Sources of protein for fussy family

[piratehugs]

We have a multitude of issues around food and dinnertime. The one I'm thinking about today is protein. Can anyone suggest dinner dishes with good sources of protein for my fussy kids?

• Eggs and nuts are out (allergies)

• Chunks of meat are thrown on the floor

• Mince (in Bolognese or similar) is scraped off the pasta and ignored

• Visible fish causes a tantrum

• Fish hidden in sauce is yucky, not eaten

• Sushi, no chance

• Seafood is out (allergies)

• One will eat baked beans

• Sometimes they will tolerate yoghurt but there is only so much yoghurt you can put in a dinner before it becomes yoghurt for dinner

Any suggestions for things we haven't tried, even if it's just new ways of serving the same things?

How old are kids?

I have a child with sensory issues who lives on hummus, mozzarella cheese, and sometimes ham. Occasionally a sausage or a fish finger. Not ideal. She’s 13, has grown fine, energy levels ok. (She eats pasta and fruit and some veggies too).

Will any of them eat chickpeas or tofu in some form?

They're 5 and 2. They used to like chickpeas but I put some in a sauce the other day and they spat them out. One will eat houmous, the other not.

We haven't tried tofu for ages. Perhaps I should give that another go. My mum used to make a cheesecake out of tofu... they can't possibly resist cheesecake.

Ham. Haven't tried that recently either. Last few times it went on the floor but it's probably due a revisit.

Paneer?
cottage cheese pancakes?
shnitzel?

They won't eat cold mozzarella but will eat it on pizza. We have way too many pizza nights.

Cheese sauce
Crispy tofu chunks
Roasted chickpeas
Buckwheat pancakes (made with full fat milk but no eggs)
Gram flour pancakes
Cheese and ham toasties
Cheesy mash with peas in

Haven't tried paneer. Good call, thanks. And never heard of cottage cheese pancakes! Will look that up. (Expect DP will object if he sees cottage cheese in the house, but that's tough.) Thank you.

Or just serve what you want to eat, let them eat it or leave it, then give them plain Greek yoghurt with fruit for pudding.

Hummus and pita bread
Chilli in tacos with kidney beans

It is easy to fall into thinking that pudding = bad/unnecessary, but actually a decent not to sweet pudding is an easy way to up the nutritional value of meals!

They won't eat tacos which I don't understand at all because they're basically just giant crisps.

I don’t eat any of those things and I’m fit and healthy. It’s a myth that we need a huge amount of protein. Have you ever heard of anyone suffering from a protein deficiency?

I make my picky vegetarian pasta sauce with lentils or chickpeas but I blend them so they're part of the source. She wouldn't eat them otherwise!

It's a good point about healthy puddings.

Oh yes, they eat lentils, or at least they did until last week, which is when I started getting desperate.

Milk

Eggs. If they won't eat them as is, add it to mashed potatoes and hide them.

Or make pancakes with eggs and milk and flour.

Lentils. blend into soups etc if necessary

Porridge oats, easy to hide as well if needed in smoothies and shakes. Could even make pancakes from them if you blitz into a flour. But can always use them for flapjacks.

Eggs. If they won't eat them as is, add it to mashed potatoes and hide them.

The OP mentioned egg allergy - so that rules out normal pancakes too.

Oats is a good idea. Maybe we hide the rest of the breakfast options and do porridge every day.

I do make pancakes occasionally, without eggs, and I add tahini when I remember. I should do them more often, and I need to think of more places to hide tahini.

This thread is really helpful, thanks everyone. I have renewed hope!

Other types of beans. Butter beans or cannellini

How are they if its blended? Shredded chicken? Indian food in general - smooth tarka dahl, raita, naan breads/dosas/parathas with lots of different dips, paneer (cheese!)

My picky eaters always ate beans too so everything came with beans. Did a lot of bean casseroles or just spiced baked beans!! Or chopped up meat very small

Used to take a portion out, blend everything roughly then add the portion in so it was 90% blended

Buckwheat is (i think) fairly high protein and makes nice pancakes.

What about quinoa?

I make egg free American pancakes.. Egg free oat milk yorkshire puddings/toad in the hole etc