Need ideas about getting protein, strong avoidance of meat

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Hi All,

I am new, an Aspie female (self-diagnosed; strong family history, with several Aspie immediate relatives). I have an Asperger's son (5-year-old, medical diagnosis). He avoids eating all meat and has a very limited diet. I am looking for suggestions to get him protein, maybe a shake that tastes like chocolate milk - anyone out there have ideas or experiences? Thanks.

Hello and welcome! I share a similar experience to you with this issue.
I have a 6 year old son who is not a fan of most meats. Of course, neither am I. We are both sort of a natural vegetarians.
We get by quite healthily on other sources of protein...
...Peanut butter, Cheese, Yogurt, Eggs, and grain products (bread, chips, cereal) containing Amaranth and Quinoa.

good luck!

Aside from animal protein, there are plant proteins, whey/dairy derived protein, and egg protein.

Most plant proteins are incomplete proteins because they do not have all of the necessary amino acids for humans to utilize them as protein. They usually need to be combined with another plant food which can provide the remaining amino acids. For example, rice and beans together provides all of the amino acids for the proteins to be utilized.

Plants with complete proteins are quinoa, buckwheat, hempseed, and soybeans. Soy is commonly used as a protein source and meat substitute however excessive consumption of soy can cause thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances and other issues so it's not ideal for a child.

I would probably just introduce more dairy and egg whites into his diet.

I would try some protein shakes, most of them taste pretty good and they pack huge amounts of protein and other vitamins. They are quite expensive though, from my experience the higher the price the better the taste.

Beans have a fair bit of protein, as dose peanut butter.

I would recommend the plant combo foods, like beans and rice. You can put them in burritos or turn them into soups. You can use a variety of lentils and for grains, you do not have to focus on rice (barley, quinoa, etc are also great). You can turn these combos into veggie burgers as well. I don't find the combos inconvenient. Personally, I find them delicious (I am vegan). There are so many recipes you can get, and it is actually quite simple to get enough protein in one's diet if you know what you are doing.

This link: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm is aimed at vegans, but at the end of the article, it still shows you how to get an adequate amount of non-meat protein (sample menu), and also makes a list of protein sources.

If he is lacto-ovo, you can add more protein via eggs, cheese, and those protein shakes you thought of. To be honest, I don't know much about the protein shakes, but I would do a bit of research before giving them to a young child. Maybe ask your doctor about them or something.

People don't actually need a whole bunch of protein. In the US, we eat more than we need in most cases. I also don't eat a lot of meat because I have problems with cooking properly; a lot of my protein comes from peanut butter and the beans and meat in canned soup.

I did on one occasion have issues with muscle soreness because I wasn't getting enough protein, though. This was when I started walking about twice as much as before (five miles a day instead of two or three), and my body wasn't getting enough to keep up with repairs. I ate a few more peanut butter sandwiches and splurged on some hamburgers in the cafeteria, and it resolved itself.

Nuts and beans:
--Peanut butter; peanut butter sandwiches
--Nuts of all sorts
--Beans and rice; chili; bean soup; lentil soup
--Refried beans (can be put on tacos in place of beef)

Soy protein:
--Roasted soy beans
--Soy milk
--Tofu

Milk protein:
--Cheese
--Yogurt
--Milk and chocolate milk; can mix in fruit, peanut butter, etc. for milk shakes

Food additives and supplements:
--Protein shake (usually marketed to weight lifters)
--Whey protein
--Nutritional supplement drinks (Ensure, etc.)
--Protein bars (looks like a granola bar)

Hello! I used to have textural issues with certain meats as well, when I was younger. I never ate much of it and was perfectly healthy. I've been a vegetarian for 8 years now so here's my advice:

1) mix beans with whole grains (ie. beans and brown rice, beans and couscous etc.)
2) I drink chocolate soymilk everyday. Tastes really damn good. I use Alpro brand.
3) nut butters (almond, peanut etc.)
4) whole grain pastas and breads (I pretty much never eat white stuff anymore)
5) occasional cheese, though that's not so healthy

I don't eat eggs. I had textural problems with them and they just became gross to me. I don't know if your son is the same or not, but there's loads of protein in eggs.

Foods with protein:
*Peanut/almond butter
*Any dairy products (except butter)
*Beans
*Nuts
*Protein bars
*Soy
*Protein shakes
*Protein-fortified cereal

I suggest whey protein (Muscle Milk is a popular brand with a good reputation, and mixes very well), and you can find it in other brands. The cheaper ones are much harder to mix, and some of them stay "sandy" in texture, which I don't like.

With that said, it's none of my business why the "no red meats" goal, but I personally think the human body was designed to eat some red meat. I think vegetarians and vegans may be losing out on some important qualities of protein. If it's a religious or other reason, I respect that of course. If it's for heart health, I urge you to read various opinions on the pros and cons. I have found materials stating scientifically that vegans are not as healthy as they think they are, and that when an illness strikes, the lack of red meat protein can cause a worsening of whatever the illness is.

Charles

Ideally you'd eat meat protein, but there are an awful lot of vegetarians out there who have rebalanced their diets just fine. I don't think it's impossible at all. Maybe vegans--without the milk and eggs, it would seem to be a lot harder--but vegetarians don't seem to have near enough restrictions to make it impossible to have an optimal diet without meat.

Chickpeas!

Seriously, the best I've found is chickpeas, they don't have all the necessary amino acids for a growing child, but they have most of them (as well as all required for an adult). They're also really easy to work with and cheap.

Protein shakes, while an option, aren't something I'd recommend to anyone who has sensitivity to textures. The textures in them are noticeable to someone sensitive. The best for that is Whey protein. It messes with the flavor least, though you still want to be careful about the texture. If mixed correctly it doesn't feel grainy, but poorly it is very noticeable. I would recommend mixing your own protein shakes rather than going for store bought ones, because they tend to taste better. I used to have whey protein in smoothies, and as long as there was enough fruit and such, rather than too much yogurt, it worked well. I personally prefer not having a powdered protein in my diet though, and it isn't that bad to work around not eating meat, it just means paying attention to what you're eating until you get into a habit.

Eggs, and dairy are important, especially because if someone's avoiding meat they still need to care about Vitamin B12. Cheeses are great for B12 and decent for protein. Eggs are better for protein and there are different ways to cook them into food that deal with some people's dislike of the texture (personally, I need very scrambled eggs with capsasin and cheese to eat eggs mostly straight, otherwise the texture bothers me, however we've found that this works for me)

For soy, I personally strongly prefer tempeh over tofu, and if you're looking at tofu be aware that the different hardnesses come through very differently. If the texture of eggs are a problem, then go to extra-firm tofu, normal soft tofu is too similar in texture.

As a whole, look into the diets of cultures that are vegetarian. Indian food is high in Legumes, which when combined with a grain, are complete proteins (chickpeas are best because they are complete protein without the grain if you're looking for an adult).

Thanks to everyone for the ideas regarding protein consumption. Much appreciated.

I will not eat any meat except for chicken. In most cases I don't even like the texture of chicken, but it is bearable(It's okay if it has the skin removed, but I do like the texture of breading), and I do like the taste.

I hate the texture of eggs, tofu, soybeans, and chickpeas too.

Eggs are okay if they are cooked into things, like into a cake, but not quiche or flan(because their texture is still similar to the texture of eggs), and milk can be cooked into things.

I do eat chicken, but I also eat beans, lentils, yogurt, cheese, and peanut butter.

Last edited by matt on 29 Jul 2011, 10:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Apart from meat, lentils ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil ) are good source of proteins and so is Millet.

Last edited by pree10shun on 29 Jul 2011, 10:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Gandhi lived most of his life on a diet of fruit and nuts...even marched accross india with such a diet. Nuts have alot plant protien and are calorie dense. I cup of macidamia nuts is 700 calories!
However I belive that a nut and fruit diet is the most attuned to our nutritional evolution.