Getting protein into my veggie DS

[SmiledWithTheRisingSun]

Please share with me ideas for protein packed meals I can feed my veggie DS (11).

He will currently eat the following:

Humous wraps / crudites
Lentil lasagne/bolognese
Halloumi on the BBQ
Baked beans
Cheese toastie / on pasta etc
No eggs but he will do pancakes
Yogurt

Am bored of repeating the same things... just looking for some inspiration please.

He's already eating plenty of protein.

Curried lentils or beans?
Veggie Moussaka?
Tofu stir fry?

Get him to help. Find him a nutrition book for kids that lists the amount if protein he needs to eat each day and get him involved.

My veggie ds loves huevos rancheros, omelette, boiled egg and toast, scrambled eggs, tortilla, whole meal wraps with taco mixed beans, egg and cheese, chickpea and veg Moroccan stew, protein bagels, protein breakfast bars...

Good sources are eggs, milk, cheese, cereals and cereal products (e.g. bread), nuts and pulses (beans and lentils). See www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/protein.html?start=2

How about lentil shepherd's pie or dahl?

Greek yogurt has loads of protein, and things like fromage frais.
Does he like smoothies? You could add a scoop of protein powder to it - might appeal if he’s sporty.

Mixed bean chilli con carne - use a tin of mixed beans.
Risotto made with Pearl barley

Looks like he's getting plenty of protein.
Paneer curry?
Toad in the hole made with veggie sausages (can get eggs into the batter)
Lasagne with spinach and Ricotta

It's quite hard to not get enough protein as long as you are having a varied diet. Chilli is very popular here, particularly served with wraps. I do make a fair amount of use of quorn which is very convenient though over time I'm hoping to cut back to less processed options. You might also want to read up on vegetable protein combinations which mean that you are getting all the essential aminos in the diet.

Why do you think he needs more protein? He doesn’t. This was a myth perpetuated by the Meat Marketing Board.

Have you ever heard of anyone dying from a protein deficiency? No.

He's eating a decent amount of protein. If you want to vary...

Nuts / nut butters / cashews in stir fry's
Tofu in stirfrys and curry's
Meal alternatives - sausages / burgers / mince
Different beans - kidney beans and veggies to make shepherds pie or spag bolognese

[quote tenlittlecygnets]Get him to help. Find him a nutrition book for kids that lists the amount if protein he needs to eat each day and get him involved.

My veggie ds loves huevos rancheros, omelette, boiled egg and toast, scrambled eggs, tortilla, whole meal wraps with taco mixed beans, egg and cheese, chickpea and veg Moroccan stew, protein bagels, protein breakfast bars...

Good sources are eggs, milk, cheese, cereals and cereal products (e.g. bread), nuts and pulses (beans and lentils). See www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/protein.html?start=2[/quote]
I'd be cautious personally about handing the responsibility to an 11 year old to ensure their meals are nutritionally balanced.
It could encourage an unhealthy relationship with his meals if he becomes obsessed with the exact amount of protein / fat / calories etc in every meal.
Instead I'd take a balanced approach to the week and keep an eye that he's eating a wide range of meals that include nuts / pulses / cheese / green vegetables / grains abs carbs.
It's very very difficult to be ill from lack of protein

Most people in the west have a massive protein surplus in their diet. We are weirdly obsessed with it.

What about curries with pulses in them for a bit of variety?

Yep, that’s plenty protein and combined with grains is giving him all the amino acids he needs. It sounds like a healthy diet.

Look up The Hench Herbivore.
According to him protein in meat comes from plants anyway so we can cut out the middleman and just eat the plants . I haven’t examined the science but it sounds reasonable

@1940s - where did say 'hand over responsibility'? I suggested getting him involved and getting him to help.

I don't think that's likely to lead to obsessing or eating disorders! If he's old enough to want to be veggie, he's old enough to help decide what he wants to eat. Good life lessons.

What does he have for breakfast? My veggie teens like:

• Toast with marmite and peanut butter. This has B12 as well as protein and is strangely delicious
• Porridge with fruit (some protein in the oats)
• Our version of a Mc Muffin- Lightly toasted english muffin (even better if it's a cheese muffin) filled with veggie bacon (not everyone's taste but mine like it) and fried or poached egg. You can add in a slice of cheese too. They quite like the same stuff in a wrap as a weekend breakfast or lunch. This is great when they're going through one of those 'eat everything in sight and still feel hungry' stages!

I'm assuming what you mean is that you want additional veggie options that have protein because your'e bored of these options?

not a meal, but agree that a smoothie with greek yoghurt is good and then a less protein heavy meal for dinner/lunchis probably fine.

Encourage snacking on nuts etc?

Cheese sauces (rich, but have protein) eg macaroni/cauliflower cheese?

Veggie sausages and yorkshire pudding?

French toast?

what about vegetable curries? add beans/pulses or soya or use nut butters/milks etc.

Thanks so much for the suggestions!
I realise that he probably does get enough protein.
I am just always looking for more variety.
Thanks again.

One of my favourite snacks is an odd one. There's a brand of tofu, I don't know the name but it's vacuum packed. It comes in different marinades and it's very solid. It can be sliced for wraps and sandwiches, or cut up into different recipes, but I just keep it in the fridge and cut off wedges when I'm peckish but don't want a meal. It's so tasty!

Peanut butter on toast
Stir fry with tofu/quorn and add some peanut butter at the end
Add cheese to pasta or make pasta bakes
Omlette
Lentil curry
Chickpea curry
Chili with beans and soya mince. We have it with fusili, bechamel sauce and cheese so it makes a pasta bake
Pizza (cheese)
Cheesey pasta bakes
Lasagne using your lentil bolognaise
Cheese on toast or cheese toasties
Beans on toast/jacket potato
Eggy bread
Hot chocolate, milk shakes
Greek yoghurt with oats
Porridge made with milk.
Veggie sausage sandwich
All grains have proteins so any bean or lentil with rice, pasta or bread will have lots of protein
You can always use quorn to replace the meat so he has the same meal as the family? E.g veggie sausages

I love peanut butter too much so often have that on a banana, apple or stirred into porridge or Greek yoghurt

Cauliflower cheese, sauce has milk and cheese in. Both have protein in. Scrambled eggs or ommelet. Tofu in casseroles. Mushrooms.