A toddler who has a genetic tendency to be small doesn’t necessarily need to gain extra weight. But a toddler may have a weight problem if she was once in a higher weight range and has stopped gaining pounds or has even started to lose weight, according to the website BabyCenter.com. Seek advice from your pediatrician to determine whether you should be concerned about your toddler’s size. If her condition isn’t caused by an underlying medical problem, follow some basic nutritional guidelines to help her gain healthy weight.
Step 1
Log your child's eating habits. By journaling about when, where, how and how much your toddler eats and drinks, you may discover a pattern, according to pediatric health website DrSpock.com. Try to find connections between her eating habits and external circumstances. If, for example, she tends to eat less right after she has awakened, wait until she is more energized to offer a meal or snack.
Step 2
Include calorie-rich foods in her diet, but skip fatty junk foods because they have little nutritional value. By including healthy fats such as nuts, avocados and vegetable oils, you will be able to feed your toddler more calories in smaller portions. Other examples of calorie-dense foods are cheese, whole milk, creamed soup, eggs, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, bread, mashed potatoes and hot cereal, according to BabyCenter.com.
Step 3
Reduce her consumption of beverages and snacks. Her stomach won’t have enough room to accommodate healthy meals if she has been sipping juice and milk all day or if she has had something to drink shortly before eating, according to DrSpock.com. She may also have trouble eating if she has been munching on crackers all day.
Step 4
Keep meals calm. Your toddler may have trouble focusing on eating her food if too much is going on at the table, according to DrSpock.com. Turn off the television and encourage the entire family to keep noise levels to a minimum as you eat together. Less meal time activity will also help you to observe your toddler as she eats; you may discover that she hasn’t been eating her spaghetti for no reason other than she doesn’t like the taste.
Step 5
Give her some leeway. She may struggle to eat if she hasn’t been given the independence to feed herself. You can still keep your toddler safe by cutting her food into small pieces before you let her eat it, but DrSpock.com recommends loosening the reins and giving her the chance to practice her self-feeding skills.
Step 6
Praise her for successes. She may have spilled 20 beans on her tray in the process of putting one bean in her mouth, but you can instill positive feelings about eating by praising even the smallest of accomplishments.
Step 7
Keep in touch with your pediatrician. He can monitor your toddler once each month to assess how much weight she is gaining, according to BabyCenter.com. A pediatrician can also offer dietary suggestions, such as a caloric supplement drink, if your toddler hasn’t been putting on much weight with food alone.
Things You'll Need
- Journal
- Calorie-rich foods
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