Many people who have ADHD and take a stimulant also have problems with poor appetite. Stimulants do suppress appetite, after all. In this article, I will give you some concrete (without actual recipes) ideas about how to beef up a person's diet if they are not putting on adequate weight.
The main idea is to add healthy, nutrient-dense calories to the diet, without adding excessive amounts of sugar and unhealthy fats. It is very easy to get most people to gain weight if we offer enough ice cream, but that it isn't very healthy. Too much fat and sugar may also make ADHD symptoms worse. The theme in these suggestions is to add calories in such a way that you don't think you are eating more.
1. Spread it. Peanut butter, freezer jam, and seasoned olive oil are the favorite spreads in our house. You could also try hummus or bean dip, if the flavor appeals to you. Or mayonnaise mixed with Greek yogurt and seasoning (like herbs or garlic). Think outside of the breadbox, too. You can spread on bread, bagels, and crackers, but you can also spread on fruit (apples, especially) and vegetables (celery and peanut butter). But everytime you eat something that can have spread on it (don't forget sandwiches), try to make sure you use spread.
2. Dip it. You can dip things that normally need dip, like chicken nuggets, french fries , chips, and raw vegetables. But try dipping other things too, like pieces of fruit (Greek yogurt, freezer jam) and nuts (well, I like chocolate sauce, but maybe sweetened yogurt would be ok too).
3. Add nuts or seeds. No salad, muffin, cookie, or bowl of cereal should be complete without nuts or seeds. Certain nuts can be eaten with stir fries, or sprinkled on cooked vegetable dishes, too.
4. Milk it. Use full fat dairy, including cheeses, milk, and yogurt, if you have a choice. Be sure not to drink too much before you eat. though.
5. Scoop it. If you don't like smoothies, you could still add something to your milk--protein powders, powdered milk, or even just a squirt of chocolate syrup (oops! I meant, a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk! :) ). Ok, a little bit of chocolate syrup probably won't hurt you, unless you are also diabetic.
6. Sauce it. There's more to sauce than gravy, butter and cream of mushroom soup. Also consider barbeque sauce, pasta sauces, ranch dressing, tartar sauce, and applesauce. Sauces should be kept in the pantry for easy access during cooking.
7. Dress it. Full fat salad dressing is a versatile ingredient that can be added to many foods besides vegetable salad. Vinagrette type dressings go well on pasta. Ranch dressing can be added to many creamy casseroles or to some meats or fish.
8. Switch it. People with ADHD sometimes like novelty, so why not try dinner for breakfast? Or lunch for afterschool snack? Whenever you have an appetite to eat a substantial meal, you should try to do it and never mind the clock and what you "should" be eating.
9. Cheese it. Cheese is high in calories and can be added to virtually any food: sandwiches, salads, soups (sometimes only as a sprinkle of Parmesan), vegetables. Some fruits taste good with cheese on the side--apples and grapes especially. Fruits are also tasty with cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.
10. Read it. Read food labels and choose those that have more calories. For example, granola has a lot more calories than cornflakes. Bagels have more than toast. Avocados have more than tomatoes. You get the idea.
No comments:
Post a Comment