Underweight is not a Blessing

Ensure Healthy Weight Gain with Nutrient-dense Foods

With obesity epidemic spreading like wildfire in our country on one side, more than one-third of the world’s malnourished children live in India. Among this one-third population, half of them under 3 are underweight. There is ample difference between being underweight and being thin. Children may have a slender body and may maintain it with nutritious eating along with some physical activity. But underweight is actually because of health, emotional or dietary concerns.

It is better to consult your pediatrician/dietitian if you feel that your child might be underweight. Once sure that your child has no medical problems, the only goal would be to promote healthy weight gain with food. Empty-calorie foods (high in sugar and fat) might add a few kilograms but cannot provide your body with the nutrients required by your child for a strong and healthy body.

Plan strategically for your underweight kid. Start by ensuring that the meals and snacks are nutrient-rich. Include healthy protein sources such as eggs, peanut butter, nut butters, bean soups, hummus, full-fat milk, yogurt and cheese in your meals. From the carbohydrates group, choose whole wheat bread and pasta, mashed potatoes and hot cereal while nuts, seeds and avocados are healthy fat sources that will help your child gain weight.

When planning snacks, be sure they provide additional calories and great taste. Consider these healthy, higher-calorie foods:

Children love snacking. Make sure that you feed your child with healthy snacks that provide added calories while tasting great. Try any of these high-calorie food options:

• Make guacamole using fresh avocados, onions and tomatoes or mix avocados into a fruit smoothie.
• Make a dry fruit smoothie with your favorite nuts. Smoothies are the best way to add a punch of   nutrients along with a few extra calories. Use your creativity to add ingredients such as full-fat yogurt, nut butters, seeds and your favorite fruit.
• Easy-to-carry trail mix made with nuts, seeds, dried fruit and chocolate chips.
• Hummus and dips are excellent sources of protein and fat and make a great snack.
• A wholesome bread sandwich with a slice of cheese and your favorite veggies.

Enjoy mealtimes with your children. Try to involve your children in planning the day’s menu, take your kids for grocery shopping and allocate simple chores to your teenage child during food preparation to stimulate their interest in eating food. Read more on involving children in meal planning and preparation at www.firsteatright.com. Doctors/nutritionists & dietitians may recommend a high-calorie supplement drink for picky eaters who are choosy about every item added to their diet.

If you feel that your child is not gaining weight even after adding the required calories to your body, keep working with your doctor to drill out the underlying problem. With patience and continuous meal and snack plans your child is sure to strike a good height and weight balance.