Protein Problem with a 16 month old

Ruth - posted on 03/29/2011

Oh, another fast one--
1 c couscous
1 c water or chicken broth
1 can garbanzo beans or chickpeas
1 onion, sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1/1 tsp ground cumin
a handful of raisins
1 few tablespoons of oil

Heat oil in a large skillet with a lid. Cook onion until soft and golden, then add garlic and spices. Add beans (drained and rinsed) and raisins, and water or broth. Bring water to a boil, add the couscous, stir, and remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and serve.

You can add chicken with the onions if you really want some meat, and I sometimes add slivered almonds for a little extra crunch. This goes together in 20 to 30 minutes, including prep time.

Ruth - posted on 03/29/2011

When I make chili, I use mostly beans, and a very little meat. I really like Indian and Middle Eastern food, so we eat a lot of chickpeas and lentils. I like pintos and black beans in anything Mexican, and chickpeas, kidney beans, and cannelloni beans (white kidney beans) can be used in some Italian dishes. You can find recipes online, or I get a lot of cookbooks from my local library. A really easy one I do when the weather is cold is my version of tamale pie:

1 c cornmeal
1 c cold water
3 c boiling water
pinch of salt, chili powder

1 can enchilada sauce or salsa or picante sauce
1 can beans (black or pinto--or skip the meat and use 2 cans)
Optional: 1/2 lb ground beef, cooked
About 1 c shredded cheese

Mix cornmeal ad 1 c cold water in small bowl, add salt and chili powder. Bring 3 cups water to boil, mix in cornmeal mixture. Stir with a whisk to prevent lumps until very thick. Pour out into a large pie pan, or 8 x 8 inch pan. Let cool to room temperature (this can take several hours, I do it in the morning or around lunch time). This is polenta.

About an hour before dinner, cook the ground beef. Dump ground beef and beans over the polenta. Pour the can of enchilada sauce over, and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with melted cheese, return to oven until cheese is bubbly. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and lettuce.
My daughter loves the texture of the polenta, and the beans give it the necessary protein. It also makes a large batch, and can be eaten as lunches, or just have leftovers for dinner the next day.

Mary Perpetua Bernadeth - posted on 03/28/2011

Usually kids have difficulty in chewing meat especially pork, chicken and beef. Either you try making patties out of ground meat, or FISH would be good source like doing a fillet, Eggs are also good source by making leche flan, doing fish patty and surely there's egg in it also. I hope this will help you Amber...

Sarmishtha - posted on 03/28/2011

You are lucky. My daughter is 5 yrs old, a vegan and very healthy and active. She has multiple food allergies so I have very limited choices. Try QUINOA ( flour, cereal, seeds) , CHIA Seeds , Flax Seeds and Hemp Milk for protein. They cook easy and can be sprinkled on top of her favorite meals without any change in food taste. Remember elephants, giraffes, horses ,deer ,hippos and rhinos are all grass fed.
www.momsgoodlife.com
(Allergies at Ease)

Sarmishtha - posted on 03/28/2011

You are lucky. My daughter is 5 yrs old, a vegan and very healthy and active. She has multiple food allergies so I have very limited choices. Try QUINOA ( flour, cereal, seeds) , CHIA Seeds , Flax Seeds and Hemp Milk for protein. They cook easy and can be sprinkled on top of her favorite meals without any change in food taste. Remember elephants, giraffes, horses ,deer ,hippos and rhinos are all grass fed.
www.momsgoodlife.com
(Allergies at Ease)

Amber - posted on 03/28/2011

well she isnt a bean eater she will eat a little but not a lot....she LOVES eggs so she usually has one a day and she also loves cheese...i have never tried tofu my partner and i are big meat eaters so we have never really considered alternatives...i guess i never knew how much protein was in cheese until i looked into it thanks for some ideas...what are some ways that you make beans? mine never seem to have too much flavor so that may be the issue with her not really liking them

Ruth - posted on 03/28/2011

Does she eat beans, eggs, or cheese? If she likes beans or eggs, I wouldn't worry. Eggs and cheese both have complete proteins, and rice and beans together have all the necessary parts of protein. Nuts and nut butters also have a lot of protein in them. Does your daughter like tofu? It makes great stir-fries and soups. My daughter isn't a meat-eater either, and recently decided she didn't want to eat beans, unfortunately.