Protein Requirements for Children

What is protein?

Protein is an important macronutrient that helps repair cells and make new ones in the body. It’s particularly important throughout childhood because of the role it plays in their growth and development. Proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids. 20 amino acids exist; of these 20, the body can make 11 but the remaining 9 amino acids are considered to be essential, because they need to be obtained from food.

Protein (and the amino acids) can be found in animal-sources and plant-sources. Animal-based proteins are all complete proteins, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Plant-based proteins, however, do not always contain all nine essential amino acids. If you or your child eat a plant-based diet, you may need to combine different foods at a given meal, to ensure all essential amino acids - the building blocks for protein synthesis - are consumed. For example, if you are offering a meal where the main protein source is legumes (beans, lentils etc.) the limiting amino acid is methionine. By adding a grain (which are limited in the amino acid lysine) that contains methionine, such as rice or pasta, the meal now contains all essential amino acids.

How much protein is needed?

The current protein guidelines for children is based on eating “good quality” protein meaning protein sources that provide all amino acids. Most children will eat a variety of protein sources each day - some to be complete proteins and others which are incomplete, Consuming a balanced diet that includes animal- and plant-based protein sources should be sufficient to supply the essential amino acids to prevent deficiency and ensure proper growth and development.

Children need about 20% of their energy intake to be provided by protein. The guidelines that are established are based on their age and weight.

Infants ages 0-6 months: 1.52 g/kg

Infants ages 7-12 months: 1.2 g/kg

Children ages 1-3 years: 1.05 g/kg

Children ages 4-13 years: 0.95 g/kg

Children ages 14-18 years: 0.85 g/kg

Where can I find protein?

What about protein supplements?

Protein supplements are a great way to get more protein in the diet, however the majority of children who are eating a balanced diet just don’t need it. If you have concerns about your child’s specific protein intake, reach out for a consultation for a nutrition assessment with tailored advice for your child.

How to Help Support your Immune System

First post of 2024! This one feels pretty timely with all the colds, coughs, runny noses, and never ending viral illnesses that seem to be going around. It doesn’t seem like many days go by before we finish an illness and are on to the next one. If this sounds familiar, then this post is for you. I put this post together to summarize some of my go-to strategies to help support your immune to fight these bugs!

eat a varied and balanced diet

Variety is key. Variety helps ensure that you are fueling your body with the right balance of micronutrients that your body needs, especially during viral season. If you find yourself with a pickier eater on your hands, worry less about getting that vegetable into them, and add a fruit as well. Many kids have a preference for fruits over veggies and they both provide great sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a vitamin that helps with cell repair in the body, helps with wound healing, and assists the body in produce collagen (a protein). Vitamin C is an antioxidant which reduce the damage from free radicals in the body and reduces inflammation in the body, and helps to support your immune system.

Protein is another nutrient to focus on and should be included at all meals. Think dairy products, meats, fish, eggs, and plant-based sources like tofu, legumes, seeds, and quinoa. The building blocks of proteins are called amino acids. Amino acids help the key players in the immune system (T-cells, B-cells) fight the germs as they enter your body, before they can cause harm and start making you feel sick.

be physically active

Help keep your body in prime shape by staying physically active. Children, teens, and adults should move each day and try to meet (or exceed) their requirements for vigorous physical activity. Below are the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines for children.

Toddlers (ages 1-2) should have at least 180 minutes of activity scattered throughout the day.

Preschoolers (ages 3-4) should have at least 180 minutes of activity scattered throughout the day with at least 60 minutes of more energetic play.

Children (ages 5-17) should have high levels of of physical activity balanced with low levels of sedentary activity (no more than 2 hours) with at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity and include muscle and bone strengthening activities at least 3x per week.

sleep

Don’t forget to sleep! Ensure kids have appropriate sleep hygiene for their ages. The body needs this time to rest and repair and to fight and illness. Younger children require 10-14 hours of sleep (naps plus uninterrupted nighttime sleep) and older children and teens require 9-11 hours and 8-10 hours, respectively.

immune boosters

If you feel like you already do all of the above, and the germs are still wreaking havoc in your household, consider adding in some additional immune supports.

If you or your child are not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids through diet along, consider adding in a supplement.

Regardless of age or diet restrictions, the majority of us do not get enough vitamin D through diet and should take a supplement of vitamin D with 400-1000 IU per day, either in a multivitamin or a single vitamin D supplement.

Lastly, using foods to help support the immune system may also help, and lately I’ve been enjoying homemade ginger-lemon-honey shots and have added this to my daily routine.

immune booster shot

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups filtered water

juice of 2 lemons

8-10 inch piece of ginger (washed thoroughly)

2 Tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS

add all ingredients to a blender

start blender on low, and gradually increase speed, blending for approximately 60 seconds

pour into a fine mesh sieve, pressing the pulp through the sieve

divide the filtered mixture into small containers and store in the fridge for 5-7 days

Note: These are spicy (from the ginger) and are intended for use in teens and adults. Adding a small amount of these boosters diluted with some water may be more palatable for younger children.

Keeping Kids Hydrated in the Summer and During Activities

With July weather in full swing, it’s a great time to think about hydration. Children are more likely to suffer dehydration because they have increased insensible losses (losing water through their skin) compared to adults. Pair this with outdoor summertime fun, and kids forget they need to drink.

Planned Water Breaks

Before kids head out the door in the morning, add a glass of water to their breakfast and encourage them to drink some water. Once outside, take frequent breaks for water and remind kids to drink during their activities. Target breaks every 30 minutes (more is fine, too!). With each planned snack and meal, be sure your child takes time to drink their water. Add ice cubes to the water bottle to help it stay cold, and consider an insulated water bottle like a Yeti or Thermos. These bottles keep water nice and cold which makes water drinking more enjoyable on those hot days.

Requirements

These are the average daily fluid requirements (including all beverage sources) for children and adolescents established in Canada.

Children 1-3 years: 1300 mL
Children 4-8 years: 1700 mL

9-13 years:
Females: 2100 mL & Males: 2400 mL

14-18 years:
Females: 2300 mL & Males: 3300 mL

Eat it!

Focus on how water content foods to help your child increase their water consumption. Try foods such as watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, grapes, and strawberries. Try freezing homemade juices or smoothies into reusable popsicle molds for a nice refreshing treat.

Electrolyte Replacements

If your child is outdoors (especially in warmer weather) and active for more than 1.5 hours, they may benefit from an electrolyte replacement in addition to water.. When kids are sweating for a long period of time, not only do they loose water, but they loose salts such as sodium, potassium, and chloride that need to be replaced, In the situations where children participate in vigorous, prolonged activity, sports drinks may be helpful, but not always necessary. Consider options such as Biosteel, Gatorade, or Poweraid or even juices such as coconut water or apple juice to help replace some of the electrolytes lost through the sweat.

What to Avoid

The World Health Organization made recommendations against replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners (1) and the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Dietetic Academy recommend that artificial sweeteners are not intended for regular consumption in children. Avoid these types of diet or low-calorie beverages as a staple in their diet.

The other ingredient to avoid in beverages is caffeine. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to intakes of caffeine due to their size. The established limits for children aged 10-12 are 85 mg/day and safe limits established for teens is based on body weight (2.5 mg/kg) which would be around 120-150 mg for an average sized 14 year old. Beverages like iced teas or coffees, chocolate milk, and dark colas may be thirst quenching, but do contain caffeine which makes them less ideal for hydration. Energy drinks should not be consumed and can contain dangerously high amounts of caffeine.