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Washington Babies
Help me win an argument: Veggies
True or False
It is better for your child to want to eat vegetables than to want to eat meat.
True or False
Withholding veggetables until your child eats their meatball is a bad idea.
DH insists on forcing DD to eat her meat before she eats her veggies. I keep telling him it's a good thing that she would rather eat a carrot than a meatball but he keeps doing it anyway. His rational is that she's going to starve herself if she doesn't eat more protein, my argument is that if she eats lots of veggies then whe will grow up be a well nourished, healthy kid. Seriously, this kid could eat nothing but tomatoes and cucumbers and be very happy (and have a raging diaper rash but thats another story). I think he's really just projecting his own distaste for produce on to our daughter - its not mine or your daughter's fault you never ate a blueberry in your life! Ok, that turned out to be part vent.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Help me win an argument: Veggies
My oldest is a Chicken Nuggetarian...because the only meat he will eat is in Chicken Nugget form. We asked our doctor cause we were worried he wasn't eating meat (this has been going on for awhile) and she said no worries as long as he is getting iron and protein in other places. He eats nuts and Peanut Butter and veggies and we give him a vitamin that has iron in it (not all of them do).
Is it bad that I want a meatball now though?
You are correct - and I would try to nip that in the bud right quick.
Of course she needs protein. But she can get that from beans, peas, tofu, lentils, spinach...I think pushing food on any kid at that age is going to backfire. Just put little amounts of meat and she will take it when she's ready. I would ask your pediatrician, see what they say, and then tell your DH that the DOCTOR said to stop it! LOL
Funny, there are probably a LOT of moms that would LOVE to have this "problem"
Yeah - you win.
The main supporting argument I can think of is that there are plenty of non-meat options for protein, but there aren't really substitutes for veggies.
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Oh and she loves eggs, eats one every morning, and usually has some type of meat or tofu or egg for lunch.
I will be the first to admit that I am a lucky mommy if this is my only food problem. Now I just need to convince DH of that - I think I might try having the ped talk some sense into him.
Both protein and veggies are important. I odnt' think you should withhold either to make her eat the other. PUt the amount of each on her plate that you would like her to eat, and then let her decide what order to eat. You can decide that you won't put more food on her plate until she's eaten what you've given her.
Overall, I don't like the idea of making them eat one thing to get to the other thing. Or making them clean a plate, or anything like that. I think there shouldn't be power struggles about food. Your job is to provide nutritious food. Her job is to eat it.
That said, my kid is the same as yours. He will eat fruit and veggies and we have a hard time getting protein in him. But remmeber that milk and cheese and yogurt and beans and all sorts of other things have protein. You don't have to eat meat. But you do have to have protein just like you have to have other nutrients. So I think you both are right.
Eli rarely eats meat. he would much rather have a salad for dinner than anything else.
Protien comes in many forms and unfortunatly the good stuff from veggies dont come in to many other forms.
Let her eat veggies first and then finish with meat if thats what she wants. if your husband is really worried about protien incorperate more beans, since she likes veggies she will more than likely like beans too.
I am in total agreement. I think it's important that she get both, it's the fact that he withholds vegetables like they're a treat to be earned rather than an important part of the meal that bugs me.
Ewww...I'm totally going to print this out and give it to him. That'll do it!
Yeah, I totally agree with you. I will sometimes (often) say to Ben "please eat a few more bites of your chicken. You need the protein to get strong muscles." I dont' think they're too young to start learning about how food is good for you. Ben already knows that carrots are good for your eyes and that he needs to eat food to get energy (which he calls gas and that's funny b/c he'll say I need to eat this to get more gas...