Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

my almost 6 YO is so thin, it's starting to worry me. The doc is not worried at all, but He has not gained anything in MONTHS (even though he is growing tall). I need some advice on food to give him.

As a family we eat pretty healthy, but I have run out of ideas for him.

He has breakfast, one snack , lunch and dinner.

anyone have any advice, or BTDT? He is barely 10% at this point

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

the good thing is your doctor isnt concerned but i understand why you are

My cousin had this problem with her daughter and was told to give her "healthy" fats
avocado and peanut butter were easy ones
it was also suggested she puts a little olive oil on her meals
it helped a little, but she is still petite

Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

Try to make sure everything he eats is full fat (milk, cheese, etc). I would also add 1-2 more snacks throughout the day. I know I eat more than one "snack" a day - usually I have a mid morning and afternoon snack plus a small treat after dinner.

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

My son us 6 years old and is skinny. He is 46 inches tall and is 40 lbs. He has been 40 lbs for almost 2 years.

I struggled with this for a long time....he was always a skinny kid. He is not a picky eater.....I always say food is not a priority....he eats meals and if I don't remind him about snacks, he is never hungry. I cook healthy meals and give him healthy snacks. He gets cookies and ice cream if he wants but he prefers fruit and veggies. I made a snack drawer that he can help himself to anytime. I give him whole milk and high fat yogurt. I spoke to his ped and she say giving him all fattening food was not good...that giving him a balanced diet was the best bet. There are actually kids that have high cholesterol.

At the end of the day I have accepted that as long as he is growing, both physically and developmentally, he is fine. He gets annual bloodwork and it's been fine.

Good luck!

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

I was like this as a kid, too. Always very skinny, even though I ate enough.

Some people have a thinner frame, even if they are tall. My doctors were never concerned. I just get full quickly, I eat smaller meals. The exception to this was when I was pregnant.:)

Is his energy level high? Does he have a balanced diet, good iron levels? If yes- I would let it be. Boys are usually quite active. My 6 year old eats a ton, but is still rather thin because he rarely sits still.

Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

If he has always been in the low percentile then I wouldn't worry.


My ds is in the 5th percentile and eats like a pig. Some kids are just skinny

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

I probably wouldn't worry if the doctor isn't worried - As long as he is eating a balanced diet and isn't hungry.
My doctor was worried about our baby's weight even though she was a good weight for her height. Now she is kind of big for her height. Not sure if we did the right thing "fattening" her up, but we did it by increasing her calories with oils.

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

My dd is like this. She was 7 in April, is 47 inches and 39 pounds...she is built just like me. The doctor wasn't overly concerned...I know her diet is balanced and she is very active.

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

Thanks everyone! I'm going to introduce an extra snack each day and try to add in a few calories here and there. he was always around 25% and around a year ago slipped to 10%. He is also very active so that could be part of it too. he is 40 LBS and has been for quite a while

Message edited 8/29/2014 7:43:26 PM.

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

Make smoothies. When my dad had cancer we made him protein shakes and added in organic coconut oil and even slices of avocado to make sure he maintained his weight due to chemo. How about full fat Greek yogurt, strawberries, a banana, coconut oil and a handful of spinach will make it green but won't change the taste. Also peanut butter, flax seed oil, avocado are other good cats to sneak in.

Re: Need some ideas/ advice - skinny child

My DS is the same way. He's 4.5 and just over 30lbs. He's in the 5% for his weight. And like you, I'm more concerned then the Dr. That said, I do what everyone else already suggested. I give him full fat milk and cheese. I cook all of his veggies in butter or olive oil. I let him snack on fruits, cheese sticks, yogurt, veggies, nuts. He also has dessert once or twice a day- a couple cookies, a mini ice cream, some chips, a mini ice pop. He's an overall good, healthy eater so when he asks for junk here and there, he gets it. I feed my kids mostly organic at home, but I'm also ok with the occasional happy meal.