Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Do You Need to Worry About Your Infant or Toddlers Protein Intake?
Protein for Infants and Toddlers
Do you ever worry that your infant or toddler is not consuming enough protein?
Well, I am here to tell you that your child is probably consuming plenty of protein!
Importance of Protein for Infants and Toddlers
Protein is a nutrient that is essential for proper growth and development in children. Children who don’t eat enough protein may experience stunted growth, malnutrition, permanent mental and physical problems, fatigue, irritability, decreased muscle mass and a compromised immune system.
Dietary protein is such an important macronutrient in an infant’s diet – protein is your body’s main building block. It helps form muscle, produce hormones, strengthen skin and bones, and transport nutrients.
High protein foods contain high levels of zinc and iron, both of which are also important nutrients when starting complementary foods at 6 months. As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), meat is an excellent source of high-quality protein and micronutrients, and should be consumed by infants who are consuming solid foods.
That being said, most children actually consume protein amounts greater than their protein requirements when they start eating complementary foods. This signals to caregivers that they do not need to be overly concerned about the protein content of their little one’s diet.
Did you know that your baby’s protein needs are actually fairly low? And most of the protein intake for infants are already met via breastmilk or formula. While protein food sources are recommended with each meal, you really don’t need to stress about your little one getting “too little” protein. Take a look at the images below for some sources of protein for babies and their protein content. It’s actually very easy to make sure your baby is getting optimal amounts of protein!
Disclaimer: healthy full-term infants have differing protein needs than babies born premature. The protein content of breastmilk may also vary due to the lactating breasts continuously adjusting the nutrient content in human milk to meet the baby’s specific needs.
| AGE | Grams of Protein Per Day |
|---|---|
| 0-6 months | At least 9.1 grams |
| 7-12 months | At least 11 grams |
| 1-3 years | 13 grams |
| 4-8 years | 19 grams |
- The Institute of Medicine recommends protein for babies ages 0 to 6 months to be at least 9.1 grams of protein per day (from breast milk or formula).
- Older infants ages 7-12 months have a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein of 1.2 g/kg/d, or 11 grams of protein per day.
Children ages 1–3 years have an RDA of 1.05 g/kg/d or 13 g/d of protein, and children ages 4–8 years have an RDA of 0.95 g/kg/d or 19 g/d of protein.
How do I know if my child needs more protein?
In most Western countries, children already get two to three times the protein they need daily. In fact, this review states that in late infancy and among toddlers, the average protein intake is 3 to 4 times as high as the physiologic requirements.
Protein supplements and high protein diets shouldn’t be recommended unless done so by healthcare professional for one of the following reasons:
- The child is underweight (or not gaining well on their growth chart).
- The child is a picky eater and not consuming much of anything.
- The child is vegan or vegetarian.
- The child has a metabolic condition that may impact protein utilization, breakdown, or digestion.
Overall, most children consumed protein amounts greater than requirements, except for the younger breastfeeding children, who were consuming low amounts of complementary foods (Aresenault and Brown, 2017).
What happens if my child eats too much protein?
“Growth patterns early in life could exert a long-term impact on overweight and obesity development. Among all potential manipulative factors, the infant diet is one of the most influential and could affect growth and subsequent health status during adolescence and adulthood” (Tang, 2018).
An increasing number of studies have found that a high protein intake during the first 1 to 2 years of life is associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity later in childhood.
The CHOP study found that the effect of a high protein intake for the first 12 months of life resulted in a higher BMI at age 2. Several observational studies have also reported significant positive associations between protein intake at 12–24 months of age and BMI measured at 4 and 8 years old.
“Young children consumed enough protein, but often not from the healthiest sources, with more consumption of protein foods high in sodium and saturated fats, and less of healthier choices such as lean meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, soy, and legumes” (Dwyer, 2016). So actually, it is recommended to focus more on a variety of nutrient dense foods for your little ones, rather than focusing on protein foods.
The Main Takeaway:
- Protein in the right amounts is a vital part of the baby’s diet. The protein intake for infants is about 5-6% of their overall diet, compared to 10-15% for adults, so it is an incredibly easy nutrient to ensure a baby is getting enough of.
- Protein is extra important during infancy due to rapid growth, so I understand being mindful of it, but don’t stress it too much!
If you are unsure if your child is consuming a balanced diet with the appropriate range of macronutrients, Cindy offers 1:1 consult services to ensure adequate nutritional intake for optimal growth.
Resources:
Resources:
- Joanne E Arsenault, Kenneth H Brown, Dietary Protein Intake in Young Children in Selected Low-Income Countries Is Generally Adequate in Relation to Estimated Requirements for Healthy Children, Except When Complementary Food Intake Is Low, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 147, Issue 5, May 2017, Pages 932–939, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.239657
- Dwyer JT. The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2016: Moving Forward. J Nutr. 2018;148(suppl_3):1575S-1580S. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy159
- Institute of Medicine. Protein and amino acids. In: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2005:593-594.
- Satish C Kalhan, Optimal protein intake in healthy infants, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 89, Issue 6, June 2009, Pages 1719–1720, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.27888
- Garlick PJ. Protein requirements of infants and children. Nestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program. 2006;58:39-47; discussion 47- 50. doi: 10.1159/000095009. PMID: 16902324.
- Günther AL, Remer T, Kroke A, Buyken AE. Early protein intake and later obesity risk: which protein sources at which time points throughout infancy and childhood are important for body mass index and body fat percentage at 7 y of age? Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1765-72. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/86.5.1765. PMID: 18065597.
- Michaelsen KF, Larnkjær A, Mølgaard C. Amount and quality of dietary proteins during the first two years of life in relation to NCD risk in adulthood. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2012 Oct;22(10):781-6. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2012.03.014. Epub 2012 Jul 7. PMID: 22770749.
- Voortman T, Braun KV, Kiefte-de Jong JC, Jaddoe VW, Franco OH, van den Hooven EH. Protein intake in early childhood and body composition at the age of 6 years: The Generation R Study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2016 Jun;40(6):1018-25. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2016.29. Epub 2016 Feb 15. PMID: 26975442.
- Braun KV, Erler NS, Kiefte-de Jong JC, Jaddoe VW, van den Hooven EH, Franco OH, Voortman T. Dietary Intake of Protein in Early Childhood Is Associated with Growth Trajectories between 1 and 9 Years of Age. J Nutr. 2016 Nov;146(11):2361-2367. doi: 10.3945/jn.116.237164. Epub 2016 Oct 12. PMID: 27733529.
- Alexandra Stokes, Karen J Campbell, Hong-Jie Yu, Ewa A Szymlek-Gay, Gavin Abbott, Qi-Qiang He, Miaobing Zheng. Protein Intake from Birth to 2 Years and Obesity Outcomes in Later Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies. Advances in Nutrition, nmab034 (Epub ahead of print; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab034).
- Welker EB, Jacquier EF, Catellier DJ, Anater AS, Story MT. Room for improvement remains in food consumption patterns of young children aged 2–4 years. J Nutr 2018;148:1536S–46S
- Michaelsen KF, Greer FR. Protein needs early in life and long-term health. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Mar;99(3):718S-22S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.072603. Epub 2014 Jan 22. PMID: 24452233.
- Tang M. Protein Intake during the First Two Years of Life and Its Association with Growth and Risk of Overweight. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(8):1742. Published 2018 Aug 14. doi:10.3390/ijerph15081742
- Zheng M, Yu HJ, He QQ, Heitmann BL, Rangan A, McNaughton SA, Campbell KJ. Protein Intake During Infancy and Subsequent Body Mass Index in Early Childhood: Results from the Melbourne InFANT Program. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021 Sep;121(9):1775-1784. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2021.02.022. Epub 2021 Apr 7. PMID: 33839065.
Cinthia Scott is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) , with over 7 years experience in the field of dietetics. Cinthia focuses on ensuring optimal nutrition in the first 1000 days of life to ensure optimal growth and development as well as set the stage for long-term health. Cindy is an author, starting solids expert, and advocate for caregivers receiving evidence based education and support surrounding breastfeeding and starting solids.
Cinthia is co-author of the 101beforeone Starting Solids Book, “101beforeone -baby-led feeding cookbook,” and is the founder and owner of Cinthia Scott RD LLC which is her private practice built to provide virtual 1:1 services for caregivers surrounding infant nutrition, toddler nutrition, and breastfeeding support. Cinthia is also the creator of the Starting Solids 101 Program which provides caregivers 1:1 support from a Pediatric Dietitian on how to provide optimal nutrition from the start and create healthy eating habits that will last their whole lifetime. To work with Cinthia, you can access her services here.
Cinthia provides tons of free information for parents on her social media accounts as well.
- Instagram: @The.Baby.Dietitian
- Tiktok: @The.Baby.Dietitian
This Post Has One Comment
Pingback: Yogurt for Babies and Toddlers