If you have a teenager that you believe is underweight and you have already had her doctor determine she has no serious health issues related to that, there are many ways to help her reach a healthier weight. Your daughter may start to gain weight after developing her menses, so a gradual change in her diet may be best.
Emphasize Whole Foods
Encourage her to eat a widely varying diet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises teens eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains such as brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, lean proteins, eggs, legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy foods and non-saturated fats including olive, sunflower and flax seed oil. Over-consumption of saturated fat found in butter, pork, beef and chicken fat can lead to an increased risk for developing high blood pressure and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association about 10 percent of children 12 to 19 have high cholesterol levels.
Take Your Teens Grocery Shopping
Invite your teen to go grocery shopping with you to select his favorite low-sugar, low-salt breakfast cereal and fruits and vegetables he likes to eat. By doing that, he may be more inclined to eat more food at home, knowing that his "favorites" are available there. As the parent, your job will be to steer him away from empty calories in sugary cookies, doughnuts or other junk food.
Teach Your Teen to Cook
Recruit your teens to help prepare at least one dish a day. That could be scrambled eggs at breakfast, a raw green salad at dinner or on weekends, pancakes or spaghetti. As family schedules are often busy, try to eat at least one meal with your teens at home that will include one of their prepared dishes. If they are old enough, encourage them to "invent" one. You may end up eating a tuna fish omelet or other odd meal, but cooking at home may help them eat healthful whole foods that will help them gain weight.
Offer Several Smaller Meals to Picky Eaters
Consider offering several smaller meals and snacks to underweight teens who are finicky. That will help keep their blood sugar level and it may also be easier for them to digest smaller amounts of food at a time, instead of a larger meal three times a day. For example, breakfast can be half a cup of oatmeal with half a cup of non-fat yogurt --- less saturated fat will mean less risk for heart disease --- and half a sliced banana. Snacks can be half a peanut butter or almond butter sandwich on whole-wheat toast or blender drinks made from fresh fruit and low-fat milk or low-fat yogurt.
Feed Active Teens More Calories Throughout the Day & Night
Last, if your teen is underweight because she is very active or has a naturally high metabolism, consider the advice from the Centers for Disease Control. It developed the "divided plate" idea to encourage teens to eat from all food groups. It advises teens to fill half their plates with vegetables, one-quarter with a whole-grain starch and the last quarter with protein. For a very active teen burning up her calories, provide more heart-healthy fats such as brownies made with eggs, whole wheat flour and olive oil instead of butter, or celery sticks filled with almond butter and dates: these are higher-calorie treats that are still nutrient-dense.
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