Encouraging Toddler Preemies to Gain Weight

So our little one has been sick this week. As a mom it’s hard watching our little ones be sick especially when they are preemie. This week has been especially difficult because my little one didn’t want to eat anything. Today when we got to see the pediatrician my little one had dropped 2.5 lbs. I remember when we were in the NICU every ounce felt like we had just gained a pound so whenever we loose weight my heart skips because he doesn’t have much weight to loose in the first place.

The even crazier thing is that he eats all the time but he is usually running around at the same time. He just always has a ton of energy. I know when we came home I always worried if Dusty was eating enough or gaining enough weight.

Now that he’s a toddler I wish I could say that has changed but it hasn’t. I found some very helpful suggestions on this site http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/foods-toddlers-gain-weight-4148.html

Their suggestions for toddlers are to encourage your little one to eat the following:

Protein-rich Foods
This includes your chicken, turkey, beef, eggs and fish. You can also use items like beans, seeds, and peanut butter for snacks. They also say to add extra calories keep the skin on and add butter or oil.

Calorie-Dense Foods
This includes things like maple syrup, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Adding these to other food items can take your child’s meal from a moderate calorie food to a high calorie food.

Recipe Boosts
This includes adding things like a extra egg to pancakes or French toast. Even giving them some dipping sauces, for example carrots and ranch.

Snack Wisely
This is one of the things I try to incorporate into Dustin’s diet. Things like trail mixes, granola, and peanut butter crackers are all portable and great choices for snacks while we are out and about. Dusty is also on almond mile because he is lactose intolerant. The almond milk has a high amount of protein.

All of these suggestions definitely helped me get some ideas of what to improve on in Dusty’s diet to help him put a little weight on now that he’s loss some. If you have any other suggestions please feel free to comment with suggestions 🙂

Have a great week!