very fussy 5 year old eater - please any advice? Maybe from vegetarians

[goingbacktowork]

We are not vegetarians. My nearly 6 year old daughter has over the last year got more and more fussy with eating. She never really likes meat (she maybe eat the odd shepherds pie) but now on finding out that fishfingers contain real fish she will not eat them. Today it no more milk as it comes from cows. I am concerned that she will get protein deficient. She does not want a snack for school now and today had yorkshire pudding and cheese for lunch at school! Does anyone have any suggestions of what to give her? I do not know even how much protein/fat a child needs. Are there any sites aimed at veggie kids as I thought they might have some pointers. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks very much.

My 6 year old neice did exactly that, at that age - when pushed she told my sister that she really wasn't happy eating meat and wanted to be veggie. They compromised on her eating fish and not meat.

My DS is 12 and has always been veggie (though eats fish) and is also very cautions with food, likes anything bland and nervous of new foods.

The answer to your question is that children are unlikely to go short of protein as most people in the UK have much more than the need. Iron is more likely - so you could give her vitamin pills if you're worried. But there's also iron in breakfast cereals, eggs, greens, and many veggie substitue products (veggies sausages, etc).

Thinks my DS has always eaten lots of - cheese, eggs, spinach and cheese mixtures (in lasagne or pasties), baked beans, veggie sausages, peanut butter on toast. All good meat substitues and suitabley bland on the taste buds!

things not thinks

good idea - will get some iron pills (I hope they have some suitably nice tasting ones!). Someone also told me that veggies sometimes lack B12 and calcium too.

They do lovely fruit flavoured cheewy ones that are like sweeties!

off to check them out tomorrow - thanks.

I'm not vegetarian (DH eats fish but not meat), but I cooked a fair bit from this cookery book when mine were small, especially DD1 (DD2 has always been way fussier). Also this site looks like a not bad starting place, although I've only taken a quick look and you'd have to bear in mind that it's a US site. HTH x

I'd keep persevering with offering a larger range of foods rather than following all her self-imposed restrictions. Supplements are OK but there's more going on in real food than just vitamins. Peer-pressure can help fussy eaters so, if you can get her friends round and they all eat a meal together, she's quite likely to copy them. Letting her help with food preparation & cooking, tasting things in the process, can also be a good way to make her more comfortable with different foods.. I'd also recommend visits to open farms where she can see cows being milked, eggs being laid, understand farming a little better and overcome what sounds like squeamishness in that regard. If she's turning down school meals, make her a balanced packed lunch and have a word with school to make sure she eats it.