What Should I Feed My Child to Help Them Gain Weight?

If your child is having trouble gaining weight, the goal isn't necessarily to make them eat significantly larger meals. Instead, one of the easiest strategies is to make the foods they already eat more energy-dense. Adding healthy fats and starches can increase the calories in a meal without requiring your child to eat a much larger volume of food.

Healthy fats are particularly useful because they provide a lot of energy in a relatively small amount of food. Try adding foods such as avocado, nut or seed butters, olive oil, full-fat dairy products, nuts, and seeds to meals and snacks. For example, you can add nut butter to toast or oatmeal, olive oil to vegetables or pasta, avocado to sandwiches, or cheese to meals your child already enjoys.

Starches and other carbohydrate-rich foods can also be an important source of energy for growing children. Rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, tortillas, oats, and other grains can be incorporated regularly into meals. Rather than relying primarily on low-calorie foods to fill your child's plate, consider pairing these foods with a protein source and adding healthy fats to make the meal more calorie-dense.

Every child's growth and nutrition needs are different, particularly if there are concerns about growth, appetite, or an underlying medical condition. A registered dietitian can help you identify practical ways to increase your child's energy intake while keeping meals enjoyable and supporting healthy growth.