While many children gain weight naturally as they grow, kids that do not require help. You might think that it is easy for kids to gain weight, but it is not. It is more difficult than losing weight. And also it is important to gain weight in a healthy weight and not by eating junk. So if your children face the same issue of being underweight then this article will talk about weight gain for children.
For one thing, simply trying to consume whatever or overeat for gaining weight is not necessarily going to be healthy. Along with that, kids who have issues in gaining weight usually do not have an efficient appetite, so they may not consume much to start with. If you are wondering how to increase weight for 7 year child, then this article is ideal for you.
Weight Gain For Children Healthily
Even though parents think that their kids do not eat as well as they would prefer unless they are actually gaining their weight well, it may not be a real issue. Note that being thin and underweight is different. If your child is thin structure wise and eats a lot of junk, then you should encourage healthier eating habits and also give them multivitamins if you think they are missing out on crucial nutrients.
Research proves that children who face difficulty in gaining weight like kids with limited diets are more prone to have an adverse impact on theory growth, nutrients, physical activity, and overall health. Weight gain for children who really require it may include those who are underweight, children with chronic medical history who may require a special diet, and also children who are under special medication that may interfere in their appetite.
Weight gain for children can be a challenge for those who are taking stimulants like Adderall XR, Vyvanse, or Concerta for treating ADHD ( Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). These medicines often decrease the appetite, making the kids less want to eat. Changing the medication or adjusting their dosage may help.
Whatever the reason, some general tips for healthy weight gain for children can include not skipping any meals and eating four or five small meals every day, instead of aiming to eat three bigger meals, since your child likely will not eat all of them anyway. Along with that, encourage one or two regular healthy snacks every day.
Steer clear of non-energy or low-energy containing drinks, like diet soda or fruit drinks, as they can fill up the stomach without offering much in the way of nutrients or calories. Also, limit drinks during mealtimes, so that your child does not fill up too much to want to eat enough food.
The most vital thing, encourage your children to eat when they are most hungry, and to at least have something, instead of totally skipping a meal or remaining empty stomach, if they are not hungry at a certain time of day.
Helpful Foods In Weight Gain For Children
In general, while you want your child who requires help to gain weight to eating foods that are high in calories, these should be nutrient-dense or high-nutrient, energy-dense healthy foods rather than low-nutrient items. So if you wonder how to increase weight for 5 year child, then read on. So you will want foods with a nice amount of fat and protein and other nutrients in a small quantities, such as:
- Cereal with whole milk
- Cheese or yogurt made with whole milk or 2% milk
- Fried eggs
- Orange juice
- Peanut butter
- Trail mix with dried fruit, seeds, and nuts
- Whole milk or 2% milk
You might also prepare a list of the foods that your child really likes to eat and then try to find more energy-dense and nutrient-dense versions of those foods. This should have vegetables and fruits and a variety of foods from all of the food groups. These foods will solve your issue of underweight kids, how to gain weight.
These Supplements Can Help Your Children
Even though nutrition experts usually do not suggest providing kids supplements to help weight gain for children, it can often help to supplement the food they are drinking or eating with extra calories, like by adding the following nutrient-dense items to certain other foods:
- Instant breakfast mix
- Peanut butter
- Powdered milk
- Salad dressing
- Sour cream
- Wheat germ
For instance, adding 1 to 2 tbsp of powdered milk to 8 ounces of whole milk (150 calories) can offer an extra 30 to 60 calories to the glass of milk of your child. Or you could also add a packet of meal replacement powder to a glass of whole milk and that adds an extra 130 calories to that glass of milk for a total of 280 calories. So if you are thinking about how to make a child gain weight fast, then these may help.
Keep in mind that many of these tips on weight gain for children are not usually required for toddlers who may only eat one meal per day. That can be developmentally normal at this age, as many toddlers and some preschoolers may only have one good meal a day and they will only pick at the other meals. But if your children are above the age of 5, and are underweight, you should take good care of them. You can also visit a child specialist if you wish to take expert advice.