Is your little one on a hunger strike? Parents can try giving the following foods to increase their child's appetite.
One of the most challenging things for parents is when their child has difficulty eating and does the mouth-closing movement, or GTM. Nutrition from food plays a vital role in your little one's growth and development.
There are many things that can cause a decrease in children appetite. For example, a child is teething, has mouth ulcers, diarrhea, or fever.
Apart from that, the habit of snacking on foods high in sugar or drinking too much milk also influences a child's appetite.
To overcome this eating problem, parents need to provide the proper intake. Several types of food can increase children's appetite, such as:
1. Ginger
- This spice can relieve digestive problems, such as flatulence, nausea, or vomiting, which can cause a child's lack of appetite.
- Parents can get around this by serving ginger in soup, stir-fried vegetables, team rice, or a drink with water and honey.
- Apart from ginger, other types of spices, such as peppermint, mint, cinnamon, and coriander, can also be selected.
2. Yogurt
- Yogurt can be a food that increases children's appetite because it is high in probiotics. This content can maintain the health of the digestive tract while increasing the desire to eat.
- Yogurt is also rich in calcium, which is good for children's bone and tooth growth.
- When giving yogurt, you should choose one that tastes plain (plain) with a low sugar content. Are you afraid it still tastes sour? Add sweet pieces of fruit; kids will like it.
3. Fish Oil
- Parents can give children fish oil so that they will eat it. A study says that the omega-3s contained in fish oil reduce feelings of fullness after eating and can increase appetite.
- However, further research must be done to conclude this, especially for children.
- But there's no harm in giving Fish Oil for Children, especially since the omega-3 content is very good for brain growth.
4. Nuts
- Cashews, almonds, and peanuts can be given to children on hunger strikes. According to several studies, the zinc content in nuts can increase appetite.
- Apart from zinc, nuts also contain high levels of protein, fatty acids, and other vitamins and minerals that are good for children's bodies.
- For children who cannot chew, nuts need to be crushed. This is so that the peanut seeds do not enter the respiratory tract and cause the child to choke.
5. Potatoes
- One of the causes of children needing an appetite is boredom with the same types and shapes of food. Now and then, create food to increase your little one's appetite.
- An easy example is changing a child's carbohydrate source from rice to potatoes. Potatoes contain zinc, although most of it comes from meat.
- Many studies state that someone with zinc deficiency will experience changes in taste and appetite.
- Furthermore, other research says zinc supplements given to children can increase appetite.
6. Carrots
- There is no need to doubt the benefits of carrots as a source of vitamins and fiber. Moreover, carrots can be a food that increases children's appetite.
- Give carrots directly as vegetables or make juice; your child will like them.
- Giving juice to children can be done half an hour before eating. It stimulates hunger, and carrot juice can prepare the digestive tract to receive food.
7. Avocado
- This fruit is often called a super fruit. How could it not be? Half a medium-sized avocado (68 grams) has around 109 calories. This means there are 160 calories per 100 grams of avocado.
- Not only are avocados high in calories, but they are nutrient-dense, containing 20 types of vitamins and minerals and unsaturated fats.
- The delicious taste of avocado makes it easy to like, including children. Therefore, avocado can be a fruit that increases children's appetite.
- Avocados can be served in many ways. It can be cut into pieces (the size of a child's hand) as a snack or made into juice.
8. Cereal
- One way to maintain a child's weight is not skipping a healthy breakfast. By eating breakfast, children can maintain their body's metabolism and increase their appetite.
- The recommended cereal does not contain added sugar and is made from whole grains. Examples include wheat, multigrain, barley, quinoa, and millet. Cereals can be mixed with formula, UHT, or breast milk.
9. Meat
- Meats such as beef, chicken, and fish contain lots of iron. Iron is believed to increase a child's appetite because if iron is lacking, appetite will also decrease.
- Iron is also essential for brain development and the formation of red blood cells.
- Parents can give him one to two teaspoons when feeding, then gradually add as needed.
10. Spinach
- Spinach, nuts, pumpkin, and cereals contain zinc that children need. Not only that, this intake can help increase appetite.
- Zinc also plays a vital role in the treatment of ADHD, tinnitus, critical head injuries, Down syndrome, and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.
11. Apples and Bananas
- These two fruits are foods that increase children's appetite. The antioxidant content in it can help children eat better.
- Other fruits such as pears, oranges, grapes, cherries, and strawberries can also help increase appetite. So, instead of giving snacks that are too sweet, it's better to serve healthy fruit to your little one.
12. His Favorite Food
- Apart from the foods above, asking what foods your child likes is easiest. Just as parents have favorite foods, so do children.
- Serve your child's favorite foods as a menu to increase their appetite. The taste of good food is also essential so that children eat well.
- Even though there has been a lot of research on foods that increase children's appetite, the evidence needs to be stronger.
- Remember to give children complete, balanced, and nutritious food. Apart from that, taste and your little one's eating habits play a significant role.
Take these dietary ideas into action from today. Regardless of what food you eat, these food ideas sincerely help to get rid of a stye overnight.
Thanks for reading this blog 🙂 Have a good dietary day!Â