5 Ways To Improve Your Kid's Appetite
Written By:
Jannice A. Britanico, M.D.
How to help your kid develop holistically - emotionally, mentally, and physically? Many facets contribute to a healthy growing child. Wondering why your child's appetite decreased?
While weight and chunkiness will never be the only factors determining if a child is healthy, a "patpatin" but healthy Filipino kid usually has parents endlessly worrying about their kid's physique.
And this is why most mommy huddles (both online and in real life) always touch on appetite stimulants and ways to get their kid eating well. Undoubtedly pediatricians are likewise bombarded by questions about what children's boosters, vitamins, and appetite stimulants they can give their kid who seems disinterested in food and is just so lanky and thin.
Below are some of the best tips to improve your child's appetite. Read on.
Tip #1. Fuel your kid with food every two hours.
Kids require all the energy they need to try out new activities, learn new knowledge, and play throughout the day. Your little one may be a picky eater since they are not feeling hungry. To counteract this problem, feed them small portions every two hours. The three regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals may need to spark the little ones' appetite better.
Tip #2. Include zinc intake.
Incorporating zinc into your kid's diet helps to fortify an appetite. You can go for cashews and nuts and dairy products, such as milk, as good sources of zinc. Try including these in your child's snacks or meals. You may consult your child's pediatrician to help you find the right supplements and vitamins to gain weight, stimulate their appetite and support their nutrition.
Tip #3. Get physically active!
By expending more energy, engaging in physical play, and running about, your kid will build a greater appetite for food during routine meal times. Children may spend more time on their screens and less on outdoor play in this era. Therefore, your child needs sufficient time for exercise and outdoor play. Not only will this help prompt a greater appetite, but physical activities also help to enhance your kid's physique and coordination skills.
Tip #4. Stimulate Your Kid's Appetite.
Like many parents, there may be times when you worry if your child is eating enough. Toddlers are very good at responding to their feelings of fullness and hunger. It is vital to trust your toddler's appetite. It is usual for your toddler's appetite to change daily and from meal to meal. You can start with these tips below:
- Start with small bites of food - Small food bites help improve appetite and build metabolism. Offering smaller bites of food to your kid will gradually increase their want for food
- Increase the variety of foods - Children are often less willing to try new foods due to the unfamiliar textures and tastes they need to be used to. To fix this, you can begin by arranging your kid's meals around nutritional food that he likes or is familiar with. Before long, your kid will be willing to accept a greater variety of foods!
- Avoid snacking - Kids will only eat enough to keep their hunger signals turned off. If you have milk or food readily accessible in your house by kids, you might want to focus your eyes on the screen for this part. Your kid may never get hungry as they could be snacking on small portions for the entire day, leaving them with little to no appetite for regular meals.
Tip #5. Be reminded that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Starting the day with a filling and healthy breakfast breaks fast after night, fostering metabolism and helping your kid to be more physically active throughout the day. Having a healthy and good breakfast helps boost the little one's body metabolism and increase the little one's appetite.
Bottom line
It is typical for your child's appetite to vary from day to day or from meal to meal. Look at eating patterns over the week rather than daily to see how well your toddler eats. Follow the tips in this article to help build lifelong healthy eating habits.
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