• Home
  • Recipes
    • 6 month old recipes
    • 7 month old recipes
    • 8 month old recipes
    • 9 month old recipes
    • 10 month old recipes
    • 11 month old recipes
    • 1 year old recipes
    • Toddler Recipes
    • Family Oven
  • Meal Plans
    • 6 month old meal plan
    • 7 month old meal plan
    • 8 month old meal plan
    • 9 month old meal plan
    • 10 month old meal plan
    • 11 month old meal plan
    • 1 year old meal plan
  • Blog
    • Ages
      • 6-12 month olds
      • 1-2 year olds
      • 2-4 year olds
    • The Science
      • Energy
      • Macronutrients
        • Carbohydrates
        • Protein
        • Fats
      • Micronutrients
        • Minerals
        • Vitamins
      • Hydration
      • Hygiene and safety
      • Food groups
        • Fruit
        • Vegetables
        • Grains
        • Fats and oils
        • Protein
        • Dairy
        • Daily requirements
        • Portion sizes
  • Shop
  • About

Mobile Menu

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Creative Nourish

Growing Healthy

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • 6 month old recipes
    • 7 month old recipes
    • 8 month old recipes
    • 9 month old recipes
    • 10 month old recipes
    • 11 month old recipes
    • 1 year old recipes
    • Toddler Recipes
    • Family Oven
  • Meal Plans
    • 6 month old meal plan
    • 7 month old meal plan
    • 8 month old meal plan
    • 9 month old meal plan
    • 10 month old meal plan
    • 11 month old meal plan
    • 1 year old meal plan
  • Blog
    • Ages
      • 6-12 month olds
      • 1-2 year olds
      • 2-4 year olds
    • The Science
      • Energy
      • Macronutrients
        • Carbohydrates
        • Protein
        • Fats
      • Micronutrients
        • Minerals
        • Vitamins
      • Hydration
      • Hygiene and safety
      • Food groups
        • Fruit
        • Vegetables
        • Grains
        • Fats and oils
        • Protein
        • Dairy
        • Daily requirements
        • Portion sizes
  • Shop
  • About

Protein – Calcium and Tissue Building Food

Protein food - calcium and tissue building sources

The protein food group is made up of various foods that are high in protein – meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, soy products, nuts, seeds and legumes. Legumes are also a part of the vegetable food group while nuts and seeds are part of the fats and oils food group.


Please note: This post contains affiliate links.

Fish and Seafood

Oily fish and seafood are a great source of protein as they also contain a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids and various vitamins and minerals.

Certain fish can be high in mercury, so it’s worth keeping that in mind when choosing which to eat and how often you eat them. Fish which is low in mercury and high in omega-3s is ideal to include in your diet several times a week.

In general, the bigger the fish, or the higher up in the food chain, the higher the mercury content. Larger fish eat smaller fish, consuming small amounts of mercury in the process, which accumulates over time.

Mercury and Omega-3 Levels in Fish

FishMercury levelOmega-3s
AnchoviesVery lowHigh
CatfishVery lowLow
ClamVery lowLow
CodLowLow
CrabLowLow
GrouperMediumMedium
HaddockLowLow
HalibutMediumLow
HerringLowHigh
LobsterLowVery low
Mackerel, cannedLowHigh
MusselsVery lowMedium
Oysters, wildVery lowLow
Salmon, wildVery lowHigh
Sardines, cannedVery lowMedium
Scallops, wildVery lowLow
Sea bassMediumMedium
SharkHighLow
Shrimp, wildVery lowLow
Sole, wildVery lowLow
Squid, wildVery lowMedium
SwordfishHighMedium
Tuna, cannedLowVery low
Tuna, freshMediumLow

Meat and Poultry

Meat, especially red meat, is an excellent source of iron. Pairing it with food rich with vitamin C will increase the bioavailability (absorption) of the iron.

Lean meat is generally healthier for its lower amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol and is preferable over high-fat meat. However, all lean meat still contains saturated fat and cholesterol. When factoring in the other animal products included in a balanced diet, for young children, it’s good to limit meat consumption to a few times a week, with other sources of protein in the “meatless” meals.


Nuts and Seeds

Apart from protein, nuts and seeds contain a high amount of “good” fats, vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, and copper but are relatively high in terms of calorie content. For this reason, although considered healthy, you’re better limiting daily consumption to 1 fist for adults and 2 teaspoons for children (considering overall fat and energy intake from other sources as well).

Nuts and seeds also provide several health benefits since their consumption has been linked to reduced cholesterol levels and overall benefits to the cardiovascular system.

On the other hand, several types of nuts with high selenium content (especially Brazil nuts) can be harmful if eaten in excess. Children under the age of 1 should avoid them completely, children 1-3 should limit intake to 1 per day and 4-8 to 2. Older children and adults should limit Brazil nuts intake to 3-4 per day.


Legumes and Soy Products

Apart from being rich in protein, legumes and soy products contain a significant amount of dietary fiber as well as phytonutrients that can have beneficial effects on the body.

They do not contain all the essential amino acids though (as opposed to meat-based protein), so it’s especially important for vegetarians and vegans to mix up the sources of protein in their diet.

You can maximize the nutritional content by buying dried legumes or soy products and soaking them for 12-24 hours prior to preparation. If not possible, canned or pre-prepared options are a good alternative.


Daily Requirements

Daily requirements change rapidly between birth and 2 years of age, so we recommend you check out the age-specific meal plans for those ages.

Age (years)MenWomen
2 – 32 oz equivalents2 oz equivalents
4 – 84 oz equivalents4 oz equivalents
9 – 135 oz equivalents5 oz equivalents
14 – 186.5 oz equivalents5 oz equivalents
19 – 306.5 oz equivalents5.5 oz equivalents
31 – 506 oz equivalents5 oz equivalents
51+5.5 oz equivalents5 oz equivalents

Portion Sizes

Check this out for a reference guide for how much of a specific protein is meant by “5 oz equivalents”.


Resources

  1. USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). www.choosemyplate.gov.
  2. Mateljan G. (2007) The World’s Healthiest Foods. Essential Guide for The Healthiest Way of Eating. Seattle, Washington.

See more of our nutritionist created meal plans

6 month old meal plan

6 Month Old Meal Plan

7 month old meal plan

7 Month Old Meal Plan

8 month old meal plan

8 Month Old Meal Plan

9 month old meal plan

9 Month Old Meal Plan

10 month old meal plan

10 Month Old Meal Plan

11 month old meal plan

11 Month Old Meal Plan

1 year old meal plan

1 Year Old Meal Plan

Our Favorite Stuff

  • Wean with confidence Wean With Confidence $39.00
  • Kitchen Aid Mixer KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield
  • KEEDO FEEDO KIDDO FEEDO Freezer Tray
  • OXO Storage OXO Tot Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers
  • Pyrex Glass Storage Bowls Pyrex Glass Storage Bowls

Primary Sidebar

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Our Latest Book

Wean with confidence

Recent Posts

Wholewheat Dairy-Free Pancakes

February 25, 2021

Baked Sweet Potato Fries for Every Day

February 19, 2021

Chocolate banana oatmeal

Chocolaty Banana Oatmeal for Mom and Baby

February 12, 2021

no knead bread, baby's first bread

Easy Wholewheat No-Knead Bread

February 5, 2021

Footer

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Tags

allergens allergies apple baby-led weaning babyledweaning birthday bread breakfast candy christmas cravings dairy-free dessert dinner family meals fish gluten gluten-free guide halloween health iron lunch meal plan meat muffin nut-free nuts on-the-go pancakes puree purees smoothie snack snacks spread. starting solids sweets thanksgiving toddler toddler food toys vegan vegetable cake vegetarian
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 Creative Nourish · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme