Getting 4 year old to switch

[amberfunk]

I've been struggling lately with feeding my son meat and cheese and have been trying to find alternative that he likes. I really don't want him eating meat and cow cheese. It feels like I'm feeding him poison and just setting him up for failure later in life. I know when he is older he may want to be vegan and of course I can't force it upon him but just a few switches would make me feel better. I finally found a cheese that he likes. We got creamy original chao last night and I asked if he wanted a piece of cheese and he said yes. He tried and loved it. He had two pieces. So at least I can buy that instead of kraft slices now. I haven't found a substitute for string cheese. There are no vegan versions on the market. He is also really into chicken nuggets. I've tried to get him to try gardein tenders but they are a different shape and therefore will not try them. I haven't tried quorn yet since they have eggs in them and are made of mushrooms and he's had an allergic reaction to truffle oil before. Any suggestions as to helping to switch him slowly over to more plant based?

 

[Ryan Love Food Lifestyle]

Hey, I have a few suggestions. I have a 5 year old who switched to vegan when she was 3. She is the pickiest eater in the world, and she was never a huge fan of meat, but like most, the cheese was a problem at first.
Glad to hear you found cheese that he likes, you're off to a good start!
I have an idea for the chicken nuggets. Have you ever seen or tried the brand Hillary's? They have veggie burgers and bites and such. They are SO good, and they actually have really solid ingredients (mostly veggies). My daughter was never a fan of chicken nuggets, so we could never get her to like them, however I think that any chicken nugget lover would LOVE Hillary's bites.
Not sure where you're located, but we get them at Wegman's, or Whole Foods in the US.
As far as helping him switch, our daughter always loves helping us make stuff, and that's been a big part of her transition. Also, colorful smoothies tend to get her excited simply because they look like her favorite color she will try it, and of course they add a bunch of nutrition and calories to her diet.
If he is not allergic to nuts, you can always add some peanut butter to basically everything to get him some extra calories.
For us, the main focus is just to keep our kids (we have 2) calories high, so they continue to grow, have energy, etc.
It's been a few years and so far so good!
I realize you posted this a few months ago, but hopefully this is helpful!
Good luck!

 

[amberfunk]

Hey, I have a few suggestions. I have a 5 year old who switched to vegan when she was 3. She is the pickiest eater in the world, and she was never a huge fan of meat, but like most, the cheese was a problem at first.
Glad to hear you found cheese that he likes, you're off to a good start!
I have an idea for the chicken nuggets. Have you ever seen or tried the brand Hillary's? They have veggie burgers and bites and such. They are SO good, and they actually have really solid ingredients (mostly veggies). My daughter was never a fan of chicken nuggets, so we could never get her to like them, however I think that any chicken nugget lover would LOVE Hillary's bites.
Not sure where you're located, but we get them at Wegman's, or Whole Foods in the US.
As far as helping him switch, our daughter always loves helping us make stuff, and that's been a big part of her transition. Also, colorful smoothies tend to get her excited simply because they look like her favorite color she will try it, and of course they add a bunch of nutrition and calories to her diet.
If he is not allergic to nuts, you can always add some peanut butter to basically everything to get him some extra calories.
For us, the main focus is just to keep our kids (we have 2) calories high, so they continue to grow, have energy, etc.
It's been a few years and so far so good!
I realize you posted this a few months ago, but hopefully this is helpful!
Good luck!

Thank you. I actually have since found boca nuggets for him and got him to try meatless tenders that a local store used to carry (haven't had it in stock for months). He also eats tacos that I make with either gardein, boca or tvp. He's tried vegan cream cheese since as well and loves it. Now it's just trying to get him to eat more veggies and fruit.