Top Tips to Help Manage Poor Appetite
Periods of poor appetite and food refusal are common in children, and can be the result of a number of factors including illness or as part of the child’s normal development. For some children this is a temporary stage, however for other children encouraging them to consume enough food required for adequate growth that is also nutritious can be very challenging.
Top tips to help manage poor appetite
- Eat regular meals as a family
- Avoid screens and toys at mealtimes
- Limit meals to 20 to 30 minutes
- Try growing your own fruit and vegetables at home
- Enjoy messy play activities involving food, such as “painting” with custard, or “fishing” for toys hidden in baked beans
- Encourage the child to participate in meal preparation (washing the vegetables, or choosing between two recipes which one they would prefer to try)
- Keep a reward chart for when the child tries a new food
If your child’s dietary intake continues to be very limited, they may benefit from a nutritional supplement to ensure they are getting enough nutrition to support appropriate growth and development.
Kid Essentials®
- Is a nutritionally complete supplement, designed specifically to meet the needs for growing children from 1 to 10 years old.
- Unique whey based protein empties from the stomach quickly, so not to fill them up before their next meal or snack.
- Can be offered as a milky drink, or used to fortify their current meals or snacks
Hint: Why not try warmed Kid Essentials® as a milky bedtime drink?
If you are concerned about your child’s dietary intake please speak to your healthcare professional.
KID ESSENTIALS® is a food for special medical purposes and is specifically formulated for medical conditions where nutritional needs cannot be met through diet modification alone. Must be used under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
