Protein is everywhere. How much does your child actually need? | Expert Opinion
The emphasis on consuming enough protein seems at odds with decades of nutrition research. Here's a breakdown of the requirements by age group and how they should obtain it.
Protein is everywhere you turn in the grocery store these days, from chips and cereal to yogurt, all marketed in bold font and bright colors. Wellness influencers treat protein like a nutrition cure-all, promoting on social media everything from high-protein kits for toddlers to powders for gym-going teens.
Adding to the buzz, the federal government recommended increasing the typical American’s daily protein intake in its newest dietary guidelines published earlier this year. But nutrition experts disagree, saying some of these guidelines aren’t entirely based in science.
So parents may be left wondering: How much protein does my child really need?
At Pediatric Health Chat, we spend a lot of our time thinking about the food kids eat. Protein is an essential part of a child’s diet. It stores energy through building muscle, supports a healthy immune system, and produces hormones that regulate the body’s growth. High-protein marketing misses the most essential part of building a nutritious diet for kids: healthy variety.
Are my kids eating enough protein?
There is no evidence that children are eating too little protein. In fact, kids in North America and Western Europe consume between two and three times the recommended minimum protein, according to decades of nutrition research.
Here is what science-backed daily protein intake looks like across childhood:
An average toddler needs about 13 grams of protein per day. One egg, one glass of whole milk, and a quarter of a grilled cheese sandwich puts them over that amount.
For a typical school-aged 5-year-old, the recommendation goes up to 20 grams — that’s equivalent to one drinkable yogurt, one bag of peanut butter crackers, and 2 ounces of sliced steak.
Teenage boys need the most protein; a typical 14-year-old needs around 52 grams per day. Meanwhile, a 14-year-old girl should aim for around 46 grams of protein, which one bagel with cream cheese, one piece of toast with peanut butter, one Rx kids bar, and one cheeseburger would meet.
Consuming too much protein can lead to long-term health complications, including dehydration, kidney stones, or liver damage. And because protein makes you feel more full, kids who eat too much may end up getting less of other important nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
And yet, the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a 50 to 100% increase in daily protein consumption. This recommendation actually comes from findings in adult weight-loss trials, which are hardly applicable to growing kids. The new guidelines also promote red meat and full-fat dairy as healthy sources of protein, despite long-standing expert consensus linking them to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The science shows that protein is not more important than other nutrients. Parents should be cautious of sources that suggest otherwise.
When is more protein needed?
For young athletes, increasing protein intake can support growth, recovery, and development. For kids participating in competitive sports, consuming more protein than the recommended minimum can help maximize the benefits of performance training.
But the type of protein is important. Many kids, especially teens, turn to supplements like whey or powders that provide protein in highly concentrated forms to build muscle. More recently, injectable peptides have exploded in popularity, claiming improved muscle strength and lower body fat.
Nutritionists and doctors caution against protein supplementation for healthy kids. Protein powders and bars contain a host of artificial sweeteners and even dangerous metals like lead. And newer peptides are not FDA regulated, meaning they haven’t been rigorously evaluated for side effects.
Eating fresh, protein-rich foods — think salmon, beans and chickpeas, tofu, and lean meats like turkey — throughout the day is sufficient for kids to meet their goals. Even the most serious athletes shouldn’t have to rely on unregulated supplements.
Children following vegetarian or vegan diets still meet their recommended protein targets, though they generally consume slightly less protein compared to kids who eat meat. However, plant-based foods are tougher to digest into amino acids, the building blocks of protein. And unlike meat, eggs, or dairy, most plant-based proteins lack the complete set of essential amino acids our body needs; soy products like tofu and quinoa are both important exceptions.
Combining different protein sources becomes especially important for kids on vegetarian and vegan diets. But it’s also good advice for everyone. Plant-based proteins are higher in good fats, antioxidants, and fiber and are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease compared to animal proteins.
The key is balance, and children’s diets might look a little different for each family.
Physicians and nutritionists working with families should strive to create culturally tailored meals, modifying proteins parents know about and can budget for.
For parents, the science is strong: increasing the amount of protein your kid consumes won’t keep them more nourished, but variety will. So, the next time you see protein-fortified bread or pasta sauce at your local grocer, approach it with a skeptical eye. Chances are your child doesn’t need it.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of CHOP. This information is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding any health or medical concerns.
Vibhav Nandagiri is a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania and a guest columnist for Pediatric Health Chat, an online initiative providing resources for families looking for good information on the latest myths and misconceptions about children’s health.
