How to Get Your Child to Eat More Protein
There are many good sources of protein for children, but some picky eaters may decline these options. Today I’m sharing some tips to help you get your children to eat more protein. From eggs to cheese, and lean meats you’ll surely be able to find something that your children like.
Consider Small Meals
Instead of having your child eat three large meals a day, portion out the food in small meals during their day. You can include peanut butter during snack time, and small portions of lean meat to get more protein into your child’s diet throughout the day.
Smaller portions will give your children ample options to eat protein plus they’ll feel less overwhelmed. Providing more options to consume these protein-rich foods throughout the day allows your children to have more choices with smaller portions.
Buy Protein Snacks
Make a habit to never buy unhealthy snacks for your family. Take note of snack recipe ideas that provide protein for children. Use these snack recipes to create a variety of options that your children can try each week.
When children are raised in a household that only provides protein snacks, they’re more apt to enjoy these treats. It’s only when you introduce your children to sweets and unhealthy options that they start to prefer those over healthy ones.
Get Creative
You can easily make a pizza using some of the protein-rich foods like cheese and lean meats. Consider having a pizza night where you and your children create magical pizza recipes. You’ll be in charge of putting options for toppings on the table, but your children will be in charge of selecting their toppings.
This is an excellent way to help your children learn more about nutritious food options, all the while providing you with some quality family time together.
Work Around Hungry Hour
You probably already know what time of day your child is hungriest. Use this time to prepare a larger meal than the other meals during the day. For example, if your children tend to be hungrier in the morning then make plans for breakfast to be larger and packed full of protein.
Make some notes to determine which time of day your children are hungrier than other times. For some children, it may be morning while others may get hungrier in the middle of the day. Use this data to provide protein snacks and meals during their hungriest time to ensure they’re more likely to consume these foods.
Make Faces
Lastly, you can have some fun with protein-rich foods to create faces and other fun characters. I’ve seen parents use metal cookie cutters in various shapes for fried eggs. This simple idea will encourage your children to eat more protein without arguing.
Making meal time fun is a long-time parenting hack that most parents use to get their children to eat healthier. You can use this concept for any meal time, including snacks.
These are just some of the creative ways you can get your child to eat more protein. The key is to have an ample supply of options for protein in the home and get clever with how you serve meals during the day.
Is your toddler a picky eater? Would you like to learn how to get your child to eat vegetables? Learn more about healthy and nutrition tips for infants and toddlers and other helpful parenting tips on our Peake Academy: Parent Advisor and Play Boutique: The Buzz blogs. You can also join our Parent Advisor private Facebook group to share and get tips from our growing family of parents and preschool teachers.
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This infographic highlights the behavioral milestones of children from age s 2 to 5 years old, healthy tips for picky eaters, a chart of mealtime and feeding tips for toddlers to make sure they get the nutrients he or she needs for growth and development.
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