HappyBaby by Robert W. Sears

Author:Robert W. Sears
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2009-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Protein Tips

Vegetable sources of protein like beans, tofu, and quinoa aren’t just for vegetarians. On the contrary, these healthy foods should be staples in all kids’ diets. There’s an easy tofu stir-fry recipe on Chapter 7.

Young children don’t seem to mind the taste or texture of uncooked tofu, making it one of the easiest foods to give a toddler, hands down. Just drain off the water, cut into small cubes (or mash for young babies), and serve. Tofu cubes with brown rice and cooked vegetables (frozen or fresh) and an all-natural teriyaki sauce is a great go-to meal for busy weeknights.

Although tofu and soybeans are good for Baby, avoid processed soy foods that are made from texturized soy protein or soy protein isolate instead of whole soybeans. Some experts have raised concern over the potential health effects of this highly processed soy protein, especially for developing babies and pregnant women. That means skip the meat substitutes like soy cheese, soy burgers, soy crumbles, and soy deli meats. Instead, choose soy products made from whole soybeans, like the blocks of tofu you find in the produce section of the supermarket. Organic Nasoya brand tofu (www.nasoya.com) is widely available and it’s a good choice.

Eggs are an inexpensive and quick protein. Try hard-boiled or scrambled eggs, or egg salad. Quiche is a simple dish to make (or buy), and most kids like the mild cheesy taste. After age one, serve both the egg white and the yolk; before age one, serve just the yolk—half the egg’s 6 grams of protein and many of the egg’s other nutrients are found in the yolk.

Ground or shredded meats have an easy-to-chew texture that many toddlers enjoy. Try burger patties, meatballs, meatloaf, or simply sautéed ground meat. When selecting ground beef, 85 to 95 percent lean ground sirloin or ground round is a fine choice. (When cooking for the whole family, opt for the leanest ground beef available, since Baby’s the only one who can afford to eat a high-fat diet.) If you’re grinding your own meat, choose cuts of beef that have light marbling (the fat that makes little white lines throughout the meat), such as top sirloin or eye of round. See the Recipes section for a healthy burger recipe.

And don’t forget beans! Beans are another simple, inexpensive, and easy source of protein. Don’t worry about beans’ gassy reputation—Baby may not mind. Use mashed beans as a filling for a quesadilla, give whole black beans right on Baby’s tray as finger foods, and serve hummus or other bean dips for snacks.

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