How to stimulate children's appetite

Children often don’t like to eat, but children are in a period of growth and the physical development period is very important. However, if a child does not like to eat or has no appetite, it will often affect the nutritional intake required by the body. Therefore, we should find ways to help children have an appetite, and we should allow them to get as much nutrition as possible. So how do you whet your child’s appetite?

9 ways to whet your child's appetite

Children with poor appetite often do not eat well and take a long time to finish a meal. Here are some ways to whet your child's appetite.

1. The child is in good health, his height and weight are up to standard, and he seldom gets sick. However, he eats slowly and does not enjoy his meals. Parents can stimulate their hunger by increasing their exercise and engaging in more outdoor activities. When children feel hungry, they will not be picky about their meals. Never give snacks to your child before meals.

2. If the child used to eat well but recently lost his appetite due to illness and medication, parents can first observe the child's tongue coating. If it is white, it means that the child has a lot of cold in his body. You can beat an egg into a bowl, mash it and put it aside. Then put half a bowl of water, 2 to 3 slices of ginger, and half a spoonful of brown sugar in a small pot. After boiling for 5 minutes, use boiling ginger and brown sugar water to rinse the eggs. Let the child drink a small bowl of the egg puree on an empty stomach every morning after getting up. It can warm the stomach, dispel cold, nourish the gastrointestinal mucosa damaged by drugs, and help restore gastrointestinal function.

3. If the child's tongue coating is yellowish and the tongue underneath is reddish, it means that the child has internal heat, food accumulation, and indigestion. Parents can go to the pharmacy to buy fried chicken gizzard lining, grind it into powder, and give the child a small spoonful half an hour before meals.

4. The second and third methods are also suitable for children who do not eat well or are thin and have a yellow complexion. Parents of such children can also take a piece of yam, cut it into pieces, put it in a blender and pour some water, grind it into a paste and pour it into the pot, stir while cooking, and give the child a small bowl every afternoon. Please note that this method is not suitable for children whose tonsils are often inflamed.

5. The Guyuan paste specially made for children can be given to children 1 to 2 times a day, half a spoonful each time.

6. Children with poor appetite should try to eat less or no fruit in winter, because fruit is cold and can easily damage the stomach and intestines. In normal times, you should try to eat less or no cold food, the same goes for puffed food, fried food, and greasy and difficult-to-digest food. Try to eat food that is well-cooked, soft, and easy to digest and absorb. Children with poor appetite should not eat cold drinks. When the weather is very hot in summer, it is best not to eat more than two popsicles a day. It is best not to drink beverages and only drink boiled water.

7. For children who have poor eating habits for a long time, parents can take them to the acupuncture department of the hospital and ask the doctor to prick the four-feng acupoints on the children's fingers. This method is very effective in treating children's malnutrition, indigestion, and loss of appetite. This method is suitable for children aged 1 to 12 years old.

8. Parents can also pinch their children's spine at home according to the methods taught above, massage their children's navel and surrounding areas, or massage the gastrointestinal reflex area on the soles of their feet before their children go to bed every night. Doing a few dozen times on one foot will be enough. The massage time should not be too long. If you persist for a while, the child's appetite will be improved.

9. Children who always kick off the quilt when sleeping at night, like to go barefoot at home, like to sit on the floor, and eat fruits all year round rarely have a good appetite and a good complexion, because the above points will increase the coldness in the child's body, which will directly affect the digestion and absorption ability of the spleen and stomach. This type of children are prone to illness, and taking medicine will damage the spleen and stomach. If this continues for a long time, they will inevitably fall into a vicious cycle.