Proteins are a very essential nutrients for our bodies. They enable cells and tissues to function and a lack thereof leads to health problems.
Lack of enough protein will stunt hair growth - since it's one of the strengthening factors for healthy hair, low protein leads to weakened muscles, weak immunity and illnesses like kwashiorkor. In some cases, it can increase risk of mental health problems like depression. There have also been cases of increased moodiness and aggressive behavior especially in kids.
Children are usually sensitive to a lack of enough protein because their bodies are still developing. They need to be getting the daily protein requirements for them to be healthy and strong.
Most of the good sources of protein come from eggs, beef, chicken and fish. Another healthy alternative is nuts, cereals and some fruits.
Nuts and fruits make great protein powder for your kids and babies who are weaning. I’m sure most kids won’t be fans of meaty protein powders like fish so it’s better to settle on the alternatives.
You don’t even need a dehydrator to make good protein powder at home as long as you have a blender and grinder you’re good to go.
Fruit protein powder
Here is how to prepare a healthy fruit option.
Wash the fruits properly to get rid of bacteria and dirt.
Peel them. Some babies might experience digestive problems when you leave the peels on.
Cut them into smaller pieces. This will make it easier for blending.
Get your blender, add a bit of water and blend the fruits. If you want to have different flavored powders, blend one batch of fruit at a time. You can still blend them together if you don’t mind having different flavors.
Get a sieve and strain the paste you get after blending. Put the juice away and collect the pulp left behind.
Get your baking trays and lay some parchment paper on them. Pour the pulp onto the trays and spread out the pulp to allow proper drying.
Set your oven to the lowest heat and let the pulp dry in the oven for at least seven hours. This is the dehydration process.
When it’s ready, the pulp will have turned crusty.
Pour the crust into a grinder and grind until you get a fine powder.
Store in an airtight glass jar.
Cereals and nuts
A different option and equally a good is one with nuts. Ensure they are organic and try different variations and types.
Preparing protein powder with nuts and cereals is much easier. There is no baking involved and it only takes a few minutes. Try oats, peanuts, walnuts or cashew nuts for this.
Get a pan and set the cooker on low heat.
Fry the grains separately without any oil for one minute to get all the moisture out. Be careful not to fry them for too long because that destroys the nutrients. Some people prefer to skip the frying step.
Get a grinder to turn them into powder. If you want to have them separately, grind them one batch at a time. But you can also grind them all at once just as long as you don’t overfill the grinder.
Collect your protein powder and store in a cool dry place.
Making protein powder for your kids is a great way to sneak in some more nutrients into their diets. They won’t even realize they’ve been eating healthy all along. You can mix the powders into their meals, smoothies, porridge and basically anywhere else you can incorporate them.
For toddlers, mixing it with water or milk works well.
There are also different ingredients you can add to the powder to add taste or to increase their nutritional value. Milk powder can add that vitamin boost and cocoa powder will give it some flavour.
What vice could you never give up?