A toddlers appetite varies from day to day, in such a case it can be hard for parents to maintain a balanced diet for the child. One way to ensure that your child is eating well and enjoying his meals without any pressure is to add fun foods that pack in a nutritious punch. Most toddlers enjoy a cold smoothie and a smoothie can be a great vehicle to get in maximum nutrition without any fuss.
This post includes 3 healthy high protein smoothies for kids.
We make these quick smoothies every time I feel my son needs an extra nutrition dose in the day or on teething days when all he seemed to gravitate towards was cold foods.
Before I share the recipes, let us understand,
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DOES A CHILD NEED EVERY DAY?
Children aged 1-3 years need about 13g/day of protein, whereas 4-8-year-olds need about 19 g/day of protein. In India, As per ICMR 2020 guidelines, children need up to 1.2 g per kg of body weight protein every day to lead a healthy life.
HOW CAN SMOOTHIES HELP IN MEETING NUTRITIONAL DEFICITS IN THE DAY
- Smoothies can act as a vehicle to carry otherwise disliked foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The fruit base of the smoothie helps mask the taste of the other ingredients.
- Smoothies also help during teething pain when cold foods and liquids are more accepted by the child over meals.
- High protein smoothies can act as a bridge food post-illness to speed up the recovery process.
- Another great way to get calorie-dense foods like nuts, yogurt, and bananas in your child’s daily diet.
- Maintain hydration as a quick and easy kids summer snack option.
Dealing with a picky eater? These easy toddler meal recipes will help you on busy days and are a huge hit with picky eaters too.
AT WHAT AGE CAN CHILDREN HAVE PROTEIN SHAKES?
While it is important to not use smoothies as a meal replacement, smoothies can be enjoyed by toddlers and older children alike. One 200 ml cup once or twice a week alongside a balanced healthy diet that includes a variety of solid foods is not going to cause any adverse effects.
RECIPES FOR HEALTHY HIGH PROTEIN SMOOTHIES FOR KIDS
Blueberry smoothie
This is our go-to smoothie as blueberries are a huge favorite of our son. We usually make it as a pre/post-park time snack.
I prefer non-dairy milk paired with berries in a smoothie, but you can use cow’s milk if you like. This smoothie makes up to 10 grams of protein per serve. A healthy way to add calorie-dense foods to your child’s diet without them even knowing.
Cashews, walnuts, and flaxseed add much-needed fats for brain development and banana and honey provide the sweetness.
Blueberry Smoothie – High protein smoothies for kids
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- handful of blueberries
- 1 tbsp flaxseed powder
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tbsp cashews
- 1 tbsp walnuts
- 1/2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until you achieve desired consistency.
- Serve chilled.
Almond banana protein smoothie for kids
A simple recipe with ingredients that are usually found in the pantry that packs in a protein punch with approximately 10 grams of protein per serve.
I also like offering this almond banana combination as a bedtime smoothie for toddlers. Almonds and bananas are both calm sleep-inducing ingredients that make this smoothie perfect for bedtime.
Almond banana smoothie
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tbsp almonds
- splash of milk
Instructions
- Add all Ingredients to the blender.
- Blend until desired consistency.
- Serve chilled.
Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie
An easy way to get any toddler interested in smoothies is by making them in chocolate flavor. This high-protein smoothie includes the goodness of milk, peanut butter along with flaxseed powder all blended together with chocolate powder.
This banana smoothie for kids contains about 12 grams of protein and makes for a healthy snack for children. If you have a picky eater who needs those extra calories this is the best smoothie for toddlers to gain weight healthily.
Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie for toddlers
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter
- 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp flaxseed powder
- 1/2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- All all the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until desired consistency.
- Serve chilled.
If a child is eating a well-balanced diet we don’t need to worry about adding more protein-rich foods, but many toddlers don’t really enjoy plain milk or eat that much of other protein-rich foods.
Toddlers need a lot of energy which makes them seek more carbohydrate-rich foods, and that is great too, but adding protein-rich foods in more acceptable ways can be a way to help them get this essential macronutrient in the required amounts.
Related reading: Toddler eating habits : challenges and solutions.
Smoothies like these can come to the rescue on low-eating days to make up for any lost nutrients.
Do try these high-protein smoothies for kids and let me know in the comments below how your child liked them.
Pin this to save the recipes for future reference.
Until next time.
Thank you for these recipes. I will surely try these combinations for my son.
I love these smoothie suggestions! Thank you for the clear instructions and keeping in mind picky eaters and the nutritional needs of growing children.
Thank you for these ideas. I always wondered how to make our smoothies more nutritious. My lo will love these for sure.
Very nice and easy recipes. It will help so much. Thank you Ophira.
Super tasty and healthy
Loved the idea of banana almond smoothie for kids. Will try. Thanks.
Love this! Blueberry smoothies are a hit with my kids too. It’s great to know that they can enjoy protein smoothies as a healthy snack. Thanks for the recipe! 🫐🥤