You asked about non-whey protein drinks, and there are many other types of protein powders available including rice, egg whites, and vegetable sources like peas and soy. The Biological Value is highest in whey, eggs, milk, meats, then legumes and other foods. B.V. is the measure of a protein's ability to be used by the body. The higher the B.V. number the more protein your body will be able to use. It takes nearly twice as much protein from beans (49) to equal the same amount in beef (80), while whey is 100-159, eggs-100, milk-91, chicken-79.... Gelatin is an excellent source of protein and you can make healthy "Knox Blocks" and other gummy-type gelatin enriched snack recipes using 100% juice (apple, grape, orange, pineapple, etc.), coconut milk, almond milk..... Lots of recipes if you look on-line. There are two types of gelatin, the "common" one that gels, such as Knox, and the "better" brands like Dr. Benard Jensen's, NOW brand, and Great Lakes Gelatin in the red container. Great Lakes Gelatin in the green container mixes in cold liquids but doesn't gel - great as a smoothie add-in or added to nearly any beverage (6 grams protein per tablespoon). If I find my energy lagging in the afternoon (I suspect it has something to do with getting up at 3 a.m. everyday), I'll mix gelatin in a beverage (hot or cold) and drink that instead of finding a snack. While traveling I add 1/2 of a packet of Hansen's Natural Fruit Stix (sweetened with Truvia) to a bottle of water and also add 1 T. of Great Lakes Gelatin (green container). Lots of health benefits from gelatin and that includes the gelatin from making meaty bone broth. Broth in a thermos would be another good high-protein snack. No offense to anyone who enjoys soy in their diet, I personally wouldn't recommend any type of soy for consumption, and especially for a child. For more information: "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN. Other choices would be to make your baked goods with almond flour (or other nut flours) or coconut flour (which usually require a LOT of eggs in the recipes - the muffins I made yesterday have 1/2 an egg per muffin and is why one muffin for an adult is very satisfying and filling - plus coconut flour is very high in fiber). There are also some really good recipes that use cooked beans (or canned) in recipes including muffins, cookies, brownies, etc. I make several snack foods using sprouted beans/seeds/grains to increase the protein level. [I'm more concerned with sticking to low-glycemic foods and choose foods on the lower-half of the glycemic index of foods. Trying to avoid diabetes, which runs rampant in hubby's family.] Beans not only add protein and fiber, it also replaces most of the fat in these recipes. You can also replace a portion of wheat flour (up to 20%) with bean flour to increase the protein level. FYI: Use small white beans for bean flour (I mill my own) because it has the least amount of beany flavor when added to baked goods. Even better if you sprout, dry (in a dehydrator), and grind the beans into flour. Sprouting will increase the nutrition of the beans and reduce the hard-to-digest phytates and enzyme inhibitors. But foremost, keep in mind the daily recommended amount of protein for your small child. Generally, 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight for 4-to-6-year-olds. An extra-large egg (you could choose medium-size eggs when serving them to a small child to reduce the serving size), two tablespoons of peanut butter or one-half cup of beans provide six to eight grams of protein each, which is about the same amount in each ounce of lean meat, fish and poultry. There are also two to four grams of protein in each serving of breads and cereals and one to three grams in a serving of most vegetables. -Grainlady

I'm glad you liked it, Alexa. A few years ago, I put about 200 of our family favorite recipes onto a CD for our girls. Every one had the story of the recipe that often prompted memories of more than just that one dish. Here's the rambling one for the tomato pudding: THE STORY: Sometimes we forget that in previous generations, not many fresh vegetables were available in the winter. Since she was a little girl, one of NanaÂs favorite foods was tomatoes. Her birthday was in winter so your great-grandmother would always keep a jar or two of home canned tomatoes set aside for her birthday. SheÂd make what they called tomato pudding for dinner that night. She used her own stale bread crumbs instead of the Pepperidge Farm but that most closely resembles the flavor my mom remembered. That's why we still have this dish at Thanksgiving Dinner - to remember to be thankful for canned tomatoes. LOL Every summer, Aunt Bertie would host two or three canning weeks. We'd stay there, along with Nana, Aunts Betty, Evelyn, Margie and their kids. We'd have assembly lines to can and freeze all sorts of fruits and vegetables but tomatoes, peaches, raspberries, corn and green beans were the ones I remember most vividly. With the tomatoes, we'd can them plain, stewed, as ketchup, spaghetti sauce, straight tomato juice, and a variation of V-8 that my dad really liked. No salsa in those days. For years, Jodi and I were the tomato (and peach) peelers. Greg and Linda were the boilers and would dip the tomatoes in boiling water for just a few seconds and then put them into a cake pan to cool a bit before we slipped the skins off and passed them along. Along the same lines, people would add small chunks of bread to thicken and "stretch" stewed tomatoes, even in restaurants. I hadnÂt thought of that until now because you rarely see the bread added anymore and I haven't make them that way since the 1960's.

LOL OK I'll post. I used this recipe - with a few modifications, in parenthesis Tillamook, Beer and Bacon Mac and CheeseDescription: 2006 Tillamook Macaroni and Cheese Contest, Karen Harris - Denver, CO Regional Finalist Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups large macaroni 2 teaspoons salt, divided 2 tablespoons Tillamookî Butter (whatever I had in the fridge) 1 tablespoon light flavor olive oil 1 large shallot, finely minced (onion) 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 cups whole milk (one can evap milk, topped off with lager) 8 ounces Tillamookî Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (Trader Joe's extra sharp shredded Cheddar) 1/2 cup dark beer (in addition to the 'topped off' evap milk) 6 slices precooked bacon, sliced into 1" pieces (not in this house) 2 teaspoons full strength, prepared stone ground mustard (YES I have a Sierra Nevada beer mustard!!!) 1 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh) 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (nope, I just mixed the macaroni into the cheese sauce) In a large pot, over medium-high heat, bring two quarts water and 1 teaspoon salt to a full rolling boil. Gradually add macaroni and boil approximately 15 minutes or until pasta reaches desired tenderness. Drain. Melt butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallots in butter and olive oil for approximately 2 minutes or until they begin to turn transparent. Add flour to the pan, stirring constantly until a smooth paste forms. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk and continue cooking until mixture is thick and bubbly (mixture should coat the back of a spoon). Add 6 ounces of the cheese and stir until completely melted (I dumped all eight ounces). Remove from heat and add beer, bacon, mustard, garlic powder, pepper and remaining salt. Stir well. (I skipped this step as mentioned) Spray a 9â x 9" square glass pan with non-stick cooking spray. In the large pot, combine macaroni and cheese sauce and stir. Pour into 9â x 9" baking dish, cover with foil and place into preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove foil and sprinkle the remaining 2 ounces of the shredded cheese and continue cooking, uncovered for another 15 minutes. Remove macaroni and cheese from the oven. Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes before serving. Here is a link that might be useful: original recipe

This is a weightwatchers recipe, I haven't tried it yet but 2 of my friends have and really like it. macaroni and cheese Prep Time : 18 min Cook Time : 40 min Level of Difficulty : Easy Was : 9 POINTS Now : 6 POINTS main meals : Our rich, creamy macaroni and cheese explodes with flavor for two-thirds of the dish's usual POINTS. Ingredients 12 oz uncooked macaroni, elbow-type 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 12 oz fat-free evaporated milk 8 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp table salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 2. Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain and transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside. 3. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges (known as scalding). Reduce heat to low, add cheese and simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. 4. Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish. 5. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta. 6. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving. Chef Tips We renovated Macaroni and Cheese by:  Using fat-free sour cream instead of regular.  Swapping evaporated fat-free milk for regular milk.  Opting for reduced-fat cheddar cheese instead of the full-fat variety. POINTS  Serves 8  Points per serving - 6