Dr. Pat’s Health Tips: My Toddler Won’t Eat Meat…

My niece occasionally asks me for pediatric advice about her two beautiful girls. This is one concern that is shared by many parents in my practice…

Q:  We cannot get my 19 month old daughter to eat meat. We have tried (many times) lots of variety. We’ve tried it in things, on things, from our plates, when she asks for it….but she just won’t eat it. In fact, she usually wipes it off her tongue with a napkin or her fingers. I’m open to any tricky things I might not have considered

A:  Meat is an excellent source of protein and calories for toddlers, but it is not as easy to chew as starches, fruits and veggies. It also has a different “mouth feel” compared to many other foods.

Try these strategies to acclimate your young one to the taste and texture of meats…

Focus on offering thin sliced or shaved deli meats, chicken, turkey or ham. These have a saltier taste and lack the distinctive flavor and coarse texture of most meats. Mix crumb-sized pieces of meat with other foods that are moist and flavorful.

Disguise shredded meat in pureed veggies, sprinkle into a grilled cheese sandwich, stir into cooked pasta with butter or tomato sauce. Serve tiny pieces of meat with just a drop of ketchup, ranch dressing, mild BBQ sauce or applesauce if she likes those things. In the beginning, just add traces to her menu until you can let a bit more taste shine through.

Don’t let on that you are trying to push her in any way. It is important that she controls what she eats, and you control what is served. Keep up other sources of protein that she will eat.

And be patient. Most toddlers who don’t like meat soon acquire the taste. (Then you can try my healthy baked chicken nuggets, so stay tuned!)

The photo? Yes, that’s the one!