“My 13-year-old son is very active and I assume he has a high metabolism, but he is skin and bones and does not seem to put on any weight. What sorts of foods does he need to eat to put on weight?”
— Rosemary
Being underweight is as much of a problem for some as being overweight. However, as long as he eats a varied healthy diet and he’s a happy, energetic lad, you really don’t need to worry. He most probably has an extremely high metabolism and burns food very quickly.
Some underweight people do forget to eat, however, as food simply isn’t a priority to them. If this is the case for your son, encourage him to eat five to six times a day and make sure he doesn’t fill up on nutritionally-valueless sugary snacks before meals.
Unlike people who carry a little extra weight, who can easily eat even when they’re not hungry, underweight individuals often can’t eat when they don’t feel like it. Again, if this describes your son, it’s important that everything he eats is worth eating. Energy-dense foods deliver the maximum amount of kilojoules per serve, but if he only eats when he’s hungry, you must choose energy dense foods that are rich in nutrients.
Full fat dairy is energy dense and has the added advantage of being high in calcium, a mineral necessary for strong bones. Instead of any soft drinks, try to get your son to drink milk. Cheese is an excellent snack food.
Assuming he has no allergy, nuts — such as almonds, walnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts — are both energy-dense and contain fibre, protein, numerous minerals and healthy essential fats. Nut spreads are available from the health aisle of the supermarket and are excellent to use on toast and crackers as snacks.
Smoothies are a good way to sneak extra kilojoules into the diet. Use fresh fruit, such as berries and/or bananas for vitamins and antioxidants, full cream milk, a scoop of natural yoghurt and honey to sweeten.
Remember, your son needs protein for growth. Protein is found in lean meat, eggs, fish, dairy and nuts. While vegetables won’t add weight, they are necessary to protect him from infectious conditions. To increase the calorific value of vegetables, drizzle them in olive oil or sprinkle them with grated cheese.
Like any other child, I’m sure he’ll want the occasional treat. Plain chips are always better than flavoured ones. Chocolate and muesli bars are a better choice than lollies and sweet biscuits made with processed white flour.
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