Just wondering how some of you feed your 18 mos. old on a daily basis. my daughter just had her 18mos. well baby check up and she is only 19 lbs and my pediatrician just said to feed her more (he wasn't too specific). my daughter is very active in fact more active & stronger than her 24 lb twin brother. this is what a sample of what i feed them in 1 day:
breakfast: around 5oz whole milk, pancakes w/berries, scrambled eggs
lunch: pasta w/sauce, meatball, broccoli, grapes , water, yogurt
snack (before afternoon nap): goldfish crackers or banana & 7 oz milk
dinner: white rice, chicken, peas, applesauce, water, slices of cheese
bedtime: 7 oz milk
Note: i dont really give them juice( they love water) and i think most juices are too sugary and prefer to give them fruit instead. is it necessary to give them juice (even watered down)? dont they get better nutrients from the fruit itself? should i be giving them more snacks? Also, my kids are NOT picky eaters. they've had a big variety of foods: salmon or any fish allowed, beef, chicken cooked all different ways, a variety of veggies & fruits, mexican, chinese, italian, filipino food. the only thing i've really been avoiding is JUNK food (chips & chocolate/candy, etc..) i do on occasion give them ice cream. so far they've had no allergies.
Any suggestions on how to fatten her up a bit?
That looks very similar to my 17 month old's diet. my ped recommends 16-24 oz of milk. Too much can lead to a picky eater and too little won't allow them to get nutrients.
I've recently started with a small snack in the morning also because my daughter isn't eat as much as she used to. I just wanted to offer her another oportunity to eat if she was hungry. 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day is the norm for a toddler.
I don't think it has much to do with milk. I worked at a daycare for 4 yrs and we fed kids that age more often. Breakfast, am snack, lunch, nap, snack, and snack around 5pm, and then the kids had dinner at home.
Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to fatten kids up just to reach a number on the chart. I have two kids very small for their age (4.5 y.o. 33 lbs, 3 y.o. 28 lbs). Someone has to be the 10th percentile. I was a small child, my husband was a small child, and now our kids are small. I think it is very unhealthy the way some peds have parents overfeed their kids fatty foods. Your son is on the same diet and weighs more so I think it is safe to assume there is nothing wrong with your daughter and that the diet is adequate.
Editing to add that juice is pretty much empty calories.
no, don't give them juice at all - there is not any need to. I don't give juice to kids till they are at least 2 and then it is totally watered down.
Your menu seemed great. You may want to add in a mid morning snack or at dinner have the milk then have a snack before bed. Total milk for the day should be 16 to 20 oz. No more than 20 oz at all. It sounds like you are doing a good job of making sure all the food groups are being covered.
Both my daughters were only 18 lbs at 18 mos old. So I understand how skinny that is. But Elise was only 25th% tile for height and Tara was 75%tile for height, so while Elise looked fine that skinny, Tara was in the latter stages of starvation. (Tara is 3 yrs older than Elise, but they were oz for oz the same weights from 6 mos on. This meant for Tara being the first we freaked out with her, but for Elise we knew it was just how our kids were made).
My girls are still really low on the %tile charts. If you are worried, or there are other symptoms like diarrhea, problems sleeping, cough or lung illnesses, etc. then you may want to ask for further testing. There are medical reasons for not gaining weight that I believe should always be ruled out before saying all is fine. But I am a worry wart.
N.
sounds like alot of food but im sure the portion size is age appropriate. if they are on the peds curve appropriatly for age and size keep up the good work. if not adjust and please don't be afraid to ask health care providers for input
Hi! My sons are now 25 and 22 years of age and I teach a Parenting series by distance to blind and visually impaired parents with young children. So many of them say their kids won't eat so many things; be grateful yours are not picky! I remember a friend of my younger son who sometimes spent the night at our house. He barely ate, and I always used to ask him if he lived on air. He's grown up fine. I also have a niece who is very small, too, but she's doing well at about age 11. Your sample meal sounds great! I gave my sons milk at every meal, but that is an individual choice, I'd think. Good luck to you and your family. I hope things continue to go well. However, I know we worry about our kids (no matter what the age) and want to do our best for them.
S.
The only thing that caught my eye....I do not measure the amount of milk they get at meals. They get a full large playtex sippy cup and can have as much as they want. Even in between meals. I would not worry...my middle child did not grow between the 15 and 18 month appt...approaching 3 she still wears some 18 and no bigger than 2T pants. She weighs about 27lbs. Some kids are small!
I would say milk is not the issue. My 20-month old does not drink that much milk (and never has) nor does he eat any cookies and he doesn't drink juice either. He's 28 pounds. You don't need to fatten her up by giving her junk -- but if she's hungry, feed her more (like your doctor said -- give her extra eggs, another meatball, etc.)! Give her more fruit (with meals or as snacks) and other healthy snacks like cheese, veggies, etc... also let her eat more at meals if she wants. I think girls are usually smaller than boys anyway and if she's healthy and active, don't worry too much about it.
I would not worry about weight unless the child is tired, lethargic, sleeps to much, gets sick alot, seems in pain, has diarrhea, constipation or can't sleep. Make sure you are doing whole milk until age 2, you could do whole milk yogurt(yobaby makes a great one), offer her food more often or more food at each sitting. A child generally will not starve themselves with food in front of themselves. If there is always food left on the plate then don't offer more. No need to "fatten" her up as long as muscle tone is good and she is a normal healthy child. Also if there is consistent dark circles under the eyes get her checked for allergies as a skinny kids with dark circles may have a few food to avoid.
Have you thought about supplementing her milk with a high caloric formula? Enfamil has a line called EnfaCare for preemies with low birth weights - you should check with Dr. - this may not be relevant for an older baby, but might help her gain a bit. Otherwise, congrats on feeding your babies so healthfully, you're doing a great job!
Hi M V,
It sounds like you are feeding your babies healthy foods & you should not worry so much about what the scale says. She is just petit. When kids are hungry they will let you know. If you want to try & bulk up her weight then give her whole milk, yogurt & cheeses, not the reduced fat kinds. Giving them milk & water instead of juice is wonderful & so is not giving them the junk food. Remember not all calories are good. Calories from junk food & high sugar juices are not good calories. Calories from whole grains, dairy, fish & meat, fresh fruits & veggies are the good calories. I wish Dr.'s would accept that some kids are just smaller. She may always be small; it's not a bad thing.
Don't know if this will help, but my daughter was not a twin and was only 20 lbs at 3 yrs old- just a very tiny little sprite. She is still in the 10th percentile but very healthy (She is now 8 yrs old and only about 48 lbs)
It sounds like they eat a very well-rounded diet to me. I would not force feed them. Kids eat when they are hungry and have better instincts about that than adults. Also, remember it is actually better for us to "graze" on small meals than to wait for 3 big ones, so make sure that nutritious things are available and don't stress about it too much. If you're ped is worried, ask why. Are they lower on the charts than they were? My ped says that babies who are high on the charts in the beginning will start to level off to where their adult weight/height will be around 1 yr. So, for example, if you have a very large baby to 2 smaller parents, the baby will start in the 90% but then level off a bit because they may end up being a smaller adult b/c of genetics, BUT... if you have a child who is dropping on the chart TOO much, or who is NOT in line with the parents, then you have a problem.
The questions I would ask are:
#1- do you need a new ped who is more forthcoming with info without you having to beg for it or wonder
#2- have they declined to the point where the weight gain is not enough and something is wrong or ped is worried
#3- what can you do? forcefeeding is not an option, diet sounds good. are you giving enough fats- what does ped recommend? have blood samples been taken- how is iron, etc. to test absorption to rule out things like dairy allergy which can cause lack of weight gain
Go with your instincts above all- if they seem healthy to you, trust that. Remember, to most peds, you are just another number and he doesn't see the whole picture of your children- YOU do.
Hugs,
M.
ETA- even though most peds will disagree, you really don't need dairy in a diet- sometimes it can harm. Most cardiologists recommend NOT eating dairy/drinking cow's milk because it is pretty bad in the long run on your cardio system. Just thought I would throw that radical idea out there.
Hi MV,
I have read everyone's respones. My daughter is 15 months and only weighs 19 lbs, 8 ozs, 8%percentile. I used to worry about it, but she eats healthy,is very active, and is still nursing. The only think that I would add would be avacado. It is a "good" fat and will add calories to the diet. My daughter loves avacado. DC
hi,
like everyone else who posted, i think your doing great. quantity and quality both sound great and standard. if she is a good eater, which it sounds like it, i think that's the most important. some ways i have tried to increase the caloric intake in our foods is i would add a tblspoon of olive oil, whole cream or cream cheese where i thought appropriate. for ex: i still puree veggies for my 13mth old. i may add olive oil or cream depending on type of veggie. i also add a tsp of cream cheese to mashed up beans. you just need to be careful with the dairy. don't do it often; too much may make them constipated or not sit well with their tummies. hope this helps!
You don't need to fatten her up. That will only give her problems down the line. I just heard Friday on the Doctors that a 4-5 year old should be 40 to 50 #s. If she's not fussing for more, let her be. You're already doing a great job with your kids eating the variety that they do and no dr. would argue that. Keep up the good work mommy. Fruit has all the nutrients without them drinking sugary juices. You've done your homework. Happy Thanksgiving. (put a little extra gravy on her turkey if she needs more)
My daughters 3 1/2 and 15mos are both on the low end of the weight charts. They are both very active girls. My pediatrician recommended pedisure to their diet. That may be a healthy way to give them some extra calories. I give my girls water instead of juice, too.
The nutritional plan you describe looks great! I would agree with you on the juice; most juice is just empty sugar calories anyway so skip it. Right on with the avoiding the junk too - why start bad habits and give them the craving for it?
Take into consideration your body frame and the rest of your family's build. In my husband's family, for example, NONE of the women are shorter than 6 feet tall and the men are even taller. It comes as no surprise to us that our son is very tall for his age (21 months) and with the height comes the weight (he's 95th percentile). Now, some people would look at his weight and have a panic attack thinking he's overweight or that I'm setting him up for a life of obesity. Clearly this is not the case - he's just a bigger kid because the rest of his family is big.
Looking at your family, does your daughter's body size/shape mimic what you see in your genes? If so, then there really is no need to worry. You can always look into healthy foods that are higher in 'good fats' (unsaturated, etc.), such as avocados and certain types of nut or seed butters. If she seems satisfied, is playing/acting/sleeping normally, eats what is put in front of her and isn't refusing food, and is developing (socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively) at an appropriate pace, then you might not need to worry too much. Good luck to you!
It sounds like to me that you are doing a fine job feeding her and what you are feeding her is a healthy amount of food. I have three girls who are very healthy, the oldest is very muscular the middle one fairly peite and the youngest one is downright skinny,but she has always been a small eater and if given the choice would be a vegatarinan (she's four and it dosent fit in our lifestyle)I am a bigger woman and even though we dont make a big deal about size we do stress healthy eating habits as i dont want them to go through what i do because of weight Toddlers dont like to spend more than a few miniutes eating at a time so the food you do pack in should be nutricious. a good healthy snack that is a little bit higher in calories is a choclate chip cookie with a twist i make them my self and i use a 3 to one ratio of wheat to white flour i also add about a 3/4 cup to a cup of oatmeal and walnuts or almonds and i only put in about a third of the package of chocolate chips it is still good to the taste but it ups the good for youness mostly my advice is just to keep up the good work and remember you have a lot of years ahead of you yet not to pick any food battles you dont have to and relax (It always helps what ever the problem is:)
This is how our routine has gone since we switched to milk and solids.
Breakfast-6oz milk, pancake, oatmeal, fruit, cheerios.
Snack-6oz water, banana
Lunch-6oz milk, casserole of some sort(ex. chicken, noodles, broccoli, cream of mushroom soup), apples, cheerios/crackers.
Snack-6oz water, broccoli or carrots
Dinner-6oz milk,Fish, Fruit, Veggie, rice/potato
Before bed-3-4oz of water and a few crackers.
My son is going to be 3 next month and is only 26lbs, some kids are just tiny, my kids are 28 months apart and only 4 lbs apart, my 8 month old will soon be bigger than him but he is perfectly healthy.
If you are worried, try avacado it is a great source of "good" fat.
I really wouldn't worry about her weight. My daughter was about that weight at 18 months. She is now 3 and weighs 30 pounds. My son was always very big and weighed 25 at his 12 month check up. All kids are different, my daughter eats (and looks) healthy! I was a little concerned about her size and my Pediatrician said not to worry that she will catch up.
Our dentist said you should never give toddlers juice in a bottle or sippy cup and if you do water it down make it only as a once a week treat. It really causes major problems with kids teeth! If you want to increase calories I have tried the Pediasure bars and drinks, very expensive and my daughter wouldn't eat them. I just encouraged more milk and cheese.
Good Luck with twins!
Hi! My kids love milk and I give it to them at every meal. My Pediatrician wants my kids to drink at least 16oz but no more than 24oz of milk per day.
Between meals, I give my kids water to drink. You are correct -- there is no "need" for juice, and feeding them fresh fruit helps them understand the getting-full feeling better than downing juice. But, there is nothing wrong with natural (no sugar added) juices, and we use it (watered-down) on rare occasions. But if you need to give more calories, this could be a solution for you.
The food you are feeding your kids sounds great. I don't have personal experience with kids that need to gain weight. The only suggestion I can think of is to offer a grilled-cheese sandwich at lunch, on occasion. Cheese has a lot of calories from fat, which should help. You do not have to use processed American cheese -- purchase some Muenster cheese from the store deli and use that instead. Tasty and healthier!
Some people are naturally small. My four year old only weighs 27 lbs. I at five years old only weighed 19lbs...my husband was the same way. Believe me we more than made up for it later in life, but as children we were all small.
My son is six and half months old and he's already 21 lbs. He's just big.
As long as her blood test came back normal and not anemic I wouldn't worry about it.
sounds like you're doing everything right! i agree to stay away from juice for as long as you can. i'd add more milk (at least for your daughter) at dinner... that way you can bulk up her calories w/o adding juice.
i've heard that as long as they're not getting more than 20 oz. a day, it's all good, but follow your instincts.
You might want to consider maybe pediasure. My sisters daughter was also 18lbs @ 16 months and my sister didn't really restrict her diet other no junk food and she to was very active. Her pediatrician recommended pediasure and she has gained some weight.
My 20 month old's daily food schedule looks like this:
Breakfast w/ milk (5 ounces)
Morning snack with very watered down juice
Lunch w/ milk (5 ounces)
Afternoon Snack...rest of sippy cup with watered down juice (or just water if he finished his 1st cup.)
Dinner w/ milk (5 ounces)
Our Ped. said our little guy should have between 12-18 ounces of milk. Sounds like you are feeding your children very healthy foods and snacks. I just started making my children smoothies...They love them! I give it for our afternoon snack with some graham crackers.
**********************************************************
*Large handful of ice cubes...crush in blender
*add fresh or frozen fruit (about 3/4 cup) and about 3/4 cup
of milk and blend together
* Add 3/4 cup of yogurt and blend a little more.
Pour into straw cup and serve...it's pretty good...I'll even drink it and I don't like yogurt. :)
You're right on target. I totally agree with the no juice thing. My only suggestion is a mid-morning snack. It looks like they are getting enough protein during the day. You may also want to start thinking about adding a variety of protein into their day as they get closer to 2. Happy Thanksgiving!
