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Step 1
Discuss your son's weight with your family doctor. It is important to rule out any medical problems that may contribute to his low weight. Nutrition is likely the culprit, but before making any changes to his diet, discuss all options with his doctor.
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Step 2
Evaluate your son's diet. In order for you to help your son gain weight, you need to take careful note of exactly what, and how much, he eats on a regular basis. Keep a written list.
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Step 3
Make sure your son is eating a balanced diet. If your son's diet is too heavy in one food group or another, it could be preventing him from gaining the appropriate amount of weight. Protein is a great source of nutrition for children, and can add a significant amount of calories to their diet. Make sure your son is eating plenty of meat, nuts and eggs.
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Step 4
Evaluate your son's intake of fruits and vegetables. Although fruits and vegetables are an important source of vitamins and minerals, they have very few calories, and won't help your son gain weight. Consider adding cheese or butter to his vegetables, or serving vegetables like avocados, which are a good source of healthy fat. Make homemade guacamole to get your son excited about avocados, and to add additional calories to his diet.
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Step 5
Serve your son dairy products to help him gain weight. Ice cream, sour cream, yogurt and whole milk are great sources of dairy and calories. One extra serving of dairy per day can help increase your son's caloric intake, and in turn, help him gain weight.
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Step 6
Consider giving your son meal supplements if his weight doesn't increase after a few weeks of adjusting his diet. Supplements such as PediaSure are made for children to supplement their nutrition and add calories to their daily diet. An 8 oz. serving contains 240 calories, along with many important nutrients.
