An easy way to assess whether your child is getting adequate, but not excessive, protein in his/her daily diet is to use this rule of thumb: consume daily 16 ounces (2 cups, or 480 ml) of milk or yogurt plus a moderate serving of protein-rich foods at two meals a day. This, along with with the small amounts of protein in grains and vegetables, will likely meet your child's daily protein requirement. Of course, your child will need to eat other foods to round her calorie and nutritional requirements, and those foods will offer a little more protein, as well.
Breakfast: 1 cup milk on cereal
Lunch: 2 oz. (60 g.) sandwich filling (tuna, roast beef, turkey), 1 cup yogurt
Dinner: 4 oz. (125 g.) meat, fish, poultry, or the equivalent in lentils or other beans and legumes.
Growing teenagers and novice bodybuilders with high protein needs can get additional protein by drinking another 2 cups of milk.
Protein Recommendations
|
Animal sources |
Amount |
Protein |
|
Egg white |
1 large egg |
3.5 |
|
Yogurt |
1 cup |
11 |
|
Milk 1% |
1 cup (8 oz.) |
8 |
| Cottage cheese | 1/2 cup (4 oz.) |
15 |
|
Haddock |
4 oz. (125 g. ) cooked |
27 |
|
Cheddar cheese |
1 oz |
7 |
| Hamburger |
4 oz. (125 g.) broiled |
30 |
| Pork loin |
4 oz. (125 g.) roasted | 30 |
| Chicken breast |
4 oz. (125 g.) roasted |
35 |
| Tuna |
5 oz. (145 g.) |
33 |
|
Plant sources |
Amount |
Protein |
|
Almond, dried |
12 nuts |
3.5 |
| Peanut butter |
1 tbsp | 4.5 |
|
Kidney beans |
1/2 cup |
6 |
|
Gardenburger (original) |
2.5 oz. patty |
6 |
| Refried beans |
1/2 cup | 7 |
|
Lentil soup |
10.5 oz. |
11 |
|
Tofu, extra firm |
3.5 oz. |
11 |
| Baked beans |
1 cup |
14 |
| Boca burger | 2.5 oz. patty | 13 |
Source: Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (4th ed. 2008 Human Kinetics).
