Protein snacks for Extreme picky eater?

[Anonymous]

Read a post on the general board about low blood sugar/hunger possibly having something to do with crazy tantrums. Sounded a lot like what is going on with our 4yo DD.
Problem is she is crazy picky.. Won't do any kind of sauce, dip, paste (no peanut or sunbutter), doesn't drink cow or alternative milks...
She prefers water to juice and will eat toast/pancakes/waffles with butter or plain pasta with grated cheese or assorted crackers. Sometimes a granola bar or an apple.
I am at a loss for what to do next.
Any easy to make snacks i can hide sunbutter in to get her some protein? Can i sneak it into muffins?
She is very low weight (2nd pctle) so we are more concerned with her getting nutrients until she grows out of this stage vs whether or not we should be "hiding" stuff as ingredients.
We can't do nuts as a snack bc of nut allergies in our house but IDK what else is protein rich to give to her. Its like she is hungry all day long everyday but nothing satisfies her!

[Anonymous]

Will she eat cheese?

[Anonymous]

Smoothies

[Anonymous]

veggie nuggets?

[Anonymous]

Some pancakes and waffle mixes have a little protein. (we have a picky 4 year old too)

http://www.hungryjack.com/products/ProductDetail.aspx?groupID=72&prodID=587

This waffle mix has 8 grams - it is good but you need to add a bit of oil (you could add a drop of egg too) and it sticks to the waffle maker if you do not have a good one.

[Anonymous]

van's makes "power" frozen waffles with a lot of protein. will she eat hard boiled eggs? yogurt? sausage? deli turkey rolled up? whoe wheat pasta? sunbutter cookies - recipe on the sunbutter website.

[Anonymous]

quesadillas?

[Anonymous]

My son sounds similar and survives mostly on cheese and hard-boiled eggs.

[Anonymous]

My child also survives on cheese. I also keep peanut butter cookies in the car (nutter butter). Not the healthiest snack I am sure, but it makes for a happy and non-grumpy child until dinner time.

[Anonymous]

How is the rest of your daughter's life, OP? School, friends, etc...

[Anonymous]

OP .. She will do an occasional chicken nugget but no ketchup. She will do yogurt sometimes. The only cheese she will do is shredded eaten by itself or Parmesan on pasta.

PP everything else is fine, she doesnt nap much anymore so worst behavior is either afternoon or after school, shes fine at preK.. Shes at or above where she needs across the board. We are working with the doc on this. At this point we arent forcing her to eat when she doesnt want to but just trying to offer the best kinds of options for when she does

[Anonymous]

We also have a super picky, super skinny four year old. What works for us is Ensure Enlive drink. Tastes and looks like apple juice but has 7 grams of protein and 200 calories per 6.75 oz juice box. I have not found it locally so I order by the case through amazon.

[Anonymous]

will she eat meatballs?

[Anonymous]

OP,

I would stick with real food vs. supplemental drinks unless there is an actual medical condition. Also, don't just focus on the protein. Look for foods that are high in fiber. Fiber makes you feel fuller so she's apt to be less cranky if hunger is causing the meltdowns.

Snacks like fresh popped popcorn, or pre-made things like this:

http://www.foodfacts.com/NutritionFacts/Corn-Chips/Green-Mountain-Gringo-Organic-White-Tortilla-Strips-8-oz/55102

or even make blackberry popsicles. Blackberries are very high in fiber. You can blend a little tofu or other protein and strain the seeds b/f freezing.

[Anonymous]

+2 on the eggs - try them different ways (hardboiled, scrambled, etc). Yams. Try smoothies. Try other kinds of chicken. Try lentils and beans. Quinoa (or quinoa pasta - check about this, may have more protein than regular pasta). Edamame. Pumpkin seeds. Have you had any success with vegetables? Try with butter + cheese. Keep doing yogurt (I think Greek has more protein) and whatever cheese she will eat, including cottage cheese.

Keep offering foods even if you've offered them before and she refuses. And try not to stress too much about it - I know, easier said than done - but in all likelihood, she will be fine. Even if her diet doesn't change.