Some teenagers have difficulty keeping
up with the energy needs of their bodies and may be underweight. The reason for
this may be
·
They are growing taller
·
Exercising a lot with sports
·
Might simply have a high metabolism
·
Eating less according to the body requirement
·
Any stress or eating disorder
·
May not be getting balanced nutrition. He may not be
getting enough vitamins, minerals (such as iron and calcium), protein, or
dietary fat for a healthy body. For example, a growing teen needs plenty of
calcium and vitamin D to make strong bones.
You can
help your teen by these simple ways
Ø
Add butter to food. For example, at breakfast, spread a generous amount of butter toast,
or an egg sandwich. At lunch and dinner, use butter on chapatti or in dal &
veggies .
Ø
Use whole fat dairy products such as whole milk, full fat or regular cheese and yogurt instead of
skim, reduced fat, or low fat dairy products. For example, at breakfast suggest
that your teen have a glass of whole milk with his meal or with cereal or
oatmeal. Or can have a glass of fullcream milk in evening ½ hr before going to play.
Ø
Modify Cooking: cook more healthy food , add salads , fruits , and dry fruits in cooking
like extra dry fruits in rice , salad dressing with nuts and cream , chapatti
with some stuffing and veggies with some dressings .
Ø
Use "Extras": try to add few extra calories in the form of small snacks like muffin
, cookies , nuts, ice-cream, shakes .etc
Ø Maximize Portions: You may wonder how much food to offer
your teen at meals and snacks. Paying attention to portions is a great idea for
weight gain. First, think about how much your teen eats for most of his meals
and snacks. Slowly try to increase the overall volume of food at each meal,
starting with one meal. For example, try adding one food item to a typical
breakfast. Add some fruit to cereal and milk. Then try increasing the amount of
cereal. Make sure you switch to whole milk.
Ø Batter to give home made food : Avoid preserve or packed
food , cook fresh and serve . avoid any packed drinks instead give home made
shakes and fruit juice
Ø Never compare : Never compare your kid
with other siblings or any friends kids , every one is different and always
concentrate individual health concerns without comparing
Ø
Do not force : It's okay to encourage your teen to finish his meal or snack, but do not
force him to eat or to clean his plate. Prepare meals with high energy/calorie
food and keep the volume of food normal.
Ø
It's a great idea to offer a second helping
of any food that your teen enjoys with a meal. For
example, if he loves mashed potatoes, an extra scoop is great. If he is super
thirsty at lunch, it's fine for him to have another glass of juice, whole milk,
or lemonade. If he is particularly hungry after school, give him an extra snack
or double the snack portion.
Ø
Eating on a schedule: Encourage your teen to eat three
meals each day and three snacks in the mid-morning, afternoon, and evening
before bedtime.
Ø
Don’t focus on food always: Be sure that food and nutrition doesn't take up all your time and thoughts.
Thinking and talking about good nutrition is key when trying to encourage
weight gain but remember to have discussions about school, sports, current
events, and feelings with your teen.
When Should meet any specialists?
Ø
A Dietitian (Nutritionist) : if
your teen is underweight , feeling loss of energy after any physical activity ,
complain always for leg pain and
lethargy , feel difficult to getup in morning . prominent Acne and skin changes
, loss of hair and dandruff .
Ø
A counselor or psychologist : who
specializes in working with teens may be helpful with goal setting and
providing help with any anxiety related to food and health. Consult if there is
any eating disorder , constant decrease in performance , any behavioral change
you notice which is seems to be very abnormal .
