Signs Your Toddler Needs
More Protein
• Toddler Nutrition is incomplete without proteins where nutrition shapes the health in later stages of life. Proteins play a crucial role in first1000 days of life, right from brain development, building muscles and bones, to developing immunity. Parents are often worried whether their toddlers are getting enough proteins and how will they identify signs for protein deficiency. In this blog we will understand the importance of protein for toddlers in regards to toddler nutrition, role of proteins in development, signs your toddler needs more proteins, and some tips to guarantee that your toddler gets enough proteins through their meals.
Importance of Pr otein for Toddlers
• ‘Proteins are the building blocks’ of life and one of the major macronutrients important for growth, development, maintenance of tissues as well as important for production of hormones, and various enzymes. They are involved in all bodily functions and are required for overall health. Toddlers are in growing phase, their bodies are constantly growing, hence toddler nutrition is vital and they need good quality proteins for growth and development. High quality proteins stimulate muscle growth and tissue protein synthesis, aid in bone formation help in immune function and repair and cognitive development.
5 Signs Your Tod dler Needs M
ore Proteins
• Slow Growth or Growth faltering: Slow growth or growth faltering (delayed height and weight gain) maybe observed in children if proteins are lacking in the diet.
• Weakened Immunity: Children taking long to recover from illness or falling sick very often, often have compromised immunity probably one reason being inadequate protein consumption.
• Poor Muscle Development: Protein intake is essential for muscle development; if the toddlers diet is lacking in protein , it may lead to inadequate muscle development
• Low On Energy, lethargy: Less protein intake consistently may lead to low energy levels or fatigue in children.4
• Learning Challenges: Challenges in terms of cognitive development are observed in children with compromised protein consumption.
How Much Protein Does Your Toddler Need?
How to Include Protein for Toddler s in Meals.
• Protein Rich Breakfast- Including a protein rich source like egg, paneer, sprouts, curd or yogurt with cereal preparations e.g. egg scrambled toast, omelet chapati wrap, vegetable thepla with curd dip.
• Power Snacks: Fruit slices with peanut butter (homemade)/ nuts powder, yogurt dips with carrot, cucumber sticks, yogurt fruit parfaits /smoothies etc. can be given as midmeal snacks for giving sustained energy.
• Balanced Meals- Lunch and Dinner: Including either one of the protein sources at lunch/dinner- dals, pulses, lentils, sprouts, curd, yogurt, paneer, tofu, soy, chicken, fish or eggs.
• *(Nuts and seeds need to be included in powdered form to avoid chocking)
• It is very important to include good quality proteins in meals to promote healthy growth.
• Complete proteins (good quality proteins) are found in animal proteins.
• Incomplete Proteins are found in plant-based proteins, when complemented with other sources gives complete proteins. Complementing Foods: Complementing foods for obtaining complete proteins for e.g. Cereal and Pulse Combinations like. Dal Khichdi, Idli Sambhar, Rajma Chawal, Chapati with Lentils/Pulse Preparations etc.
• Including Milk with Nutrional Drinks Like Complan NutriGrow which is a scientifically developed Nutritional Supplement for children aged 2-6 years.
• Key Message: Proteins are vital macronutrients when it comes to toddler nutrition. Toddlers’ meals lacking on proteins will affect their growth and immunity. Parents need to makes sure protein for toddlers are included in meals. Toddlers can be fussy eaters; however, parents must make meal times peaceful and serving toddlers colorful well balanced meal plates with a good quality protein source in every meal and reintroduction of foods avoided by toddlers after some intervals. Many a times parents may not be able to meet toddlers’ nutritional needs through food alone, to support growth and nutrition, nutritional supplements like Complan NutriGro can be included as a health drink.
• Complan NutriGro is a nutritional drink scientifically developed which contains 11 pro -immunity nutrients, which has 39 vital nutrients like iron and DHA and milk protein. Prebiotics and Probiotics present support gut health. This Nutrional drink supports immunity, brain health, helps children with growth and gain healthy weight.
• Image Source - https://www.nutritionnews.abbott/
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