Getting your child to eat healthy and nutritious food can be tricky; and as a parent, you have a great responsibility to ensure that your little one feeds on a balanced meal every day. A child with a low appetite will constantly look for excuses to skip their meals and if not taken with the weight it deserves, your little angel might end up malnutrition.
You’d want to ensure that your child gets all the nutrients their body requires in generous quantities, below are brilliant tips that will help you to increase your child’s appetite.
Healthy Breakfast.
Make sure that your child does not skip breakfast, compulsory and healthy breakfast every day helps to kick-start his metabolism as well as boost his appetite. As a parent or a caregiver, make sure that breakfast is a must meal in your household, and also let your little one know how important it is for them to have breakfast.
Limit snacking
In-between meals can be healthy for kids as well as might increase their appetite, however unhealthy snacking is not recommended for kids who are picky eaters. Instead of sugary snacks replace them with cereal, cheese, yogurt, or maybe fruits, and you will definitely begin to notice changes in your child’s appetite.
Water before meals
Offer him water at least one hour before meals every day, and get a water bottle that is in the shape of his favorite toy or a color that he likes the most. This will help him drink the water without you forcing him to. Drinking water will help to activate the digestive juices and enzymes, which increases appetite and also boosts digestion.
Milk is not a meal
Immediately you notice your child has a low appetite then avoid giving him milk as fillers, appetizers, or snacks. Supplement milk with other dairy forms like cream, cheese, or yogurt. Too much milk kills his appetite.
Feed him every two hours
Normally a fussy eater is never hungry or willing to eat after a long day of playing and studying, hence offering food in portions after every two hours. Having your child wait until the normal main meal time reaches may help, as it tempers their appetite. Give them food after every two minutes and some light snacks or nuts such as peanuts in between meals to keep on stimulating their appetite.
Yogurt is a secret
Yogurt is an essential dairy product for your child, it not only serves the purpose of a dessert but is also spectacular for increasing appetite and immunity of a child. It contains healthy probiotics and calcium which are extremely essential for healthy growth and appetite boosting.
Introduce foods rich in Zinc
Aside from the zinc supplements that your child’s doctor may have prescribed, you need to be aware of the foods that are rich in zinc and try to introduce them in your baby’s meals. Zinc is essential for various physiological functions such as boosting immunity, regulating the functions of antioxidants, growth, and development. Lack of zinc in your meals can cause a lack of appetite and extreme loss of weight and vulnerability to infections. Adopt zinc-rich foods like nuts, spinach, mushrooms, beans, pumpkin seeds, and wheat brans in your child’s diet.
Take it easy on your growing child, they are trying to figure out their likes, dislikes, appetite patterns, and tastes. For as much as you are trying to slowly introduce new and healthy foods to your little one, try as much to serve it a log with their favorite dishes, it is important to do so to maintain their appetite. Study suggests that children tend to model the eating habits of their parents. To increase a child’s appetite, you should focus on introducing them to healthy and tasty foods that they will love.
