Eating disorders in children are much more common than previously thought. For the most part, they are not a cause for concern, and may pass spontaneously. Children’s food preferences change very quickly – it can happen that a child does not want to eat porridge or milk, the products considered the healthiest, and chooses others. There are many ways to encourage a child to eat, and it is also worth looking at the reasons why a child refuses to eat.
The child does not want to eat – reasons
The causes of lack of appetite in children can be many. Some are related to the child’s preference to avoid specific foods (for example, certain vegetables), while others can be linked to health problems. Food allergies become a frequent challenge in arranging a youngster’s diet. It so happens that a 2-year-old child does not want to eat anything but milk, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It is certainly important to observe the child’s eating habits and determine the cause of his lack of appetite – then you can effectively help him.
Food selectivity in a child
A slightly different phenomenon that occurs in some children is food selectivity. It can manifest as a child’s reluctance to try new foods, rejecting foods with a particular taste, color or smell, or restricting his diet to only a few specific foods, usually not very healthy (such as salty snacks, highly processed foods while avoiding fruits and vegetables or fresh produce). Food selectivity can lead to serious health problems such as anemia, underweight, general weakness of the body, and susceptibility to disease. A depleted diet can also adversely affect the growth and development of children, especially younger ones.
The cause of food selectivity may be a sensory integration disorder in the child. In this case, it will be necessary to consult a child psychologist or therapist. Therapy is always personalized (tailored to the child’s needs) and involves gradually introducing new tastes into the child’s diet, familiarizing him with a variety of smells, shapes or textures of foods. In addition, older children can independently participate in simple cooking or meal preparation and discover the joy of eating. Therapy will also be necessary if children are diagnosed with SI (sensory integration) disorders, in which case treatment of food selectivity is one step in a broader therapeutic process.
Lack of appetite when a child is ill
Probably all of us are familiar with the feeling of lack of appetite associated with an infection or inflammation. Fever, sore throat, general malaise or nausea make swallowing anything a challenge. However, it is important to remember that if a sick child does not want to eat or drink for an extended period of time, dehydration and consequent deterioration of health can occur. It is well known that a proper diet speeds up recovery and facilitates faster recovery – meals should primarily contain protein, vitamins and minerals. In case of illness, it is worth taking care of the child’s hydration, that is, constant access to fluids – not only water, but also weak tea, fruit mousses, soups. When our child suffers from abdominal pain or colic, herbal teas, infusions of mint or chamomile will pass the test.
With tonsillitis, on the other hand, meals should have a liquid or semi-liquid consistency, and can be given in mousse form, at room temperature. We should also remember not to give a child with a fever milk or other dairy products.
Lack of appetite can be a symptom not only of diseases, but also a side effect of medications taken. Usually the child does not want to eat after taking an antibiotic, sometimes he may complain of nausea. The child’s diet should then include, first of all, large amounts of the already mentioned drinks, but also delicate, easily digestible meals. They should not be intensely spiced and too hot or too cold. The child can eat much smaller portions than usual, but more often.
Covering drugs and so-called appetite enhancers also play an important role in the treatment of some antibiotics. They have a good composition and a pleasant taste and smell, and naturally improve appetite in children. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor before giving them to a child.
Proven ideas for baby’s appetite
Children love to explore the world and learn new things, so a great idea to increase appetite will be to prepare meals together. This way the child can see how food is prepared, and at the same time learn new things such as colors, shapes, discover new tastes and smells. Older children can be involved in simple kitchen work, such as mixing or rolling out products. Some recipes are easy enough for a child to make on their own, such as colorful fruit salads. On the other hand, for other dishes such as mini pizzas or sandwiches, adults will help. The child can choose his own favorite ingredients to go on the pizza or roll.
Aesthetic serving of meals also plays a very important role – colorful food served on a favorite plate, for example, with a fairy tale theme, can effectively encourage the child to eat.
Children attending kindergarten usually spend most of the day there. Eating together is therefore an important part of preschool life. The facility Butterfly 3 offers full board to children enrolled for full-day stay. At nursery school menu consists of five meals. Breakfasts and afternoon snacks are prepared on site from fresh and wholesome products. Lunches are provided by a professional catering company, while all meals are varied, balanced and allow to meet the daily requirement for vitamins and minerals. All this is done to ensure that children not only develop healthily, but are also satisfied.
Eating can be not only a basic need, but also a real pleasure, so it is worth introducing children to the richness of flavors and smells of food from an early age. If a one-year-old child does not want to eat, it is worth considering what may be the reason. Changing eating habits, fixed meal times can effectively help with this. On the other hand, in more serious cases, you can use the help of a specialist.
