I have a five year old that will not eat hamburger meat whatsoever! Does anyone have any ideas for some recipes on a strict budget?
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You're not going to like this for a couple of reasons but I'm going to say it anyway. At my house it was always, "Ok, you don't like what I fixed for dinner. Fine. Next meal is breakfast. You may be excused." One time for each of my 3 boys was all it took. They now eat anything put before them. That's helped with a stint in Afghanistan and basic training for the Air Force. It's not a good idea to allow children to be picky. I am now off the soap box.
Are you cooking it to well done? Some people just can't eat rare, bloody beef. Or try switching to ground turkey or chicken.
As a child I would NOT eat any type of fish or seafood. It didn't matter how long my mom made me sit at the dinner table after dinner was over! I hated seafood THEN & I still hate it NOW! And I've ALWAYS hated meat, ANY kind! I was forced to eat meat as a child, so I would cover it with A-1 sauce just to barely be able to handle it (the sauce hid the flavor, but couldn't hide the texture). But everybody told me I couldn't live without eating meat. "You need the protein!" they'd say... (This was the 1960's). But now that I've been a Vegetarian for the last 29 years, I've proved them all wrong! I'm happy & healthy without any meat in my diet. (I DO eat dairy & eggs).
I can remember as a child of 3 while living in Florida, seeing a red-tide where the whole beach was covered in dead fish, so this may have made me hate fish, who knows? Also, I remember seeing my mother clean a chicken when I was about 5. This also grossed me out, seeing the chicken's guts. Is it the texture of the ground meat in your child's mouth that they hate? or is it the "Cow" they feel like they may be hurting? Or does your 5 year old just hate the taste? You'll have to address the REAL reason before you can really solve it.
When My daughter wouldn't drink the free, fresh goats milk we were given when she was a child, we put it into a used "regular" milk carton & she drank it & loved it, thinking it was regular, store-bought cows milk.
I like "Perfume & Powder's" idea: Ground Turkey cost's less & is better for you than ground beef. Just spray the pan with Pam first because there's less fat in ground Turkey & Chicken.
I have a 4 year old who doesn't really like hamburger either. I DO NOT fret that. It isn't really that great for us anyway. I don't use it much anymore since my husband was told by the doctor that he has high blood pressure and needed to lose a few pounds.
My son does like chicken, fruit, yogurt, low fat crackers. What I'm trying to say is that as long as he likes something whether it's a peanut butter sandwich or such. Have him help you prepare his dinner, and enjoy your child. Chances are he'll change his mind when he gets older and then you'll just worry if he is forever going to eat those fast food burgers. God Bless You!
TVP is also quite inexpensive, and a good protein source. You can pair beans with grain (rice, corn, etc.) for a good and inexpensive protein source. Eggs, cheeses, milk, yogurt are good sources as well, and not as expensive as meat. Dried beans can be cooked ahead and frozen, for quick use.
I had one child who went through a period where she did not want most meats. Our policy was: I did not want to hear about it, if she did not like what was on the table, she could go to the fridge and get herself some cottage cheese and fruit (I kept canned fruit in a resealable container for the purpose). End of discussion. It worked well, and then her tastes changed and she was back to eating meat.
As a pediatric Occupational Therapist I am aware that some kids have honest-to-goodness issues with food textures; and you have to admit ground beef is not the most pleasant....
Chances are it is just a phase with your daughter. Keep ONE alternative that she will willingly eat on hand, and tell her if she doesn't like what you put on the table, there it is.
Whether to make the child eat hamburger or not is not the question. We all have our opinions as how to raise children, but the lady asked for ideas for recipes on a strict budget. What difference does it make whether she chooses to let her child get away with making a statement about the meat?
Chances are, you don't know this parent, you will never meet this parent, you will never be affected by this parent's decision whether or not to let this child make an issue about the meat, you raised your children the way you wanted to, let her do the same. After raising seven children (and many extras), I have found that what works for one may not work for the other.
Let's stay on track with the responses to the questions folks. Be a good neighbor and stop criticizing; if you really want to respond, then look through your cook books and send her some suggestions. That's what I am going to do.
There might be some visual changes you can make when you cook hamburger meat. Put it on a grill, and they won't see the grease in the skillet.
Make hamburgers in different shapes. Square ones or oblong ones that will fit a hot dog bun. Meatballs can easily be made, and if you make them and add some grape jelly and Chili Sauce, they taste almost like a desert.
And, if you just want something 'good' that the kid will eat, make some macaroni and cheese for them. Inexpensive and good.
Do you know if it's the texture your child doesn't like, or the flavor? If it's the flavor you could try switching to ground turkey, or maybe using half-and-half beef and turkey. Ground turkey is around 50-75 cents cheaper per pound than beef where I shop.
I agree she did ask for recipes. It would have been more helpful to know what her child did like; pasta is cheap, and chicken can be stretched. Most of the cooking sites give child friendly recipes. I've even made a "Mexican Pizza" taken whole wheat/low fat tortilla rounds and put some cheese inside and heat.
The rule in our house was, you don't have to eat it if you don't like it, but you have to try it. There were always lots of extra veggies and salad. Not eating beef is not all that bad anyway.
I have a group of friends that get together every week for dinner. The people that I appreciate the most are the ones that quietly try a little, and then eat extra of the other foods. The ones that I don't appreciate are the ones that let me know how they've always hated whatever I made that they didn't like. I made sure that whatever my kids did, they were polite and quiet about their choices.
Good luck to you!
Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches with a glass of milk, scrambled eggs, or grilled cheese sandwiches are simple to prepare and maybe your child would be more likely to eat these things. It worked at our house:)
Here are some suggestions:
beprepared.com/
www.essortment.com/
dianagrayministries.net/
Good Luck
Doris
While the rest of the family eats hamburger on a bun try a salmon patty for the child who won't eat the hamburger or a veggie burger (held intact with tomato paste or in another way) or tuna melt on a bun some night. Even a fried egg on a bun or bbq pork would be better than something totally different from everyone else.
Everybody seems all worked up over this little kid who "won't" eat hamburger. I "won't" eat onions so I just eat everything else and nobody has to fix me a special meal. Is Mom a short order cook? What if the next kid "won't" eat fries. Do we make him/her a baked potato? The next kid probably "won't" eat baked beans. Ok, that one gets english peas. Let's see, now there's 2 hamburgers, one pb&j (or whatever the child WILL eat), 2 fries, 1 baked potato, 2 baked beans, one order of peas! We forgot Dad! Maybe he "won't" eat any of that and MUST have a steak. Do you see what allowing a child to dictate meals can cause?
Glenn's Mom -- that's the way! But you might try asking WHY the kid won't eat hamburger. What do they think it is? Has he ever been to McDonald's --etc.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are usually something that a child loves to eat, you could make quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, chicken drumsticks, fish sticks, eggs, chicken helper (hamburger helper made with chicken instead of hamburger), tuna salad, chicken spaghetti. If I think of any more I will post.
No one seems to be addressing her real question. Which is request for simple recipes without using hamburger meat.
So how about chicken & pasta dishes using alfredo sauce or with cheese sauce and broccoli spears.
Chicken, turkey, or occasion pork is better for you than beef anyway.
How about home made turkey or chicken pot pies.
I get the Campbell's recipes by email which are easy and quick using simple ingredients found in your pantry using lots of Campbell's soups, so get on there mailing list for recipes via email its free. Here is the link. When your family is having any occasional BEEF meals have your child to choose what he wants different and fix it at the same time. They child should not be made to feel he or she is in the wrong.
Each one of dislike something be it foods or liquids to drink so does that make us wrong to? Eating healthy is what is important so as long as your encouraging healthy alternatives on your family's beef night it's ok and no more trouble to fix the child a separate item. Think of some idea choices and have the child to list 3-4 on the frig. as a list to pick from on those BEEF family meal nights.
Most often we do not consider or ask kids what they like and just fix the things we grew up with or our spouses like. Try new things like vegetables, pasta dishes etc. And maybe you all will like it better together.
www.campbellsoup.com/
Here is one of the chicken recipes we eat that is very fast and good for you
www.campbellkitchen.com/
As a child I would not eat hamburger meat (or any other meat for that matter!) My mom says it was because I was too lazy to chew! Haha. But there may be some truth to this...consider it as you prepare foods
I have outgrown it BUT what I did love to eat was homemade vegetable soup and french fries. I never had a weight problem as a child (no do I as a 50 year old!) As long as the child is eating healthy foods and a multi-vitamin don't worry TOO much (talk to your doctor!) They WILL outgrow this.
I can relate to your child in a way. I used to eat hamburger meat when I was really young, but for some reason it started grossing me out as I grew up and now I really don't eat it. It might just be a personal preference.
My husband and I use chicken, Boca Burger and Morningstar "meat" instead of ground beef. So if you have a favorite recipe that calls for ground beef (could even be spaghetti), just substitute one of the above.
Some of our favorite (and inexpensive meals) are tacos with Boca or Morningstar "meat," hamburger helper with chicken and spaghetti. You can make awesome chili with two cans of Hormel vegetarian chili, a can of Red Gold tomatoes (we like the spicy ones), a 1/4 can of water and chili powder to taste. We cook all those together and serve over noodles. You can check out the Kraft magazines for cheap meals, the Boca Burger recipe for tasty, healthy and inexpensive meals (www.bocaburger.com/
Casseroles of just about all types are inexpensive main dishes and are freezable if you want to make a double batch. Try this link for dozens of non-burger recipes: www.bettycrocker.com/
Personally, I have never really liked meat at all except for an occasional chicken thigh, a few bites of steak maybe twice a year or fish now and then and I never starved because the meals in general were well rounded.
My parents never forced me to eat something I didn't want after a few times of me getting sick trying to force something down after trying to please them. It's not that I didn't like the taste of a particular item, just didn't/doesn't settle well with my tummy.
I was 'definitely not' a coddled child and I am thankful for their idea of not placing the food on my plate and letting me choose the different items from the veggie bowl, baking dish, salad bowl, bread basket, fruit bowl etc. I believe it helped keep me from having a weight problem or being a finicky/disorder eater.
I guess what I am trying to say is just make sure you have a well rounded assortment of foods on the meal table. Doesn't have to be a huge pile of food, just a good assortment.
My son went through a phase where he would eat nothing but wieners for meat. He was about 5 too. I just kept some in the frig for him, and the rest of us ate the main meal. If you can't find inexpensive casseroles that everyone likes, you may have to go this route -- have the alternative on hand for your child -- be it peanut butter, or cheese or wieners. This phase will likely pass.
I like the suggestions to substitute ground turkey for the beef, although that may not solve the problem. You could google for some old favorites such as mac and cheese, tuna casserole, mac and cheese with chicken. Don't forget about eggs -- they can be served many different ways-- fondue (the casserole kind not the dip bread in the cheese kind), souffle, omelet, scrambled, boiled, etc. Eggs and cheese together give you a lot of options for protein substitute.
Oh, by the way, the son who would eat nothing but wieners is now 25, healthy and strong, and eating a raw food vegan diet. The only thing that tempts him off it is a BBQ steak or roast turkey! Go figure.
Check out the kid-friendly section about a third of the way down the page:
allrecipes.com/
Allison, don't worry my son didn't eat meat until he was almost 4 yrs old and never eats chicken. I don't think he is allergic to it but gagged on it as a baby. I never pushed any of it because he was eating other protein things like peanut butter, eggs, milk products, etc. and the pediatrician was not alarmed at all. He is now 39 yrs old 6 ft. 7 inches tall and is a very healthy person.
From a previous post.
This would be good for your whole family, Let them
add what ever they want from the "Taco Bar"
I made Bean and Bacon "Tacos" in the 1950's for our two oldest Children when they were small. They didn't like meat then. Also the canned Campbell's soup was much cheaper than hamburger. Anyway here's the way I did them.
Bean n Bacon Soup Tacos
Use 1 can of Bean and Bacon soup, adding only enough water & stir, to make a paste and not burn while heating.
Using a small amount of butter to warm up as many corn tortillas as you need. Heat a skillet and just warm both sides of the tortillas a few seconds will do, you want them soft. ( 2 each for 3 people? )
I put about a Tablespoon of bean paste in the warmed soft shells, added shredded cheese.
Then as they got older added lettuce & tomatoes.
Adding black olives and onions and even Rice a Roni.
Then when they decided they liked "scrambled"hamburger, I added a lb. of browned hamburger with some chopped onions and added the Bean & Bacon soup
to the pan.
Now daughter makes them for her granddaughter. Kids seem to like them still. Since we both like them I make them for HD & I every now and then. Adding leftover veggies,rice, hash browns etc or just bean and bacon soup and cheese /lettuce..
My son is not a fussy eater - he just doesn't like meat, it makes him upset to think he has killed something to eat.
With this in mind. Grandma sat down with him and looked through the cook books for foods that he might like to try. She then took him shopping and got him to help make the dishes. When we have spaghetti - he has noodles with the same tomato sauce and cheese. WHen I made kebobs - he makes his with veggies and has a tub of yoghurt. If I have been busy and bought a chicken and salad for tea - he will have fruit bread, some cheese or yoghurt and nuts. Having a set stand by makes life easy. My son hates eggs but will eat quiche - I make mine in small ramikins - so everyone gets there own little bowl and while we have turn or chicken in ourts - he has vegies in his.
I have also started to give my 3 kids a bigger afternoon tea, as they come home starving. I bought a cheap plastic platter and cut up several types of fruit, some cheese and crackers, nuts , pikelets or muffins or biscuits. The only rule I have, it that the kids each take a plate and have some helathy stuff and one sweet thing. They then have a small dinner and a glass of warm milk and milo before bed. Another favourite of my son's it grilled cheese sandwiches made with wholemeal bread, a banana and home made apple slice.
Hope this helps. - There are no winners in food fights.
Having worked in the medical realm, I have learned that it isn't necessarily a finicky-ness. Our bodies sometimes don't, won't, or can't process certain foods. Your tastes change and so does your body's food processing. Those of you with children may recall those pregnancy cravings and foods that made you sick. Pregnant people aren't the only ones whose bodies go through that.
Anyways .... There is a Fit & Active brand of turkey meatballs. It is sold at Aldi's stores for about $2 for a one pound bag. They are preshaped and easily heated. My family loves these in spaghetti, with noodles and grilled veggies, or even plain.
I didn't like meat as a child either. In retrospect I think it was hard for me to chew. Also, I didn't like it if the hamburger had bits of grizzle in it.
I must tell you that to this very day (I'm 62) I eat meat, but I don't really like it. If I have a choice, I prefer vegetables, But I think it's just a personal preference. I'm not a vegetarian.
I would suggest it may be the texture of the hamburger meat that he does not like. I found that if I pureed the meat in a food processor, the texture was far more palateable. I do this for meatloaf, burgers, meatballs, and spagetti /pasta sauce dishes. It may be worth a try.
There is always ground chicken/turkey as a subsitute...
Good Luck
You can mix tuna, chicken, and sausage with just about anything to please a child for example mix with boxed mac n cheese or ramen noodles. Make any of the above meats in the form of a pattie and shape like a hot dog and serve in a bun, bake in cupcake cups for individual servings or allow the child to cut out the shape of his/her patty with a cookie cutter. The more involved your child is with the prep of food the more comfortable they become at meal time.
Even better yet just make your regular dinner and be certain that the child gets protein from a different source during the day, allow the child to eat what they do like that is served to the rest of the family. A child will not starve themselves and with a little forethought and imagination you can stick with your budget.
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