Log in
There are plenty of reasons why some children are underweight. Genetics, changes in growth, or sometimes an increase in height that precedes weight gain are some of the causes of an underweight toddler. Of course, there are a number of solutions to put an end to the mother’s dilemma.
As a parent, you are bound to be concerned about your child’s eating habits and his growth and development. And chances are, you’re a tad anxious to know whether or not he is meeting his developmental milestones. Many toddlers are extremely fussy when it comes to eating healthy food and an unbalanced diet leads to underweight babies.
If your child is underweight, he might not be getting enough calories required for his age. At this stage, he should be eating nutritious food to get his growth and development back on track.Know When a Child Is Considered Underweight and What You Can Do to Help Him Gain Weight:
A child is underweight if his weight is less than a 3rd percentile of the weight on the growth chart.
Give your child a high-protein diet which includes eggs, meat, soy-proteins, and nuts.
Include foods rich in carbohydrates in his diet, like whole-wheat bread, pasta, and chapatis.
High-calorie fruits, like bananas and mangoes, can also be given to children. You can give high-calorie supplementary drinks to picky eaters.
As the child grows you will see an improvement in his health.
6 Solutions to Help Your Toddler Gain Weight in a Healthy Way
Here are simple solutions that you can use to help your toddler gain weight.
1. Create a Relaxed Atmosphere for Eating
Most often kids get distracted by television, phone calls, or the computer when eating. When there are too many distractions, you yourself might feel rushed, which also puts pressure on your baby to eat. Sometimes your child also refuses to eat in such a situation. Creating a peaceful atmosphere helps you and your child concentrate on the task at hand.
2. Set a Routine for Your Child’s Meal Times
Maintaining an organised routine for mealtimes is imperative for your child to fall into a regular eating pattern. Monitoring the clock and feeding him at regular intervals will help his weight gain. If that means pulling your child away from playtime, so be it. Don’t give meals a miss even when you have to go out. Carry light snacks with you so you can feed your children at their allotted time.
3. Increase the Intake of Calories
Some children eat very small quantities. So when increasing the amount of food doesn’t seem like it’s going to help, it’s best to introduce high-calorie foods for toddlers weight gain. This’ll ensure that your toddler is getting the right amount of nutrition. Include foods like full-fat dairy products, cream cheese, mayonnaise or puddings made from milk.
4. Try Weight Gain Supplements for Children
It might be a good idea to include some weight gain supplements in your child’s diet for underweight children, especially if your child has a small appetite. Vitamin supplements should include vitamins A, C, and D and they should be specially formulated for their age group.
5. Try and Make It Easy for Your Child to Eat
Knowing what your child loves and how he loves to eat it is as important as determining the right kind of food for an underweight toddler. If he likes his banana smashed, feed it to him that way. Peel and cut up fruits or mash his food so that it’s easier for him to eat. Serve him his favourite dishes too so that your child looks forward to his mealtime.
6. Offer Snacks but Healthy Ones
Snacks form an important part of toddlers’ diet. Finger foods are loved by children and when your baby picks up finger food on their own, it ensures that they are meeting their developmental milestones. However, be careful in offering snacks. To promote weight gain in toddlers, make healthy snacks like a granola bar, peanut butter crackers, and cereal bars. Oats are a healthy option to make snacks. You can also give your child fruit juices but abstain from those aerated drinks.
