Help with my daughters diet!?!
Answers: My daughter is a born vegetarian. She hates meat, and if you put it on her plate she gets dry heaves. She won't eat eggs either. Her pediatrician says not to worry about it as long as she takes vitamins and eats a lot of dairy. I'm trying to find creative ways to add protein to her diet, she is very picky and won't eat anything with any kind of sauce on it. She is also allergic to soy, so meat substitutes are out. Can you offer some suggestions?? She really likes fruits, veggies, and pasta.
i'm also a vegetarian; i don't get dry heaves when i see meat on my plate though. i would try adding protein suppliments to her drinks; like a powder into water or milk or juice. the vanilla ones are absolutely disgusting in my opinion and i don't like chocolate, but the chocolate ones arent too bad. they add about 21 grams of protein per drink, which you put 1/3 cup of powder in. i recommend the brand Naturade; NRG. depending on your daughters height and weight, she may only need two glasses of this stuff for her entire diet each day. here's a good site to find out how much protein is needed for her specifically:
http://www.indiadiets.com/foods/food_nut...
hope that helped!
I really would find another pediatrician. I wouldn't go to a doctor that says to replace meat with "lots of dairy". Also, doctors ARE NOT trained in nutrition. ZERO nutritional training.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/veg_d...
The PCRM is great. That's the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/WELCOME/t...
http://www.vegsource.com/parent/growing_...
Veggie burgers, peanut butter, cheese, and this is one picky kid. Gosh. (some veggie burgers are made with JUST veggies) also at some restaurants you can get veggie burritos or wraps.
Peanuts and peanut butter have a lot of protein in them. But I've also heard that Americans get too much protein in their diets because of meat. Maybe you could ask a dietitian for some guidance as well.
That is really going to test your creativeness. Does she have an aversion to fish and seafood as well? If not, that can open up some avenues for you.
I've always thought that squash and eggplant are good because they can be fixed in a variety of ways. Eggplant especially a' la parmagiana, or grilled eggplant. Which reminds me, portobello mushrooms grilled are good as well... esp. brushed with rosemary and olive oil.
Fried plantains are good ... glazed with brown sugar and butter, You might also take her to ethnic grocery stores and let her browse the different foods and veggies they have there to give you and her some ideas.
Can your child eat nuts. They are a valuable source of protein, fibre and minerals. I would suggest toning down the worrying about her diet. The bigger deal you make about food, the bigger deal she makes about it, and it becomes a power struggle. I would not make special meals for her, as she could be using this as an attention getting device. I would make quality family meals, and try to have home made soup always. Let her take what she wants to eat. She must finish what she takes to get to dessert. Dessert should be fruit. If she cannot finish, just leave it on the table and let her finish it when ever she feels like it. Your doctor is not worried, so you have no need to be worried.
I was a very picky eater as a child, and still do not like many of the foods my mother cooks. However, I always had homemade soup, and loved salads too. There were no special meals at our house. You picked what you liked and ate it. If you didn`t like what was out, you went hungry until the next meal. And no snacking between meals.
If she likes pasta then this will be a lovely meal for her. Cut some carrots,pumpkin,zucchini,lots of mushrooms,capsicums,sweet potato,potato,tomatoes into bite size cubes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper,crushed garlic and rosemary. Rub some olive oil all over the veggies and bake in the oven until tender. Boil some pasta and mix all the roasted veggies through it.
You should tell us how old your daughter is. But if you really want to add protein, give her beans of different types. Also nuts, if she eats those.
I don't see why you're so concerned with protein though.
Your physician's advice is sound, regardless of what the anti-dairy vegans will tell you.
High protein foods include:
nuts(Almonds, Cashews, Filberts, Hemp Seeds, Peanuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts (black)), seeds, legumes(Garbanzo beans, Kidney beans, Lentils, Lima beans, Navy beans, Soybeans, Split peas), grains(Barley, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Oatmeal, Rye, Wheat germ, Wheat, hard red, Wild rice), vegetables(Artichokes, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green peas, Green pepper, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard green, Onions, Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnip greens, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini), fruits(Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Grape, Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry).
I would not over do the dairy, you want her diet to be balanced with many sources of nutrients(not just dairy). There are many recipes that you can make including the foods listed above.
Dairy is a good source of nutrition, but I'd try to encourage your daughter to get over her pickiness for her own health. Could you try hiding meat and poultry in other foods, like a meat sauce for spaghetti?
P.S. The PCRM is essentially PeTA in sheep's clothing. They are driven by the cult of veganism, not science or health. Caveat emptor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physicians_...