Is your toddler a picky eater?

Is your toddler a picky eater? Here’s how you can feed her with calorie-rich foods.

I have often seen mothers cribbing about the weight and diet of their toddlers. Kids these days are very picky when it comes to eating. Are you also worries about your fussy eater and are losing sleep over her slow weight gain? If the answer is yes, then welcome to the group of moms of fussy eaters. You are part of a growing number of parents who are looking for ways to feed their toddlers healthier food.

Mothers constantly look for tricks to fatten up their babies. As our society equates chubby with healthy. That is why many women with overweight kids don’t see their babies’ size as a problem. If your toddler is thin, doesn’t mean she is unhealthy. Your genetics also play a big role in determining your toddler’s weight and size. But if you are extremely worried, you can talk to your pediatrician.

The best way to assist fussy toddlers increase weight is to assure that every bite they eat is filled with calories. Today we are here to share some high-calorie food ideas that you can serve to your toddler for weight gain.

High Calorie Foods For Toddlers To Gain Weight:

For a healthy weight gain, your toddler needs a balanced diet. Your baby has a small stomach so don’t despair her small appetite. Three major meals are not enough to provide all the calories. Therefore, serving healthy snacks in between meals is a must. If you are confused about what to feed your little one, try this food menu. It lists all the high high calorie healthy foods for toddlers.

You must serve these food items to your toddler:

1. Waffles and Pancakes
2. Toast and poached eggs
3. Meat and chicken
4. Oats Muffins
5. Banana Bread
6. Pasta with vegetables
7. Fried Potatoes
8. Vegetables like peas, sweet potatoes and carrots
9. Full fat milk and cheese
10. Avocado
11. Fruits like Banana and Mango
12. Dried fruits and nuts

Let us show you how you can extract the best out of every bite:

You can turn simple dishes into calorie rich delicacies. Here’s how:

1. Good Fats work wonders : Ghee, butter, cream and cheese are some of the foods that are rich in nutrients and good fat. Top up your toddler’s meal with a dollop of ghee or butter. These are full of calories and are essential for your toddler’s brain development.

2. Full Fat Dairy : Include full fat dairy in your toddler’s diet. Make sure you serve her ample amount of products like milk, yogurt and cheese. You can add cheese to her vegetables, rice, parantha to bulk them up. You can also serve cheese slice as a finger food air stuff it in between breads to make grilled cheese sandwich.

3. Healthy Soups : Make every bite count by adding a bunch of carrots, peas and shredded chicken to a basic tomato soup. You can try on mushrooms, broccoli, sweet potatoes and other healthy vegetables.

4. Smoothies and Shakes: So your toddler likes all things liquid? Try healthy smoothies! Here are some smoothie recipes for you to try:
Orange 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!
Fruit Punch: 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!

5. Add calories to meals : You can add cheese or mayonnaise to normal meals like sandwiches, breads and toast to increase the calorific value. You can also serve cheese pasta and mashed potatoes to your baby. 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:

Feeding 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.

A majority of toddlers fill 40% of their energy needs through empty calories.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.

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. So, before you turn to full-fat milk, discuss it with your doctor.