Helping a child gain weight
rgbmore
Posts: 85 Member
My daughter (2 years old) will have to be put on a feeding tube later this year if we do not get her to gain weight. She has some health problems she was born with, and her nutritionist, eating specialist, gi specialist have approved/suggested her eating a high calorie diet, just she can't have very much dairy (NO cheese) or any bananas.
What would you recommend I feed her that might be toddler appeasing? She is very picky and doesn't go for the "Eat it or starve" strategy. She would rather starve (hence our problem).
Thank you for any suggestions!
What would you recommend I feed her that might be toddler appeasing? She is very picky and doesn't go for the "Eat it or starve" strategy. She would rather starve (hence our problem).
Thank you for any suggestions!
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Replies
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Very tender roast beef, butter on the veggies, peanut butter, breaded chicken fingers, nuts (cashews are pretty high calorie).0
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Chicken fingers. I don't know a kid who would turn down chicken fingers.
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A few of my friends have very picky toddlers but they all LOVE carbs for some reason! Maybe try giving her french fries, sweet potato fries, bread, pasta, etc
You could also try a toddler friendly smoothie or try adding sprinkles to yogurt to make it a little fun.
Good luck, it must've been so hard hearing about the feeding tube!!
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Make a raw vegan icecream - dairy free, high fat and calorie dense. Many of the raw vegan sweets are high cal, and she might enjoy them
Use fat in your cooking, pick carb dense vegies and fruit, and carb dense snacks... Find what she likes and run with that. Would she drink smoothies made with coconut milk, fruit, nut butters etc?0 -
Didn't the specialists give you a diet plan??0
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Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and cut them into fun shapes with a cookie cutter. (Stars, moons...) She might like to help. I loved apples filled with peanut butter when I was a kid. My mom would cut an apple in half, hollow out the core , and spoon peanutbutter into the middle. I think a half apple might be too big for your little girl, but apple pieces with peanutbutter would be yummy.
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Can she articulate what she likes? My 2 year old is very good at going into the pantry and grabbing food.0
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Honestly? Happy Meals. I know it sounds odd to recommend fast food, but nutritionally speaking, chicken nuggets (190 cals, protein), fries (110 cals, carbs), apple slices (15 cals, carbs) and whatever drink, juice etc. Ends up being 305 calories without the drink. Not terrible for a 2 year old.
Or you could make something similar at home, get some bagged chicken nuggets (I actually prefer Perdue ones that come in a microwave tray that are refrigerated... they seem fresher). Bake some sweet potato fries or regular fries in the oven, core and slice up an apple or do some applesauce.
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What DOES she like already? If we know that, we can probably help you calorify it.0
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My suggestions were going to be dairy related (half & half on her cereal). What about eggs, chicken nuggets, ground beef?0
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I have a very picky kid who is what we like to call a "carbaterian" Carbs all day every day. Her favorite dishes are spaghetti with butter or olive oil and bagels with butter and jam. My son loves apples dipped in honey-peanut butter, or chocolate peanut butter, and that would be a great weight-gainer.
Might I recommend a cookbook, "First Meals" by Annabel Karmel. Its a series of very tasty recipes for kids 6 mos to 10 or so, but to be honest, I have quadrupled the amounts and served some of her recipes at dinner parties! Best bolognese sauce ever! She addresses picky eaters and has some great suggestions for presenting food in ways that kids will be more likely to eat. She has many other titles available, many that a geared toward involving your child in the food prep, which generally makes it more likely that they will eat it.
Best of luck, what a heart-wrenching, frightening, and frustrating struggle!0 -
My mom had my baby sister add ranch dressing, ketchup, and any other sauce they had on her food. Hot dogs are a quick snacks. Trail mix might help (honey nut cheerios, m&ms, Reese pieces, dried fruit, and nuts).
If she just needs calories, juice... LOTS of juice... Orange juice and pineapple were my favorite as a kid.
Depending on where you live and how long she is outside, pop-sickles might help.
I hope some of that helps.0 -
I've yet to meet a kid that wouldn't eat pasta with a bit of butter, or alfredo or tomato if she likes it, You can get fun shapes that might make it a bit more appetizing? Chicken fingers, mashed taters or fries. Peanut butter or Nutella with mini breadsticks for dipping. Soft cookie snacks like bearpaws or nutrigrain bars aren't all bad either. I wish you luck!0
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I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...0
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Just a note to all people... butter and yogurt are dairy...
I'm trying to think about what my nephew likes... but he's pretty much a goat and will eat anything. I think if you cook with oil that could work. Curries and stir fries. Pastas and sauces. Maybe try presenting it with lots of colours... would she eat avocados? Juice is a really good idea as well. You could have her drink soy/almond/coconut/rice/flax milks (soy is highest calorie), maybe throw some strawberry milk mix in there! Oat meal with brown sugar and sweet fortified cereals.
How about making chips out of various veggies (for more vitamins - but you've added oils!). You could give her hummus and crackers or veggies... or feeding her chocolate-free protein bars as snacks? Those things have a caloric punch... Beans too, if she'll eat them.
And maybe it sounds terrible... but see if you can get her hooked on a couple TV shows or games (a little less running around) maybe? Or do more crafts when you might usually recommend she play actively?
Oh maybe chicken, tuna, egg, or pasta salads (does mayo have dairy? It's egg and oil, right? I've never looked!).
Pizza, burgers and things (vegan cheese... or I've heard Pilsbury Pizza Pops don't actually have dairy though don't quote me there).
You could use gravies as well. Think roast beef or turkey and pan gravy, potatoes, rouladen (mmmm), knödel (dumplings) in soup..
Use chicken thighs and wings instead of breast also. Less lean cuts of meat.0 -
I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...
This. You're talking about the health of your baby here. That's not the sort of thing you go to random internet people for.
Also...chicken nuggets with bbq sauce is what my daughter couldn't get enough of at that age.
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Mac and cheese and hot dogs. Spagetti-o's, French toast, pancakes, waffles chicken nuggets, fish sticks, French fries. Just a few ideas. Ramen noodle soup with crackers my kids and most peoples kids love them I don't mend them once is a great while. Good luck!0
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Put butter on everything. I feel your pain, OP. :flowerforyou:0
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I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...
As odd ad it sounds some of the best information a parent can get is from other parents. Who's to say the dietitian takes this condition as serious as the mom/ parents do. People in the medical field get paid to care.
My sisters 1 month old baby was BF for a few days then my sister got post partum depression an started feeding the baby formula it didn't agree with the baby. So then they had to change the formula yet again. Now the poor baby has had trouble pooping. The baby was seen by the Dr. and had fissures. The Dr were like ok well just give him warm baths. My sister has since called back to have him seen and the Dr are like well we will check this at the baby's next follow up or well child appointment. Really poor baby now had protruding hemorrhoids and they will not even see him or give her any advice or recommendations over the phone.
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blue_eyes1978 wrote: »I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...
As odd ad it sounds some of the best information a parent can get is from other parents. Who's to say the dietitian takes this condition as serious as the mom/ parents do. People in the medical field get paid to care.
My sisters 1 month old baby was BF for a few days then my sister got post partum depression an started feeding the baby formula it didn't agree with the baby. So then they had to change the formula yet again. Now the poor baby has had trouble pooping. The baby was seen by the Dr. and had fissures. The Dr were like ok well just give him warm baths. My sister has since called back to have him seen and the Dr are like well we will check this at the baby's next follow up or well child appointment. Really poor baby now had protruding hemorrhoids and they will not even see him or give her any advice or recommendations over the phone.
because her daughter has a medical condition that requires a feeding tube, that is why she should ask, you know, DR's and stuff.
if this was just "how do I get my daughter to eat" then yea, you would have a point..
this is entirely different.0 -
My daughter (2 years old) will have to be put on a feeding tube later this year if we do not get her to gain weight. She has some health problems she was born with, and her nutritionist, eating specialist, gi specialist have approved/suggested her eating a high calorie diet, just she can't have very much dairy (NO cheese) or any bananas.
What would you recommend I feed her that might be toddler appeasing? She is very picky and doesn't go for the "Eat it or starve" strategy. She would rather starve (hence our problem).
Thank you for any suggestions!
I'm sure the Dr did give ideas and maybe they are not to her liking. Her health problems are there but the feeding tube sounds like it CAN be prevented IF she CAN get some toddler friendly food ideas that interest her daughter and she eats them and gains weight.
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What would you recommend I feed her that might be toddler appeasing?
@ndj1979I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...
Hm... sounds like ppl are qualified to share 'toddler appeasing' foods .. they are doing it now.
Oh and BTW...what's the 'correct' answer anyhow? lolblue_eyes1978 wrote: »I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...
As odd ad it sounds some of the best information a parent can get is from other parents. Who's to say the dietitian takes this condition as serious as the mom/ parents do. People in the medical field get paid to care.
because her daughter has a medical condition that requires a feeding tube, that is why she should ask, you know, DR's and stuff.
if this was just "how do I get my daughter to eat" then yea, you would have a point..
this is entirely different.
Perhaps you're confused as you seem to missed a bit in her first post. Her daughter is not on a feeding tube but might need to later in the year if she doesn't gain weight. Thus the thread.... ya know asking ideas on making foods her daughter will enjoy to help her put weight on? Remember?
why are you trying to pick a fight when it isn't needed... if you don't don't have food ideas for her then maybe it's time to move on to another thread?0 -
Hearts_2015 wrote: »What would you recommend I feed her that might be toddler appeasing?
@ndj1979I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...
Hm... sounds like ppl are qualified to share 'toddler appeasing' foods .. they are doing it now. Oh and BTW...what's the 'correct' answer anyhow? lolblue_eyes1978 wrote: »I think this is something you should discuss with her treatment team ….no one on MFP is qualified to answer this correctly ...
As odd ad it sounds some of the best information a parent can get is from other parents. Who's to say the dietitian takes this condition as serious as the mom/ parents do. People in the medical field get paid to care.
because her daughter has a medical condition that requires a feeding tube, that is why she should ask, you know, DR's and stuff.
if this was just "how do I get my daughter to eat" then yea, you would have a point..
this is entirely different.
Perhaps you're confused as you seem to missed a bit in her first post. Her daughter is not on a feeding tube but might need to later in the year if she doesn't gain weight. Thus the thread.... ya know asking ideas on making foods her daughter will enjoy to help her put weight on? Remember?
why are you trying to pick a fight when it isn't needed... if you don't don't have food ideas for her then maybe it's time to move on to another thread?
Exactly
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Nothing wrong with asking for ideas. It's not like she's crowd-sourcing a medical diagnosis, she just wants ideas - and there might be someone out there who's been in a similar situation and can offer suggestions! :flowerforyou:
OP, I'd try not to go too far on the happy meal/hot dog route, as those foods are high in sodium. Not sure how that could impact your child if she's already got some medical issues and dietary restrictions. As someone else said, can you come back and tell us what foods she does like, so maybe we can think of some higher-cal substitutions? Wishing you the best. This must be very stressful.
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My son has ASD and was VERY picky as a toddler, one day he would eat sausages, the next hell would freeze over before I could get one near him. Life was very frustrating at meal times between the ages of 2 and 5! We tried the eat it or starve method as health visitor promised no child will ever starve themselves....they were wrong!!
My only advice would be to just let her eat what she wants at mealtimes, to get the calories in, so she isn't starving herself, and then try small amounts of veggies, meat, or whatever you need to get her to eat, away from meal times. This keeps mealtimes less stressful and in time hopefully she will eat enough to avoid the tube. The one thing that my son has almost always eaten was plain boiled pasta. He would have a little cheese or butter on it, you could try dairy free spreads etc.
At 5 my son was very light (not as severe as your daughter it seems), and one day I just "gave in" and let him eat chocolate and pasta for dinner. I felt like a bad Mum! BUT, he turned 18 at the weekend he's slim but not an unhealthy weight. He eats a much more varied diet, although he's still picky, and actually enjoys cooking too.0 -
Had this on my husband's side of the family, a couple of different little ones for very different reasons.
If it is a case of not being able to stomach some food too well and not just aversion alone, then things like Fortisip and Complan might help. I think you're in the US so I've no idea if they have different names there, but essentially they are very high calorie milkshakes with a lot of vitamins, usually prescribed to people who need to gain weight, have GI disorders etc. Some have dairy but I am relatively confident that there are versions that are dairy free, as it is common for people with GI disorders to require them but also not be able to manage dairy.
If it's simply aversion, the dairy-free milkshake things could still help if she likes them. Also higher cal juices if she takes them. One of my sons has required high cal foods at various stages, but not to the extent of your daughter, so we have done things like making him eggy bread (bread dipped in egg and fried, it's basically French toast but I associate French toast with things like sugar and syrup - although that could work too!). One of my husband's relatives had a serious issue with simply not taking anything except squash (as in concentrated juice/cordial), that required working with a dietician to move her slowly onto other foods. The first other food she accepted was spaghetti hoops, then slowly moved onto tuna with mayonnaise. Full fat mayo is a great, very high cal and non-dairy addition. We use to make our son mashed potato with mayo mixed in, mayo on toast, mayo on anything! Aversions/food refusal is tricky as it goes beyond the food or physical illness and involves psychological reactions to food too.
Good luck 0 -
My daughter (2 years old) will have to be put on a feeding tube later this year if we do not get her to gain weight. She has some health problems she was born with, and her nutritionist, eating specialist, gi specialist have approved/suggested her eating a high calorie diet, just she can't have very much dairy (NO cheese) or any bananas.
What would you recommend I feed her that might be toddler appeasing? She is very picky and doesn't go for the "Eat it or starve" strategy. She would rather starve (hence our problem).
Thank you for any suggestions!
Why is she picky? What does even picky mean at this age? Is it a texture issue? Is it a smell issue? Is it a behavioural issue? Is she working with a speech therapist, physical therapist? Do you have a diet plan and she is refusing to follow it? Have you tried someone else feeding her? Sneaking in food while she is busy playing, while you are telling her a story? Limiting her snacks so she will eat more at mealtime, or the opposite, offering constant small snacks? Bottle feeding with high calorie formula while she is half asleep, or even dream feeding, if she is battling feedings while awake?
There is no such thing as a generic toddler-friendly meal, toddlers are individuals. One of my kids could not handle the texture of meat, one would nurse all day if I let him still at this age, one had as a favourite meal lentil soup and olives (yes, not exactly what comes to mind when you think of toddlers). I do not think you will get much help by just asking other people what they feed their kids. I feel your pain, but there will be as many answers as there are toddlers.0 -
Thank you all for your suggestions! I do have a "diet plan" from her team of specialists, but it has more generic suggestions. (Nut butters, avocado, pediasure, etc). They also really just want her to eat and enjoy eating again/the process of eating to help your body so I was just looking for some ideas of what to try with her. Please be assured we are in constant contact with her specialists, they just didn't give me a huge cookbook or anything to go on. I apologize for causing concern to some, all I wanted were some suggestions of what foods are enjoyable for a toddler to eat but would add some weight. She gets weary of momma putting sunflower seed butter on all her food.
As for "how" to feed her, thank you for suggestions, but we have some behavioral therapists working with us on that. I mentioned her eating habits to give an idea that she can't really be "forced" to eat right now.
I should have rephrased the post, apologies, I just really wanted some ideas of what to add to my shopping list for her.0 -
Does she like oatmeal. You can pimp it with dried fruits and cinnamon. I also suggest avocado. Guacomole will work as dip or spread it on bread. And how about dried beans and peas. Try dishes like dhal and hummus. Perhaps she will enjoy that. Good luck. I wish you all the best and hope Things will Work out for you and her.0
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