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HOW TO BOOST YOUR CHILD’S APPETITE

November 12, 2015 - Author: Omonioboli - 30 Comments

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Hello fabulous moms…and dads!
I know a few dads who are primary care givers to their children. We are all on this journey of motherhood or fatherhood and it really never ends. Your kids are still going to call you when they’re fifty (you’ll still be alive then by God’s grace) to ask for some advice or the other. We owe it to them, to do everything in our power to make sure they grow everyday! And kids really grow everyday! I know there are days I woke up to see that one of my sons grew taller overnight!
Today we are talking about how to boost your kids appetite.

One of our fabulous moms asked yesterday and so I decided to share my knowledge on this. Please feel free to leave a comment on your own tips and tricks on this subject. My first son, Tobe, was breastfed for 6 months! After that, he became an extremely picky eater! Simply put, he didn’t eat. We started introducing solids but he just didn’t want food, Period! At a point, we discovered he could stomach custard, so we started feeding him custard but you can’t feed a child with only custard for months! The only saving grace was the milk we fortified the custard with.
Enough about the problem. Let me share some of what I did to get him to start eating.
Before I share, it’s important to note that you must first find out if the lack of appetite is due to an underlying condition. So take your child to see a Doctor to rule out that possibility. Tobe didn’t have any condition, he just didn’t like food so here are some of the things I did…
1. Meal times have to be fun! The environment shouldn’t be rigid. Play your child’s favorite music, buy different colorful dishes and have your child pick their dishes at meal time. Involve them in meal preparations and setting the table for meal time. Make it a happy chore. As much as you can, eat together as a family in a casual setting. Don’t be too strict with table manners. They’ll learn with time.
2. Experiment with different foods to find out what stimulates your child’s appetite. Healthy snacks such as milk and fruits can be given between meals to give them more nutrients but don’t give snacks just before a meal.
3. Don’t store too much unhealthy snacks at home because children can loose their appetite for proper meals if they get too fond of eating unhealthy snacks.
4. I believe an increase in the child’s physical activity helps a great deal in improving appetite because it will stimulate hunger. Riding a bicycle, running around, swimming and other activities are great. If you can, do it with them. At least you can burn some fat in the process or keep fit!
5. Set regular meal times, that way your child’s body gets used to desiring food at certain times. With Tobe, I made sure we had 3 proper meal times and 2 in between snack times.
6. Don’t give up on a particular food the first time you try it and your child rejects it. Keep giving it in small quantities.
I’ve heard it said that you would have to try a particular food 21 times before you conclude that a child doesn’t like that food.
You can also try cooking it differently. Pay attention to the taste. I realised that Tobe didn’t like the ready-made pureed meals. You know the ones in little containers. So I decided to start making my own. I would read the labels and buy the same ingredients. So for instance, a typical meal could be carrots, potatoes, chicken and peas.
I really decided to start blending mine when I tasted one of the store bought ones and said to myself, “no wonder he doesn’t like it.” The food was bland! So I would boil chicken, carrots, potatoes, peas sometimes fish, parsnip, etc and then blend or puree them. As he got older, I started mashing instead of blending until he could eat them boiled. Today, Tobe is a healthy eater and those days of struggling are long gone.
I hope this helps someone. Please feel free to share this post with others and don’t forget to leave your comments. If you have any tips, share as well. We are all here to learn the best ways to make our children GROW EVERYDAY! Keep smiling!


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Discussion (30 Comments)

  1. I see someone that shares my sentiments on these ready made purees…I just couldn’t give it to my children. Nice tips you’ve shared too.
    I will also add that you keep trying the same food rejected intermittently as researchers have found out children can reject a particular food up to 15 times before accepting it. It takes patience and we need loads of it.

    Lovely blog you have too.
    Chiomaxxx

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      Hahaha Chioma, those things are mostly tasteless. It’s even more nutritious and fresher to prepare your own and cheaper too! I actually heard you have to give them the rejected food 21 times! Loads of patience my dear! Keep smiling!

  2. by temilola babalola
    Reply

    Thanks for sharing.it helps a lot .of course the in between snack time and 3propee meals I like the idea,but what bothers me is time, not all women have that time,and then the idea of puree and peas etc, also not all Nigerian mom’s are buttish lol,but all the same I find the idea of setting up the environment before food n music etc fun.It can motivate them to eat,and I’m definitely going to try it .Thanks so much for sharing ma’am ,I appreciate.xo

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      Hahahahaha! You can definitely puree what you have. Sweet potatoes are everywhere, they are even healthier than Irish potatoes, carrots too. You can blend with fish. Oily fish like Titus is really good for growing kids. I know it’s not easy but we have to try. Sometimes, when I got really busy, I would make a batch and put them in little containers in the freezer. But this is when they are still less than one or just past one. The older they get, you just boil and mix. Keep doing your b st to make them #groweveryday

  3. by folashade
    Reply

    I think there’s this thing wit firstborn’s not eating…D same challenge I had and still having with my daughter, ,she just doesn’t lyk food
    !.thanks for d tips though.

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      You are welcome! Try these, it will help.

  4. by ike
    Reply

    This will really help because my son doesn’t eat once he sees biscuits wud try these. Thanks.

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      You have to ake away the biscuits darling!

  5. by Ufuoma Onyenokwe
    Reply

    Its common with children who are
    breast fed especially exclusively.
    I hear am for my girls. To get them
    to eat something else was a battle.
    I will remember to incorporate these
    If I have any more babies.xxx

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      Lol! I like the ‘if I have any more babies’ part.

    • keep on doing what you are doing, your work will not be in vain for every little bit helps. GOD bless and I wish you prspreoity in abundance in all you set your mind to do. ONE LOVE

  6. by vivian williams
    Reply

    Bless u ma suddenly my 2yrs n 6months son stop eaten even though I stil give him wellkid n Scott but d bicycle stuff to kip him busy n d colorful plates I hope n pray it work cos he’s one of a kind so different frm his big broda n sister n I noticed recently he really luv shawama but for how long. Wil jst try dis went to shoprite tonight for bicycle but didn’t see a good one hopefully by tomorrow I wil buy more colorful plates n d bicycle. But for my 4yrs 6months dota once she sees food she start crying no matter how palatable it looks I noticed she love plantain alot but too much plantain at nite destroy d teeth I hope I can get a tip frm anybody.thanks crush.

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      Lots of physical activities will help cos he’ll be hungry. Reduce snacks cos some kids feel full after snacks so they reject proper food. Encourage fruits and veggies and milk as snacks cos they are very nutritious. Make meal times, fun times so they can look forward to it. Involve them in the preparations too. Good luck darling

  7. by abiola
    Reply

    Thanks for your tips, I thought my first child qas picky at foods until I had the 2nd. He takes off at the sight of food, he’s a yr 5months now and I only force him to eat frisogold and recently golden morn. He spits out anything that’s not milk based and even throws up in protest when forced. The paediatrician gave me some random mutivitamin which doesn’t even seem to work. Guess I have to wait till he’s oa bit older to threaten him with Mr do good..

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      You should definitely try these ideas. What you can also do in the meantime, is mix his goods with milk since he likes milk. Milk is great for him anyway. So, you can boil some potatoes and carrots and blend them with milk. Sweet potatoes are great and they are sweet so he might like that. You can also add some chicken. Just play around with different foods keeping in mind a balanced diet. Good luck dear

    • Who born dis gal INI EDO? See babe sexy, classy, silmpe, talented. Nice outfit showing those hot legs. Monalisa nice outfit too, oge nice one, funke abeg re u going to the market pls change o.

  8. by Beke Afashimana
    Reply

    I smiled all through ur write up cos i went through same with my three kids veing gone through exclusive breastfeeding my kkids eat well from when i introduce solid but as from a yr up its normally a picky time so as u rightly said dis kids ve their test they won’t eat from de store foods so what i normally do i go by de malls go through the ingredients and make mine fresh at home and mykids eat well its fun time when eating then when they grow pass the blending stage they ll not want to eat their meats beef chicken or fish and veges what i do i make sure its in all they eat mo fighting i blend the beef or chicken or fish and us to cook what so ever am cooking even de veges so notin is missing we blss God for strength wisdom and patience and continue to ask for more tanks for sharing

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      Great! Thanks for sharing too! They should always have a balanced diet. Bless you

  9. by Stephanie Nkechi Chigbu
    Reply

    Thanks for sharing ma,i love the part of making meal time fun, playing music and all that.
    Honestly no matter the environment or occupation,we mothers go through same problems when it comes to our children being picky. Am a mother of 3girls and nothing gives me joy like when i get compliment such as ‘your kids are healthy what do u feed them ??? Such questions has become national anthem to me.
    Personally i believe so much in breastfeeding a child exclusively though difficult but healthwise is worth it. Maybe because of how i was brought up but i do natural for my girls, i mix, guineacorn (the red $white), millet, dawa, little of white and yellow corn.i soak for 3days then grand and shifter,(u wash every morning and change water in between the 3days) this quit nutritious and healthy u blend with any milk of your choice. Everybody in the house can take it as well, u preserve in the freezer.
    I give fruit juice in place of can juice. I don’t really do junk foods maybe because i don’t like them.
    About picky solution, whenever am home and am to introduce a new meal to them, i dish in a big plate, whatever it is, i make sure i add titus fish because they love it alot,i make sure we eat together, after the first and 2nd day, they’d be demanding for it.

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      Great contribution! I’m sure this will help a mom out there! Hugs and kisses

      • by Stephanie Nkechi Chigbu
        Reply

        Thanks alot ma’am.

  10. by debby
    Reply

    Pls ma,The article u wrote on how we can put baby to sleep at night is not on your blog again.Thanks ma

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      It’s still there dear, it’s called ‘Robbing Peter To Pay Paul’

      • by Open
        Reply

        U guys r the BOMB all looking so geourogs but Osita do you know that u are not complete in that show? Yea 4real coz’ u did’t come wit ur pal Ikedieze!!

  11. by chalice
    Reply

    my comments is outa this sub. pls how do you get cuter? I want to slim down like you

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      I have other posts about weight loss, and detox and exercise. Go through the blog

  12. by Haminat
    Reply

    I find it a bit hard. Am a mother of a sweet playful and restless lady of 20 months old who is a bad picky eater. Though she loves fish and eggs a lot but after that nothing else apart from her frisogold rice/ wheat. She takes that all day but I make sure she eats her fish. I just discovered this daily delight by fmn when I heard golden morn isn’t for under 3 years. And I kept giving her daily till she finally accepted it. No matter how much I try to make the food attractive she won’t bulge. She chooses to eat real well when she wants. So I have officially given up and waiting till she goes off this picky eating stage. I have invested a lot in frisogold my mom gives me an applause. Getting her to like daily delight cereal relives me a whole lot considering the number of tins of frisogold I buy in a month

  13. by damsel nene
    Reply

    Oh Chineke God. I do hope I’m not getting this all wrong.. if they tend to be choosy pickers even after the sing song anthem of “exclusive is the best,” why then should we still do it. I pray my baby doesn’t choose oh, I no know if I go get strength cos as it is na God dey give me strength for this exclusive Wey I dey do. So far though, she is been a nice Lil banana and growing steadily. #shines teeth#i love omoni oboli#hope she love me too. Lol

    • by Omonioboli
      Reply

      Lol! Love you

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