Effective Ways to Deal with Child's Appetite Issues at Home

Eating is a personal need for every child, so it's impossible to apply adult standards or the standards of the neighbor's kid to yours. When your child is hungry, they will eat. If the food is appetizing (to the child), they will eat eagerly. If the child is not hungry, they won't eat, and that's completely normal. To make a child like a certain food, you need to introduce it several times. According to advice from international nutrition experts, you should try at least 7 times in a row with a dish. If the child still refuses, then you can conclude that the child doesn't like it. So, don't be discouraged at the first refusal. When a child doesn't eat but still plays, it means the child is not hungry. Don't worry too much about that.

Children only crave food when they're truly hungry. Mothers don't necessarily have to force children to eat three meals a day and each meal with 1 or 2 bowls of rice. If the child shows signs of appetite issues not due to illness or health problems, then let the child be, don't force or threaten them to eat. When the child is hungry, they will actively ask for food from the mother and eat without the need for the father's help (for children who can self-feed).

When a child is 7 to 9 months old, you should let them practice self-feeding. Around the age of 1, you should encourage the child to hold a spoon. Initially, the child may play around with the food on the plate, but let them do so. This way, the child will be more interested and explore their meal. Let the child feed themselves because if you keep spoon-feeding them, they will gradually find eating uncomfortable, similar to washing hair or taking medicine, feeling like it's something imposed by the parent. Make eating seem like a game, a joy for the child.

Don't fear the mess. Let the child self-feed, as allowing them to do so may make them a bit messy, but they will enjoy the taste of the food more. You can also get the child plastic bowls with cartoon characters to increase their interest. Additionally, give the child a plate of tomato sauce. Children love the 'game' of pouring sauce or dipping food into sauce.

Many parents spoil their children, worrying about their child's picky eating habits, so whenever the child asks for candy or cookies, they immediately give it to them with the motto 'eat whatever you can' or let the child freely drink as much milk as they want. This has made the child never feel hungry and not interested in the main meal. Moreover, sweets and cookies are not beneficial for the child's health. They create a false feeling of fullness for the child. The advice for you is to only let the child snack once a day and only after the child has eaten the main meal.

If the child just finished a few packets of chips or a bit of french fries, a soda, a few candies, ... then don't expect the child to eat anything else during the main meal. Therefore, eliminate snacks, especially right before the main meal, as it is completely unhealthy for the child's health.

Another equally serious cause of a child's picky eating is being forced to eat. Parents forcing their child to eat makes the child fearful and resistant to eating and risks damaging the emotional bond between parents and children. Therefore, let the child eat as they want. If you force-feed them, they will find meals uninteresting in the future. Instead of making the child eat certain foods because they are expensive or nutritious, let the child choose and eat on their own. Parents should also not play tricks or deceive the child's hunger feeling. Deceiving the child's hunger feeling will make the child eat more and risk obesity and related diseases later on.

If the child doesn't like to eat meat, shrimp, or vegetables, the mother can accommodate the child's preferences. Instead, the mother can innovate and still provide the child with meat, shrimp, and vegetables in different ways such as: Making sandwiches with grilled meat, fruit juice, vegetables....

The reason why children become picky eaters is because they drink too much milk. This makes them not feel hungry. Drinking too much milk provides a lot of energy but does not provide enough essential nutrients for the child's development. Children only need to drink one to two glasses of fresh milk per day. If a child drinks too much milk in a day, it will make them deficient in iron and constipated.

Mothers should not let children drink milk or any other fluids before or while eating. Drinking water at this time will make the child feel full and not want to eat rice.

To help your child develop an appetite, in addition to mastering the 'art of feeding,' you need to learn more about the 'art of perfecting nutrition' for children. This is particularly important as it directly affects the child's height and weight.

To ensure proper nutrition, children need to be provided with a full range of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, and more. However, these nutrients can be 'depleted' if you do not prepare and store them correctly. Therefore, you need to be familiar with some tips below.

For animal-based foods, simmer them to make them easier for children to digest. Additionally, you should also offer more easily swallowable foods that most children enjoy such as: avocado, cheese, eggs, peanuts, yogurt, ... for children. For vegetables, to 'tempt' children to eat them, instead of one type of vegetable, make a tray full of colorful and eye-catching vegetables and try all the types of vegetables you can think of. And remember to only introduce vegetables right before feeding the child.

Divide meals into multiple smaller meals throughout the day to ensure an adequate intake of necessary nutrients. Additionally, you need to be willing to change dishes as well as learn how to prepare new dishes from existing ingredients; pay attention to taste, color, nutritional content to enhance your child's appetite.

Inspiring children to eat is also a way to make them enjoy eating. Instead of saying to the child, 'Try this dish, it's delicious!' you should eat the dish deliciously yourself - even without saying anything, the child will be curious and easily 'enticed.'

Not only choosing food, but also make the child more interested in daily meals at home by allowing them to choose their plate, bowl, or drinking cup. The child will look forward to meals to be able to choose whether today they will eat from a bowl with a rabbit or a tiger? Red or green?

Another trick is to let the child eat at the same table with everyone in the family and encourage them to eat by themselves. This not only teaches the child independence but also gives them the opportunity to choose the food they like. While eating, you should not let the child watch TV or play with toys so that they can focus on the meal.

In addition, all children love to be praised. Therefore, if the child tries a new food, whether a little or a lot, praise them enthusiastically and cheerfully. 'You just tried carrots, you're so good! Mom is very proud of you.' With this approach, you will make it easier for the child to want to try new foods.

Children love to make their own food decisions. Encourage them to discuss with you what they want to eat next and choose ingredients for a balanced meal.

Encourage your child to help you pick vegetables, wash them, mix food, and set the table for the whole family. These activities will stimulate your child's desire to eat the dishes they helped prepare.

Establish a rule for your child that they should not eat anything until it's snack time or mealtime. About 10 - 15 minutes before starting the meal, let your child know that mealtime is approaching.

Most children like to imitate the actions of others. Therefore, parents should eat on time, setting a good example for their child in eating healthy foods. Gathering the whole family around the dinner table and chatting happily while eating helps children enjoy their food more.

Insufficient physical activity can also contribute to a child's picky eating habits. You should encourage your child to be physically active every day. If possible, spend time exercising with your child. You can walk, jump rope, play tag, play soccer... with your child. Physical activity helps your child burn more energy, so they will feel hungry, eat better, and have better health.

If your child is still young, you can massage them. This helps improve your child's digestive system, contributes to limiting digestive diseases, and promotes good health and growth.