Sneaky Protein

There's something about having a preemie who is super tiny that makes you want to cram as many calories and as much nutrition as humanly possible into each and every bite you feed your child. My little C. is over 2 1/2 now, but she still only weighs 25 pounds. And she EATS! Trust me on this. If you don't believe me, ask her aunts who have taken care of her... She. Can. Eat.

Still, it's important to me that she get adequate (good) fat and plenty of protein to keep her strong. Usually she's a fantastic little eater who will happily put away anything you put in front of her. But she is still a toddler. And, as such, she occasionally exerts her power through random "food group strikes" (e.g no green veggies, no white cheeses, no meats, etc...)

The longest "strike" she ever put on was the anti-meat one. Here was one of my favorite recipes for ensuring she still got the protein and fat she needed without meat and without leaving the rest of us feeling deprived:

Hot & Sour Peanut Noodles

• 12 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
• 1/3 cup peanut butter (we love using crunchy now that the kids aren't tiny!)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• the juice of one lime
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cook spaghetti. Mix the following six ingredients together in a large both. Toss hot noodles in sauce. Serve immediately.

How easy is that?

In our family, we usually add some combination of mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, peppers, or cauliflower to the noodles for extra flavor, crunch, color, and nutrients!

Hop over to check out more tips and recipes at Kitchen Tip Tuesday hosted by Tammy's Recipes!

(Edit 1/8/09: For a collection of yummy, healthy recipes to help start the New Year right, head on over to Life As MOM!)