What foods are nutritious for a 2 years old, that's too skinny?

Question

Hi my son has stopped drinking his toddler formula recently, last week I brought him to MD, he told me he's underweight. I'm just curious what does American kids eat at this age, I'm suspecting it's the food I cook that doesn't have enough calories in there(chinese)

Answer 1

My toddlers love avacado, which contain potassium, folic acid, vitamin E and fiber, in addition to a substantial number of calories.
As an alternative to ice cream milk shakes, I suggest whole milk yogurt fruit shakes. If you really want to increase the calories and nutritional value, you could boost it with some protein powder. Things like coconut milk are also have high calorie count and is flavorful.
An easy-to-prepare food that my daughter requests often is Peanut Butter Play Dough. Mix approximately equal amounts of creamy peanut butter and powdered milk together; sweeten with honey to taste. Aim for a dough-like consistency, so that it can be squished, rolled, and stamped into cookie shapes if he's into playing as well as eating. Sorry to be so vague about the proportions, but it's a forgiving recipe -- and full of protein, calcium, fat, and toddler appeal.
I put butter on all of the kids vegetables (and anything else I can think of: pancakes, toast, pasta, etc.) when they were little. Sometimes I add a tiny bit of salt to vegetables just to make it more enticing. Specifically I take about 2-3 T. of frozen corn or peas, microwave them for about 45 seconds and add a hefty tablespoon of butter.
Another food that has been extremely helpful is whole milk yogurt. Sometimes I add maple syrup to the yogurt too.
You could also make a bechamel sauce-made with whole milk and whole milk cheeses- to add to pastas, vegetables, or breads.
Use lots of olive oils, especially extra virgin olive oil, as they are high in calories but also contian essential fatty acids that are great for the brain.
You can try to give him waffle sticks with some Nutella...or any nut butter (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.). Most of the frozen breakfast pastries have about 200+ calories per serving...and they are quite yummy. (I like nutella because it is hazelnut butter with some chocolate...and my kids LOVE it!)
You might want to try things like mini corn dogs, frozen tamales, or anything that he finds "fun" and that is high in calories from the frozen food section.
I make a cream cheese/ whole milk yogurt dip for fresh fruit. This is higher in calories than most dips, but it tastes better than most dips.
Another favorite is soup or canned pasta (Chef Boyardee) with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Don't let him fill up on milk, juice, or non-nutritious snacks, thinking it's better than nothing. Try to limit intake a few hours before a meal, to give him a chance to get hungry for that meal.
Offer reasonable portions, filling a very small plate with a variety of foods. A full, adult-sized plate can overwhelm a small child.
Offer a balanced meal. Include some favorites, but add some new foods too. Then let himchoose what to eat. What isn't eaten in 20 or 30 minutes can be wrapped and re-offered as a snack next time he's hungry.
Don't let yourself get so stressed that mealtimes become tense. Toddlers are very sensitive to the stress and it becomes more difficult for them to eat.

Answer 2

Let us remember that some kids are just naturally underweight. Making sure your child has a healthy balanced diet is just as important. My daughter, actually my whole family eats a lot of Asian foods. We eat them in traditional ways, little meat and many vegetables. We do add daily yogurt to our diets and I offer cheese and apples or other fruits for snacks. While my daughter is underweight for her size, she is healthy and happy and out MD has said keep up the good work to us on many occasions, as many of our friends children do not eat nearly as many vegetables and fruits as my children do. My older boys were the same way and by the age of 7 they had caught up with the rest of American kids, I only hope they do not keep up with the general American population and become overweight. Look into your culture for different recipes that you may be able to add higher calorie foods to, such as cheese or whole milk, also egg cream is great for breakfast and very high in calories. Just do what is natural and consult your MD regularly to make sure she is continuing to grow in a normal pattern, you do not want to see dramatic jumps in weight gain or loss. Good luck

Answer 3

It depends on the child. My two year old eats a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, cheese etc. It is best when they are underweight to give them very calorie dense foods which are still nutritious - nuts and avocado are both good options. Good luck!

Answer 4

Anything packed w/ nutrients. Avoid high calorie foods w/ no nutrients. Cheese, fruit, scrambled eggs, milkshake, peanut butter on a banana, raisins etc.

Answer 5

he will be fine my daughetr was under weight when she was 2 years old also, she just turned 3 in January and they said her wieght is fine now, i dont change her diet or anything she just started gaining wieght again, she drinks alot of milk, chesse, hotdogs, ham sandwichs, yogut, and chips, and fruit cups and noddles, or and i forgot eggs but that is all she will eat, or if we go out to eat somewhere she will only eat chickhen nuggets or fingers with catsup, but she dont eat carrots, peas and kind of veggies but he wieght is back up and i dotn change anything.

Answer 6

mashed avocardo pear is great with a little mayo,my kids loved it and is full of calories and vitimins, try it, x

Answer 7

Go for dairy products and lots of protein rich beans.


ruby s

Answer 8

pie