2 year old needs to put on weight but is fussy - help!

[Pennies]

I weighed DD2 for the first time in a year today and she's gone and dropped from the 25th centile to just over the 2nd. I can see how this has happened because she zooms around the place at a million miles an hour from dawn til dusk and is far to busy to eat. It's a nightmare to get her to finish a meal as the moment she's feeling even slightly sated she's off and I can't get her back to the table. She doesn't like much protein (won't touch cheese or eggs and is hit and miss with most meat as well), and therefore eats mainly veg.

She enjoys her puddings though - but I struggle to get anything pastry based into her.

The trouble is that I am a firm advocate of the no-pudding-unless-you've-eaten-your-main-course approach so what often happens is that despite her love of puddings her love of doing anything else other than sitting still at the table is greater so she's doesn't give a toss about the 'sanction'.

So, what I'm after is any kind of tip / food suggestions for all meals and snacks / menu plan / advice as to how I can get her to put on weight without filling her full of rubbish food.

tough one, you have my sympathy!

Make sure any yoghurt and dairy you give her is full fat - check the labels. Otherwise have a look at eatwell.gov.uk - think the guidelines for healthy diet for small children are there, should give you some ideas.

Do I give the same food to DD1 (aged 3)? Her weight is fine and eats a great diet.

Everything I give them dairywise is full fat already.

By MinkVelvet on Thu 03-Jan-08 19:47:47

peanut butter - tried this - she hates it
full fat good ice cream - great idea
cream cheese - she hates it
chessey sauces - she hates it
yoghuty drink - again, good idea will def try
smoothies with cram/yoghurt etc - I give her innocent smoothies alot, so do I just mix these up with cream then?

If she had her own way she would l;ive on the following:

carrots + hummous
grapes
organics gingerbread men
pasta & pesto
chocolate

Put butter on/in everything.

Ditto mascarpone, where you can hide it.

Lots of snacks - and a snack can be a bowl of peas or a lump of broccoli.

You could try slightly altering your approach re: main meals and puddings. Give her an amount of pudding relating to the amount of her main meal she has eaten - ie, half main meal = half portion of pud.

My daughters were born on the 50th centile, they now live on the 2nd centile.

DD3 was born on the 97th centile and was on the 75th centile just over a week ago (at 5 weeks old) so I can only presume is making a beeline for the 2nd centile too.

I'm 5' 21/2" and dp is average height for a bloke.

What I'm trying to say is your childs weight at birth is a reflection of how good your uterus is at growing babies. Where they are after that probably has a lot to do with the genes they've inherited.

I know you didn't say your babe was on 25th centile at birth but I'm just saying could there be a similar logical explanation for her diving to the 2nd.

Don't go beating yourself up about this (as I did the first time round) as if it's where she's meant to be you'll only stress yourself and your daughter out and will be unlikely to get any lasting results.

Remember the centiles are a graphical representation of the statment 'if you took 100 children then the spread of their weights would be like this'.

Someone will be at either extremity.

I'd opt for sticking to the good parenting habits you have with regard to food and your daughter unless she's lost the weight with illness.

avocados are great and I agree with no pudding rule, even though she's not eating. Children will not starve themselves, hang on in there, she'll come round eventually.

Would say if she has plenty of energy and is not getting poorly then she's probably fine - I would ignore all this centile bolleaux!

if she likes smoothies then you could mix the Innocent ones (which are all fruit so not much cop for fat) half and half with full fat yoghurt, or make your own.

Coconut cream in curries etc, try cashew / almond or other nut butters, avocados and fatty savoury things like roast potatoes, creamy sauces on pasta etc.

add some more oil to her hummus while you're at it

and more cheese in the pesto

Easywriter - she was on the 50th when born and dipped to25 over the next few months. The last time I weighed her was on her first birthday (though I was sure I'd been a bit more attentive than that). She was two last month and over Xmas I thought she was looking a tad skinny (can see her ribs at her back) and this is why I weighed her today. So as you can see I've had quite a laissez-faire attitude to her weight and I've no concern that she's ill in anyway. Thanks for the reassurance and your own experiences though.

I'm a similar height to you and DP is tall but we're both quite slim (though I'm no way near the second centile, sadly these days!!!).

MinkVelvet - ahh, now banana is also a favourite, I'd forgotten that one.

Grat ideas here, thanks this is much appreciated.

What about nuts and high calorie but still healthful snacks like raisins. If she likes veg (and hey there is nothing wrong with that!) give her more pulses so you kno she's getting protein. If you are worried she is not getting enough fat, you could try oily fish like salmon.

If she's got masses of energy, is alert and happy, peeing and pooing, sleeping well and generally a happy bunny, I wouldn't worry - you're obviously doing something right!

Your daughter sounds like my two!

They're both very tall for their ages and skinny as whippets - just like their dad.

I've never had a weight problem myself and have always been skinny to slim.

I agree with seeker and EasyWriter.

If she's well in herself then she might just be a thin person.

my daughter is 2 and a half years old.
only eats the following:-

chocolate,
plain pasta,
cheese,
petit filous,

wont eat any meat!! or much else.
has always been a bad eater, started off on the 25th centile in her red record bk and dropped 3 centiles too!! so was recommeded to see paedatrician till last july.

going to start giving her meals with veg,pasta or potatoe and meat and if she doesnt eat will ignore and put in bin!!

Ground nuts and seeds in porridge or weetabix (lots of iron too, much needed if not eating much).

Veggies dressed with olive oil

Avocado dips

Houmous is fine and quite calorific, it's also an excellent source of iron and calcium. Try perhaps dribbling some extra olive oil over the top. Tahini and lemon juice on their own is a nice dressing for veg.

Biscuits and cakes with lots of nuts in.

If she eats pasta with pesto try mixing the pesto with a little ricotta and/or adding extra olive oil to her portion. Adding peas too will up the protein content and boost iron. You can add extra olive oil to her portion of any pasta sauce.

I personally wouldn't go down the cream route but then I'm not keen on excess saturated fat. There are plenty of healthy fats from vegetable sources.