PROTEIN IDEAS FOR PICKY KIDS

The first section was written by Deb Lewis to help a mom whose child was VERY picky. Below that are links to a couple of good snack recipes, and there will be more lists or items if people send them!
By deblewis on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 -

Luna Bars are very sweet and have ten grams of protein per bar. Maybe you can increase protein intake by providing high protein snacks in the form he already loves, sweets.

Whole wheat muffins with peanut butter stirred into the batter or chopped nuts are high in protein.

Silken tofu can be sweetened and flavored and used as a dip for homemade sweet tortilla chips. If you use whole wheat flour in the chips they have a little protein too.

There are pudding mixes you can stir directly into silken tofu. Very high in protein and sweet too.

Soy milk is high in protein.

My son Dylan isn't so much a picky eater but doesn't eat meat, eggs or dairy. Here are some foods he likes that have some protein.

For Breakfast:

Choplets slivered and sauteed in a little soy sauce. He likes them dipped in mustard.
Scrambled tofu.
Scrambled tofu in a tortilla with some salsa and olives.
Soy sausage, like Gimme Lean.
Cream of the West hot cereal with soy milk.
Peanut butter (or almond butter or cashew butter, etc.) on whole wheat toast.
Smoothies made from Soy milk, a frozen banana and two TBS peanut butter. You can use chocolate soy milk too.

Lunch:

Hummus on pitas or homemade tortilla chips or bread.
Baba Ganoush on pitas or crackers.
Tofu, coated with mustard and sprinkled with nutritional yeast and placed under the broiler for a few minutes, plain or in a sandwich.
Tofu salad - (like chicken salad or tuna salad) sandwiches.
Breaded tofu plain or in a sandwich.
Soy burgers.
Tortillas and beans.
Beans and rice. He likes plain white beans and brown or wild rice with a little soy sauce.
Lentils and rice.
Pea and peanut salad.
Nuts of all kinds as snacks or nut butters or in salads.

Snacks:

Hummus or Baba Ganoush on crackers with olives.
sliced fruit raw broccoli and cauliflower dipped in salad dressing. I make dressings and dips from tofu - high in protein.
Nuts and seeds.

Little peanut butter sandwiches, or peanut butter on crackers.
My son also eats a variety of commercial foods like pretzels, chips, pop, and loves soy ice creams. Soy Dream makes one called Turtle Tracks...oh my!

Cubes of firm tofu (rinsed well) dipped in honey or sweet and sour sauce or syrup or cinnamon and sugar or...
Whole wheat and buckwheat pancakes with peanut butter and syrup on top.
Waffles with strawberries and tofu "whipped cream" or cashew "whipped cream".
Peanut butter cookies.
Oatmeal cookies made with part whole wheat flour.
Soy sausage with syrup.
Homemade granola bars, with nuts and seeds.
Honey roasted peanuts.
Glazed walnuts.
Chocolate or yogurt covered nuts.
It might be fun for him to concoct coatings for sliced tofu from nuts and honey or bbq sauce and brown sugar, Hershey's syrup or whatever and then taste test!

More by Deb Lewis

SO... won't it seem easy now to come up with protein ideas for kids who WILL drink milk or eat cheese or eggs or meat?

RECIPES:

Deb Rossing's Peanut Butter Cookies * Karen Gentleman's Vegan Brownies


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