Why do children not want to eat?

There are always many things around us that we don’t know how to describe. For example, you see a grandmother holding a bowl of rice and running after her grandson or granddaughter, mainly because she wants them to eat more. The reason for this is that the child does not like to eat. So what are the reasons why children do not like to eat? Let’s take a look at the reasons why children don’t like to eat.

Reasons why children don't like to eat

1. The beginning of independent consciousness: Children want to be in charge of their own affairs and will naturally refuse to be fed by their parents. This usually happens before a child asks to dress himself or take a bath.

2. Eating too many snacks: Children’s mouths are always busy and their digestive systems are constantly working, which can cause gastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, children prefer high-calorie sweets, such as chocolate, cake, etc., which will affect the satiety center and make it excited. Children will not be hungry and will have no desire to eat.

3. Irregular eating: Children do not have regular meals and the meal times are different, which disrupts the gastrointestinal digestion pattern and makes them not want to eat at mealtime.

4. Excessive attention from parents: Too much is as bad as too little. This will make the child rebellious and end up refusing to eat. Parents should relax about this.

5. The food is not to the child’s liking: The food tastes bad, or the dishes are monotonous and unvarying, and the child gets tired of it.

6. Poor eating environment: Distraction during eating affects the excitation focus of the food center in children’s brains, such as children eating while playing, or parents teasing or scolding them from time to time.

7. Slowed growth and development: As the development rate slows down, the appetite will also be affected. This usually occurs around the age of 2.

8. Physical discomfort: Physical discomfort leads to poor appetite. In addition, if too many health supplements are taken, the gastrointestinal burden will be increased, and it may also cause children to lose interest in eating.

9. Zinc deficiency affects taste: If the body lacks zinc, the sensitivity of taste will be reduced, which can easily cause children to lose their appetite. You can observe the condition of the child's tongue coating. If the tongue is flat, has small bumps on the surface, or has a tendency to shrink, then it can be determined as zinc deficiency.

10. Unbalanced nutrition: Feeding children too much meat, eggs and dairy products will damage their stomachs and intestines, leading to indigestion.

11. Others: Insufficient exercise, slow metabolism, staying up late, lack of sleep, overwork, etc.

What to do if your child doesn't like to eat

1. Set a fixed meal time

Help children form the concept of mealtime, and when the time comes, the whole family will sit around the dining table and eat together. Make an agreement with your child in advance and tell him that he must finish the rice in the bowl. If he does not finish the meal and gets hungry he will have nothing to eat. Over time, the child will develop the habit of eating at regular times and in fixed quantities.

2. Put more thought into cooking

Parents need to use their brains and cleverly match the colors and patterns of ingredients while ensuring balanced nutrition to make the meals "apple to the eyes and tasty". This can whet children's appetites.

3. Don’t eat snacks before meals

You can eat some snacks between meals, but not too much, and definitely not before meals. Especially junk food, if you can avoid it, don’t give it to children. Parents should be ruthless. If the child keeps crying, parents can play with him for a while to divert his attention and make him forget about hunger temporarily.

4. Buy cute tableware

According to your child's preferences, choose tableware with cute cartoon patterns that is exclusive to him. Doing this can arouse children's interest in dining, and the effect will be better if you bring your children along when shopping.

5. Develop good habits

Pay attention when eating, and end gaming time early to prevent or correct the bad habit of eating while playing. Before meals, ask your children to help set the table and serve the food. They will be happy to put down their toys and prepare to eat.

6. Don’t scold your children

Forcing a child to eat when he has no appetite will only make him more disgusted with eating and may even leave a psychological trauma, which is very detrimental to his growth and development. If the child really can't eat, then it's better to eat later. When the children are really hungry, they will naturally eat obediently. This will help cultivate children's interest and concentration in eating.

Ways to increase your child's appetite

1. Reduce the burden on the stomach and intestines

Being able to eat is a blessing, but it should be done in moderation. Try to eat less fried foods, desserts, cold drinks, etc. to protect the normal secretion of digestive enzymes and maintain a good appetite. Refuse to give your children snacks before the three meals a day. If your child is hungry between meals, you can let him eat some fresh fruit, but don't give him junk food. Especially before meals, never give your child snacks to fill his stomach to avoid affecting his appetite for the main meal. In addition, parents should be flexible and not stick to the set meal times. They can adjust them in time according to actual conditions.

2. Add coarse grains appropriately

If children only eat refined foods, their stomachs and intestines will become extremely fragile, which will not only restrict the digestion and absorption of nutrients, but also affect their chewing ability and tooth development, causing their teeth to become fragile. Adding proper amount of whole grains to your daily routine has many benefits and helps your baby stay healthy. Corn, millet, black rice, as well as beans and nuts are all good choices. Mothers can occasionally cook whole-grain porridge for their children.

3. Supplement vitamins and minerals

Fresh fruits and vegetables are good food sources, such as carrots, green peppers, oranges, tomatoes, etc. In addition, there are other ingredients such as soy products, fish, liver, eggs, rice, and wheat. Mothers should pay attention to dietary diversity and make the meals beautiful and delicious, so that their children can have a good appetite.