How To Help Your Child Gain Weight

Drinks:

• Give solid food before liquids.
• Drink whole milk or “Half-And-Half” coffee creamer.
• Make “super-milk” by mixing one quart of whole milk with one cup of skim milk powder.
• Use “Instant Breakfast” drink mix any time of the day.
• Limit water, tea, diet soda, or other low calorie drinks.
• Milkshake Ideas:
  • Mix ice cream/yogurt, “Half-and-Half” with-
    Fruit: canned/ fresh/ frozen juice concentrate
  • Syrup: maple/ fruit flavored/ ice cream toppings
  • Extracts: vanilla/ cherry/ orange, etc.
  • Cookies: vanilla wafers/ chocolate cream, etc.
  • “Instant Breakfast” packet

Dairy:

• Use ‘super-milk” in cooking hot cereal, cream soups, whipped potatoes, and pudding
• Use premium ice cream
• Give yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sliced cheese, and melted cheese as a snack and use them in cooking.
• Ideas:
  • Add any of the items above to scrambled eggs or omelettes.
  • Add part of a packet of “Instant Breakfast” to pudding or ice cream.
  • Make a spread of syrup or fruit mixed with yogurt/ cottage cheese/ cream cheese to use on bagels/ toast/ waffles/ pancakes
  • Mix yogurt/ cottage cheese/ cream cheese with jelly/ syrup or pureed fruit- Dip fruit in it
  • Mix cream cheese with dry soup mix or dry salad dressing mix and dip veggies in it
  • Make mini-pizzas using English muffin or crackers as crust and bottled spaghetti sauce and any cheese, heat in oven

Starches:

• Make French toast using “Half-and-Half”
• Spread Graham crackers or butter crackers with sweetened cream cheese, whipped cream or frosting
• Dip cookies or graham crackers in sweetened “Half-and-Half” or yogurt
• Use frozen waffles with toppings as a quick snack
• Make rice pudding with “Half-and-Half”
• Add margarine/ gravy/ cheese to potatoes/ bread/ rice/ noodles
• Use mashed beans (mild refried beans) as chip dip or as one layer of mini-pizza

Vegetables:

• Saute’ in oil/ margarine or deep fry
• Add margarine/ cheese/ salad dressing to cooked veggies
• Dip raw veggies in salad dressing
• Marinate raw veggies in salad dressing
• If using baby food, compare labels and look for higher calories

Fruit:             

• Buy fruit canned in heavy syrup and do not drain off
• Use fruit to flavor other foods as previously mentioned
• Sweeten melted butter with syrup form canned fruit and use as a fruit dip
• Keep fresh fruit cut up and easily accessible
• If using baby food, compare labels and look for higher calories

Meat:              

• Use higher fat cuts of meat
• Add gravy/ stuffing/ cheese
• Add canned meat (tuna/ chicken) to noodles, rice, veggies
• Make casseroles: meat/ cheese/ noodles/ cream soup/ veggies
• Add extra meat to spaghetti sauce/ canned soup/ pizza/ stuffing/ rice mixes/ pasta salads
• Use meat drippings to season veggie, noodles, rice, and potatoes

Fats:      

• Add extra margarine to warm breakfast foods or to starches/ veggies/ meats
• Use mayonnaise and salad dressing liberally
• Use peanut butter often if your child is old enough
• Avoid foods that say “low fat”, “low calorie”, or “light”