I often hear from parents that it's hard to get their toddlers to eat enough protein. Protein is super important for growth and keeping energy levels up throughout the day.
However, many parents overestimate how much protein their child really needs. Usually getting protein in two meals a day gets your kids to their required intake.
Many parents also underestimate how much protein their kids are already getting. Protein doesn’t have to come from meat. Other good sources of kid friendly proteins include eggs, dairy, nut butters, or chickpeas. And for a toddler, a serving is smaller than you might expect. A serving of protein would be equivalent to an egg, a slice of deli meat, a cheese stick, a tablespoon of nut butter, or ½ cup of Greek yogurt or chickpeas.
When getting protein from non-meat or egg sources, we do want to be mindful that kids are getting enough iron to keep their energy levels up. For most kids, eating iron rich foods at least once a day gets them what they need. Good sources of iron include meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans and lentils, fortified cereals and breads, tofu, and dark leafy greens. If you have a particularly picky toddler, you can consider cooking in cast iron or using an iron fish to add iron to the foods you’re already making. If you’re still not sure your kid is getting what they need, talk with your doctor!
