Feeding a young child enough protein?
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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.
Ok, I'm not really worried about the fat in the peanut butter, admittedly. The sugar in yogurt IS a concern because he starts bouncing off the walls and he hates brushing his teeth(what little kid doesn't?) and he refuses any other kind of yogurt(what little kid wouldn't?).
No, he doesn't eat eggs. Cheese and peanut butter are the only proteins he'll willingly eat, and as I said, about a cup of milk a day. Doing the math, he's probably doing okay. I guess I throw a few pieces of shrimp in there occasionally (with a lot of begging and pleading for him to eat it) and he's okay. I guess the point with sticking to my guns on the hamburger helper was I was NOT about to make a separate meal for him and he had asked me to make a few days earlier and then decided he didn't like it. It wasn't so much about the nutrition in the hamburger helper. I assumed he'd eat it because it was easy to eat, but I guess not. I get that it's not the healthiest, but he asked for it. I make healthier pasta dishes myself(though I don't eat them, because I can't).
Cooking for a family with different nutritional needs is so complicated... His dad complains that the food is too high in some macronutrient, usually fat(make your own damn food if you're not happy with it), but if it's higher in protein due to the addition of meat, his son won't eat it, and I can't eat the pasta/bread-based dishes that they both can. >.<0 -
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.
Ok, I'm not really worried about the fat in the peanut butter, admittedly. The sugar in yogurt IS a concern because he starts bouncing off the walls and he hates brushing his teeth(what little kid doesn't?) and he refuses any other kind of yogurt(what little kid wouldn't?).
No, he doesn't eat eggs. Cheese and peanut butter are the only proteins he'll willingly eat, and as I said, about a cup of milk a day. Doing the math, he's probably doing okay. I guess I throw a few pieces of shrimp in there occasionally (with a lot of begging and pleading for him to eat it) and he's okay. I guess the point with sticking to my guns on the hamburger helper was I was NOT about to make a separate meal for him and he had asked me to make a few days earlier and then decided he didn't like it. It wasn't so much about the nutrition in the hamburger helper. I assumed he'd eat it because it was easy to eat, but I guess not. I get that it's not the healthiest, but he asked for it. I make healthier pasta dishes myself(though I don't eat them, because I can't).
Cooking for a family with different nutritional needs is so complicated... His dad complains that the food is too high in some macronutrient, usually fat(make your own damn food if you're not happy with it), but if it's higher in protein due to the addition of meat, his son won't eat it, and I can't eat the pasta/bread-based dishes that they both can. >.<
That does sounds like a challenge, dealing with those different macro requirements. Maybe instead of one-dish meals like mac and cheese and hamburger helper, you could cook the hamburger separately as patties (the little boy might even surprise you by being willing to eat it if it doesn't come in a mix of textures -- i.e., combined with smooth sauce, and springy pasta, etc. -- which is often a problem for small kids), cook the pasta or other starch separate, and the veg separate. That way each person could adjust the amount of each that they're eating to their taste/dietary requirements.0 -
my little brother was like this when young, all broccoli and white fish, occasionally chicken but that was it he didn't like most other protein sources and only drank water or milk probably until he was 9 or 10.
He grew up and out of it and is now taller than me at 13 and almost as big as his 6" brother so maybe don't worry too much just yet!0 -
Also, kids are sometimes more likely to eat something if they feel they helped make it, so if he's around when you're fixing dinner, you could ask him to mix something together, or measure out dry ingredients for you (realize that that this "help" might actually create more work for you in supervising and cleaning up).*
If he's around next time you're making something like that chickpea salad with onions, you could ask him if he'd like to try a chickpea before you put other stuff in with it, and/or ask if he'd like you to hold out some chickpeas and just put stuff that he likes on it, so as you add ingredients to your salad, he could give the thumbs up or down to adding it to his portion.
*ETA: obviously no work at the stove or with a knife at this age, and if you can move the bowl to the table so he doesn't have to stand on a chair to mix or add measured ingredients, that's probably safer and ultimately less likely to cause a mess.0 -
No advice from me, just a little reassurance. When my sister was a kid, she had a long phase where her diet consisted mainly of cucumbers, cheese doodles, and bagels with lox and cream cheese lol. Now, at 37, not only is she a healthy woman, she's amazingly fit, her eating habits are actually enviable, she's a runner, and she's healthy and strong. (also she's awesome and I love her but that has nothing to do with nutrition lol)0
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I have an 8 year old and a 5 year old. I would love it if my kids ate more veggies! My children prefer to eat starchy carbs like pasta noodles and cheezit crackers. They do well with most meats and proteins but veggies are the hard part.
I know you don't have a problem with him eating veggies, but maybe you can use some of the same tricks that parents have been using to sneak veggies into their food.
- cut up tiny meat bits into their food. We prepare a lot of rice in our house and we're always cutting veggies up to stir into their food.
- does he like ravioli? gyoza or asian style dumplings? meats (and veggies) can easily be stuffed into them. With the dumplings, my kids liked to play around with dipping sauces (vinegar, soy sauce, sweet/sour sauce, etc)
- My kids used to be picky about eggs until I let them top it off. Now, they'll eat eggs however we serve them. My kids still won't take any kind of fluffy scrambled eggs. You can try things like ketchup or cheese. My oldest child is starting to experiment with hot sauce (yikes).
- Costco sells Chobani Champions for kids in a tube. It's kinda like Go-Gurt but it's greek yogurt. My kids love this stuff. They love it even more when the yogurt is frozen.
good luck!0 -
You may try discussing this with his pediatrician if you're really worried about it. My eldest daughter, now 7, never ate meat as a baby or toddler. When I would cook spaghetti she'd pick out the meat and just eat the noodles and sauce. She wouldn't touch chicken nuggets, hotdogs, bacon, etc. Her only sources of protein were milk, cheese, peanut butter, an occasional egg, and beans (which she won't eat now). I asked her pediatrician and he said if her body needs protein then she will get it, it may not be in the form of meat she may just ask for another egg or a second pb sandwich. He said it could just be a texture issue like some others said. She never starved, and wasn't malnourished. She was always on the top end of height (lower end on weight), but her pediatrician wasn't worried about it so I stopped focusing on it. That being said she does eat meat now, and has decided that vegetables she used to eat all the time aren't good anymore. Raising kids is a constant battle!
On a side note: I NEVER cook two meals. I just don't have the time and energy to do that. I expect my children to eat what my husband and I eat. However, I do always cook something I know they will like along with something I think they may struggle with eating (usually when we are trying new vegetables or new foods in general). One of our house rules is you must try two bites of everything on your plate.0 -
That does sounds like a challenge, dealing with those different macro requirements. Maybe instead of one-dish meals like mac and cheese and hamburger helper, you could cook the hamburger separately as patties (the little boy might even surprise you by being willing to eat it if it doesn't come in a mix of textures -- i.e., combined with smooth sauce, and springy pasta, etc. -- which is often a problem for small kids), cook the pasta or other starch separate, and the veg separate. That way each person could adjust the amount of each that they're eating to their taste/dietary requirements.
This occurred to me right after I posted the topic. I think this is an excellent idea. He DOES seem to like to eat things separately. Even if things are cooked separately, his dad likes to mix everything together on his plate because he likes the different flavor combinations. I think the little guy is more like me in that way, though(as most children probably are), that they eat one thing before moving on to the next. I'm that way. That definitely seems easiest, and then when he's at his mom's place, I can make the casseroles and things like that that his dad likes. That way everyone's happy. That seems like a good solution.0 -
My son is not crazy about meat either.
But he eats avocados, nuts and yogurts (low sugar ones).
Also, freshly packed full fat ricotta, with just toasted nuts (like pecans and hazelnuts) and honey is a very tasty protein packed desert.0 -
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.
Cheese and Peanut Butter are very healthy and if your worried about the fat content... The reduced fat cheeses are not much different in taste .. Kraft Deli Deluxe 2% is very good and so is the Kraft 2% 'block' cheese.... They have reduced fat peanut butter and also reduced sugar.....Kids are picky... If your worried that much try pedia sure or similar nutritional supplement shakes as snacks. I still have to do this with my daughter from time to time and she is 13... or ask the pediatrician for advice but I really think he will be fine with what he is eating especially if he likes peanut butter and cheese. Kids dont need that many grams of protien a day anyway
Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein
Grams of protein
needed each day
Children ages 1 – 3 13g
Children ages 4 – 8 19g
Children ages 9 – 13 34g
Girls ages 14 – 18 46g
Boys ages 14 – 18 52g
Women ages 19 – 70+ 46g
Men ages 19 – 70+ 56g0 -
My five-year-old daughter does not like to eat to eat meat (chicken, beef, or pork) because she says it takes too long to chew. Yeah, she doesn’t like chewing. On the other hand, she has no problems with beans, lentils, or other grains. So, she ends up eating a lot of rice and some kind of stewed bean most nights. I also try to “mask” the protein within the meal; for example, I take the fish and “flake it” real small, stir it with her beans and she doesn’t even notice it. I also give her vanilla Greek yogurt (cause is the only one she likes), chicken nuggets, string cheese, and scrambled eggs (and yes with her rice and beans.) When she gets really picky, and starts to cry that she doesn’t like it, I ask her to close her eyes and just taste it once; it works every time! She ends up eating most of her meal without a problem because now she knows that it’s about the taste and not the “look” of the meal.0
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- Costco sells Chobani Champions for kids in a tube. It's kinda like Go-Gurt but it's greek yogurt. My kids love this stuff. They love it even more when the yogurt is frozen.
good luck!
Ooh, he has actually requested that we buy yogurt tubes "because mommy has them". This is a great idea!
Also, I remembered he likes bacon... I've cooked kale with bacon before in the hopes that it would make him like it(it didn't work; when I wasn't looking he dumped it in the garbage. lol). Perhaps combining some new proteins with bacon or processed meats that I know he likes would be a good way to introduce them?
Mmm, never thought about ricotta cheese. I've used it in recipes before and loved it. Don't think he's ever really eaten nuts, although I've noticed that he takes particular interest in foods when I'm eating something different than he is and he hasn't been offered any. Sometimes he asks to try whatever it is, or he asks what it is, or he just stares at me when I'm eating(which makes me feel pretty awkward and uncomfortable. lol). Perhaps that would also be a good way to present new foods? Monkey see, monkey do and so forth?
It's happened on numerous occasions where he has tried something that we didn't think he'd like because daddy had it on his plate and he wanted to try it because daddy was eating it. I would have thought this would work better with meat, but it hasn't so far. Bacon is the only thing that's worked with.0 -
Your little guy sounds just like my 3 1/2 year old. Since he's my 2nd. I've learned to quit stressing over "what" he does and doesn't eat. I still get a nagging thought in my head sometimes, but I squash it. His Dr says he's healthy... so I don't stress it. He pretty much eats PB&J every day for at least 1 meal. If he could he'd eat cheese every hour on the hour. He's what I know about him. He eats better when he PICKS what's on his plate (I give him the choices to choose from). he eats better when he helps make his plate. And believe me I know what a time sucker it is. But I try to give him at least 2 meals a day where he gets to do these things. For dinner. I make my kids a "version" of what we are having. So if we are having spaghetti w/ meat sauce I make my oldest plate without the sauce (don't ask she's weird too
) and his without large chunks of hamburger. I try to be sure the hamburger is finally mashed or he will throw a fit and tell me he doesn't like hamburger. Sometimes I make a meal for us I can't do this with. So those nights it's something they can make like PB&J or whatever I have planned. And sometimes it all backfires and he refuses to eat any of it. So I refuse to give him anything to eat until the next meal. Cause he is a stubborn little bird and will go all day without eating just because he's testing me. And I just put his plate in the fridge and let him know it's there any time he wants it, but that's all there is. And he's just stubborn enough not to eat it. hahahaha!!! Kids can not control a lot of things, but anything they can put in their bodies is something they CAN control, so they do. I give them a limited amount of time to eat because an hour and 1/2 will not get any more in their bellies than 30 minutes will. If they honestly will eat they'll do it quickly. And I don't have a set time, it honestly depends on them. Sometimes they honestly eat in 20 minutes, sometimes they honestly take an hour with no playing. Once the playing starts I give them 1 reminder to eat and not play. After that meal time is over. Every kid is different and you might have a lot more on your hands than just the normal pickiness because of your family situation (2 households for him). Find healthy options for the things he does like (there are tricks to make plain yogurt taste better without sugar) and find a way to get him to agree to TRY what you're eating. I require 1 bite before I make something else, but I always have a backup plan for the times they won't or end up not liking it And I smother lots of things with a serving of cheese to mask it Good luck 0 -
I give them a limited amount of time to eat because an hour and 1/2 will not get any more in their bellies than 30 minutes will. If they honestly will eat they'll do it quickly. And I don't have a set time, it honestly depends on them. Sometimes they honestly eat in 20 minutes, sometimes they honestly take an hour with no playing. Once the playing starts I give them 1 reminder to eat and not play. After that meal time is over.
I think this is the something I'll try. Like I said, he picked at the plate of food for an hour without eating more than a few bites, but he inhaled TWO grilled cheese sandwiches in under 20 minutes. It was very impressive, I will admit. I also have to accept that he's a lot more strong-willed than I am.
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http://www.heartspring.net/list_of_vegetarian_protein_foods.html
here is a list of high protein foods besides meat...Maybe there are some foods he likes on here0 -
Greek yogurt! My brother eats plain greek yogurt with honey and chocolate chips. Remember that little kids dont really need that much
True. More than anything, it's a matter of trying to introduce foods now so they're not a surprise when he does start to need more protein. So yeah, I suppose a piece here and there makes the most sense.
His mom finally got back to me about it. I texted her this morning to ask about mealtimes in their house and she gave me some suggestions. She has two older kids, so this ain't her first rodeo. She says he's probably just going through a phase because the stuff he won't eat with me he has eaten with them recently. She also suggested not giving him a snack after he comes home from daycare and only giving him water between then and supper. Usually when he comes home, I serve supper right away, but perhaps waiting is a good idea because he'll be a little hungrier and more willing to try something new. I asked her what time they serve supper at their house so we can make it consistent at both houses.0 -
Hello, shininglight.
Your stepson does not sound "weird" to me at all. In fact, he seems to be a wonderfully healthy eater as of right now. Fat and sugar are acquired (and addictive) tastes that are hard to reverse once started. By eating healthy carbs (i.e. sugars) like broccoli, his brain and body can function really well.
Some other things to consider:
1 cup of broccoli has 5.1% RDA (recommended daily allowance) of protein (and that's likely an adult recommendation) along with a TON of other good benefits:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9
Also, it is extremely rare for Americans to be protein deficient:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/498112-how-common-is-protein-deficiency/
Also, doctor's actually know very little about nutrition:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/health/16chen.html
If you have concerns you may want to get some recommendations from a nutritionist, specifically one that specialized in pediatric nutrition.
Here an interesting site I just found that may give you more educated answers than what you'd find in a forum:
http://www.healthychildren.org/english/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/default.aspx
Best to you!
9thChakra0 -
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.
Okay, I don't want to start a fight here, but I've been vegetarian since birth and never had any nutrition or health issues. My parents did not struggle with, or have to be concious of, feeding me in anything other than a normal parental way. I ate a lot better than friends who were given a macdonalds for dinner. Also they got to be certain that I wasn't going to get BSE when that beef scare happened in the 90s. Also there is nothing 'incomplete' about the protein that comes from non meat sources.0 -
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.
Okay, I don't want to start a fight here, but I've been vegetarian since birth and never had any nutrition or health issues. My parents did not struggle with, or have to be concious of, feeding me in anything other than a normal parental way. I ate a lot better than friends who were given a macdonalds for dinner. Also they got to be certain that I wasn't going to get BSE when that beef scare happened in the 90s. Also there is nothing 'incomplete' about the protein that comes from non meat sources.
Yeah. Frankly, I don't care about vegetarian vs. not. If that's what he'll eat, then of course that's fine with me. Like people above have said, they don't need much protein at this age. The issue is him eating what the family eats. When he's old enough to make his own food choices and prepare his own food, he can eat however the hell he wants.
I don't find vegetarianism to be all that difficult, really. I have my days where I don't eat meat at all because it's a pain to prepare it. I eat enough cheese, eggs, and yogurt to more than make up my protein requirements, as well as things like chickpeas. That's out of pure laziness, though. Like I say, it has nothing to do with me wanting him to eat a certain way or a certain diet and everything to do with me thinking he has to accept the social aspects of eating, and often that means eating what other people eat. I have a cousin who, at 10 years old, went to a buffet with us and ate nothing but tater tots. Yeah... that ain't gonna be my kid.0 -
Vegetables do have protein. And he doesn't need as much protein as an adult would. Why don't you start keeping track of his protein intake? You might be surprised how much protein he is actually getting from his diet.0
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