One Year Old Who Needs to Gain Weight, Any Food Suggestions?

I had the same problem with my daughter, years ago. The foods I recomend are dates and figs, both are high in calories and nutrients. I usually mixed them with some cut up watermelon (witch contains a lot of iron)and let her dip her toast in the chutney. It seemed to work and she still likes all of these ingredients very much (8 years later).

I hope this helps.
H. Stanley

If you would like her to gain some weight she needs more protein. Scrambled eggs are probably the easiest.

Hi L., My daughter (13 mos) was a little on the light side at her one year. We've added a bit of olive oil to most of her food (total of one teaspoon per meal), give her biscuits with cream cheese on them, and have added avocado. Those items seem to have really helped and they are all really healthy fats.

My son who is 23 months now had the same exact problem!!! He had really bad reflux and was on the liquid zantac as a baby. He was so under weight he was off the growth chart! The doctor was really concerned which made me feel like a bad parent. He wasn't a big eater either which didn't help. You want high calorie foods to help with the weight but not completely full of sugar. Some things that helped my son gain some weight was full fat cottage cheese (worked great!), & full fat yougurt. When I would give him cups of milk I had 1/2 whole milk & 1/2 with either heavy whipping cream or half & half. Also I would give him whole milk with formula in it too to increase teh calories & nutrition. My doctor wanted me to put butter on everything he ate, but I just couldn't do that! So that is up to you. He is still small for his age, but completely healthy. The doctor is not longer concerened and realized that he is just small for his age, whcih makes my husband and I feel better. Funny thing is his brother who is 7 months (they are 16 mths apart) & my 23 mth are only 3 Lbs apart!!! So I am going to have to watch that the 7 mth doesn't go off the chart being to heavy. Crazy how different each child can be. Good luck!

Mom of 3 boys ( 9 years, 23 mth & 7 mth)

If your daughter is not a big drinker, this may not help, but I have 4.5 year old twins who were 7 weeks preemie and both quite underweight as well when they were babies.

We got various suggestions from nurses and doctors regarding high calorie foods and we pretty much settled on Carnation Instant Breakfast as a reliable calorie booster. It does have a lot of sugar, but it also has lots of vitamins, calcium, etc, as well. It got them into a weight range that the doctors were happy with, though they are still quite slender. We chose the French Vanilla flavor so as to not hook them on chocolate too early in life :-)

Also, we kept them on whole milk for longer than usual.

Other suggestions given were ice cream, whole milk yogurt, and cook everything with butter. We didn't follow the first one, but we did follow the last two.

I would agree that if her energy is high, you shouldn't worry too much. Especially if she isn't in daycare or pre-school yet where it's easy to get sick. If she gets sick a lot, then having a fat reserve can be useful.

I had a similar problem. Make a pate out of cream cheese and ground up chicken or turkey meat, put on crackers, walk around and put it in her mouth, etc. Great way to get protein in her. Also, as far as reflux goes. This may sounds nuts but it works for us.Go to the health food store and find a high mineral content natural seltzer water. We love gerolsteiner or apollinaris.We call it bubble water. At first she hated it but saw us drinking it so much that now she ask for it and we cut her juice with it sometimes. Put with a little ice and even lemon in her sippy cup. This helped my husbands acidity so much that we thought, why not? We don't give it to her everyday either. My girl is almost 3 and is a great eater now.good luck!

hi.
have u ever tried giving your baby "ensure" its made to help gain weight and its high in protein. ask the peds doctor about that. i believe they sell it for children as well as adults.
you also to try freezing the ensure to make it into ice cream. its less sweet that way.
one more thing you can try is giving a dessert my mother used to make for me when i was little. its call rice pudding. its very fulling and delicious. u can get an easy recipes online. hope it works out for you

French fries...they work like magic!

Hi L.,
Around this age kids stop eating as much - their eating should tie into thier growth spurts. So you're right that you should offer her high calorie, healthy foods when she's ready to eat!

Avocado is a great one (in pieces, mashed on a piece of wheat bread, mashed even with noodles, or...?). Quaker Oatmeal (that you have to cook but it only takes 5 minutes) made with butter and wheat germ - I add mashed bananas, some low sugar jelly for flavor, and raisins / dried cranberries from Trader Joes.

One other idea is homemade cream of broccoli soup. It's very easy and you can add whole cream. Use 5 cups of chopped brocolli (including stems) with 4 cups of chix or vegie broth (Trader Joes has this without MSG), add some butter if you want, cover and cook for 15 minutes until broc is tender. Then either in a blender (or an immersion blender) blend together. Add about 1/2 to 1 cup of whole cream, some salt and pepper to taste, and you're done! My daughter LOVED this when she was 14 months.

Also, natural peanut butter (or almond butter) from Trader Joes is also very high good fat.

Good luck!

Hi, I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter that refused to eat from the day she was born. She only took in 2-3 oz at a time all the way up to 12 months. As far as real food, she would take a bite and spit it out and say all done. I was so frustrated. She was diagnosed with a paralized stomach. Come to find out her stomach was not digesting food for up to 6 hrs. so she was never hungry. None of the medications worked. I finally had to let go. I could no longer obsess over how small she is. She is now almost 3 and is only 22 pounds. I had to focus on her happiness and how she felt not the amount of food I wanted her to eat. She will always be small and I am finally ok with that. She is healthy. I did feed her an avocado a day for many days....and swiched her to half and half in her milk. To this day she loves rich foods. No matter how calories I stuffed her with she never seemed to gain. So my advice is to seek all the medical treatment possible and then just let go and accept you daughters lack of eating. My daughter is no where on the charts. But who can chart her happieness and love of life.
Lots of luck
C.

I too have reflux and HAD been on meds for years which is essentially just a bandaid not a solution to the problem. At the advice of my nutritionist I gave up dairy. Wow, big difference. Most parents when trying to get their child to gain weight automatically push the whole milk, yogurt, cheese, etc. I suspect that she may have an adversion to it. Try to switch to an alternative milk form (2 weeks)and see if her belly settles and then just start feeding her several small meals a day. For a long time food hurt her so now you just need to reintroduce it slowly. Check out a health food store like Whole Foods or Mothers and see if they have a non dairy based toddler formula. They tend to be high calorie.

Just make sure she is getting high protein and a fair amount of HEALTHY fats, and good fiber through grains, fruits and veggies. As long as she is eating balanced and healthy foods that is all that counts. If she still has probs have her tested for celiac disease- which means she can't break down glutens in foods. This will cause her do be malnourished. Its more common then you think. It hurts the tummy and she won't be interested in eating.

One last tip from a refluxer- don't eat and drink at the same time. Liquids fill your belly fast and leave no room for food and cause it to shoot right back up.
Let me know if you want more "insider tips".
C.

Avacados! Both my daughters love them and they're high in the good cholesterol fat.

My beautiful daughter had the same 18 years ago. Back then the only thing to do cause they didnt have mediciane was to let her get her fill about 1 hr before bed but if she was to eat anything just before bed we would keep her in an upright position for a while for her digestion to help us out. As far as suggestions for food... we just had it available to her and almost continual small nutritional snacks helped but around age 4 things started to normalize and her muscle started to mature. Weight came on from then. Hang in there! M.-CA

Has your pediatrician checked to see if your daughter is tongue tied? Your description sounds exactly like my best friend's daughter. She is 18 months old. When she was about a year old, they finally figured out that she was tongue-tied and had the band under her tongue clipped (frenulum release). It took a minute to do and she barely cried. This has allowed her to drink and eat pretty much normally right away. They think it was the reason she was unable to latch on properly to the breast or bottle and had difficulty swallowing, so she was sucking in so much air into her belly before, causing pain and reflux. If this is not the problem, best wishes on finding the right answers for you. My food suggestions are whole milk, cheese, avocado, and good proteins like chicken or turkey. Good luck!

my daughter (now 3 1/2) was lactose intolerant and couldn't have have any dairy or cruciferous vegetables (no dairy, no onions, garlic, brocolli, cauliflower, et cetera), as she would get horrible gas and wail and poot for hours. She was tiny and I worried about her getting adequate protein.

on a lactose intorerant friend's advice, I tried goat's milk yogurt, & she was able to handle from about 9 months (got it from Trader Joes). I put applesauce or fruit preserves with it. You might try this - it's full fat and has lots of protein. She also liked 'cheerio oreos' where we put soy cheese between cheerios for fingerfood with protein.

best of luck. Mine outgrew her intolerances shortly after her first birthday, and now eats anything that isn't walking faster than she is (especially brocolli and cooked onions)!

If your wee one tolerates dairy, try making a 'baked custard' with cream or half & half instead of milk. And extra egg yolks, perhaps, lots of vanilla and not much sugar. . . this is what I fed a friend in hospital to boost her back up into a better weight range. It worked for her! a couple of links below for standard baked custard (skip the nutmeg at first)(http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Baked_Custard_Recipe_4)
(http://southernfood.about.com/od/puddingrecipes/r/bl30727...) (http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/3566/egg-custard.html)

My daughter had reflux as well as a heart condition (repaired); anyway, our nutritionist had us add a carbohydrate additive as well as olive oil (or the oil you prefer) to her food. It helped! Another thing-- check out the book "Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense." It helped me relax about the issue. :)

Reflux is generally a symptom of an allergic reaction. Instead of treating the symptom, I suggest you cure the cause. Yep, you can now cure allergies, not just treat them.

My suggestion to you is that you visit NAET.com, order and read the book "Say Good-Bye to Children's Allergies" and make an appointment to consult with an NAET certified doctor. I go to Dr. David Karaba in Fullerton and absolutely love him. My 11 month old grand daughter and 10 year old grand daughter also go to him. His phone number is ###-###-####. One of the wonderful things about NAET is that for children or the infirm, they can be treated through a surrogate, i.e., you. Here is the description paragraph from the book information.

"Say Good-bye to Children’s Allergies
By - Devi S. Nambudripad, M.D., D.C., L.Ac., R.N., Ph.D.

In Say Good-bye to Children’s Allergies, Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, the developer of NAET®, will help you understand your child’s illness and will assist you in finding the right help to achieve better health for your child. This book will show you how certain commonly used products in your foods and environment can cause health problems in your child; how you can test your child in your privacy of your own home using the Nambudripad’s Testing Techniques described in the book. This book will educate you how your child’s health problems can relate to allergy, a traditionally under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed condition; and, how allergies can manifest into myriad symptoms that might seem unrelated. The author also provides remedies for mild conditions of common childhood ailments arising from allergies and how to find help in assisting your child find the right help for serious problems such as, asthma, hay-fever, common colds, sinus problems, milk allergy, peanut allergy, sugar allergy, hives, gastritis, vomiting, colic for newborns, ear infections, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, bronchitis, drug reactions, and many other conditions. Dr. Nambudripad explains how allergies are often the underlying causes to pediatric problems and how NAET® testing procedures and NAET® treatments can offer relief from these allergies. The book is supported by NAET® practitioners’ testimonials and patients’ success stories."

Please go to www.westonaprice.org. All the information is there. Blessings and aloha.

L.,

Avocados are great. They're high in good fat and have lots of nutrients.

M.

Hi L.,

My son is small (height and weight) for his age. Our Dr. suggested olive oil, butter and Carnation Instant Breakfast mix with his milk. I actually started giving him the Wal-Mart brand Pediasure. He gets one every night after dinner. That way if he doesn't eat a good dinner I know he's still getting the nutrients he needs for the day. He loves the drink and usually will drink the entire thing in just a few minutes. He is still small (compared to the statistics) but is very proportionate for his body size. He has gained weight since being on the drink which has eased my mind. He's a very picky eater and doesn't really eat much so it has helped us. Good luck!
J.

I also have a daughter (20 months) who struggled with acid reflux since birth. Her weight has always been low for her size and age. Although my pediatrician was never overly concerned, I started feeding her soymilk. She is also a very small eater, but would go through periods where she would eat quite a bit. I wouldn't be overly concerned unless the doctor is. My sister in law's daughter was the very same way and caught up with her weight by the time she was 3 yrs old. I too was a very thin child who wasn't a big eater. Good lu.ck! I was actually surprised that my daughter would drink the soymilk,since she is sooo picky. I gave her the vanilla one.

Hi there! I know what you are going through with trying to get your little one to gain weight. My son was born on the lighter side as well and has remained there. The doctors did a battery of tests and all came out well but there was one test looming over our heads. They wanted to give him a urine test which involved a catheter. I could not bear that so the only thing I could think of was hot dogs and avocados. My husband and I are healthy eaters so the thought of feeding him hot dogs was not my favorite thought but the catheter was worse. We mashed up the avocado with a little butter and a pinch of salt and spoon fed it to him and he loved it. Needless to say...he gained weight and no longer needs any tests. He is now 17 months old and still a very light eater but finally on the charts. We finally decided that that is him and he may never be a big eater. He eats when he is hungry and could truly care less about it. He would rather be playing!

Hope this helped....sorry for the book!

D.
Seal Beach

Dear L.,

Talk more with the pediatrician - make him give you better guidance. Tell him that you re worried about her brain growth and that she may need more food for proper maturing. Has he checked her iron? My gr grand daughter had to be given iron for a long time when she was young because she was always a bit under weight for her age and size.

Maybe you should give her food more often, but small amounts until she gets older. I would try that along with the other suggestions that you get from these wonderful mommies.

C. N.

Unless your daughter is extremely underweight, I wouldn't worry too much about her being thin. I'm an infant caregiver and I've seen children of all sizes grow up just fine. If she is energetic and otherwise developing normally she's probably okay and has plenty of time to gain weight.

Rather than seeking high fat foods, consider feeding her several times a day. At 14 months I'm thinking that she's on table food, and whole milk. You might give her a banana, yogurt, or some other healthy snack in between meals.

Hope this helps.

My youngest had reflux really bad too. I stopped nursing her at 13 months and put her on regular milk. The reflux continued until I moved her to rice milk. Now she drinks RAW milk from whole foods and we have had no problem. She is still small but eats like a horse.

D.
Baby is 20 months and 20 lbs :)

The organic Yo Baby yogurt (by Stonyfield Farm) is with whole milk and high in calories. I would just keep her giving her healthy food rather than fatty ones. She will catch up on weight later.

Dear new mom,

I'm an old Mom but what I've learned I wish someone had
told me when my son was little. Have your little one
tested for food allergies, especially celiac (see Celiac.com)
because it could be that her stomach (lower intestine) is
having trouble digesting certain foods. Don't let the Dr
tell you it's a rare disease because they have discovered
that 1 out of every 133 people have it and don't know it.
If she tests positive (which they have a blood test for it
now although a bioposy is the gold standard for it) be sure
to get yourself and husband tested, it's genetic and you
could have siblings that have it. If I had known about this
years ago, my son would not have gone through being:
under weight, chronic illnesses, a rash that never went
away and got worse with puberty. I'm not trying to alarm
you but go to the web site and get educated and share with
other Mom's.
Older MOM (my son's 28)

Yes! Get her on the product called Extreme X20....
It is mainly Calcium, Magnesium, Potasium, and over 70 MINERALS....The body needs minerals for all of the developments and actions..Also, it will help re-balance her entire system...
Because it dosnt have to be DIGESTED , it will absorb quikly into the body and the cells immediatly....
Reflux may clear up very quik....

e-mail me directly at ____@____.com, or go to the xooma website at
www.xooma.ca

plain yogurt mixed with fruit

If she has no allergies, I'd say avocados, flax or olive oil on everything, nut and seed butters.

Hi L.,
I would take her to see Dr. Sears in San Clemente, they are an amazing group of doctors who helped my daughter with the same condition. Seeing them is the greatest gift that I can give to my friends and they are right in your neck of the woods. I would love to talk to you further!
Many Blessings,
A.
____@____.com

L.,
Her reflux may have resolved, but her belly may be used to the smaller meals. When people formula feed, they tend to give a measured amount each time - people don't eat this way. When a baby nurses he or she may take 3 ounces at one meal and 6 at another. Adults eat at different times and different amounts on different days. She is probably doing the same thing. I wouldn't worry if she seems happy and sleeps well. Did/does she reach milestones? Does her skin look healthy - not dehydrated? What does your pediatrician recommend as a course of action? I would try adding avocado, flax, olive oil, nut butters (if no allergy). Try goat's milk toddler formula or plain goat's milk instead of cow's. Cow's milk may upset her belly - lots of allergies out there. Goat's milk is the closest animal milk to human milk in fat globules and protein. http://www.genesisorganics.com/
Good Luck,
D.

Hawaiian "poi" has been affective in weight gain. Do some research though before you try anything and do talk to your doctor.

my son has always been on the thin side because of cerebral palsy. as long as your little one is active and not lethargic i wouldn't worry too much about the doctor's charts.

you can sneak calorie dense food into meals. use hard boiled egg yokes mashed up, bananas, avocados, use cream instead of milk, nuts (just be carful add slowly, watch for alergies). trader joe's actually carried almond meal, it's almonds ground up like flour. i sprinkle that into everything.

here's another link for high calorie recipes.

http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/recipes/cf_recipes/about_cf...

Do you think she is too light ? I this just a doctor comparing her to some statistic?

Does she seem full of energy and does not tire easily? Is she cranky all of the time?
If the answer is First yes, then no: Then leave her alone, she is fine! keep foods around all day but dont push it on her . she will fell your worry which may not even be your own, and that will make her not trust you.

if she is a happy, playfull normal child, SHE IS FIne! :)

Love H. ( mother of five of all sizes :)

Kids