Foods high in calories for kids?

thisisjl

Without going into to much detail I'm looking for suggestions for kid friendly food ideas that will help my daughter to gain weight and will be easy on her tummy. I'm not going to let her start sucking down cookies and candy just for extra calories but she is a mildly picky eatter so I have to have kid friendly stuff and anything with cheese is completely out she hates it as well as most anything with a sauce other than spaghetti sauce.

Slight background on why I want her to gain a little weight is she is 11 (will be 12 in December) She went from being 86# in June to weighing in today at 83#.

buzzcockgirl

I've been trying to 'bulk up' my little guy for the last year as well - but doing it healthily (is that a word?) He's almost 8, skinny as all get out, only weighs 50lbs. It's his body type- was always in the >10% for weight/height etc...
Anyhow- I try to get him to eat noodles, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, basically seems like a ton of carbs! Nachos with beans... hmmm... what else? Whole milk. Good luck!

FiercelyBeautiful

I have read about this and as you mention the worst thing you could do is load her up with bad food because that just teaches bad habits and poor health. Props for not taking that approach. Whey protien is actually a great things for kids to use to help gain weight in a healthy way. You can put it in oatmeal, pancakes, a smoothie, whatever. Go do some reading about it, its really effective and healthy.

Lobster1987

trail mix, make whole grain oatmeal raisin cookies with splenda, whole milk, peanut butter, whole grain pancakes with peanut butter and bananas.

KWKY

If your daughter can stomach it, avocado is fantastic, as well as yoghurt.

My daughter's digestive system can't take either, so I give her boiled egg yolks, she has one a day mixed in her food.

thisisjl

Buzz, yeah she has always been smaller but I'm worried now that she is actually loosing weight, don't know if it's combined with her stomach issues (We've been to a couple dr. no one will tell us why she is having stomach pains) I'm starting to wonder if they are hunger pains at this point. But the pains started about a year before the weight loss occured so I doubt that's all of it but I'm wondering if she isn't eatting as much because she's afraid of her tummy hurting. I just don't know what to do at this point.

zozzabubba

Just off the top of my head, a healthy but relatively high cal (considering how healthy it is) breakfast would be granola and full fat yogurt and milk with some chopped up banana and walnuts.

For other meals, would she eat pesto? It's about 60 cals a tablespoon so using half a cup of that (I think half a cup is 8 tbsp?) for pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce would majorly up her calories. I also like to spread pesto on toast for breakfast, tastes really good with tomato slices.

munchlaxx

Thanks for making a topic about this, I am trying to help my daughter gain some weight as well. She's a picky eater and it's driving me nuts! Gonna eyeball this post!

caraiselite

Without going into to much detail I'm looking for suggestions for kid friendly food ideas that will help my daughter to gain weight and will be easy on her tummy. I'm not going to let her start sucking down cookies and candy just for extra calories but she is a mildly picky eatter so I have to have kid friendly stuff and anything with cheese is completely out she hates it as well as most anything with a sauce other than spaghetti sauce.

Slight background on why I want her to gain a little weight is she is 11 (will be 12 in December) She went from being 86# in June to weighing in today at 83#.

its probably because its summer time. less time sitting in school - more time playing.

i bet she 'fattens' up normally once school gets back in sesh.

munchlaxx

I have read about this and as you mention the worst thing you could do is load her up with bad food because that just teaches bad habits and poor health. Props for not taking that approach. Whey protien is actually a great things for kids to use to help gain weight in a healthy way. You can put it in oatmeal, pancakes, a smoothie, whatever. Go do some reading about it, its really effective and healthy.

Thanks for mentioning whey protein. My daughter has actually been curious about it since she sees me mix it up in my yogurt. It just didn't dawn on me that she would benefit from it, until now. I had only just been seeing my chocolate whey as a way to fill my chocolate needs during my weight loss journey...great to realize it'd be awesome to help with a kid needing to gain weight.

sz8soon

I am in the same boat, my 11 year old son is a whopping 70 pounds and as long and lanky as you can imagine. He's played football the last three years but actually chose to take this year off because he wasn't comfortable going up to the next age group. It's not that he doesn't eat, but when you've got a kid that loves, salad fruits and veggies over anything it's though to get those higher calorie foods in.

Pants without a belt or those inner elastic adjusters yeah right! Slim fit are still loose.

thisisjl

I've been making smoothies a lot I might try adding some whey protein to her's see if she notices. I'm pretty sure she doesn't like pesto sauce, but I think I'm going to try getting more granola she likes granola bars I might see if she'll munch on just granola with out the chocolate.

jillianlovesyarn

Smoothies can be good for this since you can bump up caloric intake a bit more easily in liquid form and a lot of kids like smoothies. I also like the avocado suggestion. Nuts, seeds and nut butters are also dense but a good source of nutrients.

imwithgizmo

If you can make her smoothies with peanut butter, banana, even avocado (she doesn't have to know), that will get her some nutrition and calories. You can use almond or rice milk if you want non-dairy.

Maybe some home baked blueberry muffins, pasta (whole grain) with a creamy sauce. Full fat yogurts, pudding, or purchase some of that Pediasure.

Have you checked with her pediatrician to see what's up?

JennsRAQ

Other things to consider adding to smoothies - chia seeds, ground flax, coconut flour, peanut butter, cottage cheese, full fat greek yogurt

BinaryPulsar

I'm just going to bump this for ideas. My kids are very slender, especially my older one (she also excels at running and she is almost as tall as me at age 8). The doctor says they are very healthy and nothing to worry about especially since I am very small as well.

chrisdavey

Any foods that cause someone to eat over maintenance will cause them to gain weight. So options are to just eat more of what they're currently eating or if they aren't big eaters then I'd try some higher fat items (9cals/gram) like nuts, pb in smoothies, avocado etc.

volume77

WHY are you trying to make your daughter gain weight????? Does she know you're doing this or are you just trying to get her to eat more? Just let her be a kid. kids are naturally thin and energetic. Is she suffering from an ED? if not why does she need to gain weight?

thisisjl

If you can make her smoothies with peanut butter, banana, even avocado (she doesn't have to know), that will get her some nutrition and calories. You can use almond or rice milk if you want non-dairy.

Maybe some home baked blueberry muffins, pasta (whole grain) with a creamy sauce. Full fat yogurts, pudding, or purchase some of that Pediasure.

Have you checked with her pediatrician to see what's up?

We started with her pediatrician when she started having issues with her stomach they ruled out what they could then they sent us on to a Gastroenterologist who did more testing and in the end we still don't have a reason as to why her tummy hurts. There is another test we can do but I've been putting it off since she's been through so much testing lately and that is to actually scope her stomach but thats pretty invasive and she's freaked out by the thought of it and her dad is convinced it's just a nervous stomach. With the weight loss issue now a factor I might concider it after we get back from vacation since that is a new development.

thisisjl

WHY are you trying to make your daughter gain weight????? Does she know you're doing this or are you just trying to get her to eat more? Just let her be a kid. kids are naturally thin and energetic. Is she suffering from an ED? if not why does she need to gain weight?

Actually like I posted she is small to begin with and has has LOST 3 pounds over the past 2 months and has stomach issues which make it harder for me to get her to eat. Please READ all my posts before you start yelling at me about trying to get my kid to gain weight! It isn't so much I want her to GAIN weight as I want to stop the weight loss and keep her growing healthy.

caraiselite

WHY are you trying to make your daughter gain weight????? Does she know you're doing this or are you just trying to get her to eat more? Just let her be a kid. kids are naturally thin and energetic. Is she suffering from an ED? if not why does she need to gain weight?

i posted that kids 'thin out' over the summer because they are more active. (and my post got ignored... wonder why!)
my son gets check ups every 2 months for meds and he always loses weight over summer. it's no big deal!

thisisjl

I ignored it because you weren't yelling at me about making my kid gain weight you simply stated most kids lose some over the summer. She has issues eatting because of stomach pains which we have been trying to investigate. I'm not JUST trying to make her gain weight and we recently moved to a new neighborhood (a year ago) and she hasn't made a lot of friends so she hasn't been out "playing" as much as she use to.

marmatt13

If you can make her smoothies with peanut butter, banana, even avocado (she doesn't have to know), that will get her some nutrition and calories. You can use almond or rice milk if you want non-dairy.

Maybe some home baked blueberry muffins, pasta (whole grain) with a creamy sauce. Full fat yogurts, pudding, or purchase some of that Pediasure.

Have you checked with her pediatrician to see what's up?

We started with her pediatrician when she started having issues with her stomach they ruled out what they could then they sent us on to a Gastroenterologist who did more testing and in the end we still don't have a reason as to why her tummy hurts. There is another test we can do but I've been putting it off since she's been through so much testing lately and that is to actually scope her stomach but thats pretty invasive and she's freaked out by the thought of it and her dad is convinced it's just a nervous stomach. With the weight loss issue now a factor I might concider it after we get back from vacation since that is a new development.

My son had similar issues, we were referrred to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist and he had both a stomach scope and a colonoscopy (yes, scary to go through but he was in so much pain we had to figure it out) Anyway....through that testing he was diagneosed as Lactose Intolerant. I would never believe that LI could cause so much discomfort, but for him it did. Now that we know he takes Lactaid before having dairy and he is doing really well.

thisisjl

If you can make her smoothies with peanut butter, banana, even avocado (she doesn't have to know), that will get her some nutrition and calories. You can use almond or rice milk if you want non-dairy.

Maybe some home baked blueberry muffins, pasta (whole grain) with a creamy sauce. Full fat yogurts, pudding, or purchase some of that Pediasure.

Have you checked with her pediatrician to see what's up?

We started with her pediatrician when she started having issues with her stomach they ruled out what they could then they sent us on to a Gastroenterologist who did more testing and in the end we still don't have a reason as to why her tummy hurts. There is another test we can do but I've been putting it off since she's been through so much testing lately and that is to actually scope her stomach but thats pretty invasive and she's freaked out by the thought of it and her dad is convinced it's just a nervous stomach. With the weight loss issue now a factor I might concider it after we get back from vacation since that is a new development.

My son had similar issues, we were referrred to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist and he had both a stomach scope and a colonoscopy (yes, scary to go through but he was in so much pain we had to figure it out) Anyway....through that testing he was diagneosed as Lactose Intolerant. I would never believe that LI could cause so much discomfort, but for him it did. Now that we know he takes Lactaid before having dairy and he is doing really well.

did they do blood tests to check for food allergies before doing all that? They told me all her food allergy tests came back negative I was worried it was going to be Celiacs or something I have a friend with it and this is how she use to feel. It's her upper GI so I wouldn't have to worry about the colonoscopy but they want to scope her tummy next, I've been putting it off hoping it was anxiousness in her new school and home since we moved a year ago and thats when many symptoms got worse she's always had a sensitive tummy. Might have to just do it though.

nokittyno

I'd suggest looking into gluten intolerance, like lactose it can be tricky and detrimental to weight loss/gain, stomach issues, etc you name it.

Lol you beat me to it. Anyway with Celiscs disease there is almost always a negative, tests super unreliable from what I've read

Kadinh

My nephew has abdominal migraines. They cause stomach pains rather than a headache. They put him on meds for it. Hormones are often a trigger for migraines so maybe puberty has triggered something like that in her...

diadojikohei

My son used to get bad tummy pains in the afternoon at school, I gave him mild fruit antacids (always read the label first) and after a while it seemed to clear up. We think he was kind of stressed out a bit at school.

He is now 18, and eats constantly but is also very sporty, he's nearly 6 foot and has 5% body fat!
I give my children noodles, baked potatoes and cheesy beans, pasta bakes and they are all skinny!
The reason I'm not worried is because I used to be very thin too, I'm 5 foot 10 and was 8 stone at 20 years old! But now 27 years later I'm here trying to lose weight and get fit again!

I try to limit the amount of refined sugar they get, but they eat lots of fruit and they make their own smoothies.
My daughter will be 11 soon and has gone very long and stringy, she eats mounds of rice and is seldom ill, If your daughter is eating regularly and a variety of food she has a good foundation. Don't forget girls hit puberty earlier than boys too so all of a sudden she'll start changing shape anyway!

momtokgo

Celiacs wouldn't show up on a food allergy blood test. They do have a blood test for celiacs, here it takes over 6 weeks to get the results because it has to go to a special lab to be tested. And it still comes back negative quite often. Mine did, even though it is Celiacs.

You can try an elimination diet with her too if you want to try and get to the bottom of things by yourself. Take out all dairy first maybe and see it if helps. Gluten is a hard one to take out so probably not the best one to start with.

I understand where you are with your daughter, there is nothing wrong with trying to add some more calories to her day. My oldest is 10, and 61lbs.

nxd10

Yeah, I have two skinny skinny kids (one now adult) too. 98% height/5% weight: BMI 16-19.

First, they're healthy because they do eat good food. Calcium is critical because they need that bone mass more than anything. Especially when they grow so fast.

Avocados, brown rice, eggs, lean meat, beans. They love red lentil salad (it has a sweet/savory dressing).

Cheese. Good brown bread.

If they're getting good nutrition, they really will be healthy.

nxd10

Sorry . . . I didn't read the later updates.

There is a genetic test for celiac - my sister in law has it REALLY badly and my husband and kids were tested. If there is reason to suspect it insurance will pay.

My 11 year old (now almost 13) started throwing up and being nauseus when he hit middle school. We just spent a year testing him and showed up nothing. But we do know more about what it is and also he has learned to manage it.

First, he got migraines that made him vomit. It is - as someone else said - hormones. He's grown a foot (literally) last year. He doesn't get bad heachaches, but it starts in his stomach and he just throws up. Light sensitivity is key and some types of fluorescent lights and smells trigger it. He found that covering his eyes and lying in the dark for 10 minutes when it started coming on could prevent it and he could go back to what he was doing.

Second, he needed to eat in little tiny amounts. He taught himself to stop eating when he was half full. He manages that well (unless you put a milkshake in front of him).

Third, it was ANXIETY. He had a nasty teacher that started it. The neurologist we talked to said half of more of his teen patients had anxiety that led to weight loss and vomiting. It could be teasing. It could be trying to do well with school coming up. It could be abuse (scary, but something you always need to look for). It could be just being a worrier.

We taught my son some relaxation exercise and they also helped tremendously.

sz8soon

My nephew has abdominal migraines. They cause stomach pains rather than a headache. They put him on meds for it. Hormones are often a trigger for migraines so maybe puberty has triggered something like that in her...

My son was diagnosed with the same, poor guy gets the headaches too, we've seen two specialists and are now keeping logs so we can find out what the triggers are