Veggie kid who won't eat veggie food!

[cockles]

We're fish and veg-eaters, no meat. Ds (4.5) likes pasta and not much else - won't eat any kind of pulses, so tho he does eat fish when we do, I worry about getting decent protein into him apart from cheese and eggs. (He can detect lentils even pureed into pasta sauce, it seems) I don't fancy the fake meat products. He does eat meat out of the house - wolfed down a chicken leg the other day - but neither of us are prepared (or have the skill!) to cook it. Ideally I'd like us all to eat together but he's too picky at the moment to do that all the time. So how bad is it that he gets such a limited range of protein? Anyone know? Thanks!

If your child does not like veggie food I would suggest he is not a veggie kid, just a child you are forcing you tastes and life choices on. Sorry, but your phrasing has annoyed me.

However, I spoke to my HV as DD chews meat but spits it out and freaks out if chicken is on her plate (even "hidden" in vegetable sweet and sour). She loves normal veg and cheese, and will eat sausages. She also loves bolognaise, which I make with either mince or Quorn (if I fancy being healthy). Using a tomoto sauce hides the flavour. Baked beans were also suggested to me as a fab source of protein.

I wouldn't stress about it, but I would consider offering him meat if he gets really fussy as DS's health has to come above all else.

Good luck

he doesn't seem to be a veggie kid then...

No, you are right he isn't a veggie, badly worded. It was the protein issue I was wondering about.

If your DS will eat fish, eggs and cheese, plus odd bit of meat out of the house, he can probably easily get enough protein!

I'm a vegetarian, pulses (especially soybeans) are a good source of protein but not fantastic -- quinoa (sp?) a cooked grain has as much protein per 100g as lentils do. Use it as you would couscous. Check the protein content on packages of oats as well, its pretty good (I think something like 14g/100 for lentils and grains like quinoa, 9g/100 for porridge oats, etc.) Yogurt and tofu are ok for protein as well, and can be mixed into other foods.

I seriously wouldn't worry though since he's eating other things especially fish. Think about alternating oily and non-oily fish for a mix of nutrients.

That doesn't solve his lentil-refusal problem but at least you don't have to worry about his diet