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Original poster

How can I 'fatten up' my daughter?!

40 replies

enid · 12/10/2004 11:22

My dd1 (nearly 5) is getting skinnier and skinnier. She is starting to look pale and drawn (probably tired from starting school) and I feel the need to 'feed her up'. Problem is, she hates most dairy - milk, cheese on things, milk sauces. She won't countenance mash either, or butter! She would eat calorific sweet things but don't really want to encourage much of that. She's eating less and less - yesterday she had about four tablespoons of porridge, two biscuits and a couple of apricots for her school snack, pasta with tuna and tomato sauce (a smallish bowl)and then wanted raw carrot, raw cucumber and a bowl of soup for supper. She loves eating raw veg - I know its healthy but I'd honestly rather she would eat mash, so I can smuggle loads of butter and milk in it! She seems to have plenty of energy, but I feel like clucking round her a bit.

Any ideas for calorie boosting foods she might like?

OP posts:
motherinferior · 12/10/2004 11:25

Peanut butter?

Peanut butter, the wholefoody sort, on toast with a touch of Green and Black's chocolate hazel nut spread?????? Sweet, I know, but quite virtuous in its sweetness. And quite quite addictive, as I am sadly aware.

Original poster
enid · 12/10/2004 11:27

God, that sounds amazing! Never mind her, I might have to get that for me!

OP posts:
unicorn · 12/10/2004 11:28

shall watch this with interest, my dd (5.4mths) sounds very similar.
What about nuts (brazils are quite high in calories I think.. especially when covered in chocolate!...)
Also a good source of protein.

snmum · 12/10/2004 11:28

add cheese to things and cream and butter

my Hv said butter, jam and peanut butter sandwiches with a big glass of milk, or milkshake is a very good snack

lots of pastries, chocolate etc.

suzywong · 12/10/2004 11:28

what about going the Elvis route and frying those peanut butter sandwiches in butter after adding banana?

If she likes raw veg why not try crudites with houmous or mayonnaise

motherinferior · 12/10/2004 11:29

Pies? And I know you don't want to go heavy on the sugar, but mince pies are quite fattening.

Avocadoes have lots of nice fat in them. Also would she countenance tinned salmon (or fresh!) instead of tuna on her pasta - more of the oils you need (tinned salmon is usually wild, too, so none of the nasties in farmed) and higher in fat?

hester · 12/10/2004 11:29

Brazil nuts? Dried dates? Fruit smoothies with lots of banana and honey? Fried aubergine and courgettes with a salsa dip?

Twinkie · 12/10/2004 11:29

I don't think you need to think about fattening her up just getting her to eat a balanced diet - don;t give in to her she will not starve herself - sit her down with you and DH and dish her up what you are having - tell her that is the way things are going to be from now one and there is no discussion - believe me peanut butter on toast is no the way to go about fattenning her up she needs protein and carbs in her diet!!

unicorn · 12/10/2004 11:29

thats 5 YEARS 4 MONTHS btw (before you think I am giving nuts to a baby!!!!!!!!)

Original poster
enid · 12/10/2004 11:30

Ooh yes, she likes nuts, thats a great idea. Can feel a trip to the health food shop coming on - can you believe our health food shop also sells the most amazing selection of chocolate so you can believe it is a health food

OP posts:
motherinferior · 12/10/2004 11:30

oooh yes, hummus nicely high in fat and minerals and iron from the sesame, I think.

Can recommend the peanut butter and choc spread. Also, for adults, peanut butter and hot lime pickle. Although fattening myself up is sadly not so much of a priority.

hester · 12/10/2004 11:31

This thread is making my mouth water - and unlike enid's daughter, I certainly don't need fattening up!

JuniperDewdrop · 12/10/2004 11:31

I do the peanut butter/ green and blacks too for DS2. I use granary bread and he loves it. That's the only protein he gets as he won't eat meat or cheese. Mind you he does eat yoghurts

prufrock · 12/10/2004 11:31

If she likes veg try grated courgette fried in butter or olive oil, or spinach - both can handily disguise extra butter or even cheese. How about eggs - boiled and cut up, or as eggy bread?

motherinferior · 12/10/2004 11:32

Twinkie, peanut butter on toast - for breakfast, say - does have carbs, and protein, and fat as well. She does actually sound as if she's eating a balanced diet at the moment, just not much of it.

Original poster
enid · 12/10/2004 11:32

Twinkie, I do think her diet is quite balanced - probably not a huge amount of protein but she eats pasta and toast (carbs). I don't mind making her a few special things every now and again. And she really, genuinely hates milk and milk sauces so I'd feel a bit mean making her eat them.

OP posts:
acer · 12/10/2004 11:32

Well my ds who is 6.5 has lived on bread and jam, fruit and yogurts, choc, cereals, milk with no veg or meat since he was able to eat finger foods, he just won't try, he's not interested, he has seen a nutritionist who syas he is fine, he is average weight and height and one of the most healthies kids I know!

unicorn · 12/10/2004 11:33

I often grate cheese into the pasta sauce, so it melts.. (dd doesn't eat cheese.. but doesn't mind it like this)

suzywong · 12/10/2004 11:37

oh yes avocados, what about making guacamole for her raw veg and nacho chips, you could cram some Philadelphia in it

Twinkie · 12/10/2004 11:38

SO maybe she is just going to be a skinny kid - sorry if I sounded cross but I think the best thing you can do for your kid is make it sit down at the table with you and have a proper dinner (also helps them use a knife and fork which apparently is on the decline these days and school are having huge problems with kids trying to eat everything with their fingers!!) - I know before you all go mad that some people work and this is not always possible though!!

ScummyMummy · 12/10/2004 11:39

enid was the queen of gorgeous, no-crap ingredient, homemade food last time I looked, Twinkie. Would be v surprised if her babies aren't being offered a healthy and yummy diet already so I guess she's just looking for treat type foods which are sure fire kid pleasers without being too unhealthy.

Love the sound of the peanut butter and superior choc spread combo, mi.

acer · 12/10/2004 11:40

My children sit at the table, my sons diet is limited but he is healthy and happy, I'm not about to stress him out by trying to make him eat! He eats his toast with a knife and fork sometimes, so he does know how to eat!

dinosaur · 12/10/2004 11:53

Some great ideas here.

I feel the same about 5-year old ds1 - he eats a balanced diet, but just not an enormous amount, and still weighs well under 3 stone.

motherinferior · 12/10/2004 12:01

Oh, and maintaining the peanut butter note I haven't tried whizzing it into a sauce for noodles, because of the soy sauce issue (am addicted to the stuff myself but even I have Motherly Qualms sometimes) but whizzed with sesame oil and a bit of soy sauce it might be rather fab.

Cor, would do that myself if DD2 hadn't taken all the noodles out of the cupboard and tried to eat them raw....

Pidge · 12/10/2004 12:07

Anything with pastry - especially homemade with LOTS of butter in it. Would she eat quiche? Or maybe a vegetable pasty.

If she's ok with nuts I can definitely recommend peanut butter to make stir fries, maybe with a little weeny dash of soy sauce. Dissolve the peanut butter in a bit of hot water, add soy sauce if wanted, then stir into the stir-fry. Yum.

I know you don't want to do sweet things, but I just made what must be the world's most fattening pudding - Delia's chocolate bread and butter pudding. It is essentially bread soaked in two large pots of whipping cream, butter and chocolate, eggs and then you serve it with double cream!!