Two year old doesn't like protein

You needn't be concerned that your daughter isn't getting enough protein. There is lots of protein in milk, and most children depend on that as an important source of high-quality protein. Also, the amount of milk that she drinks during the course of a day doesn't seem excessive. The recommended daily amount of milk for a child her age is 453.6 to 680.4 grams (16 to 24 ounces).

I wouldn't worry about her night-time milk-drinking. It may keep her from waking up hungry in the night, and plenty of children don't wake up hungry. It is fine to be up for an hour or more before eating breakfast. I know that can be very inconvenient if you need to feed her and get her off to a child minder or nursery.

Even with older children it can be a problem. My ten-year-old son was never hungry in the morning and getting him to eat breakfast before school was a chore. Then he got a morning paper round, which got him up and about for a while before school, and it definitely helped his breakfast appetite. I recommend you keep on doing exactly what you have been doing, which is offering your daughter a variety of healthy food, including a good protein source at each meal, but not forcing her to eat.

I'd like to suggest a few ways you may be able to get protein into her diet that may be acceptable to her. You say she doesn't like grains. Does this mean that she doesn't like bread or baked goods? If she does like those, then you can serve her high-protein muffins made with egg, added powdered dry milk and wholegrain.

Have you tried peanut butter yet? Peanut butter is a good source of protein. Most children love eating peanut butter and you can spread it on bananas, bread, apples, carrots — in fact anything.

Have you tried yoghurt? Puddings like vanilla pudding or rice pudding or bread pudding are all high in protein. Try tuna salad, grilled cheese, puréed chicken soup or maybe some pancakes made with an extra egg.

Keep up the good work and thanks for writing.