Protein for babies and toddlers

Most children get enough

Protein helps build and repair the body: not only muscles, but also skin, blood, bones and hair. The good news is that young children need less of it than many parents think.

• 6 to 11 months: about 11 g a day
• 12 to 23 months: about 13 g a day

These are the daily amounts in the US Dietary Guidelines. In the first year, breast milk or formula is still your baby’s main food (NHS), and the AAP says protein isn’t really an issue while babies are on breast milk or formula.

After 12 months, milk still does a lot of the work. The AAP says every ounce of cow’s milk has about 1 g of protein, so the 16 oz (480 ml) a day it suggests at 12 to 24 months gives about 16 g: more than a toddler’s daily amount on its own. Soy drink has nearly as much; most other plant drinks have much less (see plant milks for toddlers).

So the point of protein foods isn’t to hit a number. Meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds and soy also bring iron and zinc, which babies need more of from about 6 months (US Dietary Guidelines). That’s why they belong in first foods.

The best protein foods

From animals

• Meat and poultry: beef, lamb, chicken and turkey
• Fish: salmon, cod, sardines and trout (see fish for babies)
• Egg, well cooked
• Dairy: plain full-fat yogurt, pasteurized cheese and cottage cheese

From plants

• Beans and lentils: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans and hummus
• Soy: tofu, tempeh and edamame
• Smooth nut and seed butters, thinned or spread thinly: peanut butter, almond butter and tahini

The CDC suggests soft, small pieces of beef, lamb, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs or tofu as protein foods for babies. The newest US Dietary Guidelines list meat, poultry, seafood, full-fat yogurt and cheese, legumes, and nut- or seed-containing foods “prepared in a safe, infant-appropriate form” among good first foods. Red meat, beans, lentils and tofu are also good sources of iron: see iron-rich first foods.

Safe forms by age

6 months+

• Meat: cooked until very tender, then minced, finely shredded into moist strands, or blended into a purée.
• Fish: fully cooked, flaked, with every bone removed.
• Egg: hard-boiled and mashed, or a fully cooked omelet cut into finger-sized strips.
• Beans and lentils: cooked soft, then mashed or squashed flat. The CDC lists whole beans as a choking hazard.
• Tofu: soft strips or mashed. Yogurt on a pre-loaded spoon. Cheese grated or melted into food.
• Nut butter: smooth, thinned into porridge or purée.

9 months+: soft pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

12 months+: family protein foods in bite-sized pieces, about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

At any age, the CDC lists these as choking hazards: whole or chopped nuts and seeds, chunks or spoonfuls of nut butter, tough or large chunks of meat, hot dogs and sausages, large chunks of cheese, and bones in meat or fish. The NHS says no whole nuts, including peanuts, under 5. See safe food sizes and shapes.

How much to offer

For babies, start with a few teaspoons and let your baby decide how much to eat. By 7 to 9 months, as your baby moves toward 3 meals a day, the NHS says their diet should include beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein foods.

For toddlers aged 12 to 23 months, the US Dietary Guidelines pattern has about 2 ounce-equivalents of protein foods a day. One ounce-equivalent is:

• 1 oz (28 g) of meat, poultry or fish
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup of cooked beans or tofu
• 1 tablespoon of nut or seed butter (spread thinly, never by the spoonful)

That’s the whole day, not each meal. The NHS suggests at least 2 portions a day of protein from plant sources (beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu) or 1 from animal sources (meat, fish, eggs). See toddler portion sizes.

Toddler appetites go up and down. The AAP says children don’t need a balanced meal every time: balance over a day or two is what matters, and there’s no need for a clean plate.

No need for protein powders or toddler milks

• Protein powders and shakes. The AAP says most healthy children who eat a variety of foods get the nutrients they need, and that dietary supplements aren’t approved by the FDA for safety or effectiveness before they’re sold. Talk with your pediatrician before giving any supplement.
• Toddler milks. The AAP says “growing-up” and toddler milks are unnecessary, cost more and contain added sugars. Plain milk and water are the best drinks.

If your child refuses most protein foods, see picky eating in toddlers. The AAP suggests calling your doctor if nothing is working or you’re worried about your child’s diet.

Vegetarian and vegan families

The AAP notes that rice, beans, eggs, milk and peanut butter all have protein, so a child who doesn’t eat meat will likely still get enough. Vegan children need more care with protein and other nutrients: see vegetarian and vegan babies and vegetarian and vegan toddlers.

Protein foods and allergies

Many protein foods are common allergens: egg, peanut, tree nuts, milk, soy, sesame, fish and shellfish. Introduce them one at a time from around 6 months, and keep them in the diet once tolerated: see how to introduce allergens and allergens. Milk, soy, fish and poultry (ACAAI), and less often egg, can also trigger FPIES, a delayed reaction that causes repeated vomiting a few hours after eating, often with paleness or floppiness. If your baby vomits once or twice a few hours after one of these foods and is alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if your baby is vomiting again and again, or is pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake.Call 999 or go to A&E if your baby is vomiting again and again, or is pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake.Call your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) or go to the emergency department if your baby is vomiting again and again, or is pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake.

Anaphylaxis symptoms usually start within minutes (NHS). If your child has trouble breathing, wheezing, sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat, or turns pale or floppy after eating, and they have an epinephrine (adrenaline) auto-injector, use it right away, then call for an ambulance. Call 911.Call 999.Call your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia). If you don’t have an auto-injector, call straight away. Keep your child lying down, never standing or walking (on their side if they’re vomiting, head and shoulders a little raised if breathing is hard). See signs of anaphylaxis.

Where US and UK advice differs

• How amounts are given. The US Dietary Guidelines give grams of protein and ounce-equivalents of protein foods. The NHS uses portions: at least 2 a day from plant sources or 1 from animal sources.
• Milk. The AAP suggests about 16 oz (480 ml) of whole milk a day at 12 to 24 months. The NHS suggests at least 350 ml (12 oz) of milk a day, or 2 servings of foods made from milk. See cow’s milk at 12 months.
• Whole nuts. The NHS says no whole nuts, including peanuts, under 5. The CDC lists whole or chopped nuts as a choking hazard for young children. In both countries, ground nuts and thinly spread nut butter are the safe forms.