To ask for high calorie recipes my 5yo might actually eat...!

[YukoandHiro]

I'm close to losing my mind with my 5yo and her eating.

Short history:
Severe CMP and egg allergies (epi pen carrier)
Never been keen on food from day 1 of weaning
Was ok weight (25th centile) til I stopped BF at 2y 8m
Since then has slimmed down a lot. August birthday so smallest in her class by far - skinny and very short, dropped off the charts for weight by age now but probably just running along the bottom by height (she is in age 4 clothes for height but the waists are always loose).

I'm worried about her weight and her attitude to food. Every meal is a battle with screaming and crying except for the obvious beige foods like sausage chips and beans. She has school lunches as she won't eat packed lunches but often apparently only eats fruit and bread the whole day.

Obvs I can't load foods with cream/cheese

She's never drunk much milk (Oatly or Alpro growing up) and we battle to get enough calcium into her daily.

We try so hard to follow Division of Responsibility but I do get frustrated and I've definitely done a lot of bribing around pudding rather than leaving her hungry just to get the calories in her.

This is a long way of saying - has anyone got any ideas for calorie loaded foods that might actually be attractive to her? All she eats is bloody beige carbs and fruit, and then not much of it.

Nobody?

Will they eat nuts or nut butters at all. They can make a massive impact. If you can't get her to eat them as they are, try hiding smooth nut butters in sauces (if there is anything saucy she eats!) curries or stir fry sauces are ideal.
Will she eat avocado or guacamole. Guacamole has the added benefit of being able to add olive oil to. Or hummus? Either served with toasted pita bread or tortilla chips would be good.
You can also add olive oil to veg or salad and rape seed oil disappears quite well in sauces. Could you make flap jack with non dairy spread? Add in finely ground almonds and dried fruit for bonus calories.

I’d probably just give her whatever she will eat if her weight is that low - you could supplement the beige with some vitamin gummies.

Would be good to encourage high cal foods like salmon, avocado, nuts, coconut if she can/will eat them?

Also is there a milk-free high calorie formula you could try to top up her calories? Are you under a nutritionist?

Thanks! Tricky thing is 1yo is allergic to peanut and avocado - but not tree nuts so trying to work through those to see what's ok to have in the house.

Before DD2 weaned she would often eat PB sandwiches but her sister's doc warned us not to keep it in the house as DD2 had a systemic reaction to skin touch. The other nut butters 5yo isn't so keen on but maybe I could hide them in a smoothie which she does love

Watching with interest as my daughter’s the same. Can you make cheesy pasta with vegan cream cheese? Would she eat mashed avocado with crisps/tortillas to dunk? Stir nut butter into things she will eat, make vegan energy bites/fat bombs as snacks, offer little and often.

Peanut butter and jam on toast or in a sandwich?

milkshakes made with non dairy milk and ice cream with added calorie dense stuff like peanut butter?

obviously if you’re worried also take her to see a dietician.

We are under a dietician but since covid only seen them once a year and they always say just try what you can. They don't like to recommend relying on milk/formula supplementation over age 3. But also DD hasn't ever drunk much milk - one of the reasons bf'd her til I dried up in pregnancy and she self weaned

Sorry just seen your other child is allergic to peanuts.

What about flapjacks?

Unfortunately we can't hAve PB in the house as her sister is anaphylactic - I should have mentioned that in my original post

why can you not load foods with cream and cheese?

Gosh a peanut and avocado allergy in the house dose bring in a whole new level of difficulty, I see why you are struggling!

Thanks @maybein2022 - are flapjacks high cal if made with vegan butter? All the vegan alternatives aren't that nutritious by comparison, it's mostly coconut oil. She loves vegan cheese but her dietician isn't keen on it because it's sort of padding rather than a food.

Does!

Hummus. Peanut butter. Cheese? My daughter (now teen) is/was like this. She will eat pizza, hummus, and bread and fruit. I was the same but grew out of it once I had control over providing my own food. I am a reasonably adventurous eater now (duck with radishes, radish greens, green beans and potatoes this eve). Daughter had bread, ham, and strawberries. I live in hope.

Just give her what she will eat. The more you make food a battleground the more she will resist.

@godmum56 she has cow's milk protein allergy and carries an epi pen

They could be if you maybe use plenty of dried fruit and maybe add some nuts (not peanuts) or something?

It’s odd that the nutritionist seems to be warning you off all these things that could help her gain weight. My 7 year old is v low weight for medical reasons and has always had high calorie formula supplementation and we are encouraged to feed them absolutely anything just to get energy in.

Dietician sorry

@LearnedAxolotl I know this deep down but find it so hard not to be worried/upset about it. I hate that it's something we have to confront three times a day every day. It feels like there's never a break from it.

She went to stay with my mum for three nights during half term and not having to I think about her food for those days was honestly such a massive relief. I didnt realise til I had DD2 (also has allergies but a very good eater otherwise) how much easier parenting is if there aren't any food issues

Would you consider a fortified drink? Fortisip do a juice based option- called fortijuice I believe. They might have a kids range- or maybe they’re suitable for kids? Very calorie dense, fortified with vitamins and minerals and palatable. You can buy, but expensive. My cousin had them on prescription.

@MinorWomensWhiplash1 I know, I have my doubts sometimes about their advice - I've asked over and over if I should supplement calcium as I'm sure she's not getting enough for her age but they say she "probably" is and that thebsuoplekts aren't that good (not very readily available to the body)

Coconut milk is really high calorie - maybe smoothies with full fat coconut milk if she likes fruit she might enjoy making them together.

My toddler loves cooking and baking and will eat more if he has helped us cook it. You could do stuff like shepherd's pie where you pre cook the meat and potatoes and then she gets to assemble it and see if that makes her more keen on eating if she's helped to cook it?

Honestly I'd just give her lots of what she will eat.

If she likes sausages then sausage or bacon sandwiches or a fry up for breakfast would give lots of calories first thing. I always found DD ate best in the morning. Dinner has always been a more picky meal because she's tired and can't be bothered.

Smoothies made with frozen fruit are pretty high in calories and get some nutrients in, you can hide some veg in there too like beet or carrot juice.

Oranges are a good source of calcium if she’ll have fruit, could add to smoothies if she likes those.