How to Increase Your Child’s Weight in a Healthy Way

A lot of parents experience problems with their child’s healthy eating habits. Most kids tend to be picky eaters, which can impact their health in various ways. Undernourishment can lead to a diminished immune system, low energy levels, and impaired growth. So, if you’re concerned about your child being underweight, below are some valuable tips that can help your child gain weight healthily.

How can you tell your child is underweight?

It is often difficult for parents to tell if their child is underweight. The best thing would be to calculate their height and weight so you’ll know whether you should consult with a GP to tell you about the possible causes and help you find solutions.

There are plenty of reasons why your child is underweight, and the most common ones are simply due to inadequate food intake. Others who need help gaining weight struggle with chronic medical conditions, food allergies, medications, and digestive problems.  

If your child’s eating patterns abruptly change, then you might want to consider trying weight gainer shakes for kids. These shakes help greatly when parents notice a decline in their child’s weight or avoid various foods. Of course, healthy food intake is crucial, but there are also plenty of advantages to using weight-gaining shakes, especially for picky eaters.

Balance a healthy diet

Having a healthy and balanced diet is essential for maintaining good health. Making small changes to your child’s meals and snacks can increase the calories they get, balancing their diet. You should always choose a variety of different foods from the five main food groups and avoid drinks and foods high in sugar, salt, and fat.

For example, try to eat at least five portions of fruits and veggies every day. Base the meals on higher fiber starchy food (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta), eat protein (beans, fish, eggs, meat), have some dairy or dairy alternatives like soya drinks, choose unsaturated spreads and oils, and drink plenty of fluids.

You can help your child gain weight by increasing their portions, especially for foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, and rice. If your child finds it challenging to eat more significant portions, try to increase the energy density of their meals, meaning the number of energy calories per gram of food. These foods tend to be higher in fat like nuts, cheese, nut butter, and whole milk. 

Healthy tips for weight gain

Using healthy food will create meals and snacks that help your child fill out. If you want to boost their healthy weight gain further, you can try the following tips or visit a dietitian who can guide you toward making the best choices for your child’s diet.

Allow eating when hungry

It is perfectly acceptable to let your child eat when they feel hungry to balance their diet and help them gain weight. Avoid setting a time for meals and snacks, and just let them eat whenever they’re hungry. Bear in mind that rather than sticking to a tight schedule of meals, feel free to play with the time of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You can try giving them 6 to 8 smaller healthy meals per day rather than eating three.

Don’t allow empty calories

Don’t let your child load up on empty calories like soda, fast food, and potato chips. These are low in nutrients and won’t do your child’s health any good. Try serving more nourishing, whole foods as much as possible. Although it’s healthy to be hydrated, sometimes too much liquid can compete with food for space in their little tummies. So, avoid letting your kids fill up on beverages, especially sugary drinks like fruit juices and sodas.

Don’t limit exercise

Kids need plenty of daily exercise even though they’re trying to gain weight. Unless advised by your GP, it’s best not to limit their physical activity. Doctors say that participating in different activities develops muscles and motor skills and reduces the risk of developing overuse injuries. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends children and adolescents get at least 1 hour of exercise per day.  

Final thoughts

Although stressful, helping your child gain weight can be a fun family activity, too. Get creative with the meals you prepare and let your child be part of the process. This will further encourage them to eat the food they dislike and feel more comfortable in the kitchen and around food. And don’t forget to monitor their progress, because once they reach a healthy weight, their diet will need adjusting.