Disclaimer: This is not medical advice—just my own experience! 

At my daughter’s one-year appointment, my pediatrician recommended that we increase her weight gain by giving her Pediasure instead of milk.  Considering this same doctor had once suggested feeding our baby Bugles, Pringles, and Lorna Doone cookies just to help her pack on the pounds, my first reaction was very resistant.  After all, I wouldn’t eat those foods—did I really want to start a junk food addiction in my young child? 

I went to the store to check it out, and found that the first three ingredients of Pediasure are water, sugar, and maltodextrin.  So what is maltodextrin, anyway?  It’s a common food additive that can be produced from starch—Pediasure derives theirs from corn.  I’d been careful to feed my baby nothing but organic fruits, grains, and vegetables during her entire first year—it felt like all that care about avoiding unnatural foods would go out the window as soon as she chugged her first bottle of sugary, chocolaty, maltodextriny Pediasure. 

I wanted my baby to eat organic foods not just for health reasons—I wanted to support organic farms and dairies.  Buying Pediasure would not meet that goal, and each drink came in a separate plastic bottle.  I was sure Audrey would drink five sips and the rest would need to go down the drain.  All this hypothetical waste was driving me nuts. 

So how could I fatten my baby naturally?  In the end, I defied doctor’s orders and made sure to fortify her foods with more calories, vitamins, and fat.  My daughter ate almost anything as long as it was mixed with oatmeal.  I ground organic oats in the food processor and made her a concoction out of it.  Then I mixed in a frozen cube of pureed beans, vegetables, or fruit.  I began adding more and more ingredients until one little dish contained well over 300 calories. 

How I Fortified My Daughter’s Food: 

• I started making her porridge with whole milk rather than water once she turned one.
• I added two tablespoons of olive oil to her daily porridge ration.
• I added a couple scoops of brown rice protein powder I found in a natural food store—it contained nothing but rice protein on the ingredients list.
• I tossed in a couple tablespoons of flax meal.
• I added two tablespoons of almond meal once I determined that she didn’t have a nut allergy.  Sunflower seed butter could also add fat and protein if a baby can’t eat nuts.
• I added a drop of her multi-vitamin to this whole concoction.

We met with a dietician who applauded my efforts in fattening our baby up the natural way.  Another tip she offered was to add a couple tablespoons of cream to her milk, which we also tried for several weeks.  Eventually, she fattened up and the doctor declared that she was happy with Audrey’s weight gain.  It’s been months since she’s eaten a delectable bowl of oats, kale, olive oil, almond meal, rice protein, and flax seeds.  Hey, at least it wasn’t maltodextrin!