How can I get my toddler to eat protein?????

[mummylonglegs]

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[beansontoast]

umm..my ds is younger than your dd ,so poss a bit easier to dupe
you could try making a vegetable heavy bolognese suace and whizzing it with a handheld blender an d then serving it up as her reg tomm sauce??any chance taht would work?
my ds definitely doesnt like the texture of meat ,never has been up for the chewing req'd

[QueenEagle]

The richest sources of protein are animal foods such as chicken, meat, fish, cheese and eggs. However, plant proteins are believed to be healthier because of their lower fat content. Plant protein is found (eg) in beans (esp. soy beans), lentils, nuts, quorn and seeds.

The average adult needs about half a gram of protein per pound of healthy weight.


I got this from a website somewhere, so not sure what the amounts for children are. Probably best to ask your health visitor for advice too. That's not too bad a diet though for a 2 year old, just gradually build on it as she gets older. Will she eat a vehetarian sausage, as that is made from quorn which is an ok soursce of protein? Also you could make a puree from lentils and mix it in with the tomato sauce.

Good luck!

[hoxtonchick]

don't want to worry you more, mll, but i think i'd want to get more carbohydrate into her too, just as vital for energy. will she eat potatoes in any form, or couscous or rice? if you could add any of those at lunchtime i think it would make a difference. or even rice cakes (my ds' favourite, despite a strong hint of polystyrene.....). i actually don't think her protein intake's too bad, especially if you take the milk into account. hth.

[mummylonglegs]

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[NannyL]

you could only giver her fresh egg pasta... at leats thats got more egg in it

[NannyL]

also peanut buter on her toast...

if i were you simply give ehr thinsg with more protein and let her eat them or be hungry... ie peanut butter on toast for brekkie,

pasta with a bolognese sauce for lunch (so at leats if she didnt have much breakfast she may be hungry enought to eat more at lunch)

keep offering erh new things and persisting... if she doesnt like it let her be hungary... she WONT starve ehr slef

Oh and DONT offer more milk / snacks etc to make it up

[WigWamBam]

If she'll eat jam sandwiches, use Dairylea instead of butter, or you could stir a spoonful of it into the pasta sauce.

[QueenEagle]

If she helped you to make the lunch etc, would she be more interested in eating it after?

Also, try arranging the food in a face shape on the plate or use pastry cutters to make it more interesting - my kids love this.

[saadia]

I also have problems with picky eaters but try to add cheese to most things, also give Ready Brek with peanut butter and jam stirred in (I know it sounds gross but ds eats it).

[norash]

Beans.

[Earlybird]

DD only became interested in eating eggs when she helped fix them. Messy as it was, I'd sit her down with a bowl and the egg carton and ask her to count out/crack the desired number of eggs into the bowl. She thought it was great fun. I'd then give her a little cup of milk to pour in, and then I'd scramble everything together. At first she always asked for eggs - but to make, not eat. Eventually she got to the point where she'd eat them too. But it was a long process.

Agree about the peanut butter too. DD loves it, and for some bizarre reason, one of her "special requests" at the moment is a mini pitta with peanut butter inside.

[chilledchic]

peanuts in yogurt/chocolate coating as atreat if she likes them
also cashewnut butter
lentil pate?
baked beans? theres about 20 diff flavs about at the moment
mashed bb in tom sauce?

[chilledchic]

re bb flavours bet theyre all yak !

[mummylonglegs]

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[mummylonglegs]

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[saadia]

I know what you mean by feeling responsible, I too feel that ds's apprehension towards food must be caused by something I've done - he actually smells food before eating it.

One thing I've found which does increase his appetite is swimming - for some reason he always eats a really hearty meal after he's been swimming.

Another thing he's fairly keen on is nuts - I give him a bowl with almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts and, when he's in the mood, he munches away while watching tv.

[NannyL]

can she really tell fresh egg pasta

i know i would find it very hard to know (guess!) .... especially if you buy the 'conventional' penne shapes etc!

[Twiglett]

vegi burgers can be made from beans and pulses which have high protein

don't worry too much DS was also very fussy about protein it is now (at 4) one of his favourite things .. fish, chicken etc

[Gwenick]

and let her eat them or be hungry..



Works with some children but not all - as I discovered, after having DS1 going through a VERY awkward stage or eating rubbish or nothing we followed, friends, family and HV advice of 'take it or leave it'...........he ate NOTHING for nearly 1 whole week and became so pale looking that we simply went back to what he'd been eating before and worked (slowly but surely) on getting him to eat a more varied diet.......I'm pleased to say that I now have a 4.5yr old who astounds his nursery teachers 'making dinner' with Avacado, Broccoli, Spinach, Beans, Meat, Fish etc etc!

With regards to proteins - there's lots of different types of beans (not just baked beans) that you could try - DS2 isnt 'keen' on meat - but will eat meals with beans in them to his hearts content.

[WideWebWitch]

Can you get some lentils pureed into the tomato pasta sauce? And will she eat eggy bread? Omelette? Haven't read whole thread, sorry if I'm repeating.

[mummylonglegs]

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[elliott]

Well, I was also going to suggest red lentils in the pasta sauce
but to look on the bright side, the list you give is actually reasonable in the range of vegetables, and I would imagine that she will be getting enough protein from the lunchtime portion and the milk. I wonder though about iron? - they don't seem to include iron in children's multivitamins these days. lentils would help with that, also dried apricots if she would go for that.
I was a very fussy (and thin!) child (I could spot anything 'adulterated' a mile off) and I have to say the 'eat it or leave it' approach wouldn't have worked with me. I found it acutely distressing being forced to eat things that made me retch. Perhaps you just need to try the 'eat a small amount of something new' with lots of praise and encouragement if she does try a little. What about trying to eat together at mealtimes and giving her small amounts of what you are having?

[Ulysees]

Is she allowed peanut butter yet? I've just bought some that they make for you in our health shop only using peanuts (no oil or salt) I give this to ds2 with whole/granary bread.


She's probably too young for it though?

Oh, spirulina is a good supplement btw. Go to your health food shop and ask advice if you can.

[Ulysees]

Does she eat yoghurts? You could sneak tofu in them perhaps?

[mummylonglegs]

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