Kids

10 Non-Meat Protein Ideas For Kids

Ever wonder if your kids are getting enough of a particular food group? All the time, right? When your toddler goes on a food strike and will eat nothing but strawberries, it’s hard not to be concerned about their intake. Below you’ll find a chart with the food group recommendations by age. It’s important to remember when looking at the chart that your child’s health and nutrition is cumulative. No kids (or adults for that matter) eat perfectly every day, but striving for variety, balance, and meeting daily requirements is a great place to start when it comes to teaching healthy habits in the long run.


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In my opinion (and based on concerns I heard over and over from former clients with kids of all ages), protein is by far the most tricky recommendation for a lot of kids. Toddlers are notorious for going through food jags and many kids are known for being picky when it comes to meat in particular. Don’t fret though - there are plenty of ways to get protein in without eating meat. Here are 10 non-meat protein options for when you can’t get your kiddos to eat meat.

  1. Edamame - Edamame is a favorite among many kids for its fun factor - popping them out of the pod is an easy healthy after-school snack and activity. Edamame boasts 17 grams of protein per cup.

  2. Peanut Butter - The options for peanut butter uses are endless and its protein content is good - 8 grams per 2 Tablespoon serving. Some of our favorite ways to enjoy peanut butter include on a sandwich, spread on fruit like Apple and Banana Cookies and even just eaten off a spoon.

  3. Flax Seeds - Flax seeds can be incorporated almost anywhere (baked goods, smoothies, yogurt, etc.) thanks to its mild flavor profile. And just a sprinkle can bump up the protein your kids are getting - 2 Tbsp flax seeds gets them 3 grams of protein.

  4. Quinoa - Another non-meat favorite, quinoa is one of the only plant-based proteins to have the complete amino acid profile. Quinoa will grab you 8 grams of protein per 1 cup (cooked).

  5. Almonds - We love snacking on almonds - even our youngest likes to grab a handful of toasted thin-sliced almonds as a snack. For each ounce of almonds consumed, your kids can get 9 grams of protein along with the healthy fat and other nutrients almonds have to offer. Almond Butter is another great way to incorporate almond in your diet - especially if peanut butter is off-limits.

  6. Chickpeas - Chickpeas are another great protein source for kids - roast them and toast them for a yummy, crunchy snack or blend them up into hummus - kids love to dip. 1 cup of chickpeas will provide 12 grams of protein.

  7. Eggs - Another favorite, although admittedly my kids go through phases with eggs, so I have to get creative. Incorporating eggs in pancakes, french toast, oatmeal or muffins to bump up the protein content sometimes has to take the place of a warm plate of scrambled eggs BUT we do what we gotta do, right? 1 egg contains 6 grams of protein.

  8. Beans - Beans are an amazing protein source (15 grams per cup of cooked beans). Paired with a complementary food like rice, beans have a complete amino acid profile, which is hard to find in non-meat protein sources. An easy way to get your kids to eat beans is to blend them up into a dip or do a taco-style rice dish with rice, beans, and some melted cheese - a little bit of cheese always goes a long way in our house.

  9. Sunflower Seeds - I remember spending hours at the ball field when my younger brother was playing baseball and sunflower seeds were such a fun snack - spitting included. If you’re not hanging out at the ballfield, pick up a bag of shelled sunflower seeds and add them to trail mix, granola, or sprinkle them on yogurt. 1 cup of seeds (non-shelled) gives you 10 grams of protein.

  10. Dairy Products - If you can tolerate dairy products, things like cheese and yogurt can be great sources of protein, especially for little people. Greek-style yogurt and cottage cheese have the most protein at 20 grams per cup and a glass of whole milk provides 8 grams. Look for yogurt with low sugar content and sweeten it up yourself using some berries or local honey.

For reference, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut (or almond) butter, ¼ cup cooked beans, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds is considered a 1 ounce-equivalent from the protein food group. So for the average 4-8 year old, you’re looking for 4 of those 1 ounce-equivalent servings each day.

Love Your Heart - Today & Every Day

It's Valentine's Day and what better topic for a heart-themed day than loving your heart. It can sometimes be a struggle to get kids and young people to understand why healthy eating and good nutrition matters. I try to appeal to a lot of different aspects of life - how they feel, their energy, performance, appearance, etc. - but sometimes some simple science does the trick. My girls and I recently watched some YouTube kids videos about your heart and how it works and why it's important. They really enjoyed the videos and it was a chance to talk about how to take care of our hearts. When it comes to what we eat, here are the 5 things I focus on for a healthy heart and how I try to explain them to my kids.

  1. Fruits & Vegetables  - Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is essential for keeping your heart healthy. Your heart needs the antioxidants and nutrients found in fruits and vegetables to maintain optimal cholesterol and blood pressure levels so that it can have enough energy to pump the blood through some clear blood vessels to the rest of the body.

  2. Whole Grains - The whole grains found in things like oatmeal, brown, rice, whole wheat flour, and some cereals are a great source of nutrients like B vitamins that your heart needs to fight the risk for diseases of the heart and to make sure things are working optimally. They also help form new cells and carrying oxygen to the blood, making the whole heart system stronger.

  3. Fiber - Fiber is found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and plays a strong role in lowering risk for developing a disease of the heart and managing blood sugar. Fiber is a regulator and having balanced blood sugar levels ensures your heart is able to do its job properly. Some studies have also shown that fiber is linked to clearer arteries, particularly those that deliver blood to your brain - that's important.

  4. Not Too Much (sugar, processed, and fried foods) - While everyone loves a fun meal out and treat sometimes, avoiding overdoing it on sugar, processed and fried foods is the way to go if you're thinking about your heart. Too much of this stuff can clog your arteries and mess with the sugar levels in your blood, making it harder for your heart to get your blood where it needs to go.

  5. Water -Your heart is constantly working and drinking enough water helps your heart do its job properly. When you don't drink enough water, you can become dehydrated and when that happens the amount of blood moving around your body decreases and becomes thicker. In order to compensate for the decrease and thickening of your blood, your heart has beat harder and faster. Drinking enough water helps your heart pump blood more easily and allows oxygen to reach your body and help if function more efficiently.

Teaching your kids the effect nutrition has on their hearts is awesome and goes hand-in-hand with other heart-healthy habits like getting plenty of exercise and sleep and learning to read nutrition labels. Heart-healthy habits formed now not only creates healthy kids, but health adults as well.