What should I
do if my child is not gaining weight?
If your child seems to be gaining weight too
slowly, you should take your child to your health care
provider for a check-up. Serious health problems can
sometimes cause a child to gain weight slowly or not at all.
Your provider can help you figure out why your child is
having trouble gaining weight. You may also need to feed
your child a high-calorie diet.
When children are underweight, they may need
to temporarily increase their intake of fats and calories
above the amount normally recommended in a healthy diet.
How can I add
calories to my child's diet?
If your provider has recommended a
high-calorie diet, here are some ways to add extra calories.
For Babies
You can add calories to formula or breast
milk. Ask your provider for instructions on how to make a
high-calorie milk that is safe for your baby.
See
Making High-Calorie Formula or Breast Milk
For Children
For children old enough to eat solid foods
try some of the following:
- Add powders such as Carnation Instant
Breakfast to milk to increase the calorie content. Cow's
milk can be given to a child after age 1.
- Add cheese, meats, or sour cream to
eggs.
- Add peanut butter to starchy foods and
vegetables. Peanuts themselves, however, are a choking
hazard and should be avoided until 4 years of age.
- Mix cheese, avocados, ground beef, or
sour cream to refried beans and eat it with chips,
crackers, or tortillas.
- Make a tuna sandwich with mayonnaise.
- Add avocado slices to sandwiches,
salads, or chips.
- Serve pasta with meat, meatballs, or
cream sauces.
- Add cheese or butter to vegetables.
Squash, for example, can be prepared with butter, brown
sugar, and cinnamon.
- Feed your child more potatoes. French
fries, tater tots, mashed potatoes with butter and sour
cream will provide many calories.
- Make bread or biscuits with butter,
honey, cheese, or cream cheese.
- Serve dessert. Many desserts have lots
of calories. Ice cream with all the fixings is a great
way to end a meal. Or give your child an ice cream
milkshake. Shakes can be made with yogurt and fruit for
additional nutrition and calories.
When your child is on a special diet, always monitor your
child's weight closely with your child's health care
provider.
