Introducing high-calorie foods for toddlers is a good way to keep them energetic and help them gain weight. On most occasions, it is seen that toddlers are picky eaters and often gain weight slowly. Many mothers become anxious due to their children’s irregular eating habits and consider them unhealthy. However, most people also feel that a chubby child is healthy. This belief often results in parents overlooking the problem of overweight toddlers (1). Children’s weight does not indicate that they are unhealthy as genetics often determines how much your child will weigh (2). That said, if you are still concerned about the low weight of your child, you may consult a doctor to ensure that they are not being affected by an underlying condition. If your doctor ensures that your child is healthy, you may start giving high-calorie food to gain weight. This post shares a list of high-calorie food suitable for toddlers, tips to make their daily diet rich in calories, and some important points to remember while feeding your child.
High Calorie Foods For Toddlers To Gain Weight
Your toddler needs a healthy and balanced diet to gain weight. You might despair at your toddler’s small appetite. But remember that they have a small stomach. It is difficult for them to get all calories from three major meals. So, you need to ensure that they also get healthy snacks throughout the day. If you are confused about what to feed your little one, try this food guide. It lists all the high calorie healthy foods for toddlers. Your toddler’s diet must include (3): These are just a few of the high-calorie toddler foods you can include.
How Can You Make Every Bite Count:
There are ways you can turn simple everyday dishes into calorie rich delicacies! Wondering how? Let us show you!
1. Use Good Fats:
Top up your toddler’s daily foods with fats like butter, cream, cheese, or mayonnaise. Fats are full of calories and essential for your toddler’s brain development.
2. Go For Full-Fat Dairy Products:
Make sure your toddler’s diet has ample amounts of full-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese. You can add shredded cheese to her vegetables, rice, and other dishes to bulk them up. You can also give her cheese slices as finger food.
3. Try Smoothies:
So your toddler likes all things liquid? Try healthy smoothies! Here are some smoothie recipes for you to try:
Orangy Delight: Just blend orange juice and vanilla ice cream. Your toddler will surely enjoy the taste and will also get the required amount of vitamin C and calories! Fruity Goodness: Blend whole milk yogurt, high-calorie milk, and fruits of your choice. A great way to provide your fussy toddler with her daily fruit portions! Go Grapy: All you need for this recipe is some full fat milk and grape juice concentrate. Mix and serve!
4. Cook Healthy Soups:
Does your toddler like soups? Well, make some with milk instead of water!
5. Add Calories To Potato:
Most toddlers love to eat potatoes. If your little one too enjoys eating these starchy veggies, add some more calories to them. Simply mix cheese or milk to the potato.
Things To Keep In Mind:
Providing your toddler with calorie rich food is not enough! You need to keep some points in mind to ensure healthy weight gain.
Introduce solids, and a variety of them, to your baby as soon as you can. Babies, who are exposed to different foods at an early age, go on to enjoy eating later in life (4).
A majority of toddlers fill 40% of their energy needs through empty calories (5). You may be tempted to feed your little one junk food in the hope of putting some food inside her. But in the long run, you may be doing more harm than good. The empty calories derived from junk food does nothing for your toddler’s health but can cause obesity (6). Image: Shutterstock
When it comes to milk, talk to your pediatrician. Most doctors prescribe full-fat milk for toddlers. But according to research, even skimmed milk can lead to weight gain in children between two to four years of age (7). So, before you turn to full-fat milk, discuss it with your doctor.
Avoid juices. They are full of vitamin C but can also cause tooth decay. Juices also lack sufficient calories. So, feed your toddler juices in moderation. Also, give her solid food before liquids (8).
Give her healthy snacks. Instead of cookies and chips, let her graze on avocado slices! Don’t load your toddler’s diet with fiber-rich foods. These can fill her up without providing sufficient calories.
A variety of fruits and vegetables Meals with starchy carbohydrates, such as potatoes and rice Dairy products or their alternatives Pulses, beans, fish, and egg Small amounts of unsaturated oils Adequate fluids
Not getting enough calories Not eating enough food Having health problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux and cystic fibrosis Dealing with infections Having an intolerance to certain foods Having metabolic disorders
