Protein for 14 month old

[vcubergirl]

I feel like DS doesn't get enough protein, he just won't eat meat! We've tried chicken, turkey, pork, beef, salmon, tilapia, shrimp (that's what we mostly eat) and all kids of textures (ground, shredded, chopped, flaked, lunch meat, etc). He will occasionally eat the Costco meatballs, but only sometimes and he won't eat any other kind of meatball.

My go-to's are:
Cheese
Yogurt
Eggs
Peanut butter
Black beans

I feel like that isn't enough variety. What else should we be trying? He can't have avocado, he's puked every time we've given it to him. 

[fortnightlily]

Hummus, quinoa, almond butter, sunflower butter?

[sjh722]

Do avocados even have that much protein?

Whole-grain breads, waffles, tortillas, etc usually have protein in them.

I wouldn't be too worked up if he'll eat cheese, yogurt, eggs, nut butter, and beans. Those are all good protein sources. He's a toddler, not a body builder.

[Deleted]

I'd just keep offering meat that you're eating. You really don't need a HUGE variety. I have been making protein pancakes for myself (cottage cheese, eggs, oatmeal) and the kids eat them sometimes.

[Ashley&Scott]

Cottage cheese

Will he eat meat if it's mixed in with in other foods? M isn't a big meat fan if it's served by itself but gobbles it up in a burrito. (similar to Chipotle).

[smock]

I'm a vegetarian, and I happily exist on cheese, yogurt, eggs, pb, and beans. If you want more variety, you could add milk, tofu, lentils, quinoa, and a whole lot of different kinds of beans, like chickpeas, cannellini, kidney, pinto, etc.

[anna7602]

Tofu, edamame, lentils, nuts, gluten-free pastas that are protein-based like quinoa pasta.

ETA: one of DD's favorite foods at that age was quinoa and black bean quesadillas. 

[vcubergirl]

Thanks for the ideas! We usually give him whatever we're eating, meat included, but I always find a pile of meat left on his tray (or the floor, or his bib pocket, ha). He will even pick it out of stuff like spaghetti sauce. It's pretty amazing. I don't mind giving him the same things frequently, but I'd like to add a little more variety. The same things for weeks on end can't be good ;-)

[lilac05]

I just found several recipes for breakfast quinoa (made like oatmeal) on Pinterest that I'm going to try.

[anna7602]

Jan 14, 2015 17:25:00 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

I just found several recipes for breakfast quinoa (made like oatmeal) on Pinterest that I'm going to try.

Ooo, my favorite one is super easy. Mix 2/3 cup quinoa (rinsed) with 1/3 cup amaranth and 2 cups cold water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then let simmer for 20 minutes or so, until all the water is absorbed. Serve savory with olive oil, salt, pepper and shredded cheese or sweet with maple syrup, dried or fresh fruit and nuts (I like walnuts).

[KKD]

My DS also doesn't like meat, so my go-to list is the same as yours, plus hummus, quinoa, and cottage cheese pancakes (1 cup oats + 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 4 eggs (or 6 egg whites) + 1 ripe banana + cinnamon mixed in a blender, then cooked like regular pancakes).

I am not too concerned about the lack of meat because my girls were the same and eventually started eating more variety after they turned 3.

[vcubergirl]

Jan 14, 2015 19:21:17 GMT -5 KKD said:

My DS also doesn't like meat, so my go-to list is the same as yours, plus hummus, quinoa, and cottage cheese pancakes (1 cup oats + 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 4 eggs (or 6 egg whites) + 1 ripe banana + cinnamon mixed in a blender, then cooked like regular pancakes).

I am not too concerned about the lack of meat because my girls were the same and eventually started eating more variety after they turned 3.

Those pancakes actually sound pretty tasty, we'll have to try them out! I didn't think of the Morningstar Farms stuff either, which is dumb because I used to eat the hell out of them in college.

[Willis Jackson]

How much does he weigh?

1-3 year olds need .55 grams of protein per day per pound of body weight. So if he weighs 20 lbs, he needs 11g protein per day.

A cup of milk has 8g
A tablespoon of peanut butter has 4g
A slice of whole wheat bread has 3.5g
An egg has 6g

[Deleted]

tofu, different kinds of beans
I wouldn't worry about not eating meat (I'm a vegetarian, so I'm thrilled that DD hates meat ;-) )