Oh, protein! Everyone makes such a fuss – and even more so when you are raising kids that don’t eat meat. I am not going to go on and on about why protein is not an issue for vegetarians, vegans, plant-eaters… I’ll just show you how easy it is to meet protein needs with the help of plants, nuts, seeds, and yes, even some vegetables.
A toddler needs around 16g of protein a day to meet their need (basically, the equivalent of two 8-oz cups of milk). If your toddler still drinks a cup of milk a day, you are already halfway there! And if not, you can get what you need from the below.
⭐Related recipe: The Simplest “Cheesy” Tofu Bites
Protein-rich foods for plant-based kids:
- Tempeh
- Lentils
- Tofu
- Chickpeas / Chickpea flour
- Beans
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Couscous
- Soy milk
- Peanut butter
- Quinoa
- Hummus
- Edamame
- Oatmeal
- Boca/veggie burgers
- Smart Dog
- Chik’n nuggets
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Peas
- Soy yogurt
- Soy milk
- Pea-protein milk
Breakfast
- Peaches and cream oats
- Carrot cake oats
- Chocolate banana overnight oats
- Chocolate cherry & almond oats
- Tofu scramble
- Oat pancakes skimmed with peanut butter & syrup (pictured above)
- Toast with nut butter
- Toast with hummus
- Toast with chocolate almond butter
- Chia pudding
- Chickpea egg sandwich
- Waffles with peanut butter
- Soy yogurt with granola and fruit
- Peanut butter smoothie (banana, soy milk, peanut butter)
- Breakfast cereal with soy milk
🌿Looking for more easy plant-based meals for kids? See my full guide: Plant-Based Kids Hub
Lunch/Dinner
- Red lentil or chickpea pasta with sauce
- Boca or veggie burger
- Smart Dog
- Lentil stew
- Coconut lentil stew
- Tofu nuggets
- Beans and rice (recipe for my slow-cooked beans)
- Chik’n nuggets with dip
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Lasagna soup, made with lentils and cashew cream (pictured above)
- Baked tempeh over mashed potatoes
- White pasta with a lentil red sauce (you can blend or leave chunky)
- Tempeh BLT
- Lentil fritters
- Roasted chickpeas
- Chickpea or white bean salad
- Chickpea noodle soup
- Pasta e ceci
- Pasta e fagioli
- Baked tofu bites
- Falafel wrap with hummus and veggies
- Bean & cheese quesadilla
- Bean & cheese enchiladas
- 3-Bean & tempeh chili
- Black bean nachos with cashew queso
- Lentil tacos
- Tempeh tacos
- Tofu egg salad sandwich
- Peanut butter and banana sandwich
I hope the above ideas have helped a bit. If you have read the first two posts in this series (iron and calcium), I have a good feeling you are noticing a pattern… beans, greens, tofu… these are all great stars for your kids’ meals! They have it all.
🌿Explore more plant-based nutrition:
- Iron-Rich Foods for Vegan Kids (+ Meal Ideas)
- Calcium-Rich Foods for Vegan Kids (+ Meal Ideas)
- Healthy Fats for Vegan Kids (+ Meal Ideas)
