# ISO food to help my child gain weight



## tinkerbell27 (May 16, 2007)

my son is 5 years old and undrweight.  he eats eveything i give him.  he eats all day long but gains very little weight.  he eats more then i do.  what foods are the best to feed him to help him gain.  any suggestion you have are helpful.
thank you.


----------



## Andy M. (May 16, 2007)

Welcome to DC, tinkerbell.

The best source of this information is your pediatrician and a child nutritionist.


----------



## tinkerbell27 (May 16, 2007)

i asked and they said feed him what you eat and what ever he wants.  thank for your info.


----------



## Uncle Bob (May 16, 2007)

Miss Tinkerbell...

Welcome to DC...Who diagnosed your child as underweight??


----------



## Mylegsbig (May 16, 2007)

lol, seriously in this day and age i'd count your blessings. people are letting their kids get a little out of hand on the opposite end of the spectrum.


----------



## jpmcgrew (May 16, 2007)

I think as long as he is eating it should not be a problem he just may have a high metabolism.OMG I wish I could eat like that.


----------



## Katie H (May 16, 2007)

IMO if the pediatrician thinks all the child needs to do is to eat until satisfied and is getting the proper nutrition, I wouldn't worry.  He'll come into his own in time, believe me.  We raised 4 sons and a daughter and, when the time comes, they'll eat you out of house and home.

Seriously, though, as long as he is getting the right balance of foods, I wouldn't worry about him.

And, a someone else queried, _who_ judged him to be underweight?  Friends?  Family?  Many years ago, it was thought that a "fat" baby was a healthy baby.  Wrong assumption.  It would be helpful if you could give us a little more background information.  Still, his doctor is the best source of advice.


----------



## Claire (May 17, 2007)

If he likes it, dairy products can help.  A big glass of milk, chunks of cheese.  But I'm with everyone else; if your doctor says he's OK, don't worry about it.  Whatever you do, don't get the child hooked on junk food, chips, candy, etc.  He won't thank you for in in 20 years!


----------



## Yakuta (May 17, 2007)

Both my boys are also in the same boat.  While my older one is not a big eater my younger one is.  Inspite of that they don't add a lot of weight.  

I am not concerned about it.  I see way to many kids who have the opposite problem. 

Kids especially boys are so active.  My younger one does not sit put for one minute.  Some of the fat is burnt by the sheer amount of activity they engage in - running around up and down in my big house, playing outside, cycling, running around all day in school etc.  This helps burn all the calories. 

Also they go through growth spurts where all of a sudden they eat more, grow more and then it slows down.  

I actually worry that as they get older they don't swing to the other end of the spectrum by adding a lot of weight.  I am not at all concerned them being on the skinny side right now.


----------



## Constance (May 17, 2007)

I'd give him milk shakes, ice cream, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, granola...high energy foods to keep him going. Homemade oatmeal cookies with raisins and nuts would make a nice treat.


----------



## YT2095 (May 17, 2007)

Pasta, Pasta and Pasta


----------



## Mylegsbig (May 17, 2007)

If you must intentionally overfeed him i would definitely stick to stuff that is not addicting and avoid stuff like  sweets.

bad habit to pick up.


----------



## Barb L. (May 17, 2007)

I think he will be just fine, as long as the Dr. doesn't have a concern.  My Mom use to tell me my brother was a small boy,  She said the Dr. told her " you can't make a work horse out of a shetland pony!  I have never forgotton that.  BTW - he is 72 now  - lol


----------



## Jeekinz (May 17, 2007)

I was the same way growing up. I had/have a very fast metabolism. In High School, I used to consume over 5000 calories a day. And didn't gain a pound. I'm 32 now and just started to get a little belly (desk job), but I'll eat a whole sub for lunch and can put down a whole large pizza for dinner. (I know, my DW hates that too)

I would think that creating an *issue* on his weight would be more unhealthy than the few pounds that he wouldn't gain anyway.

And DON'T go by those stupid weight/height/age charts, they are a crock of ****!


----------



## Caine (May 17, 2007)

My son, Plague of Locusts, can eat any three people, adult or child, male or female, skinny to morbidly obese, under the table, and he is 25 years old, 5' 11" and weighs 145 pounds!  He has always been this way. That is why I call him "Plague of Locusts!"  He will devour everything in his path.

When he was 3 years old, his daycare center served a hot lunch every day. He would finish his, then go around and eat everyone else's leftovers! When he was 4 to 7 years old, he had to bring a lunch to his daycare center/kindergarten and first grade class. A typical lunch would be: One whole sandwich on regular sized bread, a sandwich baggie full to overflowing with chips, a baggie full of celery and carrot sticks with ranch dressing for dip, a drink box, a carton of yogurt or a pudding cup, and some type of Hostess snack cake. This kid has never had body fat. NEVER!  Fortunately his day care center had a swimming pool because I had to get him into swimming lessons. Put him in a pool, and he'd sink right to the bottom. No fat, no float!

Don't worry about him. His metabolism will eventually slow down by the time he finishes high school, and as an adult he'll  be fighting the battle of the bulge, just like the rest of us. Once he is around 14 years old, you can get him interested in some type of weight training program, at a gym or at home, to build lean muscle. He will still be thin, but he will be a muscular thin, sort of like Bruce Lee. Which reminds me, martial arts classes will help build self-confidence so he won't worry so much about being skinny, and he'll be able to defend himself if harrassed about it.


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 17, 2007)

Let him eat as he wants, of course making sure his utritional needs are met.  As long as he is burning off the wait through activity, he has nothing to worry about.  I was one of those tiny guys who ate like a horse.  But I too grew up in areas that begged to be explored.  We swam every day in the river (huge river that connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron) as it was at the end of our back yard.  In the fall, we played football, or whatever.  We had tree forts, and great gravel and sand pits to sled in when the snow fell.  I believe that in simple play, we burned more calories than do most athletes.

The down side to all of htis activity is that it revs up the metabolism.  If I skipped a meal, I would be hypoglycemic and would shake until I got some food.  I graduated high school at 92 pounds and ate enough for three people.  But when I got married, my activity level slowed down dramatically.  But I didn't know enough to slow down my eating.  I began to gain weight.  At first it was cool because I was lifting weights and gaining muscle.  I thought I was superman.  But eventually, the needs of the family took up most of my time and my life became more sedentary.  The end result is that my pancreas gave up converting all of that blood sugar (think potatoes, processed flour, white rice, sugary foods) and I was diagnosed as a diabetic at age 40.  I simply wore out the insulin making machine.  

So, to sum it up, let him eat what he needs.  But teach him proper nutritional habits.  Encourage him to eat veggies, especially the ones with lots of fiber, and color.  Sweet potatoes are a very good food.  White potatoes are not.  Berries will satisfy his sweet tooth and give him super nutrition.  lean meats, poultry, and fish are great as well.  Teach him to eat well now, and he will have a better chance or avoiding health problems later in life.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## BreezyCooking (May 17, 2007)

Oh for goodness sake - what gobbledegook.  Suggestions for stuffing your son full of more food - & much unhealthy food at that - simply to increase his weight??  I thought folks here were smarter than that.  Guess not.

First off, I have to say that I find it extremely DIFFICULT to believe that any licensed physician you took your son to found him underweight & nutritionally deficient & then told you to just stuff him with whatever you or he wanted to eat.  That, quite frankly, doesn't make any sense whatsoever.  If that is truly what happened - you need to find yourself another doctor.

Your son doesn't need OVERFEEDING - & particularly not an overload of carbs & sweets.  What he needs is a BALANCED diet, which any LEGITIMATE doctor or nutritionist can supply you with.

I find the responses to this thread scary based on the supposed facts provided.


----------



## amber (May 17, 2007)

Does your pediatrician think your son is under weight and in danger of not having enough vitamins and minerals in his diet?  Unless he has a vitamin defeciency or other health problem, I would not worry much about a five year old being a little underweight.  How much does he weigh?


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 17, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> Oh for goodness sake - what gobbledegook. Suggestions for stuffing your son full of more food - & much unhealthy food at that - simply to increase his weight?? I thought folks here were smarter than that. Guess not.
> 
> First off, I have to say that I find it extremely DIFFICULT to believe that any licensed physician you took your son to found him underweight & nutritionally deficient & then told you to just stuff him with whatever you or he wanted to eat. That, quite frankly, doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If that is truly what happened - you need to find yourself another doctor.
> 
> ...


 
So go ahead and tell me what I said wrong in my post.  You painted every post with the same paintbrush.  My nutritional plan is based upon a great deal of personal research and the advice of not only my doctor, but my nutritionist.  I agree with you that carbs and empty calories are unhealthy, as is consumption of too many fats, or the wrong kinds of fats.  The body requires fats to make certain fat-soluble nutrients available.  It also needs a host of viatmins, protiens, phyto-chemicals, antioxidants, minerals, and even trace elements.  The absolute best way to get them is through natural foods.

I have been told again and again to eat a wide variety of foods, and a little bit of each food presented in the meal.  Processed and pre-prepared foods (frozen dinners, canned, bottled, and pre-cooked) contain more salts, and fewer choices than do foods made at home.  I believe that we should encourage our children to learn cooking skills, and introduce them to something new frequently.  That way, they will develop a desire for greater variety, and better tasting, more nutritious foods.

Also, don't be too quick to judge.  Few here have studiied medicine or nutrition around this site.  They are jsut trying to be helpful in the best way they know how.  A polite correction will go much further than will degrading remarks.  It is better to teach correct principles than to throw verbal barbs.

Also, if you read all of the posts, you will see that most posters recomended that a qualified nutritionist be contacted.

I have done the research, and do know something about the body, it's digestive system, and proper nutrition.  I have studied many diets, and found the good an bad in them, using proffessional nutritional reference materials, as well as picking the brains of several nutrtionists.  And yet, though I am probably far ahead of most of the American populous concerning this topic, I am not a proffesional and rerfer to them frequently for new information, especially about diabetes.

Please be more tactful in the future.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## love2"Q" (May 17, 2007)

i have a 5 yo .. he has always been skinny and tall ...
his doc suggested we give him carnation instant breakfast 
with his milk .. well it helped .. we do the suger free stuff ..
but he likes it .. and he is where he needs to be ..


----------



## kadesma (May 17, 2007)

_A quiet moment please.  We have a new member, concerned her son is underweight..She has come to us to ask for,ideas to help her son.You have all given her your ideas hoping to help. Now while I might not agree with so and so's way, I do not have the right to make remarks tha he is wrong.Nor does he need to do the same thing to me. Our nipping at each other over how we feel about feeding this child is not going to get us anywhere but angry and then this thread will just blow up in our faces and have to be closed..Let's behave as adults helping someone who needs it._
_Is this how we want new members and our old friends here to see us?_
_Let's get back to lending a hand, not slapping it!!_

_kadesma_


----------



## tinkerbell27 (May 18, 2007)

he will be six next month he is 3 feet tall and weighs 34 pounds.  i was just looking for ideas about nutrition for him that will best help him gain what he needs to gain.  i dont want to make him fat.  i just want him to be healthy.  i have chnged his doctor, talked to a nutritionist, and now im asking everyday people for a little help to make sure i am doing it right.


----------



## Barb L. (May 18, 2007)

Tinkerbell27, you are doing everything right, your concern is understandable.  Good job Mom, keep up the good work !!!


----------



## Alix (May 18, 2007)

Tinkerbell, is he suffering from fatigue? or does he appear sunken cheeked and have poor colour? Those are more worrisome indicators than just a low weight. My youngest daughter is 11 and has just hit 60lbs. She didn't make it to 40lbs until she was 9. Some kids are just naturally thin. If he is hungry, he will eat. It sounds like you are doing the right things, just make sure that good food is available to snack on. My skinny minnie needs to eat about every 2 hours or she gets weak and tired. Its likely your boy is just lucky enough to have a speedy metabolism. 

Please don't try to "put weight on him" unless he is actually malnourished. (Which only a DOCTOR can tell you!) If you teach him what a healthy diet looks like, and he learns to eat when hungry (not just because its meal time) those lessons will carry him through adolescence and into adulthood when his metabolism will slow down. If he is accustomed to eating a LOT then he may balloon up alarmingly and become quite unhealthy.


----------



## kadesma (May 18, 2007)

_We have the same problem with Cade at 6 he weighs only about 38 lbs. He is wirey and busy.Now, Cade is a picky eater, so we try this and that on him, but he is in good shape according to his doctor..We've just decided to make sure he has fruit, veggies, meats, some carbs, available at all times. He is learning to enjoy veggies more and more, and will light up when he knows we are grilling meat or chicken and especially steak..On the other hand there is his brother Carson who the doctor had on iron for over a year, who continually tells my daughter that the boy is "small" for his age...
I finally went with them the last visit, when he began this all over again and I could see my daughter just tighten up, I stood up and asked, with grand parents my size and five eleven like his grandpa, his greatgrandpa was five seven, his dad five 9 just how big and tall do you expect this child to get???_
_I guess he could tell by my face I was not so happy..He finally admited that Carson wasn't quite so little now!!! YUP and gosh darn.._
_We have to remember that we are what our family is, 7 foot tall, if my 18 year old was five 2 I think I'd be more than worried.._
_Your son is a busy boy, this as others have said will change as he grows older..If he is active and not lethargic, eats well as you said..I'd let him be. I'd just keep things he enjoys handy and ready for him..I find that the more of a "deal" we make to the child about eating, the more they turn up their noses..I know, my grandmother turned me off foods in general with her constant following me around with a spoon and bad mouthing my mom about how skinny I was..._
_Mom, you love your boy and are doing all a mom can do..Love him, keep those healthy meals and snacks coming and he will be just fine._

_kadesma_


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 18, 2007)

My grandmother tried to sneak aspiring tablets into my food, as she thought I was sickly looking.  Yes, I was small, and skinny, but never tired, and had lots of energy and strength for my diminutive body.  I always had good color and was never anemic.  She'd hide aspirins in my smashed spuds, in my glass of milk, etc.  But I'd always find them and toss them out, much to her chagrine.  The wait came in its own time.  Don't hurry it.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## texasgirl (May 18, 2007)

tinkerbell27 said:
			
		

> he will be six next month he is 3 feet tall and weighs 34 pounds. i was just looking for ideas about nutrition for him that will best help him gain what he needs to gain. i dont want to make him fat. i just want him to be healthy. i have chnged his doctor, talked to a nutritionist, and now im asking everyday people for a little help to make sure i am doing it right.


 
My youngest son started kindergarten {5years old} in toddler 3 clothes. He was always small. Noone could tell us why he was that small. He was always eating and still eats like a horse. He is now 20 years old, 5'6" and weighs about 120 lbs. Yes, he's thin, but, he's healthy and can pull his weight just fine. Don't worry too much mom, unless he is sickly. How tall are you and your husband? Me and dh are 5'3". That may also play a role in him being small right now until his body takes over in puberty.


----------



## StirBlue (May 18, 2007)

tinkerbell27 said:
			
		

> he will be six next month he is 3 feet tall and weighs 34 pounds. i was just looking for ideas about nutrition for him that will best help him gain what he needs to gain. i dont want to make him fat. i just want him to be healthy. i have chnged his doctor, talked to a nutritionist, and now im asking everyday people for a little help to make sure i am doing it right.


 
We have many children in the school district that are similar in height and weight.  The ones who went to school with my sons grew to be about 5'6" to 5'9" and weight about 130 to 145 pounds.  They really started growing when they went into the 9th grade (14-15 years old).  One of the smaller boys was the athletic director's son.  They now walk shoulder to shoulder.


----------



## Michael in FtW (May 18, 2007)

tinkerbell27 said:
			
		

> he will be six next month he is 3 feet tall and weighs 34 pounds. i was just looking for ideas about nutrition for him that will best help him gain what he needs to gain. i dont want to make him fat. i just want him to be healthy. i have chnged his doctor, talked to a nutritionist, and now im asking everyday people for a little help to make sure i am doing it right.


 
I don't know where you got the idea that he was "underweight". Obviously his original Doctor didn't see a problem ... and when you changed doctors I hope you did get his file sent from his old Doc to the new one because height/weight trends over time are *very* important, especially in pediatrics.

Not all people have the same body build - some are short, some are tall, some are thin, some are fat. As someone has already mentioned, a fat baby is not necessarily a healthy baby - contrary to the "Grandma/Mother-In-Law Theory". People can be thin and perfectly healthy or they can be obese and malnourished. 

Based on his height/weight ratio - he is in the healthy range.


----------



## Claire (May 20, 2007)

If your kid (like Cade) lights up when he thinks of grilled meats, but you have a difficult time with vegetables, try grilling your vegetables and some fruit.  Almost any can be put on the grill.  I like to nuke my potatoes until almost done, then grill (slice and in foil, or whole baked).  A lot of kids like sweet potatoes or yams and they are very high-nutrition.  Pre-cooking the potatoes a little saves on timing problems, since I found cooking them raw on the grill is erratic.  Small or cut veggies can be in foil, on one of those grill toppers, or on skewers.

My husband was a scrawny, sickly, fussy-eating child.  He swears by dairy products to get him through that phase (that phase was the first 20 years of his life.  He swears Vietnam got him over his fear of food very quickly).  His mom was tubucular and was very, very concerned about his weight and would do anything to make him eat.  I think all it did was add anxiety to her years.  His pediatrician used to tell her to calm down.  "He's drinking milk every day?"  "Yes, he loves milk."  "Then he'll be ok."  Now of course he is robust (to say the least), healthy, and has to watch it.  My father is also very skinny, in spite of being a very heavy eater when I was a kid.  Some people are just that way.


----------



## jabbur (May 20, 2007)

Michael is right in that in pediatrics it is the timeline of growth that is looked at.  Those height and weight charts the pediatricians use have the average from the biggest at a certain age to the smallest at the same age.  I would only be worried if he is "falling off" the chart as we in the profession say.  If he has been on the small side all along but is following the growth curve on the chart, then he is normal for him and there is nothing to worry about.  However, if he was say in the 40th percentile for his age (meaning 60% of kids his age are bigger) and now he's in the 5th percentile and is leveling off compared to the average growth curve then you need to investigate why.  I think as long as he's not anemic and following the growth curve, just feed him the healthy stuff and he'll be fine.  If you are concerned there are dietary supplements available for kids (Pediasure is one of them) that will give him the vitamins and some extra calories if you and your doctor feel he needs them.


----------



## Charleysaunt (May 20, 2007)

This last post seems so very reasonable and explanatory and even comforting.  Some kids are just small--healthy, energetic--but small.  And this post at a time when many 6 year olds are already succumbing to the obesity epidemic in this country.  
It would seem to be key for the mother to be in contact with the new pediatrician about her concerns and have him give her advice rather than anonymous internet voices who may or may not have any idea about the family's genetics (are they small boned, late developers?), doctor's advice (the doctor seemed to be OK with the child's development).


----------



## ella/TO (May 20, 2007)

My dear....as a mother of two and grandma of two, please, listen to your doctor. There are far too many fat children in North America today. As long as your son is healthy and happy, just enjoy him....the weight will come,along with his years. I wish him happy, healthy years!!!!


----------



## htc (May 20, 2007)

Didn't read the whole thread so not sure if someone has mentioned this, but... be careful about what your son hears. My nephew is 9 years old and REALLY skinny. Rail skinny even though he eats the same food his family does. He started getting really self concsious (Sp??) about his weight. Hopefully people aren't pointing out that he is really skinny in front of him. Unless the dr. says he's lacking nutrients, I wouldn't worry about what the scale says. My cousin was really skinny as a kid, boy did he make up for it during the teen years!


----------

