic child WILL NOT learn from good eating habits as a child, it is a DISEASE and must be treated by professionals and early intervention provides a better chance for recovery.

    Children are people too, and have the right to not like something. That is why I stated that being a part of menu planning and meal prep are more beneficial the the child. If they have a part in all that and still choose not to eat, well then maybe a harsher consequence is an option. If you are going to give a child choices they must be two choices that will offer the same consequence.

    Eat this or eat nothing is not consistant.

    Eat this or eat this. Consistant.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Brown rice and beans is always a good one. Also, 16 bean soup is usually cheap if you buy the mix.
    Hummus and other chickpea related things would also work well for her.

    You mention wheat, is she allergic, or is she a celiac? If she's allergic to the bran or starch but not the gluten, you can try making seitan for her. Its super easy - just mix vital wheat gluten (available in your baking section) with whatever liquids/spices you want to flavor it with, knead into a big rubbery ball, pour off excess liquid. Then slice it and boil/bake for an hour. There's tons of recipes out there or I can message you some.

    You're going to have to try to get in either egg protein or whey protein to make sure she is getting complete proteins. Beans alone won't give her all of the amino acids she needs. However make sure that the whey/egg protein are PURE... a lot of times they like to sneak in soy protein and if she's allergic that could make her sick.

    You can also get liquid aminos, but I believe they're derived from soy so be careful.
  • czewwhat
    czewwhat Posts: 8,715
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    If she likes chili, add your meat, finely ground and cooked to the chili! I find letting a child decide too much makes you a short order cook. No child will starve their selves for long, I say cook for her and give her what you want her to eat. She does not eat it, her choice, no snacks to make up for food rejection, she will eat when she knows that is it! Heck I would refuse to eat too if I thought someone would make me a Smoothie, equal to ice cream to a kid!

    You said "Cook for her and give her what you want her to eat. She does not eat it, her choice, no snacks to make up for food rejection...." What is her choice then???

    Eat what I give you or don't eat at all.

    Your Best friend seems to have had a daughter with Anorexia Nervosa from what you have said. How very sad that she had a heart attack at such a young age. It is actually very common, however, among us with such a fatal disease. There is a very big difference between being a picky eater vs. an eating disorder. You also say that she will not starve herself....That is the key ingredient to Anorexia Nervosa....starving oneself. Sounds like that is how your friends daughter ended up 87lbs at 23. An Anorexic child WILL NOT learn from good eating habits as a child, it is a DISEASE and must be treated by professionals and early intervention provides a better chance for recovery.

    Children are people too, and have the right to not like something. That is why I stated that being a part of menu planning and meal prep are more beneficial the the child. If they have a part in all that and still choose not to eat, well then maybe a harsher consequence is an option. If you are going to give a child choices they must be two choices that will offer the same consequence.

    Eat this or eat nothing is not consistant.

    Eat this or eat this. Consistant.

    I am positive the original poster knows her child. She sounds like a good mom. I wont trash her thread with arguement. If you want to be a short order cook for your child, by all means do it. I said offer choices, the end. Begging your child to eat is just as bad as forcing them to eat! Mine are all raised amd many people pay me to help them raise theirs, I am an expert in the field. have fun and god bless you.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
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    I am positive the original poster knows her child. She sounds like a good mom. I wont trash her thread with arguement. If you want to be a short order cook for your child, by all means do it. I said offer choices, the end. Begging your child to eat is just as bad as forcing them to eat! Mine are all raised amd many people pay me to help them raise theirs, I am an expert in the field. have fun and god bless you.

    I'm not trying to "argue" with you. I directed my post at the original poster answering her request for a recipe and added some personal information. Your advice hit home with me because I know that it does not work with all kids. I, in no way suggested that I was a short order cook nor do I beg my child to eat. I don't think the original poster hinted at that either. You are making judgements that are harsh and unsupported.

    I respect what you do as a daycare provider. I would not agree that 23 years in daycare makes you an expert in the field of pediatric nutrition or psychology. The original post requested a recipe and your advice was to let the child skip a meal if she doesn't like meat. You judged her as being picky. Not at all expert advice.
    Sorry, but I think it is fair to agree to disagree at this point. Enjoy your day.:flowerforyou:
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,550 Member
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    Is she allergic to almonds? Might offer those as a protein source, if she isn't. Dairy and beans are good. How about seafood? Can she eat shrimp? Very high in protein.

    I wouldn't worry too much about it actually. I was raised a vegetarian, without soy based products, and was one of the healthiest kids you'd ever meet.

    One thing I've found that is helpful with picky children is to let them pick a couple of food things they like (say...eggs, peas, rice) and let them be creative (with your aid) in making a new, custom dish. It can be weird or unusual, but often they will eat it simply because they got to make it up themselves.

    Good luck mom!
  • KZOsMommy
    KZOsMommy Posts: 854 Member
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    WannabeaCullen- Thank you so much for your wonderful advice and your recipe. I am a veg as well as I do not like the texture of meat. I eat a lot of stuff she does not care for (lots of spices) but like I say I make a vegan chili and she LOVES it. She also likes homemade bean tacos but now that she is allergic to wheat and corn not sure how I can make them for her. I am looking into getting a gluten free bread maker and hoping that I can make her some good bread she can spread stuff on and she likes to do that with jelly and sunflower seed butter on rice cakes. She does enjoy oatmeal as well so hopefully with all of those things I can give her some great healthy choices!

    msarro- Thank you! Yes she is allergic to wheat. If you have some recipes handy and are willing to message that would be great. If you are busy I understand and I will also be looking some up as well. Thank you for the hint on the whey/egg protein. I found that out last night when I went shopping for it. I am going to go to my local food coop and get some all natural whey protein. It really is surprising how much crap they put into everything. I never knew until she became so allergic to everything. Her basic diet has been meat, fresh fruit and veggies. She was allergic to milk and eggs as well but recently out grew them. So now she can have yogurt and cheese which she is loving and she also enjoys hard boiled eggs.

    You guys are a wonderful support!!!

    Amanda
  • isadoraworkman
    isadoraworkman Posts: 205 Member
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    How does your daughter tolerate quinoa? If you make a chili, you could pour it over the quinoa, which is an excellent source of complete protein. Odd in a grain, but true. It is great that she loves beans, that will save some aggrivation :smile:
  • KZOsMommy
    KZOsMommy Posts: 854 Member
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    stormieweather- Yes she is deadly allergic to all nuts (almond is highest on her list) :cry: I am sad for her and myself as I :heart: them and can't eat them because it will make her so sick. Working on getting her to like fish. She has never really tried it much so it is something that I make and she will try a bit at least every time it is made. I :heart: your idea of letting her cook for herself (with help)! She LOVES to cook and come up with recipes so I think we will do that today Thank you :flowerforyou:

    Amanda
  • KZOsMommy
    KZOsMommy Posts: 854 Member
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    isadoraworkman- I have only made quinoa once and she liked it at first and then once she really started to eat it she was not so sure about it BUT I did not put anything in it for her but butter lol so I am sure I add some chili or something she would love it. Thank you!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,550 Member
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    I'm linking a friend's blog. She has an autistic son who is allergic to wheat and casein and has improved his behavior dramatically through dietary changes.

    Blog - http://www.thegfcflady.com/about/

    Story of her and her son's journey so far - http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=18924

    She has some neat recipes and ideas for alternative, healthy foods.
  • KZOsMommy
    KZOsMommy Posts: 854 Member
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    Stormieweather- Thank you so much for that!!! I am just starting my son on that diet so that will be VERY helpful to me both for my son and my daughter!!
  • katznketo
    katznketo Posts: 323 Member
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    I think they are a combination of seasonal and sinus problems. All I know is that before we started this, he was sick fairly often. Now maybe once in a year and it doesn't last but a day or two. When he went to Kindergarten I thought he would bring home everyones sniffles. But not a single one.

    I swear it is because we all do this. We all have abottle with our names on it. be blessed, kc
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Here is one of my most very favorite recipes: easy and inexpensive to make, low fat, high fiber, meat free (we were vegetarian for a while). My 9-year-old eats it, but we usually put lots of cheese on it for him.

    Mexican Lentil Soup

    In a sauce pan, saute half an onion (chopped) and 2 carrots (sliced) in a bit of olive oil until slightly softened. You can also add green peppers, green onions, jalapenos, or anything else that might be in the crisper. Add 2 cups of dry lentils, 1 16 oz. jar of salsa (any kind--whatever you prefer), and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes.

    I tend to boil it a bit longer until everything is good and mushy and then serve it as a dip with corn chips. Top with cheese or sour cream if you wish. Serve with brown rice (complete protein) or roll up into burritos (with or without rice). Obviously the corn chip or tortilla option is not going to work for your daughter though. This is a staple in the winter at our house. You could also make this in a crock pot--on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours...
  • KZOsMommy
    KZOsMommy Posts: 854 Member
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    Thank you Mitch 16 that sure does sound really yummy!!!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,550 Member
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    I don't know if you're aware of this, but at last some of the expenses associated with the gfcf diet can be considered a tax deduction (medical expenses). Keep an extremely thorough records, because gfcf diet is very expensive. Here is a sample record kept for the tax deduction - http://www.tacanow.org/resources/tax-strategies/gfcf-deductions.pdf. Here is some more detail about it - http://www.celiac.com/articles/279/1/Tax-Deduction-for-Gluten-Free-Foods-as-a-Medical-Expense-for-Diagnosed-Celiacs-Only/Page1.html.

    Good luck and I'm interested to know how things work out for you :flowerforyou:
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Hi! I have a son who is just shy of 5 and has a severe peanut allergy like you describe (although he is fine with other tree nuts in moderation).

    He is not much of a meat eater either but it doesn't worry me too much. He loves cheeses, yogurt and cottage cheese--all with good protein levels. We also LOVE Sunbutter and Hummus has been great. Some people have told us peanut allergy people are sometimes allergic to hummus as well because it's also a legume, but my son is find with it. It's really good to have on hand if your child is not allergic.

    I also put very very small pieces of chicken in with couscous and other grains and he barely knows they are there. Oh, also--he loves different salami's. I have to find really good kinds w/out nitrates because I don't want to give him too much with--but that works for us too.

    Good luck!

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