Protein Foods for Toddlers
A toddler's daily nutritional requirements include about 16 grams, or 2 ounces, of protein. Protein is a nutritional building block that children need for normal growth. Building and repairing cells in the body is another important function of protein. Meat is a good source of protein, but often toddlers don't like it very much because of the texture. Legumes, milk and eggs are excellent sources of protein as well.
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Breakfast
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Some healthy protein breakfast ideas for toddlers include pancakes cooked with milk and eggs, fruit smoothies made with yogurt and cereal with milk.
Lunch
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Tuna fish salad spread on toast, mashed and lightly seasoned lentils spread on crackers or bread and a lunchmeat sandwich are excellent sources of protein for toddlers.
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Finger foods and snacks
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Beans, crumbled boiled eggs, low-sodium deli meat and hummus are healthy snacks that are also popular with picky toddlers.
Dinner
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Macaroni and cheese, lentil loaf, soups and stews made with legumes or meat, fish and, of course, chicken fingers are great ways to boost your toddler's protein intake.
Milk and desserts
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Two cups of milk a day will provide your toddler with half the amount of protein needed to meet daily requirements. While you may not choose to serve your toddler dessert on a regular basis, when you do, try serving egg custard or rice pudding for protein.
Tips and tricks
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Bake muffins with an extra egg or add powdered milk to the batter. Bake vegetable patties with an egg to boost protein intake. Mix small bits of meat or legumes in with whatever you are serving to meet daily protein requirements.
Considerations
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Don't stress if your toddler refuses to eat the food you serve or barely seems to eat at all. Do the best you can to offer your child a wide variety of healthy foods and remember that toddlers need much less food than adults or older children.
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