Toddler Weight Gain Smoothie Recipe

My kids are incredibly picky eaters as toddlers. To the point where they astound their pediatrician with how stubborn they can be about not eating. My 3 year old right now has some sensory issues, and is very resistant to eating much of anything except pasta or crackers. His doctor recommended smoothies to help put some weight on him, so I came up Toddler Weight Gain Smoothie Recipe that is high in calories, protein, and vitamins to improve his nutrition and caloric intake! Here’s how I make it.

Check out my mess-free toddler finger painting craft, too!

Toddler Weight Gain Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

• Whole milk
• Creamy peanut butter or other nut butter. 
• Frozen fruit.
• Banana.
• Carnation Instant Breakfast. This is a trick my mom used with my when I was small and not gaining any weight as a child, and I love that it’s still around. I find that this has a better vitamin and mineral profile than pediasure. You can also use a toddler formula.
• A straw cup. I like this metal cup I found at walmart, as it can be used as both a straw and regular cup. It can also close completely for storing any unfinished smoothie until the next meal or for trips.
• A blender. Single serve style ones work great.

I always make a full blender cup of this, and whatever is left after his cup is full goes into the fridge for the next meal.

I don’t use measurements for this, as the ingredients can often change. Sometimes I’ll leave out the peanut butter, or use different fruits, so take these as approximates and feel free to experiment and see what your little one likes best. I fill the smoothie cup 1/3 of the way up with milk, then add in half a fresh banana and a handful or two of frozen fruit. Then I top it with a big spoonful of peanut butter. The peanut butter alone easily adds 300 calories. A lot of toddlers are both picky and tend to eat very small volumes of food, so finding ingredients you can add to smoothies that are calorie dense is very important.

Then I just add in 3-4 tablespoons of the instant breakfast, and blend it all up.

If it’s too thick to easily drink, add more milk. If it’s really thin, you can add more frozen fruit or set it in the freezer for half an hour and then blend it up again.

Pour it into your straw cup.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

And let your little one enjoy! This is my favorite way to get calories into my little guy. Pro tip: when they’re not looking, you can add in a small amount of spinach or other mild greens. The smoothie will turn green, but they won’t be able to taste it at all. It’s a great way to get those veggies in too! I hope you find this Toddler Weight Gain Smoothie Recipe helpful for your picky eater!