Loss of appetite: Is your child eating too little?

loss of appetite

General

Even children are simply not hungry on some days. However, it is important to pay attention to whether your child often has no appetite or refuses to eat because it is ill. Maybe your child has already eaten their fill of sweets or other sweets without noticing?!

Causes of loss of appetite

Make sure that your child does not eat any sweets or other sweets between meals. Drinking high-calorie beverages like sodas or juices between set meals also fills you up. If your child is thirsty, they should have water or tea at their disposal.

The compulsion to eat larger meals can also lead to food refusal. It is better to offer small meals regularly.

loss of appetite in children

A toddler between the ages of one and three needs around 950 to 1100 calories a day. If your child is significantly underweight or has had no appetite for a long time and may appear pale and tired, you should see your doctor, because this loss of appetite is not entirely harmless.

Balanced diet despite loss of appetite

Most fathers and mothers often find it difficult to remain calm when an already delicate toddler eats little and plays with the food at mealtimes instead of eating it. But what is actually too little? And how can parents be sure their child is getting enough nutrients?

You shouldn’t necessarily force your child to eat. Try to instill a healthy attitude towards food in your child. This is better for your child and maybe also for your nerves.

However, bad eaters should also ensure a balanced diet. That means roughly: Two glasses of milk or 60 grams of cheese or a cup and a half of yoghurt or two scoops of milk ice cream to absorb important nutrients, calcium and magnesium. 60 g of meat or an egg or three tablespoons of muesli to ensure iron intake and half a glass of orange juice or half a kiwi or other fruit to get enough vitamins.

Do not eat past the feeling of fullness

Many parents still have the very strong instinct of wanting to feed their child, even if it is obviously not hungry. It frightens her when the offspring don’t “dig in” properly at mealtimes.

In extreme cases, the fights at the table can lead to eating disorders. A child who has been pushed too hard to eat can, for example during puberty, refuse to eat too much because of its newly won urge to assert itself, which can lead to anorexia. On the other hand, a child who has always had to eat beyond their full feeling of satiety can also lose their sense of their natural appetite and become overweight over time.