Should my 3 year old become vegetarian?

[mummytummy]

Hi, been a while since I've been on here. I'm after some advice about DD who has just turned 3. For the last few months I have noticed that she isn't eating meat. We have just got back from a camping holiday in France, and we had lots of barbeques, and every time she tried eating any sort of meat she spat it out and said "disgusting". We've always had a policy in our household with out DDs that if they don't eat a meal they get nothing until the next mealtime, and they have both always been good eaters. I am worried that she isn't getting the right sort of protein etc and I am wondering whether to start giving her a vegetarian diet instead. What do you think?

I wouldn't change anything to be honest. Keep offering what you normally would, and if she doesn't eat the meat, fine. So long as she's had a go at the dinner itself, I would call that enough myself. I don't think this warrants a whole change of diet tbh. It could have been the barbecue - ness of the meat that put her off? It can taste strong if there is that charredness on the meat.

Of course a vegetarian child can be prefectly healthy so if she refuses meat I wouldn't worry too much, but because children do need to build their bones and grow, you would have to research exactly how to get the right amount of everything into her, it's not difficult I'm sure and perfectly do-able.

But I think in this situation you can probably ride this out and she may well eat it again without a problem.

thanks Honoriaglossop. Its not just the barbequed meat. Its any sort of meat that I have given her for the last couple of months. She won't touch chicken or sausages or anythign that we have given her. I work full time and she goes to nursery, and they have noticed the same. I don't know whether it is just laziness at having to chew meat though, because I think she'll eat shepherds pie, but that seems to be the only meat she is touching.

i wasn't a massive meat eater as a child. I'm sure it's not unusual. I remember SO hating sausages or anything like bacon or pork chops, anything with visible fat....yuck.

I'd give her what she likes as often as you can, and keep presenting her with the other stuff and let her eat as much as she can of it....best of luck.

Hi,

I've been a vegetarian since the crib and I am bringing up my DD veggie too. If you do decide to go down the veggie route with your DD, it is possible to give her a healthy, balanced diet.

The Vegetarian Society offer information on feeding vegetarian and vegan children. www.vegsoc.org.

Thanks DixiePixie, I'll check that one out.