The number of children who do not have a good appetite and do not show a desire to eat has increased these days. This behavior has become a problem for most families. There are several nutritional methods you can use to treat your child’s malnutrition. Follow the effective tips in this regard.
One of the most common problems among many parents is that their child is malnourished. Children often react negatively to foods that are good for them or have strange choices about eating.
In this article, we want to teach you simple ways to help improve your baby’s nutrition.
1- Increase the entertainment factor
Malnutrition can occur from the time of infancy or wait until the baby is a little older. That’s why when you want to prepare your baby’s plate of food, it is worth spending a little more time to make it look more pleasant. Turn your baby’s dinner into a smiling face, or break the sandwich into small, tasty pieces instead of putting it in front of him. By doing this, you have made the time of eating more relaxing for yourself.
2. Involve the child as well
Young children love to help prepare food. Do not worry, there are many things you can do, even if they are not old enough to get close to a knife. Ask them to stir the ingredients into a bowl with a large wooden spoon. Let them round the minced meat or shape it into a burger. Let the eggs beat and choose the ingredients for the omelette – tomatoes, cheese and spinach. Or ask them to choose the ingredients for their pizza themselves.
3- Make the space friendly
One of the best ways to encourage your baby to eat better is to eat with him. If your child sees you constantly and anxiously spinning around and you do not eat any food yourself, the atmosphere will certainly be unpleasant for him. Children are always following you. If they see that you are eating broccoli with an open face, they will certainly do so again. Remember to compliment your child every time he or she tries a new food.
Meals are also a good opportunity to encourage social skills. You can talk about the things you want to do together during the day while eating, or read poetry with young children and play word games with adults (for example, teaching English words in the form of games). By doing this, you make a meal enjoyable for them and it does not become a serious eating ceremony. When a child does not eat the food on his plate, he is more likely to eat from your plate, even if both foods are the same. If it is a new food, you can ask him to try it.
4. Never force the child to eat
You make a delicious lasagna or cook chicken and vegetables, but the child avoids eating. Then you try to feed him and eventually you get angry. In such cases, never let your frustration show itself. Children easily understand their parents’ feelings and anxieties. Never force a child to eat a meal. Just like adults, children sometimes do not eat or are not hungry at all. It is okay for him not to eat certain foods sometimes, he certainly does not have a problem with hunger.
The less nervous you are, the calmer your baby will be when he eats and in general about food. It is recommended to avoid giving unnecessary snacks as much as possible so that the child eats the three main meals better. This way, your baby will really feel hungry and eat well at the main meals. But if you are really worried about losing weight and are afraid of her food, it is better to see a specialist.
5. Go slowly
If your child is extremely malnourished, it is best to introduce new foods slowly. For example, add a new food to the plate next to the food you know they like. When you do this slowly, the child will try new things in addition to his favorite foods and learn to like all foods.
Author: Hannah Cogan
Dr. Kermani’s site
