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Here’s How Much Protein Your Child Needs

BySally Kuzemchak, MS, RDN Published: Updated on
19 Comments

Inside: Wondering how much protein your kids need–and whether they’re getting enough? Here’s what a day’s worth of protein actually looks like for kids!

White bowls filled with protein-rich foods like oatmeal, crackers, and vegetables sit on a white background. Image text overlay reads "how much protein does my child need?" in black and red text.

There’s no doubt protein is crucial for everyone, especially growing kids.

But I talk to a lot of parents who are genuinely freaked out about protein, worried their carb-loving kids aren’t getting enough and pondering whether a big ol’ tub of protein powder might be helpful.

After I published my post Here’s How Many Fruits and Vegetables Kids Need Every Day, many of you asked for similar visuals for protein. You’ll find those below, plus answers to some of your biggest questions about protein.

Do Kids Get Enough Protein?

The reality is that most kids get plenty of protein–even if meat is not their favorite food. That’s because protein is found in a whole bunch of places. For most healthy kids, protein needs aren’t hard to meet.

Daily protein needs for children aren’t very high, and kids can get there pretty fast with food. In fact, government surveys show that most children, like adults, get more than enough.

According to government surveys from 2017-2018, here’s how much protein kids get:

  • Ages 6-11: boys 68.8 grams; girls 60.7 grams (RDA is 19-34 grams for this age group)
  • Ages 12-19: boys 86.5 grams; girls 62.0 grams (RDA is 34-53 grams for this age group)

In other words, freaking out about protein probably isn’t necessary!

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50 (Meat Free!) Protein Ideas For Kids’ Lunch Boxes

How Much Protein Your Child Needs

The daily totals I show below are based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), which are the levels of intake that meet the needs for most healthy people of that particular age, life stage, and gender. Consider the RDAs the minimum amounts needed to meet basic needs.

How much protein do toddlers and preschoolers need?

The RDA for 2-3-year-olds is 13 grams. Here’s how quickly kids can meet that:

  • 1 egg = 6 grams protein
  • 1/2 cup milk = 4 grams protein
  • 1/2 cup peas = 3 grams protein
BONUS: Get 35+ ideas for protein-rich snacks for kids. Grab your free Protein Snacks list.
Three bowls sit on a white background. One bowl is filled with scrambled eggs, a second bowl is filled with peas. A third cup is filled with white milk. Each bowl is labeled with the food and how many grams of protein are in each serving. Blue text at the bottom of the image says "2-3 year olds: 13 grams of protein"

How much protein does a 4-8-year-old need?

The RDA for protein for 4-8-year-olds is 19 grams. Here’s what that looks like:

  • 1 ounce cheese = 6 grams protein
  • 3/4 cup whole grain cereal = 3 grams protein
  • 1/2 cup brown rice = 3 grams protein
  • 1/2 cup black beans = 7 grams protein
An image shows 4 bowls filled with food and text that explains how much protein 4-8 year olds need. One bowl contains 1 ounch of yellow cheese cubes for 6 grams of protein. A second bowl contains 1/2 cup of black beans for 7 grams of protein. A third bowl contains 1/2 cup of brown rice for 3 grams of protein; the final bowl contains 3/4 cup whole grain cereal for 3 grams of protein.

How much protein do tweens need?

The RDA for protein for 9-13-year-olds is 34 grams. Here’s what that looks like:

  • 1 cup broccoli = 2.5 grams protein
  • 1 cup cooke oatmeal with milk = 9 grams prtoein
  • 1 cup yogurt = 8 grams protein
  • 1/2 peanut butter sandwich = 7 grams
  • 1.5 ounces canned tuna = 8 grams protein
An image shows a collection of food that shows how much protein a 9-13 year old needs - 34 grams total. A blue plate holds 1/2 of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for 7 grams of protein. A large bowl contains 1 cup of cooked oatmeal topped with blueberries for 9 grams of protein. Three smaller bowls contains 1 cup of pink yogurt for 8 grams of protein, 1.5 ounces of canned tuna for 8 grams of protein, and 1 cup of broccoli florets for 2.5 grams of protein.

How much protein do teenagers need?

The RDA for protein for teenagers (14-28 years old) is 52 grams for boys and 46 grams for girls. That sounds like a lot, but it adds up fast:

  • 6 whole grain crackers = 3 grams protein
  • 1 cup edamame = 9 grams protein
  • 1 cup whole wheat pasta with sauce + cheese = 10 grams protein
  • 1/2 turkey sandwich = 16 grams protein
  • 1 cup chocolate milk = 8 grams protein
An image shows a collection of food that demonstrates how much protein a 14-18 year old child needs - 46-52 grams of protein total. A square plate holds 1/2 of a turkey, cheese, and lettuce sandwich for 16 grams of protein. A glass cup holds 1 cup of chocolate milk for 8 grams. Three bowls hold 6 whole grain crackers for 3 grams, 1 cup of whole wheat pasta with cheese and sauce for 10 grams, and 1 cup of edamame for 9 grams of protein.

Common Questions About How Much Protein Kids Need

Are these meal plans?

No! Obviously, your child should be eating more food than this. These are just representations of how easily kids can meet the RDA for protein.

For instance, kids ages 2-3 need two cups of dairy per day to meet their calcium needs, even though I show just one-half cup of milk in the visual.

This doesn’t seem like enough protein for my child!

This is just the minimum dietary requirements that kids would need in a day. The age groups also don’t account for differences in size, weight, and activity level, so if you have a child who is tall for his age and an athlete, his needs will be greater.

Three stacked lunch storage boxes sit on a marble counter. Each is filled with protein-rich foods for growing kids, including cubed cheese, nuts, cereal, and vegetables.

But my food labels say something different.

The protein amounts shown for each food are based on estimates using USDA FoodData Central. The label on your particular bread, cereal, pasta, or yogurt may list a different amount.

Should I count up grams of protein every day?

No! I don’t advocate for obsessing over or counting up each gram of protein your child gets. Serving three balanced meals and a healthy snack or two throughout the day will provide plenty of opportunities for getting protein, not to mention the carbohydrates and healthy fats that your child needs too.

What are good protein foods for kids?

There are many other protein-rich food for kids beyond the ones I show here, such as tofu, beef, chicken, cottage cheese, seeds, nuts, and lentils. What about protein for vegetarian kids? Grab this list of 50 non-meat protein sources for kids.

A container of Nature's Basket chocolate protein powder sits next to a glass filled with chocolate milk.

Is protein powder safe for kids?

Probably, but it’s likely not necessary if you’ve got healthy kids who eat a variety of foods. Protein powders can have a lengthy ingredient list and contain ingredients like added sugar, sugar alcohol, or artificial sweeteners. It’s better to focus on getting protein from real, whole food. (If you have an extremely picky eater or a child with poor growth, talk to your pediatrician or pediatric dietitian about whether a protein powder or other drink mix can help right now.)

Help, my teen is obsessed with protein!

It’s common for teenagers, especially boys, to become fixated with protein–namely for building muscle. Here are the facts you should know about teenagers and protein.

See Visuals For Sugar & Fruits/Veggies

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What A Day's Worth of Added Sugar Really Looks Like For Kids -- Real Mom Nutrition

Here’s How Many Fruits and Vegetables Kids Need Every Day

How many fruits and vegetables kids need every day

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19 Comments

  1. Thank you! I love these! I have the age-appropriate versions of the Fruit & Veggie and Sugar visuals posted on the refrigerator for my 10- and 12-year old daughters to help with their lunch-making. Is there a way to print these individually? I cannot remember how I printed the other versions…

    Reply

  2. Great post Sally. It seems everyone is really fixated on eating enough protein these days. It’s comforting to know that our kids are very likely doing just fine on that front.

    Reply
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  4. Thank you for using mostly non meat sources of protein. My mother is constantly on my case like meat is the only form of protein on earth!

    Reply
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  6. My daughter (4) usually eats carbs for breakfast. Then fruits and veggies the rest of the day. She never eats meat, beans, yogurt….I’m at a loss. I just don’t know what other proteins to try….

    Reply

    1. Hi Stephanie–Hopefully this post gives you more ideas. You can find protein in grains and veggies. If you’re concerned about her growth, you can check with the pediatrician, who can look at her growth curve and see how she’s doing. In the meantime, I would check the labels of the foods she is eating–chances are they contain protein!

      Reply

  8. Your article is very FLAWED! Not only does it down-play the importance of protein, especially for adolescents and teens, but it also entirely neglects to consider the importance of other essential nutrients, such as iron. Pasta with sauce and cheese isn’t going to give your child anywhere near enough iron per day. Significant quantities of red meat, poultry, egg yolkes are almost indispensable. For example, teenage girls need 15 mg/day of iron. To put it in perspective, 2 egg yolkes is only 1 mg. 1 oz of red meat = 1 mg, 1 oz of dark meat chicken is less than 1 mg. of iron. The point is that protein cannot be looked at in a vacuum. Consumption of animal proteins should be emphasized in priority precisely because they contain other vital nutrients in high quantities.

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  11. My son is an ibs patient and he is 10 years old . I want to ask that which kind of food should I give him. Can I give him egg and chicken everyday ?? The Dr. adviced him to stop intakie milk.should I give him yogurt and sour milk instead of normal milk.

    Reply

    1. Those questions are best asked to your doctor and/or a referral to a pediatric dietitian, who can look at your child’s health history and current intake and give you specific recommendations.

      Reply
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  13. Hello. I have a 2.5 year old. He is not a picky eater. He weighs 26 pounds, very slim and tall although eats a lot. He gets his 2 cups of milk per day which already has 16 grams of protein. He also gets about 10-15 grams from food and snacks. Is 30 grams a day of protein excessive? I don’t know what to feed him if I can only give 13 grams of protein daily. I certainly don’t want to subject him to any health issues presently and for the future. I’m confused. Can you explain??

    Reply

    1. Hi Alyssa–Those figures are simply the minimum amounts needed for health, they are not maximums or upper limits. So no, the amount he’s getting isn’t excessive. Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply