Many picky eaters prefer carbohydrate-based foods such as bread, pasta, crackers and fruit and tend to refuse protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts and seeds (with maybe just a few protein-rich dairy foods allowed in the mix if you’re lucky).
So how can you encourage your picky eater to get that all-important protein?
Firstly, let’s take a look at how much protein kids actually need.
Protein requirements for kids
The good news is, the amount of protein kids need is generally less than we think, and it’s fairly easy for most kids to meet their protein needs, even the picky ones.
Protein needs depend on age, weight and gender (in the case of older kids, 9+).
7-12 months: 14g/day, or 1.6g/kg body weight (adequate intake)
1-3 years: 14g/day or 1.08g/kg body weight
4-8 years: 20g/day or 0.91g/kg body weight
To put these numbers in context, let’s take a look at what this actually looks like in terms of food.
Amount of protein in common foods and drinks:
The main sources of protein in the Western diet are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds and dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese.
But there’s also protein in many foods we don’t tend to think of as ‘protein’ foods. To illustrate this, many kids actually get a considerable amount of their protein from cereals and cereal-based foods, which we generally don’t consider to be a ‘protein’ food.
The following list gives you an idea of how much protein is in some common foods and drinks:
Milk – 8g per 250ml cup
Yoghurt – 7g per 1/2 cup
Cheese – 6g per slice (25g slice)
Meat, poultry and fish – 8g per 30g serve
Eggs – 6g per egg
Pasta (white or whole wheat) – 2g per 1/4 cup (cooked)
Wholegrain bread – 4-6g per slice (white bread is around 2g per slice)
Bean & legumes (such as chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and green peas) – 3g per 1/4 cup (cooked)
Seeds (such as chia seeds and sesame seeds) – 3g per tablespoon
Tofu – 8g per 100g
Nut butter – 5g per tablespoon
Oats - 3.8g per 30g serve (uncooked)
As you can see, 14g of protein - the amount needed each day by a baby or toddler, is roughly equivalent to the protein in 1 cup of milk + 1 piece of wholegrain bread with peanut butter - not too difficult to achieve for most kids!
High protein meal ideas for picky eaters
So, now that we’ve covered kids’ protein needs and what that actually looks like in terms of food, let’s look at some high-protein meal ideas for picky eaters.
A little disclaimer though: as the mother of a picky eater, I know they’re all very different, as are the foods they will and won’t eat. Nothing is more irritating and disheartening than seeing a list of ‘foods picky eaters will love!’ only to see a list of foods your child wouldn’t touch in a million years.
So what I’m saying is, I realise some of these foods may be completely unacceptable to your picky eater, but hopefully, there are a few that might be worth a try! (and I’ll also let you in on my favourite hack for adding extra protein…)
Cereal with yoghurt (go for a low-sugar, wholegrain cereal and low-sugar yoghurt if you can!)
Porridge with nut butter
Boiled eggs with toast soldiers
Baked beans on toast
Peanut butter sandwiches
Cheese sandwiches
Macaroni cheese made with legume pasta
Chicken nuggets - yes, they’re not the best high-protein option, but they are high in protein, and sometimes we just have to meet our picky eaters somewhere in the middle (and you can always make your own if you have time)
Fish fingers - same goes
DIY burgers at home - put out a few different fillings and let kids pick and choose what they like - hopefully, a beef patty or some cheese makes the cut!
DIY tacos - same again
Chicken and cheese quesadillas
Chicken noodle soup
Or try my favourite little hack - pasta cooked in bone broth! Bone broth contains around 10g of protein per cup, which is absorbed into the pasta as it cooks, meaning that protein is transferred into the pasta. A great option if your child will only eat plain pasta with butter! And if pasta doesn’t work, instant noodles are another option.
How can I get my child to eat more protein?
If these ideas aren’t quite enough to encourage your child to eat more protein, here are some strategies that might help:
Offer a platter instead of a meal
Somehow, lots of different things in small quantities on the same plate = far more likely to be eaten. I do this all the time for my kids and it works a treat. Go for as much colour as possible and a range of foods - for example,
Crackers
Cheese
Fruit
Hummus
Veggie sticks
Sliced boiled egg
Roasted chickpeas
Dried fruit
Cut sandwiches into shapes
Again, simple but can be very effective! Cookie cutters are great for this.
Try a smoothie instead of a meal
This can work particularly well at breakfast time when many kids don’t want to eat anything but will happily drink something.
Don’t pressure kids to eat
It can be so, so tempting to resort to bribery and negotiation when it comes to dealing with fussy eaters - and it’s totally understandable to do this. But unfortunately, any form of pressure when it comes to eating can actually make picky eaters even more picky. Have a read of my ‘10 tips for dealing with a fussy eater’ for more advice on picky eating.
Should I give my child protein powder?
Protein powders are big business these days with more and more coming onto the market, including some specifically made for kids. But do kids really need protein powder?
For most kids, as long as they’re eating a reasonably balanced diet that includes foods from the five food groups, they’re most likely getting two to three times the amount of protein they need already, so a protein supplement is unlikely to be necessary or beneficial.
Adding a protein supplement can add a lot more protein to your child’s diet than they need. In fact, one kid’s protein powder I looked at contains 12g of protein per serve, which is more than half the amount of protein needed for kids 4-8 years old.
It’s also important to think about what else is in the protein powder. Many have sugar added which isn’t great for teeth, or they may be sweetened with artificial sweeteners which can upset little tummies.
If you think your child would benefit from a protein supplement, it’s a good idea to discuss it with a healthcare professional first.
