Here's how to help kids gain weight in a healthy way.

Even though childhood obesity rates are high recently, many parents actually face kids not gaining enough weight. This often leads parents to search for tips and solutions to help their kids gain weight. Some parents think it's easy to make kids gain weight, just by doing things experts usually say not to do. But that's wrong and usually isn't healthy.

Also, kids who have trouble gaining weight often don't have a good appetite, so they don’t eat much.

• Healthy ways to gain weight :-

Many parents think their kids don’t eat the way they like, but if kids aren’t gaining weight well it might not be about how much they eat. For example, if your child is thin even though they eat a lot of fast food, you should encourage them to eat healthy food. Make sure they take multivitamins if you really think their diet lacks important nutrients.

Kids who truly need help gaining weight might have chronic medical issues needing special diets. Most often, these are kids taking meds that affect their appetite.

Gaining weight can be especially tough for kids on stimulants like Adderall XR or Concerta for ADHD, even if the dose or medication changes.

• Tips for healthy kids weight gain :-

No matter why some kids can't gain weight, there are some general tips to follow for healthy weight gain in children:

1. Don't skip the child's meals.

2. The child should eat four or five small meals a day instead of three big meals that they might not finish.

3. Encourage the child to regularly eat one or two healthy snacks every day.

4. Parents should avoid giving the child low-nutrient, empty calorie foods like candy, chips, and soda.

5. Give foods rich in nutrients, energy, and calories that have vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients like whole milk, yogurt, and peanut butter.

6. Avoid low-calorie or other drinks like diet soda and artificial fruit drinks.

7. Limit drinks during meal times so the child doesn't get full and can't finish their meal.

8. Talk to a nutritionist for extra help, especially if your child has absorption problems or a medical condition causing low weight.

9. Encourage your child to eat when very hungry, or at least to have a small snack instead of skipping meals if they’re not hungry at a certain time.

• Healthy foods that help gain weight in a good way :-

Basically, on your journey to help your child gain weight you’ll need foods that help reach this goal, but most importantly these foods should have qualities that match your child’s needs for weight gain, for example :-

• Foods should be rich in nutrients.

• Foods should be high in calories.

• Foods should have a good balance of different nutrients.

• Also, foods should come in small portions that fit your child and their eating capacity.

You should set and measure these nutritional standards on the food your child eats, which may be found in foods like:

• Whole milk.

• Yogurt made from whole milk.

• Fried eggs.

• Peanut butter.

• Breakfast cereals with whole milk.

• Orange juice.

• A mix of dried fruits, seeds, and nuts.

You can also make a list of your child's favorite foods, then try to find versions of those foods that are higher in nutrients and energy. The list should include fruits, vegetables, and a variety of foods from all the different food groups.

• Dietary supplements for increasing weight in children :-

Although nutrition experts usually don't recommend giving kids supplements to help them gain weight, adding supplements with the same nutrients kids already eat that boost calories in their meals can often help, like :-

• Powdered milk.

• Butter.

• Cheese.

• Wheat germ.

• Peanut butter.

• Honey.

• Sour cream.

• Avocado.

For example, you can add one to two tablespoons of powdered milk to a cup of whole milk which has 150 calories, adding 30 to 60 extra calories.

You can also replace water with powdered milk in some recipes or add some cheese pieces to some of your child's favorite foods, and so on.