Protein Concerns

My MIL keeps the boys during the week. She is always concerned that they are not getting enough protein. My guys hate any kind of meat and hate cheese. They LOVE yogurt, but I can only feed them so much of that. Are there any other protein sources that I can try? I cannot bring myself to give them tofu, as I HATE tofu. Any ideas would be appreciated!!

 

Try the tofu! You can buy seasoned (marinated) tofu in the freezer or fridge section of the supermarket if you have a good organic section. It smells just like teriyaki sauce or whatever it's marinated in. (ETA: Plus -- your MIL is feeding it to them, right? So maybe you never even have to see it out of the package.)

Other than that... Our girls eat a lot of edamame. We buy 12-packs of small microwaveable containers at Costco.

Have you tried shredded cheese? One of mine will not eat cheese in stick or slice, but will shovel it in if it's shredded. Go figure.

 

My twinkies aren't big meat eaters either, I cannot get them to eat a chix nugget unless it's a Chick-fil-a nugget, that can get pricey

Here's what I do...For breakfast I rotate giving them yogurt, Breakstones cottage cheese and fruit singles (about 10g of protein per serving), or oatmeal. Lunch is either a sandwich (I do something similar to cheese toast, but sneak a piece of turkey under the cheese and then slap the bread together and dice up), fish sticks, veggie burgers (they won't touch regular ground beef burgers but LOVE veggie burgers), or I feed them well drained soups--today they ate chicken, rotini and veggie soup with some crackers. Since 12mo they've always had what we're having at dinnertime or if I know it's not baby-friendly what we're having I make them an omelet and dice it up, sometimes adding cheese, spinach and/or turkey....

I hope I helped you!!

 

You can give them an egg everyday usually. Unless they are getting a LOT of it....but our Pedi said we could do an egg.

You can do turkey and ham or sliced chicken (I heat it in a pan usually, but I know kids that like it cold)....

I struggle to get protein in them too! They only get MORE picky as they get older!

 

I thought we were struggling to get enough protein until I read they should get approximately half their weight in grams of protein per day. Mine are doing just fine if I look at it that way.

 

We have a constant struggle to get protein in my boys as well. For the past few months, they've had little interest in meat - as soon as they feel the texture in their mouths, they spit it out. They do occasionally eat tofu (I just give them cold cubes straight from the fridge), beans (they seem to like them best if they're in a marinated bean salad), cottage cheese, eggs, and homemade macaroni and cheese (with lots of real cheese in it).

I know some people have strong opinions about the new cookbook 'Deceptively Delicious', but I'm thinking of adapting some of her methods to sneak extra protein into their diet - she suggests that you make a puree of meat or white beans and mix it in with a food you know they will eat. I may try that with chicken next time I make them macaroni and cheese. In the meantime, I'll continue putting meat on their plate and hope they'll eventually start eating it again.

 

Yes, I forgot to mention that my two eat lots of eggs as well. We have them for breakfast (scrambled) 3 or 4 times a week, and they eat about 2 eggs each.

One likes beans (only black), the other doesn't.

The one who will only eat shredded cheese will also chow down on mac & cheese.

I tried cottage cheese once, but they hated it. I hate it too, so I didn't force it.

 

Some favorite sources of protein:

Eggs: hard boiled, scrambled, egg salad
Peanut butter
Chicken: they prefer dark meat (slipperier)
Shrimp
Tuna salad, chicken salad
Marinated flank steak
Salmon

 

A lot of youngsters don't like the chewy, stringy texture of meat. I've noticed that mine have a strong preference for very juicy, tender meats (the dark meat on the chicken, fresh salmon, meatballs...) I've prepared more meats in the pressure cooker over the past year than ever before because they shovel it in when I do. If they like fruit, you can make a meat recipe that uses fruit and that will give them a familiar flavor with the texture they're not so sure about.

They're very young and still learning what food tastes and feels like. I wouldn't quit offering the foods they've refused.

 

I don't like tofu either but I bought it anyway to try it with them. Aiden would eat it as is (he eats anything) and I had to crush it up and mix it with applesauce to get Noah to eat it. I'm having the same problem with veggies with Noah. I tried mushing up peas and carrots and putting it in between cheese on a grilled sandwich and he took one bite and spit it out. He KNEW!!! He wouldn't eat any more of THAT grilled cheese. The next day ate grilled cheese b/c it was plain. He is such a stinker!

 

if you do peanut butter its an excellent source of protein..mine have recently started refusing pb&j but will eat pb and crackers or even eat it right off a spoon!

 

any kind of beans, garbanzo is high in protein - so other choices, hummus (has garbanzo)

Soy yogurt shakes with rice milk are yummy and high in protein

Boca Burgers ( or any soy burger)

Cow's milk is high in protein as well.

Keep in mind that if you make pancakes with milk or scrambled eggs and add milk -- you get the milk and it's benefits in without making it obvious. you could also make a fruit smoothie with silken tofu -- your kids won't taste it and it will ahve all this add'l benefit

toddler requirements:
Protein: Minimum of 16 grams. Try 16 ounces of milk plus one ounce of meat.