Adding calories in babies

[tapestry]

I'm trying to adjust my daughter's diet to get in the extra calories she needs. She's only 10 months old and still eating stage 2 baby food and some finger foods - like crackers and such. How do other parents manage to sneak in those extra calories on a daily basis? Do you just give your kids a can of pediasure every day? Are their other good high calorie options? Her doctor says she needs to be eating 1000 calories a day right now and I'm hard pressed to get her there.

For those with older kids and toddlers, how do you add in extra colories? I assume an all junk food diet is not the way to go <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> And I'm rather opposed to feeding my daughter nothing but high fat junk food. I'd like her to still be able to eat carrots and such even though calorie wise they aren't contributing much. How do you, personally, balance the calorie needs against a well balanced, nutritious diet?

Thanks,
~Tapestry~

 

[anonymous]

Tapestry,
I am not able to answer any of you specific questions but I just wanted to add that it is still important to have a healthy well balanced diet in spite of the fact that CFers need those extra calories. You will hear a lot about high fat diets as well, and you are right-junk food is never the way to go-regardless of the need. There are much healthier alternatives. Cfers growing into older adults is still very much a "newer" thing and data is just being recorded now (and in the past few years) about diet and some consequences that may not be known. Although some things such as high cholesterol aren't "suppose to" be a problem for CFers, the studies of such information are just starting to surface now, so I think you have a very good mindset about this.

Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)

 

[anonymous]

MY son was on something called benecalorie and it was a liquid and you mix it into food. He was also on scandishake once he could drink milk and that was 600 calorie drink. He now is suppose to have three cans of pediasure a day but that is alot to try and get him to drink.

 

[anonymous]

You didn't mention her weight, are they very concerned? Getting in extra calories has been one of the biggest struggles for me. Adding butter to baby food was one way. You didn't mention her weight, are they very concerned? I am always trying to come up with high calories foods for my kids, but they won't eat most of the foods. I really just try to make sure I offer cheese/yogurt, (something with fat) with snacks instead of just fruit. My daughter has always been picky with eating and I was always told to work on improving her weight. What I have learned is it is just best not to stress over it. As much as I would like to control how many calories my children take in, I can only offer high calorie foods. They decide what and how much they eat.

Definitely give fruits and vegetables all the time. It has to help their bodies function better than processed foods even if they aren't high in fat. Watch your daughter's weight. If it is acceptable, try not to focus on how much and what type of high calorie foods she is eating. It all seems to balance out. Don't let the 1000 calories concern you too much. You should just ask yourself if she is eating well. A lot of cf kids will always need to gain more weight and eat more calories. I was never able to get my daughter to reach the goal that they set, but they are pleased with her weight now at age three.

One thing parents will see after a diagnosis is a drop in food intake. Most likely your daughter has had to eat more than the average child due to her inability to digest all of the fats. After she starts enzymes, she won't need as much food. Try not to let this bother you. I think cf kids also pick up on our anxiety of their food intake and a food battle begins. They want control and as parents our desire to fatten them up ends up causing problems. I have learned this through my daughter's eating battles. When my younger son with cf was also diagnosed I was determined use what I learned. I put him down out of the high chair when he said he was done. End of story, not one more bite, etc. etc. Also, I would put the food in front of him starting at about 8 months. I would help a little, but by the time he was 12 months he was feeding himself. Now he won't even let me put a bite in his mouth. Just the way I want it to be. His weight is excellent. My daughter, on the other hand, still wants me to feed her. As a result she doesn't get as much food in because she waits around for me.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 3.5 and Jack, 1.5 both with cf

 

[anonymous]

you can get a powder called scanidcal through axcan scanipharm that will add calories to food without a taste so your child won't even know you added it....we also added butter to most things my daughter ate when younger!

 

[Aussimum]

When my daughter was a baby, i used to roast her veges in oil then mash them up with alot of butter, cook up mince with gravy and puree for extra protein as well. Avocado mashed with banana was another goodie when she was a baby.

 

[anonymous]

Sure, my babies loved banana mixed with egg, paediasure and drink a lot of milk called Nutramigen lactose free (did you have it ther e?) Also her lunch was much meat mixed with few vegetables

 

[MasonsMom]

Mason has recently decided to stop eating for the most part. His pediatrician suggested we start offering him more baby foods instead of bottles, but we noticed the caloric intake would be significantly less. I have noticed some people referring to adding butter to baby foods and I was wondering about how much butter would you add to each jar of baby food? Thanks!

Velvet