Ask the Dietitian

by Blair Mize, FAAM's Nutrition Advisor

Q:

My toddler is allergic to milk, peanuts, and treenuts. She's a picky eater and doesn't eat chicken (or any meat) often. What foods can we try so she eats protein each day?

A:

This is a great question! 

Although you described your toddler as a picky eater, it's important to continue to offer meat at meals rather than avoiding it completely. Research suggests that the more often a child (or anyone for that matter) is exposed to a food, the more likely he or she will be to accept it. We call it "learning to like" a food. It can take 10, 12, 15+ tries or exposures to a food for her to learn to like it, and taste buds change over time. ​Ellyn Satter is a Registered Dietitian, Therapist, and Author and a great resource when it comes to picky eating. 

In the meantime, here are some high protein foods to try:

• Eggs: Try them all different ways-scrambled, hardboiled, on sandwiches, etc. You're not going to overdo it with eggs. 
• Non-dairy yogurt (soy, coconut, etc.)
• Beans/Lentils
• Quinoa: It's technically a grain, but higher in protein than many others.
• Tofu
• Continue to offer a variety of meat, poultry, and fish. Have you tried bacon and sausage as well?