Add Protein to a Child's Diet

Protein is vital for growing children, and there are plenty of ways to add it to any child’s diet. To ensure your child Feed-Your-Child-Enough-Protein, choose lean proteins sources, like skinless poultry and fish. Dairy products like milk, cheese, and Greek yogurt are also good protein sources. Keep healthy, protein-rich snacks handy, like nuts, seeds, and nut butters. Get creative about sneaking in more protein if your child is picky. For vegetarian children, make sure they eat lots of legumes, nuts, non-dairy milk, and soy-based products like tofu and tempeh.

Steps

Meeting a Child’s Protein Needs

1. Consult your child's doctor about their diet. Before making any changes to your child's diet, it's best to talk to their pediatrician first. Discuss your concerns with them, and ask if they suggest dietary changes or vitamin supplements.
   • Tell the doctor about your child's activity level and any symptoms you've observed, such as sudden weight loss.
2. Choose lean protein sources. Skinless poultry, fish, eggs, and unsalted nuts are better for overall health than higher fat options, like red meat. Daily requirements vary based on a child’s age, sex, and activity level:
   • Children two to three years old need two ounces in the protein food group per day.
   • Children four to eight need four ounces per day.
   • Preteen boys and girls up to age 18 need five ounces per day.
   • Teenage boys need six and a half ounces per day.
   • Examples of one ounce servings include an ounce of meat or fish, one egg, a tablespoon of nut butter, and a half ounce of nuts or seeds.
3. Add more milk and cheese to your child’s diet. In addition to being great sources of calcium, dairy products also add protein to a child’s diet. Offer your child two to three servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt per day.
   • Low-sugar fortified cereal or oatmeal with milk are great breakfast options.  
   • Try making grilled cheese sandwiches with two to three slices of cheese to increase the meal’s dairy content.
   • Go for lactose-free or non-dairy milks, yogurts, and cheeses if your child is lactose intolerant.
4. Go for Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt contains more protein than regular yogurt. If your child isn’t a fan of the texture, try making smoothies and parfaits with it.
   • You can blend or mix honey and fruit with Greek yogurt for a healthy snack or dessert.
5. Make sandwiches with two slices of meat. When you make sandwiches for lunch, try doubling the slices of meat to increase the protein serving. Adding cheese to the sandwich also adds nutritional value.
   • Processed deli meats can contain a lot of salt, so look for lower sodium options and try to limit your child’s sodium intake elsewhere.
6. Keep sodium-free nuts handy for quick snacks. Kids need lots of daily nutrients, but their stomachs are still growing. Smaller meals and snacks throughout the day are best, so keep healthy, protein-rich snacks on hand. Go for unsalted nuts and seeds, like peanuts, almonds, and pistachios.

Feeding a Picky Child

1. Try cutting food into fun shapes. Make fun snack kabobs by cutting mild cheese and fruit into cubes and pyramids, and add cherry tomatoes for another shape. You can also try the same technique at lunch or dinner by cubing veggies and serving them with meatballs.
   • Try giving shape-inspired and other meals cute names. Saying, for example, “Do you want to eat some cool squares and triangles?” might more appealing than offering boring cheese and apples.
2. Add flavor to milk. If your child is picky about milk, you can always add powders and syrups flavorings, like chocolate and strawberry, or just buy ready-made flavored milk. Some can contain lots of sugar, so choose a sugar-free powder flavoring or check nutritional labels to find the lowest sugar option.
   • You can also see if your child prefers soy milk over dairy milk or try offering chocolate soy milk.
3. Find your child’s favorite nut butter. Peanut, cashew, and almond butters are widely available and all contain lots of protein. Try offering different kinds to your picky child to find their favorite.
   • Serve nut butters as a snack with apples, carrots, celery, or whole grain crackers.
4. Sneak eggs into meals. If your child doesn’t like eggs, you can still use them to add extra protein at any meal of the day. In addition, eggs are great binders, so they’ll add function and nutrition to meatloaf and meatball recipes.
   • Try scrambling eggs with cheese and your child’s favorite veggie.
   • You can also make French toast by dredging bread in a mixture of egg, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar.

Adding Protein to Vegetarian Diets

1. Feed your child plenty of beans and lentils. Two to three daily servings of legumes will help add protein to a vegetarian child’s diet. You can serve beans and lentils in a variety of ways to keep your child’s interest:
   • Vegetarian chili
   • Bean-based soups
   • Adding chickpeas to salads
   • Hummus
   • Black bean or chickpea veggie burgers
   • Bean and non-dairy cheese quesadillas
2. Find ways to include tofu and tempeh in meals. Tofu comes in a variety of textures, so you can use it in lots of dishes. Scramble soft tofu like eggs, and mix it with rice, pasta, or put it in a sandwich. Cube firm tofu or tempeh and add it to stir fries or try baking them into nuggets.
   • If your child doesn’t like tofu, try adding silken tofu to fruit smoothies, puddings, or soups. Its flavor and texture will be disguised, but it’ll still add an extra serving of protein.
3. Experiment with soy-based meat alternatives. Soy-based burger patties, sausage links, and other meat alternatives are widely available. These could be great solutions if you want to switch your child from a meat-based to vegetarian diet. Try multiple varieties to find out your child’s favorites.
   • Try serving tofu sausage links with hash browns for breakfast. Have a barbecue and serve burger patties and hot dogs made with soy, black beans, and rice. Ask your child which variety they prefer.
4. Give your child nuts and non-dairy milk every day. Along with two to three daily servings of legumes and soy-based products like tofu and tempeh, milks and snacks will help ensure your child consumes enough protein. Soy milk contains plenty of protein, and unsalted nuts are a healthy snack choice for both animal-based and vegetarian diets.
   • Try to offer two to three servings of non-dairy milk and unsalted nuts per day.
   • In addition to offering nuts and seeds as snacks, you could sprinkle chopped peanuts over oatmeal for breakfast or in a dairy-free parfait for dessert. For dinner, you could saute sliced almonds with green beans.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Get Your Kids to Eat Food That They Don't Like
• Get Your Children to Eat their Vegetables and Fruits
• Know if Your Child Is Allergic to Gluten