Protein deep dive

Protein is essential for the body, having both functional (energy) and structural (parts of our body are made from proteins) properties. It is a bit of a misconception for both adults and children, that we need lots of protein. Realistically, unless you are an athlete, protein requirements aren’t significant. Pregnancy is another time when protein requirements increase, but most women effortlessly meet these requirements.

Foods that are higher in protein, also contain a number of other vitamins and minerals, so the benefits of eating protein rich foods are not exclusive to the protein alone. It is also a misconception, particularly in the sleep world, that protein is hard to digest and thus should be avoided close to sleep time, due to it possibly interrupting sleep.

No macronutrient group (fat, carbs or protein) is HARD for the body to digest – this is an effortless, efficient process the body is designed to do. A benefit of including protein in your little one’s diet is that it can not only help keep your little one fuller for longer, but protein rich foods are typically rich in iron as well – essential for our little one’s growth and development. Whilst I don’t want you to get caught up in numbers or start measuring food, the protein requirements are listed below for each age. Note too, that your little one, even if picky, is likely to be meeting these requirements effortlessly. For perspective, most adults, as mentioned above, without even thinking about it, meet their daily protein requirements and the RDI for a 19-30-year-old woman is 37g – so your child needs less than half of this amount.

Age                                                      RDI                                          EAR

7 – 12 months old                             14g                                         

1 – 3 years                                          14g                                           12g

4 – 8 years                                          20g                                          16g                 

I feel it is important to touch on what EAR and RDI represent. EAR is the estimated average requirement, and represents the daily nutrient level that is sufficient to meet the requirements of half of the healthy children in each age group. In other words, this is the level that would be sufficient for the average child in that age group. RDI is based on the daily nutrient level that is sufficient to meet the requirements of 97-98% of healthy children in each age group, essentially accounting for those children that sit outside of that “average”. In other words, the RDI exceeds the actual nutrient requirements of the majority of children – an over calculation to err on the side of caution.

Protein Rich Foods Examples

• Meat

• Fish

• Poultry

• Dairy products – cheese, milk, yoghurt

• Lentils and Beans

• Nuts and nut butters

• Tofu

• Eggs

• Quinoa

• Oats

• Weetbix

Ultimately, the take home message here is that your little one is both likely to effortlessly meet their protein requirements, even if picky AND they don’t need protein supplements like a protein powder, because they don’t eat meat.