Protein: The Building Blocks of Your Body

Amino acids, which come from the proteins you eat, are the essential building blocks for every structure in your body—think cells, tissues, organs, hormones, neurotransmitters, bones, skin, and even your DNA and genes. These critical molecules are also vital for liver detoxification, helping your body eliminate harmful substances.

When you eat protein-rich foods, your body breaks them down into amino acids during digestion. These amino acids are then absorbed and used for various functions throughout the body. There are nine essential amino acids that your body can’t produce on its own, meaning you have to get them from the food you eat.

Your body can synthesize non-essential amino acids from essential ones, but under stress—whether it’s physical, emotional, or chemical—some of these non-essential amino acids become conditionally essential. This means your body requires you to get these from your diet, as it can’t produce enough under stress.

For anyone struggling with skin rashes, gut issues, or chronic health problems, your body is under a constant state of stress. In these situations, getting enough essential and conditionally essential amino acids from your food is crucial for both repair and maintaining optimal body function.

Protein Sources: Animal vs. Plant-Based

Animal-based foods like chicken, beef, fish, and eggs are considered complete proteins because they contain all essential and conditionally essential amino acids. They’re also more easily digestible and offer more protein per serving compared to plant proteins.

*Plant and Animal Protein Sources: How Do They Compare? Fullscript*

Most plant-based proteins, however, are incomplete, meaning they lack one or more of the essential amino acids. For those on a plant-based diet, it’s important to consume a variety of protein sources to ensure you’re getting the full spectrum of amino acids. Additionally, you may need to consume more plant-based protein to match the quality and quantity of animal-based protein.

For anyone focused on plant-based eating, careful planning and combining of protein sources (like rice and beans) can help meet your amino acid needs effectively.

Why Protein is Crucial for Healing Your Child’s Skin

One of the most common mistakes parents make when trying to heal their child’s skin is not giving them enough protein. Protein plays an essential role in building and repairing all the tissues in your child’s body, including their skin. And because protein isn’t stored in the body like fats or carbs, your child needs to consume it daily—especially when they’re on a healing journey.

Children Need More Protein Than Adults

Children need more protein per pound of body weight than adults because they are growing and developing. When you add the need for healing on top of that, their protein needs increase even more. Protein is the foundation for building cells, tissues, and skin—so ensuring your child gets enough is key.

Why the Standard Guidelines Fall Short

Guidelines you see online or hear from conventional practitioners about how much protein your child needs often focus on preventing deficiency, not optimizing health and healing. For example:

At 6 months old, the standard recommendation is about 1.12g of protein per kg of body weight each day.
By 10 years old, the recommendation drops to about 0.74g per kg.

But for optimal growth, health, and skin healing, your child likely needs at least 1.5 - 2g per kg of body weight daily. That’s significantly more than the general guidelines suggest!

To find out exactly how much protein your child needs, divide their weight (in pounds) by 2.2, then multiply that number by 1.5 (or 2 for a higher intake). This will give you the minimum grams of protein they should consume daily.

Tracking Your Child’s Protein Intake

Want to know if your child is getting enough protein from their diet? Use a nutrition tracking app like Cronometer. It’s free, easy to set up, and will help you see how much protein your child is eating. This way, you can adjust their meals as needed to ensure they’re getting the right amount.

Protein Serving Sizes by Age

A helpful way to make sure your child is getting enough protein is to include a serving of complete, quality protein at every meal. Here’s a quick guide based on your child’s age:

Ages 1-3: 1 ounce of meat, fish, or chicken per serving (3 servings per day)
Ages 4-6: 1 ounce meat, fish, or chicken, or 1 egg (3 servings per day)
Ages 7-10: 2-3 ounces of meat, fish, or chicken per serving (3 servings per day)

For older kids and adults, a good rule of thumb is to eat a serving about the size of your palm for meat, or a fist-sized portion for beans and legumes.

Why Combining Animal and Plant Proteins Matters

Both animal and plant proteins have their benefits, but animal proteins like chicken, beef, and fish are complete proteins, meaning they contain all essential amino acids. Most plant proteins, on the other hand, are incomplete. If your child follows a plant-based diet, they may need to eat a wider variety of protein sources to ensure they get all the essential amino acids.

Choose Quality Proteins

When it comes to animal proteins, prioritize quality over quantity. Look for organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, and wild-caught options when possible, as they offer higher nutrient content and are more sustainable for long-term health.

Animal-Based Protein Ideas

Chicken (grilled, baked, or in soups)
Turkey (slices, ground, or in burgers)
Eggs (scrambled, boiled, or in omelets)
Fish (salmon, cod, tuna)
Lean beef (meatballs, ground beef in tacos or pasta)
Dairy products
- Greek yogurt (plain or with fruit)
- Cottage cheese (can be paired with fruits or honey)
- Cheese (slices, cubes, or grated)
- Milk
  - Once your child is eating solids, milk should not be viewed as a source of complete nutrition and the goal should be to wean from it. While yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese in moderation can be part of a healthy diet, no one needs to drink cow’s milk, because it can be particularly inflammatory and even addictive. Instead try fortified plant-based milks like hemp, pea, oat, almond, rice, coconut, and cashew milks as options. You can also try goat, sheep, or even camel milk as alternatives.

Plant-Based Protein

Beans (black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas)
Lentils (in soups, stews, or salads)
Quinoa (as a side dish or in salads)
Peanut butter, almond butter, other nut and seed butters (spread on toast or in smoothies)
Tofu (stir-fried or in soups)
Tempeh (sautéed or grilled)
Edamame (steamed as a snack)
Chia seeds (in smoothies, yogurt, or oatmeal)
Hummus (with veggies or crackers)

These foods provide both complete and complementary proteins, making them great options for growing kids who are on healing journeys.

A great way to get in extra protein is with a high quality protein powder. The one I recommend is Designs for Health PurePaleo Protein Powder. It's great to add to smoothies, cereals, and if you get the unflavored version, you can literally put it in anything. Get my favorite skin smoothie recipe (click the image).

The reason for this one in particular is because it's made from hydrolyzed beef (might sound weird, but I promise it's not) and that means it's super easy to digest. Basically it just gets absorbed so that your child's body gets an immediate, high quality boost of this powerhouse nutrient to fuel optimal growth and development, and skin healing.

You can get Designs for Health PurePaleo Protein Powder from my professional-grade supplement dispensary, Fullscript. Just sign up for a free account, and search for the product (click the image).

Final Thoughts

Protein is the foundation for your child’s skin health, growth, and healing. Ensuring they get enough high-quality protein every day will help their body repair tissues, stay strong, and heal more effectively.

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