How can I help my skinny DD gain weight?

[Dustbunnies]

My DD has always been long and skinny. She was 5lb 3oz when she was born, with long, stick thin arms and legs. Now she's a very active, nearly 6 year old who does several sports (although less so at the moment obviously). She's also vegetarian by choice. She always refused to eat meat, even as a baby/toddler, and she made the decision to become an 'official' vegetarian in September last year, which we've respected, as we believe it's her choice.

She eats plenty, and asks for snacks as much as the next small child, but she does tend to go for fruit and veg over protein/carbs. In fact I really struggle to get her to eat any protein whatsoever. Tonight she stood on the bathroom scales and announced that she's 2st 9lbs. I'm pretty sure this is basically the same weight as when she was about 3! She's 3ft 10, so quite tall for her age.

How on earth can I fatten her up without resorting to feeding her nothing but cake?! Eating meat really isn't an option for her, she won't really even touch fish.

Sorry for the long post, I'm trying to avoid a drip feed!

She is on the 50th centile for height, below the second for weight

If we make her birthday april (so a youngish 6) NHS calculator puts her less the 1 percentile - so underweight

No we dont make children lose weight, but an overweight child would be taught heslthier habits to enable them to slim down as they grow.

If you look at it crudely an overweight child eats too much, so you teach them over time to eat less. An underweight child eats too little, they need to learn to eat a bit more. Its not developing unhealthy habits to learn to eat what your body needs. Hwth doesnt equal eating as little as possible

With all due respect if shes underweight her eating habits arent all that healthy. It doesnt have to be sugar - things like cheese, full fat milk, nuts, avocados, butter.

If she likes veg then offer her calorific ones (disguised if you need to hide the taste). Sweet potatoes / split pea lentils / chickpeas / peanuts / kidney or black beans can all be disguised to an extent if you blend them and add to dishes as a thickener

Also OP thinks she hasnt gained much weight since she was 3.

Thats not always being on the 1st centile.

Its probay worth giving your GP a call

Of course you would be told on MN (and elsewhere) to amend the diet of an overweight child. Ridiculous to say you would told to just continue as before.

@Chillipeanuts

I could be wrong but it seems quite unusual for such a young child to be so aware that she chooses to be vegetarian. Do the rest of your family eat meat/dairy? The first things that spring to mind are oils, avocados, nuts, pulses and rice dishes. Plus good old chips and mashed potatoes with olive oil and garlic of course 😁 But at such a young age, you really need expert advice. A poor diet now could adversely affect her health in future.

She eats plenty, and asks for snacks as much as the next small child, but she does tend to go for fruit and veg

What about her diet is 'poor' exactly?

Not eating dead animals does not make a diet 'poor'.

It's not unusual for a child to prefer to be vegetarian, just a lot of parents force them to eat meat.

To the poster who asked about her size compared to her friends, I have noticed that she's smaller, but I put it down to her being one of the youngest in her year and being so sporty.

With regards to the vegetarianism, I've never been much of a meat eater, so maybe she picked up on that. But honestly, she's always just eaten around any meat she's been given. She hassled me about becoming a proper vegetarian for ages before I gave in, and she's definitely happier for it.

I really appreciate all the suggestions, especially the idea about blending pulses, as she particularly struggles with those. She's super excited about the 'healthy milkshakes' I found online too, so fingers crossed they're a hit.

I'm not going to go on some crazy weight gaining mission, but I am going to make a conscious effort to include a bit more protein and healthy fats into her diet. If that doesn't help, I'll speak to the GP.

I have the same problem with my DS who is now 15. I was hoping when he hit puberty he might fill out but he's just getting taller. He prefers to eat fruit and veg to carbs or protein. He does eat though - about 6 meals a day!

He has been diagnosed with adhd, dyspraxia and sensory processing issues. Which explains his food preferences, he can't eat anything gooey or slimy (cream, caramel etc) and struggles with cloggier food like bread and potatoes. And it explains his high metabolism.

Could there be anything else going on that needs addressing?

IncrediblySadToo

Ok, fair enough. I meant poor not in terms of content but quantity. You’re asking how you can help her to gain weight, which suggests you don’t think she’s eating enough 🤷‍♀️