How to Help Kids Gain Weight
A National Health and Nutrition Examination survey shows, between 2007 and 2008, 3.7 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 were underweight. Children can be underweight for various reasons including malnutrition, underlying health conditions and genetics. Children with a body mass index lower than the fifth percentile are considered underweight. If your child needs to gain weight, there are steps you can take to help him gradually gain weight in a healthy manner.
Instructions
Keep track of the number of calories your child consumes throughout the day to narrow down the possible causes for his low weight. If your child doesn't consume sufficient calories and if he's quite active, he will not gain weight. If he does consume sufficient calories, the cause for being underweight can be an underlying health issue. Bring your child to the doctor for an evaluation. Share your observations with the doctor. He will be able to help determine whether your child's low weight is due to underlying health issues such as food allergies, food intolerance or Celiac disease. Feed your child foods that are high in zinc. A zinc deficiency can cause a lack of appetite. Foods high in zinc include oysters, yogurt, raisin bran, peas, dry roasted almonds and milk. Avoid zinc supplements since these may have unwanted side effects. Substitute foods and increase the amount of food you give your child to promote their calorie intake. Replace low-fat milk with whole-milk, add milk to soups instead of water and add extra meats and mayonnaise to sandwiches. Fry vegetables and meats instead of roasting and baking them. Give your child foods that are high in calories and nutritious. Provide your child with liquid calories by giving him shakes, smoothies and fruit and vegetable juices. Feed your child more often. By eating frequently, your child will consume more calories. Increase the fat content in the meals and snack you give your child. Use cream cheese, butter, margarine or oil.