Does this sound like a healthy diet for my 21m DS who is putting on weight slowly?

[TheProvincialLady]

DS is dairy intolerent and some other foods also seem to trigger him but we haven't worked out what yet. He just seems to be so skinny compared to other children even though he eats very well and is well ahead on milestones, is very energetic etc. This is what he has had today:

Slice of homemade bread and butter (he tolerates butter)
2 weetabix and soya milk
Small box of raisins
A crumpet with butter and marmite
A full bowl of leek and potato soup that also has lentils in
A strawberry and banana home made ice lolly thing

For dinner he will be having spanish omelette, carrots, peas and sweetcorn and a chunk of home made flapjack. This is all fairly routine.

We are a vegetarian family and I would like to keep DS that way, though obviously if I thought it would help him I would try him on meat (heaven knows what it would do to his stomach though)

He started off on the 75th centile but soon dropped off to 50th where he seems to be best suited, but has dropped to 25th since I had to stop expressing for him at 18 months as my machine broke and I just couldn't do it any more (couldn't BF direct). He can't tolerate soya formula and although we saw a dietician their advice was dreadful - eg put apple juice on his breakfast cereal(?) and give him dried apriocts - he already eats loads of dried fruit including apricots.

So, my gut feeling is that he is fine and eats well, but I thought I would run his general diet by you all and you can give me honest opinions. Thanks

Sounds loads to me! And very healthy. Does he get much iron? I'd stop worrying though. Skinny and energetic is great.

My only worry would be iron and calcium, but assume the soya milk is fortified.

Yes the soya milk is fortified but I do get concerned myself sometimes. He has pumpkin seed butter which I was told is rich in calcium and zinc. No worries about his iron though, he definitely gets enough.

Maybe he could have a glass of soya milk by itself or with nesquik or something to give him more calcium. My son just doesn't like milk, so I have a similar problem, and might just take my own advice here

My mum says I should stop worrying as both myself and DH are slim and were very skinny as children. But I would worry so much less if he could have dairy. It makes him really ill though.

Oh I have tried the soya milk on its own but he won't have it. I did try him on chocolate soya milkshake once and he loved that, but it is low fat and tons of sugar in it too so I don't think it is such a good plan.

Sorry, missed the bit about Nesquick - I could try that, thanks (don't tell anyone else in my LLL group)

shhhh!
I agree with your ds about the chocolate soya milkshake, it's delicious! But I suppose with Nesquik you can control the amount you add to keep sugar levels down a bit.

Personally, I think mine needs and really enjoys red meat and other meat like chicken. What does he get that he has to really chew on (like meat)?
Don't mean to have a go, but when my veg friends' ds sees meat he lunges and wolfs it down as he doesn't get it very often at home. She started giving him meat recently as she was concerned about how pale and thin he was and says she will until he's old enough to decide. I think he looks so much better now, but that could have been just from being out in the sun a bit more.
The older brother is 8yrs and has decided that he doesn't really like meat, so they are happy!! I think he had quite bad teeth though (from lots of sweet apricots, raisins and perhaps from not really chewingn much, although this is prob my crap theory)

I think the diet you feed him sounds great and would really not worry either. (having said all that!!!) My ds eats well but is so energetic and not very plump.

Things he has to chew on - well, frozen tofu (defrosted obv) when cooked is pretty chewy, and he has soya burgers and things sometimes that are very chewy. My home made bread is rather chewy as well especially as I can't cut thin slices and it is very crusty. I get your point about chewy stuff and will try and make sure he gets plenty.