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Getting Enough Protein w/o Meat?

EducatorsParents

Q: My child isn’t a huge meat eater; how can I make sure she’s getting enough protein?

A: Great question and an important one, as protein is the key macronutrient—a type of food required in the human diet—for growing muscles to both recover and repair after a practice.

Ellie Kempton, MSN, RD, owner of Simply Nourished Nutrition in Denver, Colorado, recommends that young athletes have protein in most of their snacks and meals.

“Aim for about 10-15 grams of protein for a snack, and 20-25 grams of protein at a meal,” she suggests.

Some good options to help reach these amounts are:

  • Cottage cheese: 25 grams of protein per cup
  • Greek yogurt: About 15 grams of protein per serving
  • Hardboiled eggs: 6 grams of protein per egg
  • String cheese: About 6-7 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving
  • Black beans: 6 grams of protein per ½ cup
  • Pancake mixes like FlapJacked or Kodiak, which have extra protein (about 20 g per serving)

Try to maximize protein intake in the morning and afternoon for picky eaters. “At the end of a long day, kids want to eat what they like—they’re just like adults in that respect,” Kempton says.

Here are a couple of other quick protein-packed recipes you can prepare for your athlete to snack on:

Getting Enough Protein w/o Meat?

 

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