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Persistent weight gain issues in children can impact their physical and intellectual development in the long run. So, what should you add to your child's diet if they're a picky eater? In this article, Pasgo brings you useful insights and advice from experts on this topic.
Understanding the reasons behind your child's picky eating habits and slow weight gain.
To address the question of what to add to your child's diet if they're a picky eater and slow to gain weight, parents need to understand the root causes behind their child's reluctance to eat and sluggish weight gain.
Wondering if your child's picky eating habits are caused by their diet?
During every visit to a nutritionist regarding your child's slow weight gain and picky eating, one common question arises: What does your child eat every day? If your child isn't getting enough nutrients daily, they can't develop properly or gain weight. Here are some common mistakes in diet that lead to this situation:
Could picky eating and slow weight gain be caused by a lack of variety in the menu?
- Incorrect eating habits - Insufficient - Imbalance in Nutrient Groups. The ratio of carbohydrates-proteins-fats in a child's diet should be around 45% - 15% - 40%.
- Not using fats in children's food. This is why a child might eat a lot but not gain weight. Focusing on cellulite energy will help improve this issue.
- The time gap between a child's meals is not appropriate. Meals that are too close or too far apart can affect a child's digestion. The ideal time gap between meals for parents should be 2-3 hours.
- Children also have some bad habits like: snacking, snacking on sugary treats, eating while watching TV, etc. These habits can make a child picky eater.
Could your child's picky eating be due to gastrointestinal issues?
The group of pathological causes is common, causing parents to worry about what to add to their child's diet for slow weight gain. Therefore, parents should understand and eliminate them early:
- Children with digestive disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux, etc. These disorders affect the body's ability to absorb and metabolize nutrients.
- Children allergic to certain foods, most commonly cow's milk protein allergy. This prevents the child from digesting foods containing cow's milk protein such as formula milk, beef, yogurt, cheese, etc.
- Child lactose intolerance: This is also a common condition that causes frequent bowel movements and slow weight gain. Parents should detect and treat it early for the child.
- Children with liver-related diseases. The liver and gallbladder of the child are where enzymes for digestion are produced. Liver disease can greatly affect the child's food digestion process.
What should you add to your child's diet if they're picky eaters with slow weight gain?
So, what do experts recommend for children who are picky eaters and slow to gain weight? Parents, read on in this section to see what your child should add to their diet!
What should picky eaters with slow weight gain add to their diet? Zinc supplements
Zinc is a micronutrient that children who are picky eaters and have poor weight gain often lack. It's also an essential nutrient for physical development and health. Additionally, zinc helps stimulate a child's appetite. Therefore, supplementing zinc can significantly improve the condition of children who are picky eaters and slow to gain weight. Parents can provide zinc to their children from two common sources:
Parents can supplement zinc for their children through tablets or food
- Zinc in food: This is a source of zinc recommended by experts for supplementation in children due to its safety. Some zinc-rich foods mothers can consider are oysters, eels, seafood, beef, ribs,...
- Zinc in functional foods: Parents need to consult a doctor before supplementing this type of zinc for their child.
What should picky eaters with slow weight gain add: Lysine
Sometimes, a child's picky eating and slow weight gain are due to insufficient Lysine supplementation. Therefore, parents should consider supplementing Lysine for their child:
- Lysine helps in the formation of many metabolic enzymes. Therefore, when Lysine is introduced into the body, it stimulates appetite and enhances taste, making the child eat better.
- Lysine helps optimize the synthesis of nutrients. Specifically, Lysine helps increase calcium synthesis, collagen production, and prevents the secretion of substances outside the body. All of these substances also help enhance the formation of bone and muscle tissue, joints. Therefore, Lysine stimulates height growth and prevents some bone diseases, including rickets, osteoporosis.
- Lysine will improve the speed and quality of food digestion. For underweight children, supplementing Lysine can increase weight gain speed by 2.5 times compared to not supplementing. If Lysine is supplemented for picky eaters, it will accelerate weight gain by 40% compared to not supplementing.
What should picky eaters with slow weight gain add: Iron supplements
Children who are picky eaters and slow to gain weight should also be supplemented with iron by their parents. Iron is an important nutrient for producing red blood cells in children. In addition, studies have shown that iron is involved in the metabolism of nutrients, especially protein and calcium. Like zinc, iron is usually supplemented from two main sources:
Parents should consider supplementing iron for their child
- Iron in food: beef, chicken liver, pigeon, milk,... Mothers should add some of these foods to their child's daily menu.
- Iron in Supplementary foods: Usually in liquid and tablet form. However, before giving your child iron in this form, parents should seek advice from a professional or doctor.
What should picky eaters with slow weight gain add: Supplementing fats
As mentioned earlier, the reason for children being picky eaters and slow to gain weight is partly because parents do not supplement fats in their child's diet. 1g of fat can provide about 9kcal of energy for the child, double that of carbohydrates and proteins. Increasing good fats is an effective solution. Children don't need to eat a lot but can still provide enough energy for the whole day. Parents can choose from the following 2 sources of good fats for their child:
- Vegetable oils: olive oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, activated carbon oil,..
- Animal fats: fish oil, chicken fat,...
Children who are picky eaters and slow to gain weight should take vitamins
When it comes to the question of what to supplement for picky eaters with slow weight gain, experts recommend supplementing synthetic vitamins for children. These types of synthetic vitamins will help stimulate a child's appetite, especially B-group vitamins.
Some types of vitamin B will help increase your child's appetite
In addition, they help promote your child's metabolism. Supplementing synthetic vitamins is a safe and effective solution for picky eaters with slow weight gain. In the daily diet, parents can pay attention to increasing the following types of foods:
- Green vegetables: broccoli, kale, cabbage,..
- Fruits: grapes, pomelo, orange, papaya, lemon, kiwi, strawberries,..
What should picky eaters with slow weight gain add: Probiotics
Children who are picky eaters will gradually gain weight, and parents supplementing probiotics is also one of the useful solutions. Probiotics will help restore the balance of the gut microbiota by suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria. The probiotics will flourish, develop, and their secretions will help protect the child's gut mucosa, aiding in better nutrient absorption.
There are currently many types of probiotics supporting various digestive health needs. Therefore, when choosing, parents should consider the following criteria:
Probiotics help children digest food better, absorb better
- The amount of probiotics must be large: from 2 billion - 8 billion probiotics.
- The ability to survive to reach the gut must be high: Able to withstand stomach acid and adhere to the intestinal wall well.
- Can be supplemented with digestive enzymes in the right ratio to help the food digestion process go smoothly.
- Supplement simultaneously with essential nutrients such as: Lysine, zinc, vitamin B to stimulate the child's appetite.
Above are all the insights on what to supplement for picky eaters with slow weight gain that Pasgo wants to share with parents. Hopefully, this information will be helpful to all parents.
