protien powder Help

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I_Will_Be_Then
I_Will_Be_Then Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I have some question about protein powder I need some help. To start off let me start from beginning. I have a 9 yr old son who weight is 46 pounds. That is really small for a 9 yr old. He is a very picky eater. I have tried everything to get him to eat. After talking to a few parents I thought of an idea. "putting protein powder in/on food that he like's." I would start off by letting him know what i'm doing and give him a chance. If that doesn't work I would try to be sniky about it. So my questions are?

What flavors are there?
Does the powder have to be mixed?
Is this a good idea or is he to young?

Please be honest I can take it. If you have any other ideas feel free to let me know...

Thanks for reading and helping me out..
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Replies

  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    We had to do that with one of our kids. There is an admittedly overpriced product called PediaSure you may want to check out. We had some success with that. It is almost more like formula for big kids as opposed to using an adult supplement. He is now 13 and still a little under but not much. I think growth spurts helped as much as anything else.

    ETA- BTW, our little guy was a 2.5# preemie and the docs warned us that it is often the case that low birth weight won't be overcome until high school or later if at all.
  • rickloving
    rickloving Posts: 90 Member
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    I have found that in all the Protien Powders I have tried, I like the taste and consistancy of BSN Syntha-6, awesome strawberry and chocolate milkshake flavors. They are generally higher in calories than some others so it would fit right in with your plan.
  • rickloving
    rickloving Posts: 90 Member
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    Don't skimp and buy big box brand Protien powder, they are not as refined and (for me) have a habit of causing gastric issues. Syhtha-6 literally tastes like Nesquick Strawberry milk mix or chocolate milk mix, even mixed with water.
  • junefaulk
    junefaulk Posts: 2
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    oops , I don't know how to use this yet lol:love:
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    My 8 year old is 60lbs and he's the smallest of his friends. Good for you for realizing there's a need for weight gain!

    First off, maybe you should speak to a doctor and get a referral to a dietician for extra tips.

    Can you see if he will help with the preparation of things? My kids usually love to eat what they make. What are some things he likes? Peanut butter? Load up!

    Avacados are great because they are full of good fats. I know someone who needed to add weight to her child so she was stuffing him with hot dogs. SO not the way to go!

    If you're going to go with protein powder, use whole milk. Again, lots of calories and good fats. Get him on a multivitamin too, wouldn't hurt!

    Good luck!!
  • junefaulk
    junefaulk Posts: 2
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    I use protein powder in my own diet but please check with your doctor for use in a child. I have read that it can be hard on the kidneys and would hate to give your child something that could hurt him in the long run.
  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 510 Member
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    Have his doctors offered suggestions? My daughter weighs 30 pounds...and she's only 2 1/2 and she's 50% percentile (which is as normal and average as you can get) so he is really little.

    I don't think it would hurt, but a lot of protein powder is intended to weight loss, so be careful what you buy.

    Depending on what he likes, you could also try blending in nut butters (if he's not allergic) because a little peanut butter will disappear into Mac n Cheese and so forth.
  • ThisCanadian
    ThisCanadian Posts: 1,086 Member
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    My 8 year old is 60lbs and he's the smallest of his friends. Good for you for realizing there's a need for weight gain!

    First off, maybe you should speak to a doctor and get a referral to a dietician for extra tips.

    Can you see if he will help with the preparation of things? My kids usually love to eat what they make. What are some things he likes? Peanut butter? Load up!

    Avacados are great because they are full of good fats. I know someone who needed to add weight to her child so she was stuffing him with hot dogs. SO not the way to go!

    If you're going to go with protein powder, use whole milk. Again, lots of calories and good fats. Get him on a multivitamin too, wouldn't hurt!

    Good luck!!

    I agree with this poster. Please refer to your doctor before you introduce a protein powder or protein bar I to your child's diet.
  • KimINfortheWin
    KimINfortheWin Posts: 251 Member
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    My kid is a small 9 year old too. He's 55 lbs though and is finally starting into his spurt.

    We love Designer Whey. Vitacost.com has it the cheapest we have found so far in all the flavors. My kid loves the strawberry one. I'm making "strawberry chocolate milk", and so I make sure to add full-fat milk, and the protein powder to it.

    Also, I'm going to try this recipe! http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-black-bean-brownies/
    He won't eat beans of any kind, so I'll sneak some in.

    Something else I'm doing is giving him coconut oil in things like his oatmeal. It's good for him, he likes the taste, and it adds calories.
  • TheBeerRunner
    TheBeerRunner Posts: 2,777 Member
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    I'd check with your family doctor first. It's not something I would recommend without medical guidance and supervision. Why? Too much protein without enough supporting fats can lead to some serious issues with calcium imbalance, which can cause weakened bones, which is certainly something you do not want in a growing child. To increase "lean" protein intake, it needs to be supplemented with healthy saturated fats. If you're going to go about it without consulting your doctor, mix the protein shake with some coconut oil, which is full of healthy saturated fats. Should help minimize any of the negative side effects of protein. Also, make sure the protein supplement you choose is just protein, do not get anything with Creatine or other supplements mixed in.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    The only thing I'm going to say about the subject is to run this past a pediatrician first... please.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    What does his pediatrician suggest you do?

    Does his doctor think he needs to gain weight and has recommended you supplement with protein powder? I sort of doubt it, but maybe?

    Usually it's not a big deal if a kid is a bit under or overweight at any particular age during childhood, so long as it isn't significantly so, and they are otherwise healthy. Growth spurts happen quite frequently, so their bodies are always changing.

    If it was my son, and the pediatrician didn't seem concerned about his weight but I was for some reason, I'd just work on finding more calorie dense foods he'd eat. I'd probably throw avocados into tasty smoothies and do stuff like that before I gave up and went to protein powder. I think it's probably better in terms of his long term health if you can get him to experiment with different foods and hopefully find things he likes eating. Using more calorie dense foods for his meals would be the place I'd start.
  • b7bbs
    b7bbs Posts: 158 Member
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    If protein powder doesn't work try already made shakes such as Ensure that can be found at Target, and I'm sure other places. I just saw it at Target. As well as GNC Total Lean Shakes. They have swiss chocolate, vanilla bean, and strawberry. So far I have tried the chocolate and vanilla, and they are absolutely delicious. Maybe look into something like that might help. GNc has a ton of protein powders, and I like thei store brand the best. They have tons of flavors like berries & cream, blueberries & cream, banana, french vanilla, rich chocolate, and lots of other flavors that are really good. He might like a homemade shake with yogurt and fruit.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    My 8 year old is 60lbs and he's the smallest of his friends. Good for you for realizing there's a need for weight gain!

    First off, maybe you should speak to a doctor and get a referral to a dietician for extra tips.

    Can you see if he will help with the preparation of things? My kids usually love to eat what they make. What are some things he likes? Peanut butter? Load up!

    Avacados are great because they are full of good fats. I know someone who needed to add weight to her child so she was stuffing him with hot dogs. SO not the way to go!

    If you're going to go with protein powder, use whole milk. Again, lots of calories and good fats. Get him on a multivitamin too, wouldn't hurt!

    Good luck!!
    Also in agreement about doc's involvement. Ours suggested PediaSure as an option. Oddly enough, the doctor is okay with hot dogs and bacon figuring heavily into the mix if he will eat them. My son has a lean but relatively good physique. He has abs that make me jealous. He has very little body fat. I do have concern that learning to eat high fat foods could bite him later in life though; it's a tough thing to balance.
  • RelativeChaos00
    RelativeChaos00 Posts: 33 Member
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    Syntha6 does indeed taste great, it's meant to be a meal replacement protein as opposed to a post workout protein. I would suggest involving the Dr as well though. My son, while significantly younger, is also very small for his age but healthy. I'd rather have him small and healthy than encourage the tendency that runs in both his parents' families to be overweight. He's always been tall and skinny but as long as he's healthy I won't worry. :)
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I weighed 63 pounds when I started 7th grade and 90 when I graduated from high school. My parents never worried about it, but continued to offer me a variety of foods. Unless your pediatrician advises supplementation, I would not add artificial products to a child's diet. Often the bigger deal you make about eating, the more problems you cause. My pediatrician's advice 30 years ago remains solid: the less said about food and eating, the better. Offer a wide variety of foods at mealtimes, allow a reasonable amount of time to eat, and then clean up without saying anything about consumption. Don't keep any food in the house that is not nutritious.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    not saying I advocate giving a protein powder to a preteen necessarily, but I HIGHLY recommend the flavors in Muscle Milk and particularly Muscle Milk light. If approved by a doctor, I'd think either of those mixed in whole milk would make a tasty treat and a decent weight gainer.
  • nancypaille
    nancypaille Posts: 6
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    I am pregnant and my naturopath doctor recommended I use "Pea protein powder" as it is pure yellow peas, and the easiest to digest and the purest of the protein powders (no additives or fillers). I purchased mine at the natural health food store. I blend it up with some berries, almond milk and a bit of sugar, it tastes like a dessert!
  • Gavery1
    Gavery1 Posts: 74 Member
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    I personally wouldnt give it to my child. Too much protein can be really bad and some of them are filled with a lot of sweetners etc. My husband and I were on one that gave us both really bad headaches apparently due to the msg in it. You can get build up shakes from boots which may be more suitable for him but I would check with doc first. I know doctors also used to give a liquid that was full of calories but I can't remember what it was called now. Good luck with it.:-)
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    It's just protein powder. It's not going to be harmful unless it's contaminated but that's the case for food in general.

    My daughters will occasionally drink a Muscle Milk chocolate shake or a Greek yogurt MM blend because they like the taste. Sure they also get chocolate milk using Hershey's syrup but does anyone seriously think that this is any better than adding chocolate flavor with protein with powder?

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