FAT!!!!

Being a dietitian, I have always tried to have a low fat diet in my home. I use skim milk and lean meats, I buy reduced fat butter spread and peanut butter, I scrutinize the fat content on labels before I buy foods for my family, I usually try to cut back on fats in cooking, I use canola and olive oils, I basically do everything I can to keep foods healthy. Apparently, I have done TOO good of a job!

I took Caleb in for his yearly physical yesterday and was shocked to find that he has dropped to the 5th percentile for his height and has fallen off the growth chart for his weight. His BMI is so low that he is at risk for malnutrition. Yes...you heard it here first...I have a malnourished child! Caleb has always been small, usually measuring around the 25th percentile, so I have tried not to worry about his lack of growth or how little he eats. Obviously, I needed to worry!

What do you do when you need to add fat to your diet and gain weight? You add more of everything you cut back on when you are trying to lose weight! So, contrary to my healthy eating plan which I have recently established for my family, I will be making milkshakes for Caleb every day after school. The trick will be doing this without Shelby feeling like she needs to have a milkshake too! (Shelby gained 20 lbs this summer, which is exactly what she needed to do, but she is not currently needing to gain anymore weight!) I will also be using abundant amounts of butter on his food, mixing up a nightly hot chocolate made with cream, and using Pediasure or Carnation Instant Breakfast mixed with cream as additional snacks or breakfast.

Check back next year to see if Caleb has grown 6 inches and added 50 pounds (geez, that would almost double his current weight) on my "get fat diet"!