• Alyssa Fontaine, RD
• Jan 06, 2025

What Protein Foods are Good for Preschoolers?

Protein is an essential building block for the healthy growth of your preschooler. From building up and maintaining muscles to developing the immune system, protein is involved at every step of the way. As children develop eating habits and discover new foods, ensuring protein foods are part of the mix supports proper development. 

Read on to learn more about protein and see how simple it is to incorporate it into your child’s diet. We’ll provide kid-friendly meal ideas and creative snacks to keep everyone happy and healthy.

A closer look at protein

Protein is one of the three big nutrients required by the body along with carbohydrates and fat. When eaten, protein provides calories (energy) and amino acids (building blocks) to create and maintain all systems in the body.

Protein can be described as a long string of beads, where each bead is called an amino acid. There are 20 unique amino acids that exist and all of them are important for the body. Of the 20, 9 of them are considered “essential”, meaning that they can only be obtained by eating protein foods. In contrast, the other 11 are found in foods and can also be made by the body itself! 

Protein at work

We often say “children grow up so quick”. Physically, that rapid growth is especially true in those early years of development. That’s because every part of the body is made up of protein building blocks, including muscles, hair, and skin. On top of building these tissues, protein helps maintain them and repair them as children age and develop. 

Another important role for protein is to build up the body’s defenses, also known as the immune system. This helps the body fight off infections and promotes healing from injuries.

Protein needs for preschoolers

1-3 years

At the toddler stage, 13 grams of protein per day is the minimum amount necessary for proper growth. This amount can be met through a few simple foods each day such as egg, milk, beans, or meat. In fact, you’ll likely notice that the amount of protein can add up quickly. Rest assured that receiving more than 13g is okay too!

4-8 years

As children get bigger, their protein requirements increase to a minimum of 19 grams per day to support their growth. Similar to toddlers, serving a variety of proteins will help meet their needs, and going over is not an issue.

Variety for all eaters

Proteins are found in a wide assortment of animal and plant foods, offering choices for even the pickiest of eaters. Animal sources of protein include dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, and poultry. Similarly, good plant sources of protein include legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, and whole grains. 

For selective eaters, focus on providing protein foods that they enjoy first and foremost. Widening their food acceptance will come with time, so take advantage of the protein items they do enjoy. Further, use repeat exposures and be sure to introduce new items with patience.  

The best way to ensure your child gets enough protein is to offer a selection throughout the day. Their protein needs aren’t too high at this stage, so offering a little with each meal and snack will do. Be creative and don’t overthink it!

Tips to increase protein

Try to focus on what can be added, rather than changing your kid’s favourite dishes. This could look like sprinkling seeds onto oatmeal, mashing lentils into pasta sauce, or tossing walnuts into banana bread batter. 

Swapping ingredients can make for an easy protein boost too. Milk can be used instead of water in a variety of sweet and savoury dishes including pancake batter and soups. Another idea is serving high protein Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt or whole grain pasta instead of white pasta.

Eggs are another versatile protein and should not be limited to breakfast only. Think scrambled egg wraps for lunch, muffins or hard boiled eggs for snack, and egg fried rice for dinner. 

The list of possibilities goes on and can be adapted to suit your family’s culture, preferences, and budget. 

Kid-friendly protein foods

• Eggs
• Dairy or fortified soy/pea milk
• Chicken and other poultry
• Tofu (firm or silken)
• Edamame beans
• Lean meats (e.g. pork tenderloin, round steaks, lean ground beef)
• Low mercury fish and seafood (e.g. tilapia, salmon, light canned tuna, shrimp)
• Beans
• Lentils
• Nuts and seeds (e.g. almonds, pumpkin seeds) *note: can be safely eaten whole as of 4 years old)
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Multigrain bread
• Quinoa

While this is not an extensive list, these foods have a significant amount of protein per serving. On the other hand, some fruits, vegetables, and grains also contain protein to a lesser extent. Alone, these items can’t meet protein needs but should be eaten to provide variety and other important nutrients. 

To get a sense of how much protein is found in various foods, check out the table below:

Food	Serving Size	Protein (g)
Chicken	½ cup, cooked	22
Salmon	½ cup, cooked	20
Plain Greek Yogurt	½ cup (116 g)	12
Tofu	½ cup	10
Lentils	½ cup, cooked	9.5
Edamame	½ cup, cooked	9
Dairy, Soy, or Pea Milk	1 cup	8
Chickpeas	½ cup, cooked	7
Peanut Butter	2 tbsp	7
Eggs	1 large	6
Mozzarella Cheese	1 inch cube	6
Green Peas	½ cup, cooked	4.5
Quinoa	½ cup, cooked	4.3
Pasta	½ cup, cooked	4.3
Plain Yogurt	½ cup	4
Whole Wheat Bread	1 slice	4
Hummus	2 tbsp	2.5
Sweet Potato	½ cup, cooked	2.3
Avocado	½ fruit	2

What about protein powder?

Have you been considering using protein powder to ensure your preschooler gets enough protein? As mentioned above, the protein requirements for toddlers and children are not as high as you may have initially thought. The need for a protein supplement may therefore not necessarily be called for and could in fact be harmful.

The body can only effectively use a certain amount of protein per day. While this amount varies by age and weight, it is usually not exceeded through food intake. However, introducing additional protein powder could result in excess strain on the body’s systems and unintentional weight gain.    

Further, protein powder is an isolated form of protein coming from milk, eggs, or plant sources. It is often used by adults to aid in muscle growth and repair. On the other hand, whole protein foods additionally offer a wide variety of other essential nutrients necessary for healthy growth.

Whether your child could benefit from protein supplements will depend on their age, physical activity level, and their overall health. 

Potential reasons for introducing protein supplements

• Underweight: If a child is underweight for their age and their growth is trending downwards, additional calories could help support growth. Protein powder could be included as one of the ways to boost calories.

• Young athlete: If a child is very active through regular intensive sport, their protein needs will likely be higher. If they aren’t able to meet their protein needs through increased food intake, a supplement could help.

• Newly vegetarian or vegan: A well-planned plant-based diet should provide adequate protein to meet needs. Supplements could act as a support if necessary.

• Picky Eater: For children who are unaccepting of protein-rich foods, protein powder may help meet needs while food acceptance is worked on. 

• Medical reason: Some children may have a medical condition that impacts their ability to get adequate nutrition. In these cases, a protein supplement may support growth and healing. 

If you are unsure if your child could benefit from a protein supplement, consult your dietitian or pediatrician for guidance.

Creative protein-forward meal and snack ideas

Meals

• Turkey bolognese with spaghetti
• Shepherd’s pie with a sweet potato mash
• Cheesy veggie frittata 
• Black bean quesadilla with greek yogurt dip 
• Avocado tuna melt

Snacks

• Crispy roasted edamame or chickpeas (can be safely eaten as of 4 years old)
• Hummus and veggie sticks
• Sliced fruit with nut/seed butter yogurt dip
• Silken tofu chocolate pudding
• Greek yogurt fruit popsicles