Teen nutrition

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Replies

  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    I have a thin child, he'll be 8 next month and weighs MAYBE 60lbs. He's tall and is pretty much all muscle. He's a strong kid, and always had been. At 18 months, he walked over to a table, grabbed the end and pulled himself up to look lol My friend called him the teeny hulk haha

    He has texture aversions to a lot of things, and he HATES cheese, so I just feed him healthy things that I know he will eat, and then in between meals, he'll have snacks when he's hungry. I doubt that he's getting up to his caloric goals, but I'm not logging his foods so it's hard to tell.

    Feed him when he's hungry, and if you have concerns, take him to a doctor!
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    One other thing to consider is the "learned panic effect". I have a few friends who's parents over-controlled their diet (locks on refrigerators, taking them to weight watchers at the age of 12 despite the fact that the kid was a healthy weight, banning them from drinking any soda or eating cake EVER) who now have unhealthy relationships with food because they were exposed to "never get fat never get fat nvever get fat" from a young age. One of them is a recovering anorexic, the other two are obese.

    I admit that I also have a very weird perception of food partially because my mother obsessed about her weight throughout my childhood. Basically, "food is bad but it tastes so good.... NO! HAVE SELF CONTROL! SELF CONTROL IS EVERYTHING."

    That interior monologue is just a killer for your self worth.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is lead by example don't lead with an iron fist.

    Don't log your kids calories. That is a little too obsessive in my opinion and can only lead you to be upset when he goes over or under. Logging calories is your thing, not his.

    Do feed him a wide variety of healthy food: fish, lightly marinated chicken, etc and tons of veggies.

    My brother, fiance and cousin were all grossly underweight at 13 and have all filled out by 21. Don't worry too much, but perhaps checking in with him and saying "I just want to be sure you're getting the right food to eat. Have you had a veggie today?"

    Remember, the key is to NOT go crazy and helicopter your child. The more you freak the more they'll learn that behavior and emulate it themselves.

    I think I may have missed your post, sorry.

    My problem is not that I need to lock up the fridge. My kid is skinny. I don't need to ask if he has eaten a vegetable, I want to know if he has eaten the best part of a sheep. And, if he hasn't I want to provide him the chutney to help him choke it down.
  • mumof5
    mumof5 Posts: 328 Member
    hmmm.. im not sure why we are not on the same page. we both would like our very skinny 13yo boys to eat and gain weight not lose it. ensure or pedisure was suggested by a pediatrician, its a nutritional drink given to those who are having trouble getting enough calories into their day. wholemeal pasta and bread is calorie dense and good for our growing boys to use for energy. Protein is also needed by their growing bodies. You suggested that your son chase down a sheep and eat it. thats protein. i did not suggest that we start them on protein shakes. Anyway i will continue to offer my son healthy choices and hope that one day he grows into his frame.
  • chutch93
    chutch93 Posts: 9
    i find it funny that you randomly have avocado wedged in that list of normal foods. lol

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