Refusing to eat meat

[Karoleann]

DS (6) hasn't eaten meat now since last week after a very detailed conversation with a friends little boy of the same age about where meat comes from. I actually though he understood anyway that meat came from animals, but I think he assumed that it came out of the animal in the same way as eggs from a chicken.
My main worry (apart from the fact that he won't eat the same as my other 2 children) is that he is fairly fussy and I don't think he'll get the same nutritional benefit from a vege diet than he would from eating meat. So far, I've tried explaining that eating meat is normal (canine teeth , iron, B vits etc) and also just ignoring it.
Any suggestions?

Haven't really got any suggestions no sorry. If it is any help, my DS is a vege. She just never liked meat so my family just cooked 2 meals some nights and vegetarian ones some nights.

Have you explained that he will need to get protein and discussed with him which of the alternatives he is happy with?

I did the same thing at age 4 and I'm still vege now. (age 32) I agree re. discussing the need for protein and making sure he understands his decision but if he is anything like I was you won't change his mind. There are some great meat substitutes these days, it needn't be an issue.

Agree with Commuting. Am really glad my sister is a vege because we had a much more varied diet than most of my friends in the 70s. We still enjoy our meat free days now .

Thanks, I'm such a meat eater myself, I find it difficult to understand not eating meat. Although the children have a meat free meal 3 x a week anyway.
DH won't eat the food the children do, so it just means that I'll be cooking 3 meals on the meat days.
The meat substitues aren't an option unfortunately, DS2 is very allergic to mushrooms and I'm not happy giving them TVP due to the hormone issue.

How is he with other forms of protein?

DH won't eat the food the children do, so it just means that I'll be cooking 3 meals on the meat days. think my DH would be cooking his own meals if he was that fussy!