With so much attention given to the childhood obesity epidemic, it's easy to forget that many parents have to worry about their kids gaining enough weight to stay healthy. Having an underweight child is a major struggle and parents often feel helpless when it comes to putting weight on picky eaters or kids with small appetites. But working healthy, energy-dense foods into your child's diet and increasing her enjoyment of food can put her on the path to weight gain and healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.
Step 1
Pique your child's interest in food, cooking and eating. Have your child help you plan meals, write up a shopping list, choose foods at the supermarket and prepare and cook the items he's chosen. This gets him more interested in eating because he'll be eager to try his own creations and he'll enjoy having the freedom to make his own selections. Just remember not to give him too much freedom, which can backfire when his entire grocery list consists of ice cream and cookies. Instead of giving him free reign at the supermarket, let him choose his favorites from each food group: he can pick his favorite fruits in the produce section, choose a flavor of yogurt he likes and select the loaf of bread that looks tastiest.
Step 2
Stock your kitchen with nutritious, calorie-dense foods. Instead of giving your child high-fat junk food in an effort to help her gain weight, offer high-calorie foods that are packed with the nutrition her body needs. Think full-fat milk, cheese and yogurt, peanut butter, nuts, cream-based soup, cottage cheese, eggs, pasta, beans, beef and pancakes. You can also up her calorie intake by adding small amounts of high-calorie foods to the meals she already enjoys: try adding butter and gravy to her mashed potatoes, syrup to her pancakes, cheese to her eggs, creamy salad dressing to her vegetables and cream cheese to her bagels. While her diet shouldn't consist solely of sugary foods, let her enjoy nutritious and calorie-rich desserts and treats in addition to her regular meals; pudding, ice cream, milkshakes, chocolate milk and waffles topped with ice cream or whipped cream are kid-friendly favorites.
Step 3
Enjoy mealtimes together. Whenever possible, make meals a fun family affair by sitting down together, enjoying your own food and conversing. When you're worried about your child's eating habits it's easy to find yourself pressuring him to eat more, but this will only stress your child out and make him anxious at mealtimes. He's more inclined to eat if meals are enjoyable and relaxing.
Tips and Warnings
- Watch your child's beverage intake. Many kids, especially young ones who tote around training cups, sip at milk or juice all day so they're never hungry enough to eat more than a few bites at mealtime.
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