Table of contents:
- Types of healthy foods as weight gainers for toddlers
- Fruits and vegetables
- Carbohydrate
- Milk and processed products
- Protein
- Fat
- Examples of food portions and menus for weight gain for toddlers
- Breakfast menu at 06.00 - 08.00
- Lunch menu 12.00 - 13.00
- Dinner menu at 18.00-19.00
- Mac and cheese
Your little one is having trouble eating? This condition often makes parents confused. A child's appetite is difficult to predict because there are times when he is very hungry, but there is also a phase when children refuse all types of food. If this goes on long enough, it can interfere with your little one's growth and development because when calculating body weight with a BMI calculator, the weight doesn't increase. There are several foods that act as weight gainers for toddlers. The following is the full explanation.
Types of healthy foods as weight gainers for toddlers
When toddlers have difficulty eating and want to provide weight gain food, the type must still be in accordance with the nutritional and nutritional needs of the child.
The origin of gaining weight with unhealthy foods such as fast food is also not justified because it can add new problems.
Children who need a doctor's help to gain weight generally need a special healthy diet that is arranged in such a way.
Usually, children will be given vitamins and drugs that interfere with the little one's appetite.
But in general, there are several foods that can act as weight gainers for toddlers, namely:
- Whole milk or formula milk
- Cheese or yogurt made with milk
- Fried egg
- Peanut butter
- Cereal and milk
- Coconut milk
The types of food above can be made as a menu list that is tailored to the preferences of your little one. Of course, multiply foods that are dense in nutrients and energy.
This includes fruits, vegetables, protein, fat, and other food groups. The following are food groups that are important and can act as weight gainers for toddlers:
Fruits and vegetables
These two types of food are very important for giving energy to toddlers and some of them, including in the weight gain group. The following fruits are recommended by the Indonesian Ministry of Health:
- Avocado
- Banana
- Melon
- Papaya
- Watermelon
- Apple
- Orange
Does the child need additional vitamin supplements? And you can add the fruit group above because it acts as a vitamin that can increase the weight of your toddler.
You can give it as a snack or a snack from the main meal. The Ministry of Health also recommends colored vegetables as a source of minerals and vitamins, namely:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Sawi
- Lettuce
Avoid giving drinks containing soda and food that is not clean. The reason is this can cause children to experience diarrhea so they need first aid to children when diarrhea.
Before serving, wash them first to clean vegetables and fruit from chemicals that are harmful to health.
Carbohydrate
Types of weight gain foods for toddlers that you can include in the menu are carbohydrates.
When your little one is strike eating rice, you can choose other sources of carbohydrates so that the child's nutrition and nutrition are well preserved. Some other carbohydrate options include:
- Potato
- Corn
- Pasta
- Bread
- Cereals
- Mi
Carbohydrates have a role to provide energy and make toddlers feel full longer.
If you want to reduce your child's sugar intake in rice, you can choose brown rice as a substitute for white rice.
Milk and processed products
Dairy products are included in weight gain foods for toddlers. Milk and its processed products are useful for increasing children's protein and calcium intake.
Several types of food containing milk that can be consumed as a weight gain for toddlers, namely:
- Fresh milk (whole milk)
- Milk full cream
- Yogurt
- Soy milk
- Cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Ice cream
You can also make food from these ingredients to increase your little one's weight. The menu looks like mac and cheese, spaghetti carbonara, pancakes milk and ice cream, and skutelized macaroni.
Protein
This one nutrient is quite influential in the process of increasing the weight of toddlers. Protein can be obtained from several types of food, such as:
- Red meat
- Fish
- Chicken thighs
- Egg
- Nuts
- Tofu
- Tempe
Not only contains protein, the foods above also contain vitamins and minerals which are very important for toddler growth and development.
Some of these nutrients include iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega 3.
Iron and omega 3 which can be obtained from red meat and fish oil are very important for the needs of toddler brain development and learning ability.
In a journal published in Paediatrics Child Health, iron is a very important nutrient and affects children's growth and development.
Daily iron consumption for children under five, namely:
- Toddlers aged 1-3 years: 7 milligrams per day
- Age 4-8 years: 10 milligrams per day
Iron levels above are different for children under five under special conditions. Babies born with low birth weight (LBW) and premature babies, usually need more iron than babies with normal weight.
Fat
This one nutrient is very important as a weight gain for toddlers who should always be in every meal.
But the problem is, the fat contained in these foods is included in healthy fats or not?
The Help Guide states that it is very important to avoid trans fats which are harmful to the health of toddlers.
You can start reducing baked goods and greasy foods. Some healthy fats that act as weight gain foods for toddlers, namely:
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Tofu
- Soy
- Fish
- Pure milk
- Cheese
- Coconut milk
- Margarine
It is important for parents to choose healthy fats for children so that they do not avoid the risk of obesity.
The USDA or the United States Department of Agriculture recommends limiting saturated fat to 10 percent of a child's daily calories.
Examples of food portions and menus for weight gain for toddlers
The Ministry of Health has guidelines regarding the portion and menu of weight gain foods for toddlers, the picture is as follows:
Breakfast menu at 06.00 - 08.00
- Carbohydrates: white or brown rice
- Animal or vegetable: omelet
- Vegetables: sauteed green beans or long beans
- Oil: coconut oil
- 10am snack: cheese filled toast
Lunch menu 12.00 - 13.00
- Carbs: white or brown rice
- Animal or vegetable protein: fried chicken and tempeh
- Vegetables: vegetable soup
- Orange fruit
- 4pm snack: chocolate pudding
Dinner menu at 18.00-19.00
Mac and cheese
- Rice or carbohydrate substitute: macaroni
- Animal protein: minced meat
- Fat: milk and cheese
- Orange fruit
- 9pm snack: UHT milk
In addition to the menu above, you can also be creative with a food menu that your little one likes. When making pancakes for example, mix in one or two tablespoons of powdered milk.
Powdered milk adds about 150 calories and can be added again by giving a glass of milk, which is 30-60 calories.
You can also make milk or oatmeal pudding with extra milk, fla, orwhip cream.
If your little one likes noodles, you can make spaghetti by adding extra cheese which can add up to 60 kilos of calories.
As a snack, you can include bananas as the menu. You can process bananas into smoothiesby adding yogurt and milk.
If your little one likes ice cream, you can make banana split by adding ice cream, sprinkling of nuts, and fresh fruit.
Gaining weight cannot be seen quickly, it all takes time. Avoid forcing children to eat so that they avoid trauma.
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