Nightmare at meal times

[kirstinT0353]

My 17 month old daughter refuses to eat meat. Partly my own fault as I mashed her food for so long - she had hardly any teeth for so long and I had a fear of choking. I've tried chopping up into tiny bits but she still spits it out, it's like there's too much chewing involved. I'm trying my best to cook her nice healthy meals and tried making it fun for her but it ends up going in the bin. She's had me in tears so many times and I now dread meal times. Has anyone else had a similar problems? Open to all suggestions!

Keep offering her a broad diet including meat products, eat the same things yourself and don't stress if she rejects the meat element for now. Same applies to any food really. Remove the stress, stop worrying about a clean plate and it'll be nicer experience all round.

Should add. .. my own DB was a meat spitter as a little kid. Grew up to be a strapping chap and enthusiastic carnivore.

Vary the protein sources so you don't have a every-dinner-is-hell fear/atmosphere. Do eggs, fish, pulses, cheese etc sometimes too.

Try cooking mince long and slow in a bolognese/chilli so it's very tender and not chewy?

Try fish as it's much softer and lighter in texture so might help bridge the gap?

Always serve meat with sauce/gravy so it's not dry. My 3yo won't countenance plain meat even now, but doused in gravy seems to be ok.

Try mince.

Do you have a mini processor? Might be worth whizzing it smooth to get her used to the flavour, then whizzing it less and less over days/weeks.?

Or, alternatively, try her with bigger pieces to 'gnaw'... Neither.or my DO would ear chopped up or minced lamb, but would enthusiastically tuck into a lamb chop