Photo: Ann H

How do picky eaters get protein?

Salmon, fish sticks, eggs, turkey lunch meat, yogurt, or mozzarella string cheese. Beans and grains. Soy products like soy milk or tofu. (You can even try soy "chicken" nuggets).

healthychildren.org - Beyond Chicken Nuggets: Protein-Rich Alternatives for Picky ...

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By: Claire McCarthy, MD, FAAP

All parents want their children to have healthy diets—and part of that is getting enough protein. With picky eaters, that can feel hard. But it doesn't have to be hard. Here are some things about protein that you may not know—and some ideas to make mealtimes easier.

When all your child will eat is chicken nuggets:

As a pediatrician, I talk with parents all the time about what their children eat. And very often I find that when it comes to giving their children protein, families feel frustrated—and worried. "All he will eat is chicken nuggets" is something I commonly hear. When babies are small it's not really an issue, because they are on breast milk or formula. But as they grow into toddlers and preschoolers and we expand their diets, that's where the worry sets in—because the age when they are expanding their diets is also the same age when they become more independent and willful. It's a power struggle that often plays out as picky eating. Enter the chicken nugget. I'm not sure what it is about them that makes kids almost universally like them; perhaps it's the same thing that makes French fries universally appealing. Some even look like French fries. And for many families it can seem like once you've started the "nugget habit," there's no turning back. But here's the thing: you don't need to start that habit. And for those of you already in the habit, there is hope. Why protein is an important part of your child's diet: When we think of protein we think of muscles, but protein is a building block for many other parts of the body, such as hair, bones, enzymes, skin and blood. Our bodies are very good at recycling and reusing proteins as they break down, but we do need to get some from our diet.

Here are three things about protein that many parents don't know:

1. Children don't need as much protein as you might think. The body is remarkably good at recycling.

Daily Protein Foods Table

Daily Recommendation• Children

2-3 years old

4-8 years old

2 ounce equivalents 4 ounce equivalents

4 ounce equivalents

Girls

9-13 years old

14-18 years old

5 ounce equivalents

5 ounce equivalents Boys

9-13 years old

14-18 years old

5 ounce equivalents 6 ½ ounce equivalents Women

19-30 years old

31-50 years old

51 + years old

5 ½ ounce equivalents 5 ounce equivalents

5 ounce equivalents Men

19-30 years old

31-50 years old

51 + years old

6 ½ ounce equivalents 6 ounce equivalents

5½ ounce equivalents

2. If children are drinking the recommended amount of cow's milk, they are likely getting all or most of the protein they need. Every ounce of cow's milk has 1g of protein (soy milk has nearly as much, though not all soy and plant-based milks do).

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How do you treat picky eating in adults?

Don't overwhelm yourself with a plate full of new foods. Instead, serve familiar favorites along with one new food you're ready to try. Commit to just a few bites. Dietitian and feeding specialist Ellyn Satter calls this giving yourself "an out": If you don't like the new food, you'll still have something to eat.

webmd.com - How to Overcome Picky Eating Explained for Adults - WebMD

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McGuire, M. and Beerman, K. Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food, enhanced edition, Brooks Cole, 2017.

Washington Post: "How a picky eater became a foodie."

ABC News: "Picky Eaters: When Waffles and Fries Are All You Eat."

New York Times: "When the Picky Eater is a Grown-Up."

National Eating Disorders Association: "Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)."

Perspectives on Psychological Science: "Hale and Hearty Policies: How Psychological Science Can Create and Maintain Healthy Habits."

Current Opinion in Psychiatry: "Picky eating: the current state of research."

Remmer, S. Turning the Tables on Picky Eating, 2016.

American Heart Association: "Top 10 Tips for Dealing With a Picky Eater."

EatRight: "Kitchen Basics: Cooking Methods."

Carucci, L. Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks, 2nd edition, AuthorHouse, 2016.

Better Homes & Gardens: "How to Roast Vegetables."

Nutrients: "Early Taste Experiences and Later Food Choices."

American Occupational Therapy Association: "Specialty Certification in Feeding, Eating and Swallowing."

The Star: "Daubs: Occupational therapy for the seriously picky eater."

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