Keeping your child happy and healthy is the primary concern of every parent. Parents usually focus on providing their young ones with the right amount of nutrients that help them grow, boost their growth and help them become stronger.
Some kids gain weight naturally as they grow, while others don’t show significant physical improvement, leaving parents asking why their kid is underweight despite their best efforts. It must be understood that it is normal for two people of the same height and age to have different weights because of their different puberty timings. Some kids hit puberty in their developing ages, such as 8, while others hit puberty at 17 or 18.
Puberty is a vital growth cycle in any human’s life because, during puberty, the human body starts making hormones that spark up physical changes. These changes include weight, muscle growth, height, and body frames. To determine the correct weight according to heights, doctors use Body Mass Index, more commonly known as BMI. This test uses height measurements and weight. The result of these measurements determines body fatness. This inexpensive screening method determines the weight category of the subjects; whether the subject is underweight, overweight, or obese.
An underweight person’s BMI results are below the 5th percentile for age, gender, and height, an overweight person’s BMI is above 85 percent, a healthy person ranges in between the 5th and 85th percentile. In contrast, an obese person ranges above the 95th percentile.
You can also consult your doctor if you are concerned about your weight and height and freely discuss your physical activities along with your eating habits. If your doctor thinks you are overweight, then you would be referred to a dietitian or a doctor specializing in weight management. But if you are underweight, then here are a few healthy ways that offer you the best nutrients and calories dense chives that are weight-promoting and highly nourishing for the body.
Increase your calorie intake
Eat plenty of high-calorie foods that are rich in protein, such as red meat, white meat, pork, ribs, fish, nuts and seeds, butter, soy protein and high-calorie. You can also increase your intake of grains, for example, pecans, walnuts, almonds and flax seeds. These foods help to build muscles and to gain weight strategically.
Eat mini-meals
Consider adding more meals and snacks into your child’s daily eating routine. If they struggle with a poor appetite due to emotional or mental issues, eating smaller meals throughout the day seems more appealing. You can also add extras to their food, such as full-fat cheese, buttermilk, sour milk, and cream cheese.
Eat frequently
Many kinds of research have been held out that show that kids with limited diets and limited food are more likely to have adverse impacts on their nutrition, growth, health, and physical activities. Doctors suggest consuming five to six meals in a day for an underweight person. These meals should be small rather than two or three large meals in a day. Encourage your child to eat whenever hungry instead of skipping meals.
Load up on fats and oily foods
Foods rich in fats or oil help an underweight person gain muscle mass and weight. Try cooking food in olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil and use butter as a replacement for cooking oil in dishes such as steaks and even in baking. Make your kid consume foods such as rice, potato, corn, high-calorie breakfast cereals, pasta, oats, quinoa, and granola bars, instead of eating junk foods and fast food items that are unhealthy to their body.