DC sudden aversion to meat

[LoveFlowers]

My DS has suddenly started vomiting after he eats pieces of meat. However, he doesn't when the meat is minced or puréed. He's never reacted like this before now. I'm trying to work out why this is happening and how to help him. Any ideas?

Stop giving him pieces of meat?

how old is he?

I found meat repulsive when younger but we more or less had to eat it. hated beef and lamb the most I think, sometimes would make me gag. I'm mostly plant based now and don't miss it.

The problem about not giving him meat is that he's always been a fussy eater when it comes to vegetables or any other form of protein. How can I ensure he gets what he needs to grow? He also actually says he wants to eat meat!

It also seems to just come out of the blue.

Eugh, puréed meat

Does he eat cheese? Baked beans? Yoghurt? Eggs? Peanut butter?
I'm sure he's getting plenty of protein. Protein deficiency in children is vanishingly rare.

Nope, doesn't eat cheese, yoghurt or peanut butter. Will on rare occasions eat eggs or baked beans.

Is DS vomiting immediately he eats a piece of meat? It could be psychological. Cancer chemo patients sometimes wind up vomiting as soon as the enter the hospital if they've had vomiting caused by earlier chemo. Had he been sick or choked or been disgusted by the taste of a meat dish? If he is only little it's normal to have problems with the texture and amount of chewing you need to eat meat. He may have swallowed a bit pretty much unchewed and been upset by that- if you've ever done it you know it feels very nasty.

does he vomit after every type of meat? some people are more sensitive to beef or pork for example.

some other sources of protein could include tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, seeds, nuts

tofu you can cut into cubes, roll in cornflour and fry in oil or bake. its amazing! you can flavour however you like but I like to fry then once it's almost done add pineapple juice, ginger and garlic and cook down into a sticky sauce.

tempeh you could make into like fake bacon. it's pretty tasty.

lentils and beans you could have in a tasty sauce and do with tacos or wraps to jazz it up a bit? like Mexican?

seeds and nuts can be added to anything really.

lidl and aldi are quite good for these sorts of things, so like chia seeds, milled linseed etc. add to yoghurt, cereal, salad, smoothies, etc

silken tofu can be quite useful too as you can add it to a sauce or smoothie. I sometimes whizz up silken tofu with berries and a banana for a lovely smoothie. add some of the milled seeds too if you want.

also there is protein in simple meals like beans on toast (with cheese or nutritional yeast if wanted), yoghurt (dairy or non dairy), some veg like mushrooms and peas.

Maybe he found out what meat is? It would make me vomit. Id stop giving him meat and focus on other stuff, theres no need for it.

Well, I wouldn't choose puréed meat either but he seems to be able to eat it easier that way!

some shops have a bread with lots of seeds in and its got a fair bit of protein in, can't remember how much. it's like a soya and linseed bread I think.

Nowt wrong with mince. You can get most meats and poultry ready minced these days. Fish fingers are a good source of protein that most children will eat.

Thanks for the suggestions.

It doesn't seem to matter which meat. It's more about how big the pieces are. I tried vegetarian protein alternatives but he rejects them mostly. He will eat peas (he doesn't like nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh)

He also doesn't like mushrooms.

Yeah, I was wondering if it's psychological. Maybe he ate some when he was ill or didn't quite chew some properly before he swallowed it and that's made him feel an aversion to it. He's never told me that this has happened though. Any ideas how to help him get passed this if it is psychological?

Yes, I suppose at least he eats mince! Just difficult when it comes to family meals or meals out and he wants to eat other forms of meat but can't.

It's a sensory thing. It's the texture that is likely making him gag.

Try tiny pieces or meat that is not overly chewy or chunky, e.g. mince, pulled pork/chicken, stew that has been shredded.

Stick with only these for a while so they aren't worried about gagging and it has reinforced that they do like meat. Then introduce something a bit bigger.

Thanks, yes could be sensory and what you said could work. I'll try tiny pieces of tender meat and gradually try something a bit bigger.

I also like the idea of buying bread with linseed/soya/protein in. Thanks!

When I was a child I completely went off meat other than chicken for fear of getting a piece with fat or gristle. It genuinely made me heave thinking about it.

My mum would still do the usual meals (eg a Sunday dinner) but I would have a piece of fish. Eventually I learned how to identify if the meat was purely meat and started eating it again.

That's interesting to hear. Yes, maybe he just ate a piece of meat that was fatty or grisly and that's put him off really badly. I'm glad you were able to eat it again after a while.