The Best Ways to Sneak Meat Into a Picky Toddler's Diet

When your toddler doesn't have an adventurous palate, you might struggle to ensure he eats a well-balanced diet every day. Perhaps you have no trouble encouraging your toddler to eat fruits and vegetables, but offering meat might lead to tears for your toddler and frustration for you. Getting creative can help you coax your toddler to eat meat -- or even fill his tummy with meat without him even knowing it.

  1. Make a Sauce

    • Your toddler might not want to eat a piece of meat on its own, but he might be less averse to it if you mix it into a sauce. Make a batch of spaghetti sauce with finely ground turkey or beef. Top it on your toddler's favorite noodles -- elbow macaroni and ziti are easy for little fingers to grab. Or, you can try a chili with the same meats. With beans mixed in and cheese on top, your toddler might not even notice that she's chowing down on meat.

    Shred It

    • Incorporate shredded meats -- such as chicken or pork -- into your toddler's diet without him ever knowing. Consider finely shredding some chicken, mixing it up with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, adding this mixture to lasagna noodles and wrapping it up. Shredded chicken blends in well to a toddler favorite -- macaroni and cheese. If your toddler accepts veggies, throw in some carrots and peas as well for a well-rounded meal in one easy dish.

    Throw Together a Casserole

    • Casseroles are family-friendly meals, allowing you to make enough food for the family -- your toddler included. Hide meat creatively in these dishes to give your toddler a little protein. If she loves a traditional breakfast, make a casserole featuring eggs, cheese, hash browns and finely ground sausage. A cheese-loving toddler will enjoy a broccoli, rice and cheese casserole -- that has some chopped-up chicken mixed into it.

    Make It Fun

    • Eating with a picky toddler doesn't always have to be a battle. Look for ways to incorporate your toddler into the meal-creating process, and make mealtime fun. Set up a make-your-own pizza station, and offer a couple of meat toppings, such as pepperoni or sausage. Your toddler might be so excited to make his own pizza that he decides to be adventurous and add some meat toppings.

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