how can i get my 3 yo ds to eat 'proper' meat?

[mabel1973]

I would say for around the last year or so my DS has taken a dislike to 'proper' meat. I am assuming it is about the texture rather then the taste.
He will eat the following:
Mince beef / lamb in cottage pie, bolognese etc.
meat balls
Sausages
bacon
chicken breast/ beef / lamb, occasionally, if i thread it on to a skewer and griddle it.

However he won't eat meat if we do a roast dinner and it is carved off a joint of meat, he wouldn't eat a chicken drumstick, a lamb chop etc.
I cooked a piece of gammon last week, chopped it really finely to add to his pasta sauce, but he picked it out. I have also tried giving him stew and shredding the meat really finely, but he still picks it out.
I would love to be able to sit down and have him eat the same as us, especially when it comes to a sunday roast. any ideas? thanks.

Just chill, he'll learn to eat meat when he's ready. ds1 couldnt eat meat til he was 4! dd1 ate meat from being weaned!

thanks.
it's not that he can't eat it though. He used to eat it then stopped.
I suppose i should just be grateful that he does eat reasonably well.

Dd1 does'nt eat meat apart from sausages and chicken nuggets

Everyone has different tastes tho. I love meat, but i dont eat it off the bone! I also dont like stews and am not that keen on gammon either.

Perhaps he just doesn't like it certain ways?

mm I was going to say my children love meat on the bone - chops, drumsticks - and will knaw away quite happily on bits of bone and skin while refusing to eat the more "meaty" bits. Also high quality softer cuts (fillet, lamb racks) seem to go down better than, say, stew in our house. But this sounds like he genuinely dislikes the texture (gammon is like ham, right? so it's really soft?)
I would say, if he eats off your list, then he's doing OK. When you eat "proper meat" he can eat the potatoes and the veg and gravy from the roast, and may come round in time to eat the rest!

Or maybe just stick him a skewer of meat on his plate with his roast so he eats that too. Yummy!

i have given him a skewer when the rest of us have roast, it is a bit difficult at other peoples houses though!
I am wondering that maybe he just doesn't like it,and it's not pickiness. he's entitled to not like certain foods i suppose!

If it's just at other people's houses, i really wouldn't worry. Kids are allowed to be fussy eaters. It's their job.

thanks - you are so right! i am fussing over nothing (then as a mum thats my job )

don't worry about it. I think I posted almost an identacle thread about this about a year ago as my ds doesn't much care for meat either.

Just serve the roast with small bits of meat and if he eats it fine, if not, he'll eat the potato/veg/gravy so it's really not the end of the world. as long as he's getting some protein.

I actually think my ds will ultimately become a vegetarian as the thought of animals dying for him to have meat is quite upsetting to him (he's 5).