i have an 8 year old whos always been on the small side and honestly thats fine with me i would rather haver her small but he dr wants her to put on some weight bc of the medicine she has to take. my problem is she doesnt like to eat anything and when she does its all healthy stuff carrots grapes celery green beans some chicken... you get the idea anyway i need to put some weight on her but i dont want to pump her full of junk food. her little sister is built more like her dad...a tank she will eat anything i out infront of her which is great and she prefers to eat moe healthy stuff. so heres my delema how do i fatten one up and keep the other a healthy weight. her dad said this weekend he was scared she would be fat if we arnt careful and i agree. we are pretty active but feeding seems to be a hard spot esp with a child who just simlply doesnt want to eat! help!
Sue is right. That Spirutein is good. She might really like the cookies and cream. It is full of vitamins and protein, and that will help her. You can get it from the Vitamin Shoppe.
Make a smoothie with it for her.
And the healthy fats are great for her too.
Dawn
Putting on weight, is not the same thing as being "fat."
A person can weigh a lot, but it does not mean they are "fatty" or pudgy.
Does the Pediatrician, know that your daughter is a selective eater?
The Pediatrician.... SHOULD be, referring you to a Pediatric Nutritionist. So that, you know healthy ways of having her gain more weight, healthily.
My daughter was drinking PediaSure which is a "formula" for kids 1 to 10 because she lost weight between 12 and 15 months. It comes in 6 packs in most grocery stores (Walmart was cheapest near us). It is not cheap but provided full balanced nutrition for a skinny, picky eater. It comes in several flavors and my daughter liked the chocolate the best (strawberry a close second). We switched to Carnation Instant Breakfast (French Vanilla flavor) powder added to 2% chocolate milk after a while because it is so much cheaper. Carnation comes in many flavors as well and can be added to any kind of milk (skim, 2%, whole, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, etc.).
We were also advised to add condensed milk or powdered milk to any food that we could, like scrambled eggs or pancakes.
PS: our doctor said it is our job to put healthy choices in front of her and her job to decide HOW much to eat. She said trying to fatten up a naturally skinny child because we think she looks too thin is just as bad as telling a naturally athletic child she looks too muscular.
Good luck.
I also have a very skinny 8 year old. We keep him from getting too tiny by giving him Carnation Instant Breakfast Drinks. He loves them, and they have lots of vitamins, so we aren't fattening him up with junk either. He also loves flour tortillas (lots of calories), so I put anything I can think of in a flour tortilla. The rest of the family likes corn tortillas, much less fattening, so that works out well.
In our family, I tend to get too thin and look a bit bony (my youngest has my body type), and my oldest is extremely fit. My husband is tall, and carries weight well, but doesn't want to gain any weight. I just try to fix healthy foods, and make a few changes like the flour tortillas for my youngest son and I. We also eat a lot of whole grain pasta, but my husband will eat more of the chicken or fish (whatever we're having with it), and my youngest and I will have more of the pasta.
I hope this helps. I know how frustrating and concerning it can be to have a child that doesn't like food, but needs to gain weight. Good luck!
It's great that she likes healthy foods! I would incorporate other healthy foods that are higher in fat, such as avocado, granola, whole milk yogurts (frozen too!), whole milk cheese, etc... If you buy and serve Organic or All Natural foods, like pastas, sauces, pizza, chips etc..it won't be junk food, but they are high calorie and better fats, so your daughter can gain weight while eating regular Kid fare. She could dip her celery in ranch dressing or peanut butter. Does she like nuts? Sunflower seeds, pistachios? There are so many and they are super healthy with good fats. If everyone is active, I wouldn't worry about anyone getting fat. Good luck!
Like 1babygirl says, there are healthy higher calorie foods (Greek yogurt, peanut butter, etc.). There are healthy fats (avocado, nuts, etc) that you could encourage as part of her diet. Adding a protein shake to her breakfast or as a snack is another way to help her gain a little weight in a healthy way. I like Spirutein brand vanilla flavor mixed with milk and blended (can add fruit or other flavorings, also).
My son is the same way. With the exception of potato chips (his favorite) he does not eat junk food. He likes candy but that is certainly not food! He eats very simple healthy food and prefers raw fruits and veggies. We do let him have fries (I fry them in olive oil) a few times a week, let him eat chips once a day, and when he eats pasta, I add a lot of coconut oil (he can't have dairy). If your daughter can have dairy, try adding cream to her meals or full fat sour cream. Carbs will also fatten her up as will baked goods. Try to watch your other child's portions and don't add the extra calorie stuff to hers.
Well I hope her doctor has given you some good, healthy suggestions? Like peanut butter, dairy, avacado, etc. and many, many other healthy fats that will help your child gain weight and grow but not necessarily get fat?
If your doc is not being helpful then request to see a nutritionist, or at least do a google search on healthy ways to gain weight in growing children.
Ask for a list of nutritious foods that can increase weight in a healthy way, or ask for a referral to a pediatric nutritionist to help do it.
My son, at 16, is slender...it is the build he inherited from family...so he will never be a bulky man.
He is, technically, underweight, always has been.
When he was about that age his pediatrician wanted him to pick up a few pounds so he would at least be on the weight/height chart. Since we have always maintained a fairly healthy diet - no soda, limited junk and processed foods, and he was a picky eater, getting him to increase his food intake just was not going to happen. I added Carnation Instant Breakfast to hi milk - half a packet with breakfast and the other half with dinner. He picked up a few pounds, his doctor was happy, and all was well with the world.
If your daughter is healthy, but slender, I really would not worry about it. My son is perfectly healthy and strong, just slim. Oh, and he takes Focalin, Zoloft, and Prevacid daily , along with as needed over the counter meds.
Try more pasta and cheeses. That way it is not junk but it should help add in some calories.
