Helping a child gain weight

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rgbmore
rgbmore Posts: 85 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
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!
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Replies

  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Very tender roast beef, butter on the veggies, peanut butter, breaded chicken fingers, nuts (cashews are pretty high calorie).
  • Angelfire365
    Angelfire365 Posts: 803 Member
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    Chicken fingers. I don't know a kid who would turn down chicken fingers.
  • ani_terzyan
    ani_terzyan Posts: 35 Member
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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!! :confused:
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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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?
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
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    Didn't the specialists give you a diet plan??
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
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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.
  • tudoroaks4
    tudoroaks4 Posts: 26 Member
    edited June 2015
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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.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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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.

  • Caitoriri
    Caitoriri Posts: 87 Member
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    What DOES she like already? If we know that, we can probably help you calorify it.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    My suggestions were going to be dairy related (half & half on her cereal). What about eggs, chicken nuggets, ground beef?
  • ColdPlum
    ColdPlum Posts: 57 Member
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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!
  • Natsume
    Natsume Posts: 33 Member
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    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.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
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    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!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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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 ...
  • try4better128
    try4better128 Posts: 61 Member
    edited June 2015
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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.
  • PopeyeCT
    PopeyeCT Posts: 249 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    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.
  • blue_eyes1978
    blue_eyes1978 Posts: 127 Member
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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!
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    Put butter on everything. I feel your pain, OP. :flowerforyou:
  • blue_eyes1978
    blue_eyes1978 Posts: 127 Member
    edited June 2015
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    ndj1979 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.

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