The Skinny on Underweight Kids

    The best way to tell if your child is underweight, or just naturally slim, is to visit your doctor. Most family doctors monitor a child’s height and weight and regularly speak to parents about the growth percentiles that are appropriate for a child’s age. Generally, if the child falls below the fifth percentile they are considered underweight. If the doctor recommends that your child gain weight, he or she will also likely recommend a few additions to the diet to help them healthily add on a few extra pounds. These might include

• Add nutritious calories: Tweak your favorite recipes and add healthy calories. Put cheese or hard boiled eggs in a salad, make pancakes or hot cocoa with milk instead of water or add peanut butter or yogurt to after-school snacks. ∑ Snack on healthy treats: Adding snacks between meals and even pre-bedtime treats is a good way to tack on extra calories. Turkey and cheese rolls, dried fruit and crackers or veggies all are great options.
• Take your time during meals: When your children are heavily involved in activities, they can feel rushed during meals and not eat properly. Try to avoid rushing during mealtime and keep the television turned off. Relaxing as a family will help the process.
• Limit beverages during mealtime: Kids love their beverages. While it’s great to keep your children hydrated, it can be distracting during mealtime. Help them focus on their food by keeping glasses half full until they’ve eaten a significant amount. Then, give them a drink between meals or before bedtime.
• Keep active: Tempting as it may be, you don’t want your children to become less active when you want them to gain weight. It’s always better to promote their healthy habits, rather than enforce negative ones. Add on extra calories or encourage breaks if your child is incredibly active.