kewb Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I give my kids this nutrient dense muffin after swim practice: 1 1/4 water 1/1/4 old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking) 1 stick butter 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 eggs beaten 1 tsp salt 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup honey 1 cup raisins Boil water. Turn off heat. Stir in oats and add butter. Stir to melt butter and then let oatmeal cool unitl thickened and butter is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Preheat oven to 325. Mix in rest of ingredients. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. Sometimes I add chocolate chips. Sometimes I take out the raisins and add chocolate chips and walnuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 That's awful. Why wouldn't she recommend butter. It's a lot better for you. Kids need a lot of fat in their diet anyway. All of us here eat lots of cream, butter, lard and bacon. I have a super skinny daughter and the only thing she gained (a tiny bit of) weight on was whole goat milk. She has the same body type and metabolism as my husband. A friend of ours has a daughter with CF, they too were always trying to fatten her up but they went with high calorie junk food to do it. It didn't work. Not that poster but I think it has to do with the allergy to Dairy is why butter wouldn't be reccomended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 One of the things that a dietician suggested to us when there were concerns about my kids not gaining was switching items that are lower calorie for those that are higher calorie- like not giving orange juice but changing to grape juice. I would supply him with delicious cakes and pastries -they are highly caloric. So a croissant with nutella can be a highly caloric breakfast and then add the smoothie (a smaller portion) made with banana and cream, along with other things for flavor. In the afternoon and evening, I would be offering things like cream puffs, tortes, pies, etc.Switch the meat to higher calorie choices, do things with lots of cheeses- lasagna, ziti, etc. I will be praying for you and your son in particular. It must be very stressful.:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 My daughter had severe growth retardation due to sleep apnea caused by enlarged adenoids. Apparently growth hormone is released at night during sleep. If the child's sleep is disrupted (by adenoid obstruction or perhaps lung disease in your son's case), the growth hormone is not released and growth is inadequate. In my daughter's case, removal of her adenoids resulted in a 20 lb. weight gain within a year as well as growth in height of several inches. She is still small, but her height and weight are on the charts at least now. I would have him evaluated by an endocrinologist who can perhaps determine whether his growth hormone levels are normal. Best to you! I was thinking of this last night. My middle ds had this same issue. He wasn't breathing properly so therefore was not growing properly. Once his adenoids were removed he grew several inches and gained 10 lbs in 6 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thanks, everybody. I am going to print all of these ideas out so that I can keep them in mind. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers too. I really do appreciate you guys. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett_ashley Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 My son actually got a failure to thrive diagnosis and I had 9 months to put 20% weight on him or the feeding tube would come. (He is extremely, maddeningly picky and the type of kid who only eats breakfast). Here's how I did it: For breakfast: blueberry/avocado/banana/heavy whipping cream/whole milk smoothie For snack: peanut butter crackers and Promised Land chocolate milk with a splash of whipping cream (PL Milk has an extra gram or two of fat) For lunch: bacon omelette with fruit For snack: some type of junk (fruit snacks or cereal bar) For dinner: whatever we ate Right before bed: peanut butter and nutella sandwich with 8 oz whole milk and 1 oz of heavy whipping cream By bedtime it was hard to get him to eat a whole sandwich, but by letting him stay up late he was more motivated to eat. (I sent him to bed as soon as he stopped eating.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thanks for all of the ideas, I appreciate it. Just to explain. My son has a lung disease. They are afraid that if puberty kicks in before he grows, then he won't grow. He is ten and weighs 40 lbs. They are threatening to give him a feeding tube at night if I don't manage to fatten him up. We're beyond relaxing and letting it go. I know you all mean well and I don't mean to sound dramatic, but that's where we are at. :( :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I'm another Mom of small kids, and I can't imagine having to fatten them up. I'm so sorry that you're having to deal with health issues in your boy. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 My son is on a high fat diet for epilepsy. I have a special calculator based on fat/protein/carb ratios. Feel free to pm me if you want to compare ingredients for fat content. I have to use fatty foods as the center of my son's recipes. Some ideas: Make your own nut-based crackers using nuts, oil, cheese, spices. Make your own dip for those crackers (mayo or sour cream with spices, avocado-based dips or salsas) Many sauces are made with cream/butter/egg yolks/coconut oil...start using them Make your own ice cream/custard with a sugar substitute (you can also add sour cream or cream cheese...ganache for topping) Make scrambled eggs with yolks only with cream and fried in butter or bacon fat Smoothies made with Fage Total, cream, and fresh fruit Make your own chocolates (lots of wonderful cocoa butter) with butter. Peanut butter is a great addition, so is coconut Chicken satay (peanut butter/coconut oil sauce) Swedish meatballs fried in butter with a cream sauce Spaghetti carbonara Hot chocolate made from pure cream Sandwiches with fatty sausage-type meats (pepperoni, salami, etc.) Fried cheese (we call them cheese chips...fry them in butter until they're crisp and eat with dip) Adding flaxmeal to things Good luck. If I think of any more ideas I'll post again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Italian sodas (homemade cream sodas: flavoring, club soda, cream) cream soups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Trying to remember all of the questions without quoting everyone. My son isn't allergic to dairy and we eat meat (it is his favorite food). We have seen several pediatricians, 4 endocrinologists, 4 pulmonologists, 3 nutritionists/dietitians and 2 gastroenterologists. I know you all have been through the medical gauntlet too. It is frustrating because it seems like they are looking at each issue in a bubble. The endocrinologist only deals with his size, the pulmonologist only deals with his breathing issues, neither wants anything to do with the fact that he has started to have migraines. They don't really know what is causing the issues but insist that each issue is unrelated from the rest. It is frustrating. I'll have to type this out tomorrow on the computer. have you considered a metabolic specialist? I wonder if they could give you different input. My dd has had issues off and on through the years, and she's also seen many, many doctors. She is getting a referral to a triple certified dr (this hospital ONLY works on referrals) that is a metabolic specialist, pediatric neurologist and ICU dr. He takes on mystery cases and people come from all over the nation to see him. Would you be interested in travelling to NH to see him? the pulmonologist dd saw last week HIGHLY recommended him. She says he's fabulous. I'm waiting to hear from his office. I would add flax oil to all his smoothies/shakes for extra fat. I also think the recommendation of coconut oil is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Bananas are great for being high calorie but not empty calories. Smoothie each day with banana, whole milk/cream, and whatever else you want. If your kids already eat a lot of high calorie and healthy food, ignore their size (or lack thereof). :001_smile: My 10 yr old weighs 55 lbs, my 7 yr old weighs 48 lbs , my 3 (in two weeks) yr old weighs 24 lbs. I weigh 96 lbs. It's all good. Oh, how about coconut oil? Use it to bake and make things like pancakes and such. :iagree: I'm a dietitian. If they are healthy and eating well don't rock the boat. If they are ill or listless that is a different matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 (edited) The dietician gave me some high-calorie smoothie ideas and I found some online to try out. I made a menu plan that includes 2 snacks a day. I planned one easy and one slightly more complex snack a day. I figured if he's hungry before bed, then he could have some oatmeal or another smoothie, but I didn't add that to the menu. I found some of the things people suggested, like whole fat yogurt, mix-ins for the milk, etc. Breakfasts: 1. Eggs in a Nest (these are baked hashbrown cups with baked eggs inside) with a smoothie 2. Breakfast burritos with avocado 3. Ham, veggie and cheese omelets with a smoothie 4. Potato hash with eggs and a smoothie 5. Biscuits and Gravy with fruit 6. Crepes with Nutella and fruit 7. Pancakes, bacon and a smoothie Lunches: 1. Leftover Lasagna 2. Cream of Tomato Soup (with cream) and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 3. Beef and Potato Pockets (sort of like a pocket shepherd pie) 4. Chili Pasta 5. Bean Burritos 6. Pigs in a blanket with mac & cheese 7. 3 bean polenta pies Dinners: 1. Tacos 2. Eggplant with Tomato Pasta 3. Quiche and Caesar salad 4. Enchiladas wtih Avocado Salad 5. Meatballs with veggies and pasta 6. Chile Relleno Casserole 7. Lasagna Snacks: 1. Homemade Pizza and pears 2. PB&J sandwich with yogurt 3. Naan, olives and hummus 4. Tortilla chips with layer dip (cream cheese, salsa, beans, avocado, cheese, olives) 5. mini quiches and applesauce 6. Apples and PB with yogurt 7. s'mores and bananas 8. graham crackers with nutella 9. homemade vanilla pudding 10. applesauce and cheese 11. PB and banana pinwheels 12. Nachos and a smoothie 13. PB&J sandwich with yogurt 14. Nutella wontons with fried bananas I also started a blog because I thought that would be an easy way to track what I'm doing. I'll post the link for you all next week after I have some posts up.:) What do you all think? eta: Here are some of the sites where I got smoothie ideas http://www.feeding-underweight-children.com/ http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/during-treatment-recipes http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/ild_nutrition_manual/high-calorie_shakes_and_smoothies/index.html http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/highest-calorie-foods.php Edited November 7, 2011 by Mrs Mungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 :iagree: I'm a dietitian. If they are healthy and eating well don't rock the boat. If they are ill or listless that is a different matter. I already addressed this, it's not an option for us because he is ill. He's highly energetic and his illness isn't due to malnutrition, but it's the reason we must address it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Hey, I appreciated this thread, helped out a neighbor tonight whose mom is losing weight because she is sick. I gave her the suggestion of putting some cream into things mom drinks and doing extra oil's and stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 What do you all think? I think your list looks great. I don't do little wieners much, but I've occasionally baked them wrapped in bacon and sprinkled with brown sugar. It would be a fairly easy snack. We also eat homemade granola with yogurt sometimes. Deviled eggs would also be a high calorie snack if he likes them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Hey, I appreciated this thread, helped out a neighbor tonight whose mom is losing weight because she is sick. I gave her the suggestion of putting some cream into things mom drinks and doing extra oil's and stuff. Just 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil has 120 calories and 13 grams of fat, but doesn't add much bulk or flavor to food. I think your list looks great. I don't do little wieners much, but I've occasionally baked them wrapped in bacon and sprinkled with brown sugar. It would be a fairly easy snack. We also eat homemade granola with yogurt sometimes. Deviled eggs would also be a high calorie snack if he likes them. Great ideas. I think he'd like the little weiner idea, they'd be great for breakfast. I do feed them deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches, I'll add those to my lists of ideas. I do homemade granola, but hadn't added it to my idea list, I'll do that now. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 What do you all think? Hey, these look good. My teenage son really likes bagels - with butter, cream cheese, AND jam. Surely that's got to have a lot of calories? :) I have a girl who needs to gain weight - sometimes we give her chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast made with half/half or heavy cream for a snack. I don't care for the "processed food" aspect of it, but it does have a good number of calories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 This is a great list, especially the lunch ideas. My son has a very small appetite & we are always trying to get more calories into him. I haven't seen these ideas yet, so I'll throw them out: Breakfast milkshake: ice cream, instant breakfast drink mix, milk & some choc. syrup. I use a 16 oz glass, so I put 2 breakfast drink mixes in it. Variation on pigs in a blanket: cocktail sausages, wrapped in American cheese, then wrapped in croissant dough (refrigerated dough that comes in the pop cans). I use 1/2 croissant & 1/2 piece of Am. cheese on each "pig." Chicken & Dumplings (scratch made, but there are some frozen dumplings that are good) Kaukauna port wine cheese spread & pretzels - they have a variety of different spread cheeses. DS like Rold Gold pretzel twists for dipping & he sometimes uses Wheat Thins as well. Soft pretzels (you can get these frozen, but they are also easy to make) w/butter, cheese dip, marinara dip Nachos w/Cheeze Wizz and bacon, melted together in microwave Baked potato - stuffed with whatever he likes. Surprisingly good w/nuts Nuts - warm them slightly in microwave to put a different spin on them (learned this flying first class last month, very good!) Ritz crackers w/cheese, cheese & meat, any kind of spread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I give my kids this nutrient dense muffin after swim practice: 1 1/4 water 1/1/4 old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking) 1 stick butter 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 eggs beaten 1 tsp salt 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup honey 1 cup raisins Boil water. Turn off heat. Stir in oats and add butter. Stir to melt butter and then let oatmeal cool unitl thickened and butter is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Preheat oven to 325. Mix in rest of ingredients. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. Sometimes I add chocolate chips. Sometimes I take out the raisins and add chocolate chips and walnuts. Could you use white flour or gluten free baking mix instead of the whole wheat flour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Hey, these look good. My teenage son really likes bagels - with butter, cream cheese, AND jam. Surely that's got to have a lot of calories? :) He doesn't really like bagels, but maybe I could get him to eat this with toast? I have a girl who needs to gain weight - sometimes we give her chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast made with half/half or heavy cream for a snack. I don't care for the "processed food" aspect of it, but it does have a good number of calories. Many of the smoothie recipes that I have use the Carnation Instant Breakfast. A couple of examples: 1 cup milk, 1 packet chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter 1 cup milk, 1 packet vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast, 1 banana, 1 cup berries, 1 cup yogurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Just 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil has 120 calories and 13 grams of fat, but doesn't add much bulk or flavor to food. Great ideas. I think he'd like the little weiner idea, they'd be great for breakfast. I do feed them deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches, I'll add those to my lists of ideas. I do homemade granola, but hadn't added it to my idea list, I'll do that now. Thanks! Thanks I'll tell them that too. Did you check out sparkpeople, or some way to "count" his calories? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Did you check out sparkpeople, or some way to "count" his calories? I thought about it. But, honestly, I just don't know if I can bring myself to weigh everything before and after and keep *that* close of a log. It seems like a huge time drain. I think it would be easier to sort of list everything on a blog and take photos without worrying about all of the exact quantities. We'll see how the next month goes. I can use the blogger app on my phone to do that pretty easily. If he still doesn't gain weight, then I'll move on to counting calories and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 What do you all think? It looks good! I want to add, that you can mix in powdered milk with almost all of your menu ideas and it will add calories but not change the flavor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 It looks good! I want to add, that you can mix in powdered milk with almost all of your menu ideas and it will add calories but not change the flavor. Someone suggested that up in the thread, I think. Because I did buy powdered milk for this purpose. I also found a recipe for "energy balls" with dry milk, peanut butter and nuts. I think they will make a quick and easy snack. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I thought about it. But, honestly, I just don't know if I can bring myself to weigh everything before and after and keep *that* close of a log. It seems like a huge time drain. I think it would be easier to sort of list everything on a blog and take photos without worrying about all of the exact quantities. We'll see how the next month goes. I can use the blogger app on my phone to do that pretty easily. If he still doesn't gain weight, then I'll move on to counting calories and such. HA trust me I understand, probably what you could do is just estimate that is what we ended up doing. once we had done it for a month we pretty much knew what the fat counts were=that to us was impt and then the calories. I did more measuring cup wise than doing weights, although I just got a scale for me since I'm trying to lose weight. I think blogging will be a great idea. Best of luck, it was such a struggle for us, but it was doing that double duty of keeping the fat counts to 20 grams and calories at 4,000, EEEEK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 In that case, I will add that a friend of mine in highschool drank SlimFast shakes with meals in order to keep weight on during soccer season. She just couldn't eat enough to keep up with her metabolism when she was active otherwise. Maybe something like that or one of the nutrition shakes would help? I realize it's not the most delightful prospect when you eat real foods, but that is what Ensure, Boost and the like were intended for. This was going to be my suggestion as well. One of my older son's had a problem retaining weight and he drank a slimfast with every meal. People think it is nuts to drink a diet drink, but it is high in calories, and as long as you drink it with the meal instead of substituting it for a meal it adds healthy calories. He also loved Ovaltine with whole milk. Another calorie boost is juice, but they are high in sugars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Well, I'm sitting here feeling guilty because I cooked a huge pork butt roast for my family, and they *don't* need the extra calories. :001_huh: The calorie load for the pork roast is incredible, but it's so delicious. :tongue_smilie: If I wanted to add even more calories to this meal, I'd consider adding some barbecue sauce, maybe. I'd probably then serve it with pasta with alfredo sauce made with actual cream and full-fat cream cheese. I'd also serve cream soups made with a roux and cream, and I'd add some really buttery garlic bread on the side, topped with cheese. I currently make omelets with one whole egg, and 3 egg whites, but if one of us needed to gain weight, I'd probably change the ratio to two whole eggs + an extra yolk, and I'd whisk in some cream cheese with the eggs, and then add sausage, bacon, sauteed mushrooms & lots of cheese (the highest fat variety I could find). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 If your kids already eat a lot of high calorie and healthy food, ignore their size (or lack thereof). :iagree: I agree -they will catch up soon enough. I have the opposite problem -a kid who is so fussy I can't even get her to drink an ice cream smoothie so I can hide things in it or eat any vegie except raw carrot and iceburg lettuce :glare: If she ate even a quarter of what your kids are willing too I wouldn't care less about her size :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I remembered something else. Is your son able to do any type of exercising? DS' doctor suggested that he exercise regularly so that he would not only build muscle mass, leading to a weight gain, but because "muscles are hungry" he would have a larger appetite & be able to eat more. My son's exercise of choice has been biking. Now that it's getting colder, I'm going to have someone come teach him how to lift small hand weights safely & effectively and how to improve his balance (core strengthening). We've done a little bit of balance work on Wii fit, but not much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Olive oil on everything. My boys also love oily fish: whole grain pasta with a can of mackerel in oil stirred in - yummy. I had advice like that from a dietician years ago and loosened up on the sugar. I wish I hadn't: the boys have got used to more sugar in their diets and their body shape has barely changed. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 My big concern is that we started really focusing on helping the two gain weight that we, as a family, were not eating as healthily. So sure, the one little guy gained weight. So did three of the adults (my 16yo has actually lost 35pounds but wasn't eating what we were eating). All while the other little guy still doesn't get that sitting down in front of food means to pick up the food (or fork the food) and EAT. And even when you get him to take a bite, he still doesn't get that he's supposed to chew and swallow. Anyway, but even if he did, how healthy is it to constantly eat high calorie, high fat foods? When we were focusing solely on his weight, he was getting very few veggies and fruits because THOSE don't have the calories and fat :( The other thing we're fighting is helping him learn that that feeling in his tummy means he is HUNGRY, not thirsty. Every time he asks for pediasure (WIC provided), we give him food first. It doesn't really work, but....I'm so scared he's going to end up drinking "milkshakes" and using a g-tube and never learn to eat. Then add the behavioral component onto all that. Sheesh. Sister says something or gets in trouble so he stops eating or throws up. How sick is that? Sorry to vent. MOST skinny kids probably just need to be offered food and left alone. But sometimes there are real issues to be addressed. I would think the benefit of working on it with a 10yr old is that he may be able to join in regarding his treatment somewhat. Even though my 3yo has developmental issues, he'll still be more capable of understanding at 10 than he is now. Of course, how much more is questionable. Hopefully I won't have to find out though. Hopefully we'll be over this hump in our lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 You could make your own ice cream with honey which is less likely to make them bouncy. You could also serve them high fat yogurt muffins made with sour cream french toast with fruit and whipped cream on top Pancakes or waffles topped the same way Cheesecake made with full fat ingredients {My great grandma's has sour cream, ricotta, cream cheese, eggs, & butter in it so it's not light in anyway!} Bagels {normal sized} with butter and nut butter Er, I seem to be only giving breakfast ideas whoops! Hmm.. Are they excessively small in regards to their height? We had that issue with one child. Actually.. what we had was a child who was short and thus underweight for his age, but not for his height. The same nurse accused his younger sibling of being over weight for his age, but again she didn't take his height into consideration. She went and complained to someone who came in looked at the charts and very calmly told me to never listen to people telling me they were too skinny or too fat unless the height had been taken into consideration too. ;) That said, my eldest could eat anything he wanted and still be as skinny as a rake. My middle isn't built the same way, poor fellow. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 wow, Mrs.M, what a long thread! I have not read all the responses, so this may be repeated. My son has autism and self-limits food to the max. He's the case story the rehabilitation nutritionists use at our hospital. :lol: Anyhow, one of the many tricks we did with him to increase his nutrition was to increase caloric intake. We desired to make a visible difference within one year because he was so tiny and looked sick all the time. So for that particular goal (there were several going on simultaneously) we introduced vanilla protein powder and sprinkled a little in almost everything. Mixed with regular juice: yum. Sprinkled over cereal: yum. Mixed with applesauce: yum. You get the picture. He put on weight very nicely. He actually has his first little roll around his middle, it's very cute! As soon as we were happy we decreased the powder. He still gets about a tsp every morning, but we're no longer using it everywhere. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Could you use white flour or gluten free baking mix instead of the whole wheat flour? The original recipe called for white flour, so that would not be an issue. I have never tried gluten free baking but I don't see why a gluten free baking mix would not work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcarolinamom Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Add more protein to their diet - it will "last longer" in their bodies than carbs. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I obviously have no idea how long you have been with your specialists, but is there a way to make them communicate? Or get a new team? My little man went years (about 6) diagnosed wrong (I'm not saying your kiddo is dx wrong) because no one would talk to each other. Earlier this year he was seen at a diagnostic center. One Dr was the middleman and he picked out the other specailists for ds to see (I was surprised Dx Dr named a female Neuro with my son's inappropriate behaviors, but she was the right fit). It made a world of difference. Each Dr talks to the others, minus the cardiologist because there are no issues there. He was dx with mild CP and every other issue he has going on is fairly common with CP. We still have eating and sleep to do, and that will add new Drs to the team, but they will all keep up with each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 My son's exercise of choice has been biking. Now that it's getting colder, I'm going to have someone come teach him how to lift small hand weights safely & effectively and how to improve his balance (core strengthening). We've done a little bit of balance work on Wii fit, but not much. Oh, he gets plenty of exercise! He climbs, runs around in the woods, does tennis, he is very active. I obviously have no idea how long you have been with your specialists, but is there a way to make them communicate? Or get a new team? My little man went years (about 6) diagnosed wrong (I'm not saying your kiddo is dx wrong) because no one would talk to each other. Earlier this year he was seen at a diagnostic center. One Dr was the middleman and he picked out the other specailists for ds to see (I was surprised Dx Dr named a female Neuro with my son's inappropriate behaviors, but she was the right fit). It made a world of difference. Each Dr talks to the others, minus the cardiologist because there are no issues there. He was dx with mild CP and every other issue he has going on is fairly common with CP. We still have eating and sleep to do, and that will add new Drs to the team, but they will all keep up with each other. Well, we dealt with one set of specialists in Hawaii and are dealing with 2 different sets here. He's not been diagnosed definitively because of the extreme invasive nature of the tests that will be needed. Fattening him up is one step toward making sure they can do those tests safely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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