How to Help a Four Year Old Gain Weight
Some children are naturally more thin than others, but occasionally a low body weight can lead parents and doctors to become worried about healthy development. Doctors with a concern about a child's weight will often ask the parents to work on bringing the weight up to a normal level. Using a healthy, high-calorie diet, parents can help their 4-year-old gain some weight while remaining healthy and active.
Instructions
Offer your child balanced meals that contain whole grains, protein and healthy fats. Provide him with fat supplements or add extra oils into his meals to increase his daily fat intake. Many omega fat supplements are available for children in gummy or candy form. Fish oil, olive oil and flax oil are among the healthy types of oils to cook with and to add to foods like smoothies and milkshakes. Provide your child with high-calorie nutritional supplement drinks in flavors like chocolate and vanilla. Offer her plenty of snacks in between meals. High-fat snack options include nuts, seeds and smoothies made with flax oil. Serve full-fat milk instead of low-fat varieties. Although skim milk is often recommended past 2 years of age, underweight children benefit from the extra fat in whole milk. Eat all of your meals as a family so that your child learns healthy eating habits from example. This is especially helpful for picky children to see that adults and siblings enjoy eating a wide variety of foods.