Last week we were all about hiding veggies in our kids’ dinners so they didn’t even know they were eating them, but this week we want to focus on protein too. Do your kids pull all their toppings off pizza and just eat the crust, or sneak the bun out of their burger and happily eat just the bun?
No, just mine? Well, we’ve found some tempting high-protein, low-carb dinners for kids that will get that much-needed protein in their systems.
At top: low-carb pizza casserole at Homemade Interest; Greek lemon chicken kebabs at A Saucy Kitchen
Related: 10 high protein after-school snacks for kids
This spaghetti squash with smokey waffled tofu at Spabettie is a super clever way to serve protein-rich tofu to kids. Jane included this recipe in a roundup of kid-friendly, non-meat sources of protein and I think it looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it on my family and see what they think.
If you’re big pizza fans but you need to chill on the deep dish crust, then this low-carb pizza casserole at Homemade Interest is a great substitute. You’ll get loads of protein from the cheese and any meat toppings, but also from spinach, mushrooms, and that cauliflower crust. That said, Kat and Melinda have tons of ideas for “topping” ingredients you can use, in case some of these aren’t your favorite.
The fun factor of food on a stick is powerful, so these Greek lemon chicken kebabs at A Saucy Kitchen are a great way to get lots of protein in your kids without too much fuss. That said, I’d probably switch out red peppers for the green to make it a little bit sweeter and (maybe surprisingly to you) give them even more nutrients.
These fish taco bowls at 40 Aprons are one of my family’s favorites because there is so much flavor here. I serve these as DIY bowls, so they can pick and choose their own toppings. But the spicy, flavorful fish gives lots of protein, and the secret ingredient of cauliflower rice keeps it low-carb and high-protein without much notice, because all those sauces and salsas make it hard to notice it’s not real rice. (Also, you can totally use chicken instead of fish if you want…or even tofu for a vegetarian version!)
OK, you all. Who else is obsessed with Selena + Chef right now? I started watching with my daughter on a snow day, and before we knew it we were on Season 2. But the way her roommates reacted to these chicken meatballs (PDF) she made with Daniel Holzman, executive chef of The Meatball Shop, made me think I definitely need to try them ASAP. Watch the show then make them with your kids!
