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I need help designing a diet for my middle boy who needs to gain weight.


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Ds 12, is 57" tall and weighs 62 pounds. At his previous check-up, he weighed 64 pounds and was inch shorter. So, he's now in the bottom 1% for weight.

 

Genetically, he is going to be thin at this age. I wore a junior's size 3 when I was in college (boy, those were the days!!!!) and sometimes my mom still took the waist in on skirts and pants. Dh is six feet even and when we married he weighed 132 lbs., size 27-28 waist. Dh was a small, thin kid but even he is getting concerned about ds because he seems almost painfully thin. His face is looking slightly gaunt and he's pale.

 

Ds prefers a practically vegetarian diet though he does eat seafood and chicken. He does like a good steak now and again. But, he shuns a lot of dairy products (except parmesan, mozzarella, and yogurt which are of course, lowfat foods), doesn't like butter - or says he doesn't but sometimes I can sneak it on something and he doesn't notice), won't eat peanut butter sandwiches or on apples, though I can sneak it into some baked goods, doesn't like to snack on nuts, etc. He is a "fruitaholic". He wants all of his veggies fresh, which makes it hard for me to sneak butter, coconut oil, or olive oil onto them. He will occasionally eat scrambled eggs. But, he'd be happy with a baked hashbrown patty for breakfast and a little orange juice, a handful of carrots or celery sticks, a cup of grapes and a banana or orange plus a small piece of cheese for lunch, and a small piece of chicken, plain salad (no dressing), a few green beans (the one cooked vegetable he will eat a little of), and a serving of fruit for supper with no snacks in between.

 

He's very active, runs everywhere, exercises for an hour every day on the Wii Fit (which also reminds him that he is very underweight) so I think that I'm going to have to find ways to get calorie dense foods and a fair amount of fat into this kid. I don't like the idea of force feeding him because the diet he naturally gravitates towards would be very healthy for an adult male.

 

But, we are to the place that it isn't an option. He tested negative for diabetes and over-active thyroid, and celiac/IBS trouble. But, his cholesterol was so low that the doctor said it was dangerous - that he could have a blood vessel in need of repair, something the body does naturally with cholesterol, and he wouldn't have enough to fix it. Apparently, there are dangers to cholesterol that gets really low but the general public is not made aware of this with the war on obesity in this nation. I actually had to ask about this and the doctor didn't know but called a friend of his who went to medical school in Great Britain. This doctor explained the danger to our U.S. trained doctor who apparently didn't have a clue and thought cholesterol below one hundred was wonderful!!

 

We have the organic whole milk, which he never wants to drink, but we've told him he has to have 8 oz. in the morning and 4 oz. at dinner. I just made spaghetti for lunch (whole grain organic capellini noodles) and made him eat two full cups with heavy sauce/ground round in it, 1/4th cup of mozzarella, and a tbsp of parmesan...plus I melted butter on his noodles before I served it (he wasn't in the kitchen to see me do this). He ate a cup of grapes and two carrot sticks plus 4 oz. of orange juice. I'm going to make him eat a cup of ice cream later (the down side of keeping ice cream in the house is that everyone wants it and the other boys don't need to be eating it more than once per week).

 

I am going to try to find a way to make a yogurt he will eat with the whole milk. He likes Stoneyfield Organic Smooth and Creamy yogurt (hates lumps of fruit in it) but it is low fat. So, maybe I can blend blueberries with it well enough that he will eat it.

 

I'd like to make a peanut butter cookie for him that has some oats in it and not a lot of sweetener but I don't have a recipe.

 

Thoughts and suggestions???? Has anyone else gone through this with a child?

 

Faith

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Hi, my ds11 is 62 lbs and we have always fought like mad to get weight on him. He has the complication of multiple food allergies so we are extremely limited on foods he can eat. I hope something here helps you!

 

Avocados are great fats that would fit your ds vegan lifestyle

 

What about sunbutter? It's like pb but made from sunflower seeds, which may be acceptable to him. He can put that on apples, rice cakes, anywhere you use pb.

 

We make candies out of coconut oil, raw cocoa, xylitol, hemp powder (for protein) and goji berries. It has to stay refrigerated but it's a high fat snack the kids can grab quick. If you add whey powder it would make it really creamy.

 

Does he like to dip his veggies in anything? How about hummus?

 

We eat coconut ice creme so that might be more agreeable for your son since it's not dairy.

 

Good luck! I hate to see my son so skinny and gaunt looking. I can imagine this same weight but a little taller looks even scarier.

 

ETA: does he like smoothies? You could put yogurt (or coconut milk) and fruit with some hemp protein or whey protein in one. That should taste good.

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Yes, we are doing this now. We are concentrating on calories & nutrients. I'll have to check on the low cholesterol, they haven't done blood work on ds yet.

 

I make breakfast milkshakes - carnation instant breakfast mix, as much ice cream as the glass will hold, milk and some extra chocolate syrup. It gets calcium & protein into him with all the other add'l vitamins.

 

Pumpkin & chocolate chip muffins - full of good stuff. He loves them. We have a recipe for this that I'll share if you'd like it. This just reminded me about peanut butter muffins - I'll have to bake those again soon.

 

Do you live near a Great Harvest Bread Company? They have wonderful snack foods - whole wheat brownies & snack bars. They also have fantastic cookies that are so loaded down with fruit & grains that we allow them to be eaten with breakfast.

 

Does he eat eggs? Mine doesn't alone, but will eat quiche & souffles. I have a very easy quiche recipe that I'll be glad to post if you're interested.

 

Unlimited snacking is allowed. High protein snacks are encouraged. String cheese is available, but not well liked.

 

He rides his bike daily to build up his muscle mass - the dr. says muscles will get hungry no matter what, so that will encourage him to eat. Tennis to help build arm muscles.

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Both of my boys fit your description! Very skinny kids who eat healthy, do not like milk, and prefer a semi vegetarian diet.

 

I'm about to start my 8yo ds on this diet because his weight fell to the 1% on today's check up.

 

I let him eat the same as before. It's hard to argue with good choices.

 

I will add Carnation Instant Breakfast to his milk. I was just checking their website and there are plenty of recipes to choose from. 1 pkt of Carnation Instant Breakfast will add 130 cal. My oldest son liked a milkshake with chocolate instant breakfast, whole milk and a little ice cream to make it creamy.

 

My oldest son followed this plan and went from 1-3% on the weight chart to 10-12% in a year or so (if I remember correctly it's been over 10 years!).

 

Best of luck, mama!

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I am going to try to make our own yogurt out of the organic whole milk we get. I don't seem to have the knack and it's always runny, but I am going to make a more supreme effort to do this so he gets more fat.

 

He won't snack on nuts but he loves muffins so if someone has a recipe for peanut butter muffins, I'd be mighty grateful! He will eat scrambled eggs but not any other way. He doesn't want them often but I set down today and had a gentle conversation with him about needing to get more calories and fats in his diet so that he won't get sick...I tried not to make it too serious because I don't want to inspire any negative reactions about eating. He gets self-conscious quite easily...more so than most children.

 

I like the idea of coconut candies and he was just a little low in magnesium so something made with chocolate would be great. I have a small container of heavy whipping cream in the refrigerator and some organic chocolate pudding. He asked about having chocolate pudding and whipped cream. So, I am going to make that this afternoon. I have never heard of hemp powder so any information would be helpful...what is the flavor like? Where do you buy it?

 

I don't live near a Great Harvest Bread company - I've never even heard of it. But, I have a bread machine. I could get creative. He likes muffins, he eats the least amount of bread of any child I have ever known.

 

I can get sunbutter at Meijer so I will try that out with him and see what he thinks.

 

Thanks a bunch!

Faith

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Oooo, yes he needs some good fats!

 

Ditto on the avocado & coconut.

 

Will he drink fruit smoothies, to which you could add some protein powder and fish oil?

 

Will he eat salmon steak in addition to that beef?

 

Carnation instant breakfast has been a staple for my dd through lots of dental & orthodontic work.

 

I am impressed that he likes fresh fruit & veggies so well! In time I bet his repertoire will expand. I know that's not helpful for you now, but he is likely to always be a healthy eater!

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Hi AuntieM,

 

I am going to try smoothies. Someone above mentioned hemp powder for protein and I will make them with our whole organic milk for fat content. We'll see how that goes. Sometimes I do think there is a certain texture issue complicating matters. He does like salmon and though expensive here, Dh decided to shave a little money in another department and increase the food budget so that I can make the shrimp and scallop scampi he likes (he eats this right down and I cook it in butter, coconut oil, and with lots of veggies) at least once per week if not twice, plus salmon every week.

 

I've never used Carnation instant breakfast. I will look into it. Up to this point, I've been a firmly no trans fats, no preservatives, no HCFS, cook from scratch kind of gal so we don't have much in our cupboard that comes from a box. But, if it will help him and it isn't chock full of something that I feel is a real health hazzard (trans fats are a biggie), then I'd be willing to add it to his diet.

 

Faith

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Have you looked into Duocal? It's a tasteless, "textureless" substance of some kind :D that you can stir into just about everything that is moist - drinks, soups, sauces, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, icecream, etc. You can also bake with it.

 

http://www.myduocal.com/info/index.asp

:bigear:

 

This looks interesting. I have a 6 year old that was a preemie and we struggle to get him on the weight charts. I am going to follow the advice here and get some CIB for breakfast smoothies, and consider adding this stuff above.

 

I have added flax and coconut oil to smoothies. Problem is that it's tough for him to eat solid food if he has a filling smoothie.

 

I also struggle with having other kinds of high cal things around for him, like puddings or ice cream, because the rest of the family doesn't need it.:glare: DH and I can resist, but it's hard to have ice cream around for him and not allow dd any.

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Hi AuntieM,

 

I am going to try smoothies. Someone above mentioned hemp powder for protein and I will make them with our whole organic milk for fat content. We'll see how that goes. Sometimes I do think there is a certain texture issue complicating matters. He does like salmon and though expensive here, Dh decided to shave a little money in another department and increase the food budget so that I can make the shrimp and scallop scampi he likes (he eats this right down and I cook it in butter, coconut oil, and with lots of veggies) at least once per week if not twice, plus salmon every week.

 

I've never used Carnation instant breakfast. I will look into it. Up to this point, I've been a firmly no trans fats, no preservatives, no HCFS, cook from scratch kind of gal so we don't have much in our cupboard that comes from a box. But, if it will help him and it isn't chock full of something that I feel is a real health hazzard (trans fats are a biggie), then I'd be willing to add it to his diet.

 

Faith

Meant to also mention Costco has some YUMY salmon burgers you can keep in the freezer. They are great on the grill. I make them in the winter on my George Foreman grill. Whole family loves them and they are an easy way to add a little variety to the salmon.

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A thought on exercise, would it be possible to interest him in more musclebuilding type exercises instead of as many aerobic activities? My father was very thin and tall at that age (over six feet and light enough to exercise race horses) until he went on a canoe trip for about a month in a wilderness area that required carrying the canoes between bodies of water multiple times. He came back much more muscular and heavier.

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He won't snack on nuts but he loves muffins so if someone has a recipe for peanut butter muffins, I'd be mighty grateful!

 

Here is our Peanut Butter Muffin recipe.

 

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

3/4 c white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 - 3/4 c peanut butter (we use chunky but you could use smooth)

1/4 c butter

1 c milk

2 beaten eggs

 

Mix dry ingredients together and cut in peanut butter and butter until crumbly. (how I do it: mix the dry, then add the butter/PB and nuke in the micro for about 15-30 sec to soften the butter and PB and then I take my hand mixer and mix it until it's crumbly - most of the time when I make these I'm half asleep and don't have the time or the energy to do it the difficult way, LOL)

 

Add eggs and milk and stir until moistened.

 

Fill greased muffin cups and sprinkle with a mixture of chopped peanuts and sugar if desired (I don't)

 

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

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You might want to check out some raw food 'cook' books. You can find lots of recipes for creative use of non-cooked foods that provide a rich diet full of healthy fats, which may appeal to him considering his food preferences. Alissa Cohen and Ani Phyo are both great raw chefs with fabulous recipe books.

 

Almond flour is a fabulous addition to baked goods and pancakes. Lots of added protein and fat, and easy to insert into many foods. You can also easily sprinkle it on cereal. Try substituting almond flour for a part of your regular flour in your muffin recipes. It's a more dense finished product, but it turns out very nicely.

 

Avacado is great. If he doesn't like it as is, you can toss it in smoothies, serve it as a guacamole side with his veggies, or even add it to mashed potatoes. (Green potatoes are fun!)

 

Does he like chocolate? Here are a couple of my favourite healthy chocolate treats, all with raw ingredients and lots of good fat. Note: Ingredient amounts are all approximate. I eyeball/taste everything as you can't get this stuff wrong. Feel free to experiment!

 

Raw Chocolate Pudding/Smoothies

 

1 avacado

2 bananas

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 tablespoons of nut butter

3 Medjool dates or raw honey to sweeten

milk (cow, coconut, soy, etc) -- enough for the consistency you prefer

 

Toss ingredients into a blender and combine. If serving as a pudding, top with shredded coconut or chopped nuts for an extra treat.

 

Raw Chocolate Balls

 

10 Medjool dates

1/4 cup nut butter (peanut or almond)

3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder

shredded coconut (optional)

 

Combine ingredients in a food processor, or get your hands dirty and squish it all up with your fingers. When combined, roll into balls. Excellent rolled in shredded coconut.

 

I sometimes make these with almond flour instead of nut butter. In this case it's a little less wet, so I tend to use a ration with a little more dates and a little less cocoa. Again, it's all rough numbers and you go with what works to get a good consistency.

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My youngest is quite thin, enough to worry me. Once we were quite thrilled to find he had increased his body weight by about 15% in one week -- when we went on a cruise. So I strongly suggest a cruise as a medical expense! :)

 

We also do smoothies. I buy whey protein powder from Swanson's Vitamins and mix that with whole milk, melted coconut oil and a little ice, plus fruit or chocolate syrup. I usually add a few drops of vanilla stevia too.

 

The key with the smoothie is to make it an extra meal, not a meal replacement. Play around with timing. For my son, we have found that a mid-morning smoothie is best, doesn't interfere with his lunch appetite (we eat a bit later for lunch anyway).

 

I also give him 1/2 teaspoon of salmon oil or cod liver oil after dessert, right before bedtime. Again that is the least likely to interfere with his appetite the rest of the time. I was stunned when he was around 3 and we started this, that was his pickiest phase and he hated everything I offered him, but he actually LOVED the cod liver oil. His body was telling him this was something he needed.

 

We also encourage him to eat protein with each meal. I don't care if it's yogurt or cheese or lunchmeat or whatever, he must find a way to eat some protein. He'd be perfectly happy with pasta and crackers and water if we let him just eat what he felt like!

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Thanks Ranchgirl, I do have a bottle of cod liver oil. I bought it this year in case someone got really run down from the annual stomch bug and needed to be built up again...it's been a nasty bug here. So, I can start that on him right away!

 

I am going to do the milkshake thing and he will get it in addition to his meals. I do have spectrum organic extra virgin coconut oil in the cupboard so I will add some of that as well. How much coconut oil do you put in 8 oz. of shake?

 

Thanks,

Faith

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:lurk5:

I'm watching with interest because I have the same problem with ds10. However, to further complicate things, he does not eat any cheese (except american cheese on a grilled cheese sandwich), does not drink milk (but will tolerate it in small amounts on his cereal), and does not eat any sauces. He does like ice cream and pudding, but like some others, I have children that don't need that on a daily basis. He will eat peanut butter. Any ideas?

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A can of Pediasure has about 250 calories (8 oz). I think Carnation Instant Breakfast in whole milk is similar, but it tends to give my dd diarrhea. Either is a great easy way to get more calories and lots of nutrients into a body. Pediasure, unfortunately, is expensive at about $10 per 6 pack, but we do use it occasionally. Now that dd is a bit older (13), I should look at Ensure again to see if we could use that. It's several dollars cheaper per six-pack, but dd's ped didn't want her on it as a child--too much of some nutrients. Pediasure or the like is also easy to set aside as one child's food--everyone else has to keep their mitts off of it! When my dd was a toddler the doctor prescribed Haagen dazs milk shakes--guess who had a little trouble keeping her mitts off of it!

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Hi Jld,

 

While normally, I would completely agree with you, but ds has lost muscle mass which is not a good thing at all. He is now thin enough that it could impact his internal organs if this were to continue. The doctor even thinks he could end up with stunted growth. So, we are past just being underweight and not worrying about it. Most underweight people still have good muscle tone. He does not and has just recently (since he lost the two pounds) gone from being a really active, robust kid, to complaining of being genuinely unwell and not having energy. Because it seems a little sudden, we explored this with the doctor and no evidence of disease/illness could be found that would contribute to weight loss. When he takes his shirt off, it makes his father and I want to cry.

 

I'm going to buy him some avocado. They can be hard to get here...dh likes them but complains that the ones we can get here in Michigan have no flavor and are like eating paste...(he's from Florida so he's used to vine ripened avocados).

 

Faith

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The doctor can't find anything wrong? Could you take him to another doctor, preferably a vegetarian? I realize one might be hard to find, but you're not far from the U of M, right? I would think there might be one there.

 

I'm sorry he's not feeling well. That would make it seem there is something wrong with his health.

 

Good luck dealing with this, and maybe take a look at some vegan/vegetarian cookbooks. They surely would have ideas for fattening up vegan kids (although every vegan kid I've known has been on the thin side . . .).

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Thanks jld,

 

U of M or Beaumont (another really good Michigan hospital with lots of excellent specialists) will be the next step if he hasn't gained 4 pounds by January 1 - it's a modest goal but something we feel might be doable. Then we'd like to have him gain six more before the end of March. This would put him in the 5th percentile weight wise but hopefully feeling stronger. However, if he starts to gain weight but isn't improving, the mamma bear in me is going to rear her UGLY head and somebody will be getting me an appointment with the right kind of pediatric expert mighty fast!

 

He did just tell me tonight that he feels much more alert and less headachy today after each meal than the past couple of weeks. When I asked him about his meaning of "alert" it boiled down to his feeling lightheaded and especially in the mornings. His concentration must be good because despite the problem, he's doing an excellent job with his school work. He can be a really hard kid to pin down because he's naturally happy-go-lucky and a non-complainer. That's another reason that we decided to get the medical profession involved. For him to complain of any symptoms, is huge. I think one of the other things that concerns me is he normally has a rosy glow about his complexion and he's pale and almost ashen.

 

The good news is that he just informed me that he loves macadamia nuts. I did not know this because its been years since I bought any...they are one of those high calorie, high fat foods that I have a HORRIBLE time resisting. So, they are now on the shopping list and so is macadamia nut butter.

 

Oh, the other thing that alerted us to a potential problem is that as of four weeks ago, he could carry a full horse water bucket and lift it onto the hook. It wasn't easy (they are awkward to carry) but he could do it. Last week, he stopped being able to lift one more than a couple of inches off the ground.

 

It doesn't help anything that I had to fire our pediatrician who is determined to single handedly exterminate homeschooling. I won't regale you with the details suffice it to say his stance has suddenly become, "All homeschooling parents are abusers trying to hide their crimes!" So, I'm dealing with all new people and not a pediatrician. There is only one other pediatrician in our county and she isn't exactly homeschool friendly either. It was a six month wait to get into a ped in the next county. I'm dealing with a very nice family practice DO who seems pretty consciencious and at least he listens, plus his British collegue, and our doctor friend who is home from the mission field after spending several years dealing with malnourished and starving children.

 

Thanks for the advice. I am willing to consider most anything (well, not the hair brained, voodoo stuff obviously) in order to get him back to good health.

 

Faith

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Yes, we did rule out anorexia. The kid eats well and being homeschooled and with only one bathroom in the house, I am able to keep a good eye on him. He eats a lot of food but most of it is low calorie and just about zero fat. Up until know, it wasn't a big concern but now that he's appearing to lose muscle tissue and is losing strength, we've got to tackle it. His diet would otherwise be great for most adults.

 

I haven't tried pumpkin seeds but I'm putting sunflower seeds into a high fat granola that I am going to make for morning breakfast along with his scrambled eggs and fruit. He understands that the doctor needs him to eat more and of different foods than he normally would gravitate towards, but he is being pretty willing about it because he senses that something isn't right and he isn't the energetic boy he was four weeks ago.

 

The mission doctor is exploring the idea that he might have picked up a parasite somewhere that is affecting his gut and he isn't assimilating nutrients very well. I think this may have merit given how much time this kids spends around farm animals and trapsing through the local swamps, marshes, and ditches when given a chance. I still have to watch him carefully to make sure he washes his hands after handling his turtle. But, he hasn't had any diarrea (well, just a tiny bit yesterday but none before and none today) nor is he constipated. So, I am not certain what the other indications of a parasite would be and how one can check for them. Apparently, they have to be really careful with the dose of anti-parasite meds because shedding them too quickly can cause the child to become gravely ill.

 

Faith

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It sounds icky, but the most common way you'd see most intestinal parasites is to do a fecal exam. (Call it a science experiment...?) Has one been done? Hookworms are actually pretty common, especially if he goes barefoot, but I think he would have seen them at some point.

 

When my daughter was a year old she was an inch or two below the lowest standard deviation listed on the growth chart. Obviously, she was much younger than your son, but I understand how frightening it can be to have a child who needs to gain weight. I had the benefit of a very supportive pediatrician, but I still stayed up at night worrying that CPS would knock down the door. It tears you up inside, doesn't it?

 

I know that you are concerned about long-term eating habits. Is there any chance that you could try to slide in a few more white carbs though? They don't have a ton of nutrients but you may be able to get more calories in with plain pasta than whole wheat. I think making the yogurt is a good idea. Homemade is runnier than storebought, but you can always add milk powder to whole milk before you incubate it. That will make it a little thicker and add more calories.

 

He may not be able to eat as many calories if you're increasing the protein. Protein fills you up pretty quickly, which is why a lot of diets for losing weight emphasize high-protein snacks. Definitely make sure he is getting enough protein, but I'd aim for calories after that. I'd also watch the fiber content. Fiber makes you feel full too.

 

Just like losing weight for someone with extra pounds, gaining weight happens over time. I hope he is feeling better soon.

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Thanks Ranchgirl, I do have a bottle of cod liver oil. I bought it this year in case someone got really run down from the annual stomch bug and needed to be built up again...it's been a nasty bug here. So, I can start that on him right away!

 

I am going to do the milkshake thing and he will get it in addition to his meals. I do have spectrum organic extra virgin coconut oil in the cupboard so I will add some of that as well. How much coconut oil do you put in 8 oz. of shake?

 

Thanks,

Faith

 

I would start with 1 teaspoon, then go up to 1 tbsp or even higher if your son likes the taste. One of my kids complains mightily about coconut oil in his smoothie, but other son and I don't even notice.

 

oh and I just thought of this -- if you are comfortable with the safety of your eggs (I get mine from a trusted local farmer), you could also put a raw egg yolk in the smoothie.

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I had to fire our pediatrician who is determined to single handedly exterminate homeschooling. I won't regale you with the details suffice it to say his stance has suddenly become, "All homeschooling parents are abusers trying to hide their crimes!" So, I'm dealing with all new people and not a pediatrician.

 

Oh how frustrating, definitely not what you need when you are trying to deal with actual medical issues and the ped is instead worried about second guessing your educational choices? GRRRRRRR. Praying you find the right answer for your son and some good medical care.

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You've gotten some great suggestions here! I plan on using some of these ideas myself. My dd just turned 5 last month, and she is 37" tall and weighs 28 pounds - WAAAYYYY off the growth chart and has been for most of her life.

 

Some things our pediatrician suggested for us:

 

- Replace milk with cream: in smoothies, mashed potatoes, etc. Even breakfast cereal can have 1/2 milk, 1/2 cream.

 

- Add oil or butter to all veggies.

 

- Add a couple Tbsp coconut oil to smoothies or milkshakes.

 

- Stonyfield baby yogurt is wonderful! You can also find whole-milk yogurt at a health food store.

 

- If you make your own yogurt, use cream instead of milk. The result will be very thick.

 

- Mashed avocado can be added to lots of things without being detected. The raw choco-nana pudding that was posted is really yummy, too!

 

- I think flax seed is pretty calorie-dense, and it can be added to lots of things too.

 

Good luck! Hope your boy is feeling better soon.

 

Lana

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It doesn't help anything that I had to fire our pediatrician who is determined to single handedly exterminate homeschooling. I won't regale you with the details suffice it to say his stance has suddenly become, "All homeschooling parents are abusers trying to hide their crimes!" So, I'm dealing with all new people and not a pediatrician. There is only one other pediatrician in our county and she isn't exactly homeschool friendly either. It was a six month wait to get into a ped in the next county. I'm dealing with a very nice family practice DO who seems pretty consciencious and at least he listens, plus his British collegue, and our doctor friend who is home from the mission field after spending several years dealing with malnourished and starving children.

 

I've said it many times here before: I think family doctors are way, way better than pediatricians. We tried several pediatricians when dd was young, before finding our wonderful family doc, and they all acted like they were letting you borrow their child. Ick! They also don't seem to take concerns as seriously, because they seem less respectful of mothers.

 

My ds' low weight was causing him to pass out and be lightheaded. The doctor explained that without body fat reserves, they have to eat very frequently. Until we get his wieght up, he is eating something every hour or two. Both of my girls went through the same thing at about the same age; it was just the way their bodies grew. :confused: They added weight in the next few years and are normal weight now (well, the 12 yo is a bit slight, but we think she always will be.)

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Calvin is off the bottom of the BMI scale. He was born skinny and, at 5'8" and 88 pounds, he's still skinny. I've never been able to put any weight on him, but I do try to see that he gets balance in his diet. His likes and dislikes are not quite as restricted as your son's but I find that smoothies are a good way to get calories/fats into him. I make breakfast smoothies with full-fat milk, banana and chocolate protein powder. I also home-make yoghurt, because then I can tailor it to his likes and needs.

 

ETA: for runny yoghurt: try adding a couple of table spoons of skimmed milk powder to the mix - it's what commercial producers to to thicken up yoghurt.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

Edited by Laura Corin
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