Best Sources of Protein For Kids
Getting kids to eat protein can be hard sometimes, especially if you have picky eaters! It can also be hard to know the best sources of protein for kids and toddlers, and how to come up with clever ways to add it into their diet. We know protein is important for our kids’ growth and development, but we’re often not sure how much they need or what the best kinds are for them.
Fortunately, protein intake isn’t something most parents need to stress about. There is a good chance that most kids get enough protein in a day without putting too much pressure on them. We need to focus on where they are getting their protein from, rather than stressing about how much they are eating each day.
Benefits of Protein For Kids
There are many benefits of protein for kids. It is essential for basically every area of their bodies. For young children, protein is important for growth and development. It helps to repair and build muscles, bones and organs, and it also helps kids’ bodies build a strong immune system.
Protein also helps keep them full between meals, which all moms want help with so they are not asking for their 12th snack of the day! It always helps to pair a protein, fat, and carb source for most meals to keep it well-rounded. It doesn’t need to be perfect every time, but it is a good foundation to go by for meals and snacks.
High Protein Foods For Kids
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Of course this one is a no-brainer, but there are many different ways that you can serve meat and seafood to your kiddos. You can serve them chicken cooked in different ways, ground turkey in tacos, add any type of ground meat to enchiladas or lasagna, add chicken or ground turkey into soups, do sheet pan dinners, or pan-fry your fish of choice. The options are endless!
Yogurt & Cottage Cheese
Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are both great high protein options if your kids can tolerate dairy. I always recommend buying organic when it comes to dairy products, and make sure you are getting things that are unsweetened so that you can control the sugar content. You can make yogurt bowls with honey, berries, and nuts (and you can serve cottage cheese the same way). You can also use yogurt and cottage cheese in pancakes to up the protein. You can get creative and stir in a small amount of protein powder to vegan yogurt to add flavor and even more protein, as well as make a fruit dip by combining greek yogurt, cinnamon, peanut butter, and maple syrup. My girls love to dip apples in this!
Cheese
You can use string cheese, sharp cheddar, or add shredded cheese on top of pretty much anything! Some easy options of are of course things like quesadillas, enchiladas, in sandwiches, or even cube up larger blocks of cheese.
Milk & Milk Alternatives
I have never given my kids whole cow’s milk, but that is just personal preference because I give them unsweetened soy milk, and they eat dairy in other forms. Whole milk or soy milk are both great options for higher protein milk. I don’t believe that kids really need to be drinking a ton of milk after they turn one like the recommendations have always been. If they are eating a variety of foods that are a whole food protein source, then they won’t really need to supplement with milk. But this is always a personal choice that you should talk to your doctor or dietitian about. A couple of ways that you can use milk in other recipes is to either cook your oatmeal in it, or use it in smoothies.
Nut & Seed Butters
We love peanut butter in our house! But any type of nut or seed butter will add protein to so many things. You can add a spoonful to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt bowls, dip fruit in it, the options are endless!
Protein Powder for Kids
This one can be kind of tricky, because most parents don’t know if it is safe to give kids the protein powders that adults drink. And those are very valid concerns because a lot of them have very large amounts of protein and extra things in them that kids just don’t need. They don’t need to take in excessive amounts of protein in at one time, so it is smart to be careful. I have a select few that I use to make “chocolate milk” for my kids, and I only use a 1/2 scoop to mix with their milk so they aren’t getting too much. But one of the best protein powders that I have found that is actually made for kids is from Naked Nutrition. My kids love it, it tastes delicious, and the amount of protein as well as the extra nutrients in it are tailored to kids’ needs. This is amazing, and takes the worry away when trying to use protein for my girls. It comes in two flavors, so you can get creative with fun smoothies for them!
Whole Nuts & Seeds
One of the easiest ways to add protein from seeds to your kid’s diet is to add things like hemp seeds, flax, or chia seeds to smoothies and oatmeal. I almost always add hemp and flax to my kids oatmeal and they never even know it is there!
Eggs
Eggs are a fantastic protein source for kids. You can serve them so many different ways, depending on your child’s preferences. You can of course serve them fried, scrambled, in tacos, or even casserole style. Egg cups are also a great way to add extra veggies in there too, or even egg salad sandwiches!
Protein Baked Goods
Adding protein powder, yogurt, cottage cheese, or nut butters to baked goods are a fun way to serve treats! You can do protein muffins, protein brownies, or different flavors of snack balls! Some of our favorite protein muffins to make are my chocolate banana muffins, and blueberry banana.
Bone Broth
Bone broth is not only a good way to add protein, but it is loaded with SO many other nutrients. I am a huge advocate of adding bone broth to your diet in some way. You can obviously use it in soups, but you can also cook your rice in it instead of water to up the protein. You can add a splash of broth when sautéing vegetables, or even use it in hot chocolate. I know it may sound crazy, but you really don’t taste it when you add the cocoa and sweetener!
Beans & Legumes
Beans are a fantastic source of protein because they also provide fiber and complex carbohydrates. They are great for gut health, and provide a plant-based source of protein, which are perfect for vegetarian and vegan dishes. You can add them to soups and chili, make quesadillas with refried beans, and you can even make dips out of beans, like my White Bean & Goat Cheese Dip.
Alternative Pastas
Most kids love pasta, so this can be an easy win if you are trying to get them more protein without it being obvious. Pastas made out of chickpeas, or other types of beans and legumes are a great way to up the protein content, and normally kids won’t even know the difference.
Veggie Burgers
There are lots of veggie burger options out there, but I would recommend the ones that are made with whole food ingredients, and don’t have a lot of fake fillers in them. Look for options that are made with beans, legumes, or lentils, and whole grains.
Just remember, you are doing a great job feeding your kids! If they are eating a well rounded diet with foods from all of the food groups, they are most likely going to be getting enough protein. Whole foods are the key here because the nutrient density of their diet is so important for their growing bodies!
Thank you to Naked Nutrition for sponsoring this post! I appreciate you for following along and supporting the brands that support The Wheatless Kitchen!