Feeding a young child enough protein?

Options
shining_light
shining_light Posts: 384 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I think my stepson is seriously weird. He's 4 years old. He'll eat any raw vegetable, but just try feeding him a protein source that isn't cheese or peanut butter(both sources of a lot more fat than protein). I've found recipes for mac and cheese that are bulked out with cottage cheese, so that helps, but really, this is ridiculous. I'm trying to feed him hamburger helper at the moment, and he's been picking at it for an hour. He ate three large pieces of broccoli, though. Weird.

Anyone else have a kid like this and what do you suggest? He won't eat eggs, though to be honest, I don't know that he's ever tried them. He tolerates ground beef sometimes(though apparently not today) and chicken on occasion, but he'd still prefer not to eat it. I have a vegetarian chickpea dish in the fridge, but it has raw onions in it, so I know he won't eat it. Thoughts?

Edit: Sometimes he'll eat shrimp too, but of course that's only when he decides that he likes it.
«13

Replies

  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,661 Member
    Options
    Does he drink milk? I remember reading that adult height (dependent on your genetic potential of course) is a function of protein consumed before puberty. That's why the Dutch are the tallest nation due to childhood dairy consumption.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    Does he drink milk? I remember reading that adult height (dependent on your genetic potential of course) is a function of protein consumed before puberty. That's why the Dutch are the tallest nation due to childhood dairy consumption.

    Yes, he does drink milk. He drinks 1-2 cups a day. He always asks for it at breakfast but never drinks more than like 3 sips.

    He also eats flavored yogurts, but I don't like to give that to him as anything other than a treat because the amount of protein and calcium doesn't even come close to justifying the sugar in it.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    As we speak, he's still sitting at the table picking at that hamburger helper, by the way. Oh dear.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    Chicken nuggets, cheese, ham, fish sticks, yogurt? lol, seriously, it's a pain at times. But they really only need 20g of protein a day I think? One glass of milk has 8, so it helps.

    It took us a year but my kids eat what we have for dinner now, it's really nice. But the rest of the time it's a nightmare.
  • linsdog
    linsdog Posts: 94 Member
    Options
    My son is the same way. Try giving him the lighter greek yogurts. Sugars is around 6-12 grams and usually has 13+ grams of protein. Or you can try plain greek yogurt mixed with something he likes.

    Otherwise try sneaking meat into dinner items...!
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    Options
    Have you tried expanding your horizons as to what you're giving him for protein? Fish maybe? Soy? Quinoa? Lunch meats? Or maybe it's the way that you're preparing them.

    ETA: Also, you don't really need to be limiting his fat intake either, so unless he's having weight problems, giving him cheese and peanut butter shouldn't be an issue.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    Options
    Also, this website was really, really helpful for me when it comes to my picky 6 year old step-daughter.

    http://itsnotaboutnutrition.squarespace.com/
  • ElsaVonMarmalade
    ElsaVonMarmalade Posts: 154 Member
    Options
    I have 18-month-old twins who only want to eat fruits and vegetables. So I feel you. They do like beans, so we do that a lot, and I give them nuts and avocado for the fat. How about plain yogurt with fruit that you add? Much better than the flavored stuff, and Greek nonfat yogurt has a lot of protein in it - you can also make smoothies with it. Meat ravioli? Fun small stuff like sliders?

    Mostly, I wouldn't worry too much about it. As someone else said, kids don't actually need a huge amount of protein, and they get a lot through dairy (or formula or breast milk or soy milk, depending on age and situation). I offer it to them, I give them a lot of variety, but at the end of the day if they're happy and healthy, I'm not worried.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    Lunch meats are probably a good idea. I know he likes pepperoni; that's something.

    He wouldn't go for Greek yogurt with added fruit.

    Chicken nuggets and fish sticks are a good idea, but I know sometimes he likes them and sometimes he doesn't. Lol.

    I guess if he has maybe a full cup of milk a day and (max) 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, that's not bad. I should still slide in a bit of protein elsewhere if I can, but I probably shouldn't worry about it. My problem really is that I'm not going to cook to cater to him if I can help it because his dad and I both need more protein. Ideally, we'd be able to feed him small amounts of what we eat. Should I resort to making separate meals for him?
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    Options
    Lunch meats are probably a good idea. I know he likes pepperoni; that's something.

    He wouldn't go for Greek yogurt with added fruit.

    Chicken nuggets and fish sticks are a good idea, but I know sometimes he likes them and sometimes he doesn't. Lol.

    I guess if he has maybe a full cup of milk a day and (max) 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, that's not bad. I should still slide in a bit of protein elsewhere if I can, but I probably shouldn't worry about it. My problem really is that I'm not going to cook to cater to him if I can help it because his dad and I both need more protein. Ideally, we'd be able to feed him small amounts of what we eat. Should I resort to making separate meals for him?

    Don't cook him separate meals. Read some from the blog area of the link I posted above. It's filled with great insight into the problem that you're having right now.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    Also, after an hour and a half, I finally relented and told him he doesn't have to eat his supper, but he doesn't get any Halloween candy either. *sigh*
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    Also, this website was really, really helpful for me when it comes to my picky 6 year old step-daughter.

    http://itsnotaboutnutrition.squarespace.com/

    Reading it now. Thanks. :)
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Options
    sounds like you have a little vegetarian on your hands.

    Will he eat beans and other sources of vegetarian protein like nuts? A full compliment of protein can be something like beans and rice, nuts and wheat, soy and quinoa, or milk and bread.

    I'm curious if it is a texture thing with him. When I was younger I really didnt like meat because of the stringiness. I loved shrimp though, chicken (not on the bone), and of course cheese. I quit eating eggs when I was younger after a visit to the egg farm.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    sounds like you have a little vegetarian on your hands.

    Will he eat beans and other sources of vegetarian protein like nuts? A full compliment of protein can be something like beans and rice, nuts and wheat, soy and quinoa, or milk and bread.

    This has occurred to me, though his father seems to be opposed to it and that's what's prevented me from doing this. My goal is to try to get him to eat what the rest of us do(as the blog posted above indicates). Otherwise, I would whole-heartedly dive into an attempt at this. I honestly don't know if he'll eat beans or nuts. I'd gladly give it a shot. You're always full of great advice on the forums. ;)
  • kristarablue2
    kristarablue2 Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    Don't stress, does he have sensory issues? Many kids are picky at that age. My kids have always hated hamburger helper and it is not healthy. He needs fat for brain development at that age so cheese and peanut butter are not awful things to feed him at all.

    I would say talk to the pediatrician, most likely they will be just fine with what he is eating, but they are the only one that can tell you for sure. I have put protein powder in yogurt, muffins, oatmeal or a smoothy to give an extra boast to them if I think they needed it that bad. But really he is probably good. You may even try to put tofu in things or TVP into things to bulk up protein. Food battles are hard and sometimes more draining than they are worth, in saying that just make sure you have healthy things for him. Many cultures throughout history have lived and grown well without meat due to beliefs or because they did not have it available. He may be getting enough.

    Good luck!
  • tanashai
    tanashai Posts: 207 Member
    Options
    My four year old isn't big on meat either, but he adores peanut butter and milk, so he gets quite a bit from that. And chicken nuggets XD. But he's only starting to come around to eating pork and chicken and hamburger. Just be patient and peanut butter and cheese are perfectly acceptable!
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Options
    sounds like you have a little vegetarian on your hands.

    Will he eat beans and other sources of vegetarian protein like nuts? A full compliment of protein can be something like beans and rice, nuts and wheat, soy and quinoa, or milk and bread.

    This has occurred to me, though his father seems to be opposed to it and that's what's prevented me from doing this. My goal is to try to get him to eat what the rest of us do(as the blog posted above indicates). Otherwise, I would whole-heartedly dive into an attempt at this. I honestly don't know if he'll eat beans or nuts. I'd gladly give it a shot. You're always full of great advice on the forums. ;)

    Yeah for sure he needs to eat with the family, and you cant be making two meals every single day. I think you keep doing what you are doing, introduce what you can, make him try it, and maybe add some of his more acceptable protein options to a meal or two. Probably wouldnt hurt Dad to have a meatless meal, but good luck on that one. I can rarely get the BF to go veg with me.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    His dad eats his veggies more readily than I do. I had a meatless day the other day(rather unintentionally) and found it really, really easy to exceed my minimum for protein (gawd, I love chickpeas).

    I finally relented on the dinner situation and gave the guys grilled cheese sandwiches. Everybody was happier with that, and the little guy ate two. I was impressed for sure. I gave him a big hug and told him I was sorry that I didn't listen to him when he said he didn't like it(really, I didn't like ground beef or beef in general much as a child either).

    I also realize that I don't give him enough credit for his communication skills. I know he can tell me what he likes or doesn't like if I ask him, so I told him that if he wants me to make him something for dinner, he can ask. I remember I made a pizza casserole a couple of weeks ago that he really liked. It had ground beef in it, lots of cheese, and pepperoni, the pepperoni being the dominant flavor. Homemade mac and cheese was also really good. I suppose he does know and can communicate to me what he likes and doesn't like. His daddy told him, "Don't tell me, tell Joanne because she does all the cooking". So hopefully that helps.

    I really should ask his mom what she feeds him at her house. I've thought to ask before, but I've always forgotten. When we talk, it's usually complaining about work. lol. She's not a very healthy individual personally(she drinks and smokes and smoked while pregnant, which explains her son's lingering lung problems), but I know she really does take good care of him in spite of her own personal vices. Definitely puts his needs ahead of her own, in my opinion.

    Also, I forgot that grains and legumes combined are complete proteins. He has peanut butter toast every morning for breakfast. This is very good. Thanks for the advice, everyone!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Options
    Ulimately you and his dad should be talking to his pediatrition. While vegetarian is an ok way to go, it's hard to get "complete" proteins where you're getting all the amino acids so although you may pick higher protein alternatives, he could still be missing out on some vital nutrients. I only know a little about this because one of my co-workers has a daughter that's a vegetarian and they need to be conscious of making sure she's eating correctly.

    I had a tough time with meat when I was young but I think that was mostly because my mother cooked everything to death so it was tough and tasteless. If you're using lean hamburg or lean ground turkey that may be the problem as that meat tends to be a bit tougher due to lack of fat. Maybe use higher fat ground beef, just drain it once it's cooked so you don't end up eating all the fat. And tryy cooking darker meat chicken for him like thigh meat? You can still overcook it but due to the higher fat content it doesn't get as tough as breast meat would.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,994 Member
    Options
    So while you were worrying about his not eating his hamburger helper (seriously - hamburger helper you're OK with but you're worried about fat in peanut butter and sugar in yogurt??), he was busily consuming 10 grams of protein in his "three large pieces of brocolli" (using values from US Department of Agriculture database for a small stalk of broccoli for each "large piece). If he's eating some dairy and occasional meat/chicken/fish, I don't think you need to stress about this. Does he eat eggs?

    On the yogurt, you could try giving him plain yogurt with fresh fruit and a little honey or other liquid sweetener (it will blend in better) if you want to control the sugar.

Categories