Protein Supplement

I use Arbonne protein shakes and my children also drink them. They are Vegan and made with veg protein(split pea legume). Low in fat, low in carbs. They also have an odorless fiber shake. You can put in blender with fruit to make them even yummier. email me if you are interested in trying some before buying ____@____.com luck.

I'll add to Toni's great response. Beans, legumes are all other sources of great protein. Start with white beans, my daughter loves them with EVOO, white balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Black beans with salsa and an avocado is an excellent mix of fats, veggies and protein. :)

If you are interested in a protein supplement, I do give my 19m old daughter a vegan rice protein powder by Nutribiotics, it is organic and enzymatically processed meaning the beneficial enzymes have not been killed in the process as most are in other protein powders. I give one teaspoon per 3oz of rice milk (or milk of your choice); I've been giving this to her since 12m old, I add her fish oil and liquid multivitamin to it and call it her special protein shake. :) I do make smoothies with it for her and will enjoy them every now and then. the protein powder can be bought for about $13 at www.vitacost.com or www.vitaminshoppe.com I can find my daughter's liquid multivitamin at vitacost called ChildLife, which will be fine for your 6m and 6yr old. The tub of powder will last you a long time, unless you use some yourself, only 1T is needed for an adult (great to add in a bowl of cereal for the extra protein boost). I bet your little one will love a smoothie...especially if it tastes like a milkshake. I do have some kid friendly recipes on a word document I can email to you. (Sweet-tart Smoothies, PB and J smoothie, etc)

Remember, kids over 2 yrs need about 7g of protein in the morning to sustain blood sugar (adults 14g), and keep from wanting sweets later on. This is equivalent to about one egg, the protein powder will supply that for you as well.

J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator

Here is a website that list foods that are high in protein.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/highproteinf...

You might want to see if he like these things before a supplement. My understanding is that real thing is better than any supplement.

Supplements come in the form of protein powder to add to drinks. But if is eating relatively healthy and doesn't show signs of protein deficiency (I'm not sure what they are), my guess is he doesn't need supplementation. In addition, when he needs more protein, like in a growth spurt, he will likely crave protein rich foods so he'll want to eat more of them. By supplementing when he doesn't need it, you could bulk him up unneccessarily or cause him to not want to eat the healthy things he's eating right now.

My 14 year old hasn't eaten meat since he was 4 so we are constantly pushing cashews and peanut butter. At every checkup his blood has been checked for protein levels and they are always in the normal range. Maybe you dont need the protein supplement?

K.,

I'm a vegetarian and for the most part my son is too. Getting protein is never a problem. There is a lot of protein in foods such as yogert, cottage cheese, eggs, and beans. Morning Star has great meat subsitute products. I cook with them a lot and my husband says he doesn't even miss the meat! I've been a vegetarian for 20 years and my proten levels have never been low.

J.

I will occasionally share one of my protein shakes with my 2.5 year old and she absolutely loves them. They're delicious, filling, full of nutrition and chock full of protein. I go with Shaklee because of the purity of the products and the integrity of the company with their extra testing and safety measures. Because of that, they've never had a single product recall in over 50 years of business and that is something you need to be careful of these days. I can send you more information if you like - I love Shaklee so much that I became a rep!

Thanks,
K.

Hi K.-

Being a Vegan now for 2 years and my children follow pretty much the same eating pattern-the answer is no to the supplementation. I had some concerns when I went totally off of animal products. The fact is that you do get plenty of protein from vegetable and fruit sources and our digestive system is remarkably similar to all herbivores (plant eaters). However, you will have many doctors that will disagree because they only get one semester of nutrition and do not really know that much about it.

We are very rarely ill and have plenty of energy and our doctor endorses it completely. If you want further info please let me know. In addition make sure he is getting his omegas (avocados, coconut oil, nut, seeds-and these all have protein too!!).

T.
Detox Coach

Hello K.,

I know its hard to get protein into their diet. Protein is a very necessary element in your body. I have 2 kids aged 2 and 4. Me being vegetarian and my kids also partly vagetarian (just eat chicken nuggets) and my son being allergic to eggs and peanuts, I experience this problem too, but I use a lot of varieties of beans and lentils and peas in their meals. Kids like kidney beans. Try grinding peas in their soups. These all are very rich in proteins and easy to digest. Can also try peanut butter or just peanuts for snacks. Almonds are also a good source of proteins. Graham crackers are their favorites, which have proteins. Green gram bean and lentil sprouts are also good for salads and sandwiches. Soy products also have proteins.

There are many kid friendly recepies you can try with all these. I could only give you all the vegetarian options, not familiar with the meats, but hope this helps you. Good Luck!!

i have a daughter who sounds just like your son. I too was thinking of putting protein powder into her smoothies. my husband found an article contradicting giving kids protein supplements. it mostly stated that it would bulk them up and cause them to intake too many calories and smaller bodies can have difficulty processing the extra protein. I would still ask your dr.
Have you tried peanut butter? Yogurt? the barilla plus pastas have protein from legumes and omega threes. the noodle is a little darker but even my pickiest daughter will eat them without sauce. With sauce you really cannot tell the difference. Good luck

Hi K.,

It is totally safe to give a child a protein supplement. I know people who have given their children protein every single day. Kids need it just like we need it...remember, our cells are made up of proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Let me knwo if you want more information on it. I am a distributor for the number 1 nutritional supplement company in the country and we have protein powder that you can add to food and he will never even know it! :-)

Good luck!

I have given my daughter a multi vitamin since she was 2. The ones my daughter likes are the gummy bear vitamins. They taste exactly like gummy bears and she takes them very well. She is a very good eater and always has been, but that way I know she is getting everything that she needs.

You could make fruit smoothies and add whey protein powder. I use the NOW brand vanilla, it tastes good.

My younger one gets the Nutribiotic Rice protein in his rice milk because he can't handle dairy.

What about adding beans, nuts, or making foods with eggs. He'd probably like meatloaf. My son used to be mostly vegetarian but he is getting used to meat. He used to hate ham but loves ham steaks and refuses to eat lunchmeat. He loves hummus with pita, peanut butter, veggie burgers and breaded chicken burgers. They should have tested your son when he turned five to see if he was anemic. I would keep trying different foods. Good luck.

I would try to get him to eat beans or tofu or other protein sources from food before I added a supplement. Even enriched food would in my mind be better. Carnation Instant Breakfast has protein in it, so do lots of breakfast cereals. Start looking at the protein on the nutrition labels of things you buy and make choices that include more protein when possible.

I agree that if your son is eating a "healthy" diet of fruit and veggies, he should be o.k. However, if he is not, than I would suggest protein powder or shakes. We use Shaklee protein shakes in our home and both the kids and I love them. Good luck to you. : )

I would diligently read food labels when you are shopping. I recently found some yummy whole grain bagels that my son loves for lunches and they each have 6 gm protein per bagel, plus no high fructose corn syrup. You can certainly work more protein into his diet without pushing a ton of meat.
Many people have mentioned Shaklee in their responses. I, too, use (and sell!) Shaklee products and one thing my son loves is their kids cocoa meal shakes. I use this for making chocolate milk and one serving has 7 gm protein.

Good Luck!
C.