Getting more protein in picky 2 year old?

[MaryPoppins88]

I try to serve the same things we’re eating and we always eat dinner together but when having things like chilli and rice, he’ll only eat the rice or if we’re having chicken, potatoes & veg, he’ll only eat the potatoes. He won’t touch pasta so can’t mix protein and veg into a pasta sauce. The kid lives on carbs and fruit!

I mix peanut butter and ground seeds into porridge, he’ll occasionally eat omelette and take a single bite out of a sausage once in a blue moon but that’s it! He’s got CMPA so doesn’t get protein from his oat milk and yoghurt unfortunately.

Any ideas?

Will he eat egg? We are vegetarian, DC1 loves egg every which way: fried, scrambled, poached, boiled, omelettes, pancakes, quiche...!

What about any other beans/pulses: baked beans, black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, refried beans...? We eat this sort of thing often as a side, or in a stew or curry, or tex-mex style food like fajitas etc.

Hummus?

Ultra processed but things like Quorn occasionally? The slices for sandwiches, sausages, nuggets/dinosaurs, burgers, the pieces in curries or stir frys etc.

We use veggie mince alternatives sometimes too, e.g. as keema with rice or veggie meatballs with rice if your DS doesn't like pasta.

@WhyamInotvomiting Some great suggestions. He will eat baked beans, I forgot about that one! But no other beans. The only egg he’ll accept occasionally is omelette, not even scrambled egg which boggles my mind as it’s very similar texture wise but.. toddler logic haha. He doesn’t like houmous. I could have a go at making some nuggets, he might eat those - thanks. He won’t touch mince or meatballs. So picky!

Burgers or meatloaf? Does he eat cheese? Lentils can be hidden in a lot, and something like a mild daal or carrot and red lentil soup are pretty inoffensive.

What about fish? If he's tried e.g. tuna and didn't like it don't rule it out - there's so much from fish cakes, tinned oily fish, or salmon, plain steamed white fish, even fish fingers.

Could he have a different milk that is higher in protein, pea or soya? You can use bean puree in baking, so that would be a way to get some protein into something like a muffin (sweet or savoury). You could do the same with peanut butter.

Will he eat rice with a sauce, or just plain? If he'll have it with sauce, you could blend in protein and veg.

Will he eat peanut butter on things, or only if it's hidden? On apple slices is popular here (but messy).