Practically all newborns experience a slight drop in weight during their few days of life. After that, healthy infants gradually tick up the scale as they're nourished with breast milk, formula, and eventually solid foods.
Sometimes, however, a baby's weight will steadily fall in the percentile chart. And if it's not for medical reasons, such as digestive disorders or cardiac issues, it may be because they are simply not consuming enough fat.
Jill Castle, RD, a registered dietitian in New Canaan, Connecticut, has seen this phenomenon in her practice with parents who have mistakenly thought a low-fat, high-fiber diet was appropriate for young babies. "If you look at breast milk and infant formula, about half the calories come from fat. Babies and young children have a greater need for fats," says Castle.
Fat not only helps their brains and nervous systems develop normally, but it also helps their bodies absorb important vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Keep reading to learn how to help your baby gain weight fast through healthy food options.
Important Tip
Remember that baby weight gain varies widely. Make sure to talk to your baby's pediatrician if you have concerns about their weight. It's important to rule out any possible medical concerns before significantly changing your baby's diet to encourage weight gain.
Once your baby starts solids, you'll want to ensure their diet includes plenty of nutritious fats. You can encourage healthy weight gain by incorporating these nutrient- and calorie-dense foods in your baby's meals.
Always speak with a health care provider (and a lactation consultant, you're nursing) for any concerns about your baby's weight. They might refer to growth charts to assess whether your baby is following proper growth patterns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the growth charts from the World Health Organization (WHO) for kids under age 2. Sometimes an underlying problem might be the culprit for slow weight gain, and other measures must be taken besides diet change.
Olive oil
Compared to the four calories found in a gram of protein or carbohydrate, each gram of fat contains about nine calories. One good option is the plant-based olive oil; try drizzling a teaspoon on pureed vegetables for an extra boost.
Nut butters
Nuts are densely nutritious and chock-full of healthy fats. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology recommends they be introduced to babies gradually when starting solids (after they tolerate less allergenic foods) to help prevent allergies down the road. Castle suggests swirling a bit of peanut, almond, or cashew butter into your baby's morning cereal.
Since infants should be drinking breast milk or formula for the first year of their lives, this is a no-brainer next step. Between ages 1 and 2, introduce whole milk to encourage baby weight gain. Before age 1, you can introduce other full-fat dairy products.
Avocado
Its creamy consistency and mild flavor make avocados an easy addition for babies in the early stages of eating solid foods. Some store-bought baby foods even feature blended avocados with other fruits, so watch out for those.
Bananas
Not all fruits are created equal when it comes to their calorie content. Bananas have far more fat than, say, watermelon, apples, or strawberries. They're also packed with potassium and fiber.
Normal Baby Weight Gain
When it comes to baby weight gain, there's a wide range of normal. But after your little one starts solids, here are some guidelines you can follow when determining whether there might be a problem:
4-6 Months: Weight gain of4 to 7 ounces week. Infants usually double their birth weight during this time.
6-18 months: Weight gain of 3 to 5 ounces per week. Infants will generally triple their birth weight by age 1.
Hummus
Rich in protein and fiber (from chickpeas) along with healthy fat (from olive oil), this Mediterranean staple has a smooth consistency that makes it a baby-friendly addition to your household.
6 Important Nutrients for Kids: An Age-by-Age Guide
Cheese
Start your child's love affair with cheese by adding grated options to purees. You can also offer mashed-up full-fat cottage cheese.
Oatmeal
A sprinkle of oatmeal cereal makes any baby food puree heartier, and it also provides necessary nutrients, such as iron and zinc.
Pear
Like bananas, pears have a higher calorie content than other fruits. If you don't want to crack open a jar of the pureed variety, steam a ripe pear to easily mash it up with a fork.
Full-fat yogurt
Although you shouldn't give your baby cow's milk before age 1, you can still offer other dairy products. Choose full-fat yogurts geared specifically for babies, and steer clear of those laden with sugar.
Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, apricots, cashews, raisins and seeds like sesame, pumpkin, flax, chia seeds, etc. provide kids with adequate nutrients to gain weight and are one of the best food for babies to gain weight. They can be added to food in many interesting ways.
Protein is crucial for your baby's growth throughout pregnancy. Good sources: Lean meat, poultry, seafood and eggs are great sources of protein. Other options include beans and peas, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
Offer full-fat dairy products: Add grated cheese to soups or sprinkle it over rice and pasta to add the calories you're looking for. Look for full-fat yogurts but skip the ones laden with sugar. Choose your fruits: Offer your baby bananas, pears, and avocados instead of apples and oranges.
Energy-rich foods: Energy-dense foods fuel your body and can help you put on pounds in a healthy way. These include nuts (especially almonds, walnuts, peanuts), dried fruits (raisins or prunes), dark chocolate, high-fat dairy (milk), and certain vegetables (potatoes and yams).
Milk is rich in calcium. Therefore, pregnant women are advised to drink 2 glasses of milk every day to meet their daily calcium needs. cheese is also a product derived from milk. that means cheese is also rich in calcium and protein.
Which Fruits Are Best for Foetal Weight Gain? Fruits rich in essential nutrients for foetal development include bananas (potassium, folate), avocados (healthy fats, folate), oranges (vitamin C, folate), berries (antioxidants, fibre), papayas (vitamin C, folate) and apples (fibre, vitamins).
Foods that contain folate (the form of the vitamin found naturally in foods) include green leafy vegetables; nuts; and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils. Doctors encourage women to take folic acid supplements before and throughout pregnancy (especially for the first 28 days).
Fresh orange juice in particular is chock full of key nutrients that reduce your babies chance of developing certain birth defects, along with keeping the immune system strong and metabolism functioning well.
Brown Rice is known to have high levels of Manganese, an essential mineral for bone health and nutrient metabolism. Sprouted Brown Rice is a very good source of Selenium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Zinc. Excellent for baby's weight-gain.
Walking is an energetic activity, so your baby needs plenty of iron to power those tiny legs. Iron-rich foods like lean meats, beans, and fortified cereals can help prevent iron deficiency and support your baby's energy levels. Time to load up on iron and watch your baby zoom around like a mini-speed racer!
Nuts, seeds and avocados are healthy fat sources to help your child gain weight. Try adding nuts and seeds to cereal, salads, pasta and vegetables. Add avocado slices to sandwiches, burgers and salads or as a topper for scrambled eggs. Sauté or stir-fry vegetables, meat, chicken and fish in olive or canola oil.
Several possible factors can cause slow weight gain, from a medical condition to social or financial hardship. Anything that interferes with a child's access to food or ability to digest food can impair their growth.
Kids benefit from a variety of fats in their diet. Choose whole food sources of fats over processed or fast food sources. These foods include both animal- and plant-based foods such as eggs, yogurt, fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil.
Sing, play or bounce to make the baby happy before feeding. Try offering their favorite food. Once they are interested in eating, try to switch back to the food they were refusing. As they accept more, increase the proportion of new or disliked food.
The cause of 1 year old children not gaining weight may be due to poor absorption in children, nutrients are not received in the digestive process leading to nutritional deficiencies, stunting, slow weight gain.
Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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