Weight Gain Lassi

My Little Bear is blessed with a fast metabolism. While it will certainly serve him when he is older, its not so great for baby weight gain in those early years. It is important for a baby to steadily gain weight in order to give the body a cushion in the case of future illness, teething issues causing avoidance of food, and to promote growth.

Our pediatrician initially recommended that we begin the name brand weight gaining shakes. Upon further research, I became very uneasy about this option. Often, the first or second ingredient was sugar! As for the rest, I literally could not pronounce a single other ingredient. It was a far stretch from the healthy, diverse diet of fresh and organic fruits and vegetables that we had introduced as his first foods.

There had to be another option...... I didn't want to force feed my baby who had a healthy appetite and relationship with food and I didn't want to just "fatten him up" on sugar and synthetic ingredients.  This is where the lassi came in, a traditional milkshake often shared in East Indian cuisine. With a few small adaptions, we had a "Little Bear Milkshake." Its high in calories and nutrition, low cost, and easy to make.

Ingredients:

8 oz of whole milk
4 oz of mango baby puree
1/2 cup of whole milk yogurt (plain or vanilla) or 2/3 cup of Greek yogurt
Add cinnamon to taste
Optional: local honey to taste

Benefits:

Mango	Whole Milk	Yogurt	Greek Yogurt
1 cup	1 cup	½ cup	2/3 cup
107 calories	146 calories	75 calories	130 calories
2.8 grams of protein	7.86 grams of protein	4.25 grams of protein	11 grams of protein
	Total	328 calories	383 calories
	Total	14.91 calories	21.66 grams

The lassi is also full of calcium, omegas 3-6, potassium, selenium, magnesium, and high in vitamins A, B, C, E, K. Also, cinnamon and honey add anti-fungal and antibacterial qualities, natural enzymes, and help to aid digestion, stabilize blood sugars, and build defense against local allergens.  

Directions: Just toss all of the ingredients in your blending agent of choice and Viola! You're done. We didn't want to replace any meals. We wanted to add calories to his day. So we blend at the start of our day and sip the lassi through a straw periodically as we play. One batch of the above makes two drinks for my 12 month old. We did one a day and within two weeks we had gained two pounds.

I have to admit, I sometimes drink the second drink myself. It's just that yummy. This Little Bear Milkshake is both baby and mommy approved.

Enjoy!