Todays blog is about a topic I chat with my mom friends about atleast a few times each week (and you probably do too, if you have young kids)…how the heck do I get my child to eat more protein?!? And preferably not all in the form of chicken nuggets…

It doesn’t escape me that I am lucky (though, I credit it more to lots of consistency and perseverance, haha…but I digress…) that both of my kids are really “good” eaters. They’re still kids, don’t get me wrong, so we have plenty of frustrating mealtimes at home…but they really do eat a wide variety of healthy foods. I’m no expert, but I’ve found a few tips over the years as a pediatric OT and mom of littles, so here are my fave tips…

🍗Don’t give up after one try. I kid you not- it takes an average of 9-20 exposures of a food that kids don’t prefer before they may eat it. And that’s just an average, btw. Sooooo- if my husband and I are having salmon for dinner and the kids may not like it, a piece of salmon still goes on their plate, along with something we know they will eat. Having kiddos simply tolerate the food on their plate is a GREAT start, without having to push things too much.

🥑Be creative with breakfast. There’s SO much great research about the benefits of including protein in breakfast, including support for attention and focus, so breakfast in our house always includes some protein. Adding nut butter, eggs and protein powders into breakfast is common in our house. The oatmeal bake above is a favorite:

🥤Make your own smoothie bar. After school is a great time to play around with some smoothie combos. We use one scoop of protein powder (use a clean brand and DEF avoid artificial sweeteners, carageneen, etc…) There are some good ones out there, but here’s our favorite: https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-US/shop/weight-management/whole-blend-whey-based-isalean-shake?pid=1e187980f57c46e296de9533c522008dAdd plain Greek yogurt, nut butter, chia seeds, spinach, etc…for some extra benefits! My kids often do a shake after school or sometimes after dinner if they’re craving something sweet.

🧑‍🍳Have the kids cook with you! Even better- have them go grocery shopping with you and pick one new, healthy food to try each week. Both my kids love having say in what they’ll be eating and I love that they now know how to choose healthy options.

🥗Talk about different food groups and why they’re all important. We do that at dinner sometimes- the kids understand the basics and they really like sharing what they’ve learned. My son will frequently ask what foods will give him big muscles, and is always eager to eat that chicken or tofu he’s been pushing around on his plate after he hears the answer 💪

🥙And, of course, modeling healthy meals ourselves may be most important. This may take time, but when kids see you blending up your post workout shake, eating a salad, choosing fruit instead of processed snacks, than their natural inclination will be to do the same as they grow. We are truly the best teachers our kiddos have.

I truly appreciate that this is not a one side fits all kinda thing. Some of this may work for your family, some may not. You may have other tips and I’d LOVE to hear those too!! It’s does take a village, right?!!

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend!

To your health,

~Jess