Is my 2Yo getting enough protein?

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 6:24 pm

My 2yo son is a very picky eater. His daily menu is basically the same every day. Which is fine by me! Grocery shopping is a breeze. I'm just a little concerned that he may not be getting enough protein.
He eats an egg for breakfast, tiny yogurt for lunch, plain pasta (no protein) for dinner, 4oz milk before bed.
Is that enough? He doesnt like anything else

amother

Ecru

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 6:32 pm

Why is your concern regarding protein vs any other nutrients? I would make an effort to include some form of fruits and vegetables in his diet, and probably more fats. Protein is not the be all end all of a healthy diet.

amother

Linen

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 6:43 pm

If this is his only food and drink for the day, than no, it's not enough. He needs more protien, fat, fruits/veggies and more fluids.
What does he snack on?

dankbar

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 7:40 pm

I think at this age he needs 3 meals + 2-3 snacks throughout day. Every meal you should try to include from different food groups.
Like applesauce with oatmeal.
Tuna & veggies.
Cereal & milk
Cottage cheese or yogurt mixed with fruit
Chicken soup with chicken pieces & veggies in it.
These are some suggestions of mixing 2 groups together so you don't have to fight twice for different dishes

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 7:53 pm

dankbar wrote:

Right so he refuses to eat any of those.

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 7:54 pm

He snacks on fruit smoothies, canned beans (hey, protein!) and corn, broccoli, cauliflower, and the occasional banana

amother

Ecru

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:24 pm

Why don't you keep a complete food diary for a week, and then look back and see what his nutritional intake looks like over a week's time? That will be the most informative. I would also work on developing increased tolerance for a wider variety of foods, but start with a weekly log so you'll have a baseline and can decide what to focus on first.

honeymoon

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:28 pm

amother wrote:

He snacks on fruit smoothies, canned beans (hey, protein!) and corn, broccoli, cauliflower, and the occasional banana

Can you blend pieces of chicken or beans into his smoothies? What about split pea soup? Would he eat that? Protein is very important for young children do develop and grow properly.

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:30 pm

honeymoon wrote:

Can you blend pieces of chicken or beans into his smoothies? What about split pea soup? Would he eat that? Protein is very important for young children do develop and grow properly.

I will definitely try adding things to the blender. That's a great idea thanks!
He doesnt like soup, even when I try to convince him it's a smoothie.

amother

Seashell

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:31 pm

I believe the recommendation is 0.55 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So you do the math. If he weights 27 pounds he needs about 15 grams, 30 pounds about 16.5 grams.

Eggs have about 6 grams of protein. A cup of milk has about 8 grams.

A bowl of chili can have 10-14 grams of protein depending on the size but toddlers cannot usually eat an entire bowl. Cup of soy milk also has 8 grams. Tofu is high in protein.

If he likes smoothies, you can sneak in soy and nut butters if you have no allergies. Peas and lentils have proteins.

Last edited by amother on Fri, Dec 04 2020, 3:11 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:33 pm

amother wrote:

Never thought of that. I'll stay asap. I know what he eats every day (same thing!), but it's still a good idea to write it down.
Hes not underweight. He used to be off the charts faaaaaaat. Now hes slimming down. This whole not eating thing is a new phase, started a couple months ago.
Hes not unhealthy, and he has plenty of energy, bhbhbhbh. I just want him to stay that way.

amother

Ecru

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:34 pm

honeymoon wrote:

Can you blend pieces of chicken or beans into his smoothies? What about split pea soup? Would he eat that? Protein is very important for young children do develop and grow properly.

If he's actually eating what op says he is on a daily basis, he's probably already getting enough protein. A two year old doesn't need more than 14 or so grams of protein a day. That's not to say that he's eating a well rounded diet otherwise; it sounds like he would benefit from widening his repertoire of foods.

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:35 pm

nchr wrote:

I believe the recommendation is 0.55 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So you do the math. If he weights 27 pounds he needs about 15 grams, 30 pounds about 16.5 grams.

Eggs have about 6 grams of protein. A cup of milk has about 8 grams.

We're vegan and a bowl of chili can have 10-14 grams of protein depending on the size but toddlers cannot usually eat an entire bowl. Cup of soy milk also has 8 grams. Tofu is high in protein.

If he likes smoothies, you can sneak in soy and nut butters if you have no allergies. Peas and lentils have proteins.

He weighs 36 pounds as of today! Big boy Smile

I love that idea of sneaking in pb.

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 8:37 pm

amother wrote:

Oh that's good. Phew.
I knowwwwww. He has a terrible diet. But it's a new thing. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it. If it continues, I will take him to a feeding therapist. As of right now, I just want to make sure hes getting what he should be, even on his teeny weeny diet.

amother

Seashell

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 9:00 pm

amother wrote:

He weighs 36 pounds as of today! Big boy Smile

I love that idea of sneaking in pb.

So he needs about 20 grams of protein (generally speaking). I found that I'd serve my sons a food they really like with something weird next to it. I'd throw the something weird in a few days in a row and they'd usually try it and like it more often than not. We like banana and peanut butter shakes which we supplement with soy or almond milk but milk substitutes are not really good substitutes healthfully so you could do well with milk.

Last edited by amother on Fri, Dec 04 2020, 3:10 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Forestgreen

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 9:28 pm

My DS loves energy bites. Made of pb, flax meal, oatmeal, honey and a little bit of choc chips in them. They're like a snack to him, but actually really nutritious if you think about the ingredients

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 9:43 pm

amother wrote:

My DS loves energy bites. Made of pb, flax meal, oatmeal, honey and a little bit of choc chips in them. They're like a snack to him, but actually really nutritious if you think about the ingredients

I can try that....he likes cookies sometimes. If I can trick him it's a cookie, we may be ok.
Is it a recipe? Or you just mush until it's the right consistency?

amother

Pumpkin

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 9:45 pm

nchr wrote:

I tried that today actually. I gave him an Uncrustable and I stuck chocolate chips on top and told him it's a cookie. He picked off all the chocolate chips and refused to eat the sandwich Banging head

amother

Forestgreen

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 9:51 pm

Quote:

Is it a recipe?

https://www.allrecipes.com/rec.....ites/
I use less than 1/2 choc chips, and I use smooth peanut butter not crunchy (only because that's what we usually have in the house)

Just btw, for those with allergies, we've made this with almond butter too although they're not as good, it's still a yummy snack

amother

Red

Sun, Mar 31 2019, 10:29 pm

Don't worry, plenty of picky toddlers survive and thrive on less than perfect diets. This is a first world problem.