My 10yo is quite skinny. My husband was also skinny as a kid so generally we haven’t worried about it much. But he just had his yearly checkup, and for the past two years he’s gained very little while still growing taller, and his BMI is dropping off the chart. The doc ordered a blood test and it came back fine, no celiac or thyroid issues (PHEW). So we’re back to trying to boost his intake.
He’s not a super picky kid but he can be reluctant to try things. He eats a lot of classic kid food with no problem: mac and cheese, pizza, burgers, chicken nuggets, etc. He also tends to eat a ton of fruits and veggies, which I don’t want to discourage or course! I might try PB&J again but he doesn’t love it like he used to.
The doc did say that she tends to prefer that kids eat their calories instead of drink them, but if a protein drink works for him, it’s an option as long as it’s not displacing solid food. I picked up one by Orgain the other day and he doesn’t seem overly thrilled with it. I’d be curious to know if other people have tried other brands and what their kids thought of them.
Anyone deal with this? What worked for you?
Honestly, an athletic kid, you just make sure their protein intake keeps up with their activity and don't worry much about weight until and unless the doctor says it's a problem.
Your post and comments are kinda confusing in that regard, but it seems like the doctor isn't worried about it, everything relevant has been checked and that this is a more general concern from your side. If that's not the case, you could consult with a nutritionist and see what kind of dietary changes might better support the kid's activity levels.
But, usually, it's only weight loss that's going to be a problem as long as growth is still ongoing
She is a bit worried. She did say it’s good that he’s not losing weight. But she is concerned that he’s not gaining at a rate that is on pace with his height.
If that's the case, gotta work in a well rounded workout diet. At 10 (or did I misread?), he's not going to pack on a ton of muscle, but he won't put any on without the diet being balanced for the amount of work he's putting in, even at kiddie karate level of output. If the classes are more serious, the workout they give will be too.
If you can't get advice from a nutritionist, just up the protein a little at a time until he either starts gaining lean weight, or it becomes evident that his body just isn't ready to gain that kind of mass yet.
Just track what he's getting, and bump it up as needed, with the goal being (and this is general purpose, without knowing the kid or any medical history, so definitely triple check) in the 35 to 40 grams per day range. That's just a tiny bit above the typically recommend levels for his age, but should be enough to notice change in a week or two.
You could likely go as high as 50 grams a day, though for sure talk to the doctor again before staying at that range. The increased protein intake shifts how a kid's body handles calorie management, and I'm simply not up to date on the whole subject. Only reason I have recent enough info to merit commenting is having taught some kids in that age range some martial arts over the last couple of years.
Again, you gotta take internet advice with a grain of salt. No matter how well intended, no matter how well informed, we just don't have the full medical breakdown, or any direct interaction with the lad to be certain of much of what we can say.
Only other thing I'd throw in is the general advice to not push beyond his appetite often. Sometimes, it's necessary, but when it's frequent, kids tend to adapt too well, and get focused on the wrong aspect. That can lead to over eating regularly. When they keep pushing past satiety, they can lose sensitivity to satiety to some degree or another. I tend to err on the side of offering things more often rather than increasing amounts per sitting.