Protein? Help!!!

[TotallyLovely]

My ds 2.5 doesn't eat that much and it's not that varied. It's very, very slowly improving but I am worried he's not getting enough protein as he won't eat meat at all. Sorry to sound thick but I am not entirely sure what else has protein in. I think eggs do but he won't eat those. Yoghurt? Beans?

Help!

There are lots of different places to find protein. Eggs, beans (pulses like lentils, chickpeas etc generally), quinoa grain, cheese and other dairy products, fish, nuts & seeds, quorn. Smaller amounts in wholegrain foods. If he's getting a good balance of as many of the above as possible, plus a good range of other foods, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.

If it's any reassurance, my brother didn't like meat for about the first 4 years of his life when he discovered sausages and decided meat was the best thing ever :) Hasn't stopped him from being disgustingly healthy for the subsequent 40 years!!

Eggs are an amazing food - is there any way you can hide them in his food?

Thanks! I sort of thought they were the places to find it (as a veggie I should know really [embarrassed]) but I started questioning myself.

Out of those he will eat . . . cheese and dairy . . . and er that's it! The only beans he likes are baked beans, and Quorn (which I love) is too like meat for him.

Not really sure how to hide eggs.

There's no shame in baked beans, but perhaps get reduced sugar and salt ones if you're giving them to him regularly.

One of my kids is very keen on omelettes. I make them and cut them into strips which he eats with his fingers.

How about eggy bread? Dip (stale) bread in egg and leave to soak in for a bit and then fry. You can do it savoury or sweet. I sometimes mix chopped pureed spinach (the stuff that comes in ice cubes at the supermarket) into the egg to get some veg in. Then dip in savoury sauce (ketchup, brown sauce, more right on alternative) or sweet sauce (fruit puree, mix of sugar and cinnamon etc). I found cutting it up with shaped biscuit cutters a particular winner.

Blimey, listen to me. The things I used to do to get those boys to eat...

whim So do baked beans have protein in? I try eggy bread every couple of weeks but no massive progress happening there. He also won't touch omelette or dippy eggs.

Baked beans are just haricot beans in ketchup type sauce. The beans are like kidney beans or chick peas etc but magically made acceptable to children and men.

I'll probably get roasted alive (and then served with brown rice) for suggesting this, but we used to use food colouring to disguise food. Or cover it with hundreds and thousands.

I usually cut mine into amusing shapes . . . never tried hundreds and thousands (on anything that's not a cake anyway!)

Baked beans are fab for protein, re eggs you could also try something like carbonara (Jamie Oliver does a courgette one which is lovely, but you could just use a normal recipe without the bacon), also try quiche/tarts or a frittata with whatever veg he likes in?

Beans, lentils, chickpeas, soya - all protein powerhouses. Beans - all sorts - normal baked beans, kidney beans, chickpeas - you could get the tinned ones in water, or just buy dried beans, soak overnight and cook in water - they are great in stews or just drained and put out in dishes as little munchies. Quorn is basically soya - so all forms of quorn.

My mum used to stir a raw egg into things cos she thought we weren't eating enough protein. Eg ready brek, milkshakes. I can't say I noticed the egg, I only know about it cos she told me years later! Sounds vile now but doesnt seem to have done me any harm

What about Yorkshire Puddings? My 2 yo DD is egg-phobic also but will take me arm off for Yorkies. Dead easy - egg + flour + Milk (more protein) + 20 mins in hot oven and small ones are done.

WE have the same problem, no meat, nor eggs (in any of the above forms - tried 'em all, oh I tell a lie, he will eat carbonara and CAKE). Have you tried houmous, DS is mad for the stuff! He also won't eat baked beans or any pulses, except the chickpeas in houmous, woe betide there being a bit of solid chickpea in it though.
Also keep going with the meat, as these days my DS (same age) will occasionally eat some (usually plain chicken, or the bacon in carbonara), or fish fingers (fish has protein too, right?)

Yorkshire puddings?! He loves those! I completely forgot they had eggs in!

He won't try houmous yet.

Bash a chicken breast till it's quite flat, slice into fingers, dip in flour then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs and bake. I'll be amazed if he doesn't like them.

Pancakes made with milk and egg are good too - you can do sweet or savoury things with them.

Red lentils are easy to hide in sauces for pasta etc.

Al0uiseG He won't touch any meat (my daughter would love them though!). Occassionally if it is in breadcrumbs he will pick it up and nibble the breadcrumbs off but leave the meat.

exexpat Never thought of putting lentils in pasta sauce before, will try that.