How much protein do kids need?

Let me help make it simple. Because I do not want you to be sitting on your phone logging calories or logging macros to track your protein intake.

I’m about to share some general guidelines for protein for kids- moms, here’s what you need to remember- the same principals for you, I hope you can try to make a conscious effort to provide protein, without adding extra stress:

1. Combine foods that are mostly carbohydrates (pasta, noodles, Mac & cheese, cereal, crackers, bread, etc) with protein & fat.
2. Avoid meals and snacks that are all carb-y to help keep kids fuller longer and avoid jumps and crashes in blood sugar. (Wonder why your kid is so hungry when they just have crackers, this is why).
3. Aim to get SOME protein at every meal. BUT if it doesn’t happen- it’s okay. One day won’t make or break you or your kid’s health. Look at the week overall.
4. Texture issues with proteins? Serve something you know they’ll eat at each meal, and continue to offer some version of a protein.

How much protein do kids really need though?

Kid’s protein needs by the RDAs are estimated based on “nitrogen balance.” It’s a fancy scientific method of making sure that children get amino acids and assumes that when the body is in nitrogen balance, then protein breaks down to provide adequate protein synthesis. Allowing for things like cellular function, growth, etc.

The Institute of Medicine recommends 0.5 grams per body pound for kids ages 4-13.

How do calculate your child’s needs? Take their body weight in pounds, divide by 2, and that roughly equals how much they need, according to the IOM.

So my 60 lb 8 year old should have 30 grams of protein per day.

That assumes she is not very active. She is. So I am safe to assume to she should and could eat more.Would I stress if she ate 15 grams one day and 60 grams the next? No. Because things will even out.

Very active children are in need of more. The current Dietary Recommended Intake does not take into consideration physical activity. The recommended amount is to prevent protein deficiency. But as with many of the numerical values we have as estimates for nutrients… just because a recommendation amount is set so that we are not deficient, that does not mean its what is needed to thrive.

That being said… it’s important to provide high protein snacks to our kids.

Examples of high protein snack & meal combinations:

• Mac & cheese with a side of deli meat
• Pasta with ground beef or meatballs
• Stirfry with meat
• Quesadilla with beans or beef
• Smoothie with protein powder, milk, or greek yogurt
• Fish and rice
• Trail mix
• Hamburgers
• All beef hot dogs
• Apple & nut butter
• Cheese & crackers
• Fruit & pepperoni or deli meat slices
• Jerkey sticks with fruit

What should kids eat in one day for protein?

Here is what 30-40 grams of protein could would look like for a day for a 60 lb child:

• 2 scrambled eggs: 14 grams protein
• PB & J Sandwich: 10 grams
• Yogurt: 6 grams protein
• Hamburger: 12 grams protein

Sometimes make things more complicated than it needs to be. Remember, no one expect this to be perfect. Hopefully this gives you some ideas to make serving more protein to your kids easier.