Hints for Increasing Caloric Intake in Children

Getting children to eat is a struggle for many parents, as many children will only take a bite here and there. Most parents have evolved from the age of "You'll sit there until you finish everything on your plate," but they have not come up with alternative strategies that are effective. Sometimes no amount of demanding, bargaining or begging will get the child to eat enough to sustain a healthy weight. A child who is underweight is at risk for many health problems. However, there are things you can do to increase the caloric intake of a child.

Increasing a Child's Caloric Intake

• One obvious thing to do is to cut back on sweets and replace them with fruits, vegetables or other healthier snacks. Sweets have many empty calories that offer little in terms of nutritional value. However, sweets can serve a purpose that seems, at the time, greater than the nutritional needs of the child. Sweets are frequently used as a reward or method to manipulate the child into good or at least less embarrassing behavior. We have all been in the store and heard a mother say to her child, "If you're good, I'll buy you some candy." That, sadly, is the real world. There are, however, alternatives to sweets. A bagel with jam instead of a doughnut or graham crackers with peanut butter instead of a cookie are great ways to avoid empty calories.

  The best option to ensure your child maintains a healthy weight is to serve your child a balanced diet with a mix of the five food groups (grains and cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein). However, even if you do, there is no guarantee your child will eat it. The reality is that sometimes parents have to resort to trickery. Egg protein powders are a way to ensure your child's caloric intake is increased without giving them foods that are worthless in terms of nutritional value.

  Egg protein powders do not have the cholesterol and fat that a whole egg has. Egg protein powder is made up of egg whites and can be sprinkled in almost anything. One serving of the powder has the same protein amount as six to seven eggs. Protein powders work well for weight gain when matched with carbohydrates. They can also be used for children who are lactose intolerant.

  Egg protein powders are like everything else. There are good ones and there are better ones. Do your research and check the labels before you decide on a product. Check for any added fillers, as well as the protein and fat levels, on the product label.

  Before using an egg protein powder you should check with your doctor. If a child is allergic to eggs then he will be allergic to the egg protein powders. However, most children outgrow egg allergies by the age of 5.

  Increasing the caloric intake in your child's diet is important if your child is underweight. Using good judgment regarding food choices and an egg protein powder may be the answer to having your child on her way to a healthy weight.