What Should You Do If A Child Does Not Eat?

When a child does not eat, his mother and the rest of the family worry. Sometimes they feel despondent or panicked,  depending on the degree of the child’s poor appetite. When a child doesn’t eat, he doesn’t get all the nutrients his body needs to develop and grow. They become susceptible to various diseases, which can affect them from childhood. These can haunt them for the rest of their lives. 

The human body obtains energy from food so that it can perform all its functions.

No one can live without eating. This is a concept that adults understand well. However, this is still difficult for children. For example, they put their toys in their mouth as a snack. Nor do they understand that they have to eat to avoid getting sick. 

Therefore, the father and mother are responsible for ensuring that their child is well fed.

What can we do when a child does not eat? Can we force them or should we allow them not to eat?

In this article you will get answers to these questions.

It seems like children stop eating out of nowhere

During certain phases in a child’s life, they have no appetite for certain foods.  

For example, if they really like beans, it is possible that they will refuse them overnight.

Like magic, one day your little one will suddenly eat only rice for a few weeks. He will spit out all vegetables, meat, potatoes and other meals that are handed to him.

It comes as a total surprise when a child suddenly starts eating products that he did not like before. They might even have a great aversion to this. 

Feeding your children is not just something. You never know how it will turn out.

There are children who ate a lot while they were babies and have continued to do so throughout their lives.  They have never lost their appetite.

On the other hand, some parents are perplexed by the different phases in which the difference between having a good appetite and not having a good appetite can be enormous.

It is normal for a child to stop eating at a certain stage, only to have an appetite again.

But what can we do during these difficult phases when they don’t even want to try a bite?

We give you a number of solutions for this.

Tips for mothers when a child is not eating 

Mothers, if your child is one of those who stops eating during certain phases and you therefore have your hands in the hair, take the following advice into account:

Let them eat the food they like

Let your child eat whatever he likes, as long as it’s not  junk food  . 

For example, if they like desserts, yogurt, milk, cheese or ice cream for lunch, let them. After all, these products all contribute to a certain need for fats, vitamins and minerals. These are important for their bodies.

It is better for them to eat something than to have an empty stomach. 

Ask them to help you cook

Your child may be small, but they will love being in the kitchen with you when you prepare a meal. They just like to make a mess of different ingredients.

Let them play an active role in preparing the meal.  And even though you try to teach them good manners, encourage them to use their hands so that they really get to know the dish you are making together.

In this way their appetite will be aroused. If in the end they don’t want to eat the prepared meal, at least you know for yourself that your child has tried a number of snacks during the preparation. 

Serve a varied menu

When a child does not eat, always try to offer him a varied menu.  Provide color, fun shapes and smileys . Make boats, houses or other things from fruit and vegetables as decoration.

It is important to find out which products they like and how they want them prepared.

Give him a spoon and leave him alone

Even when sitting right in front of him and feeding him snacks, give your baby a bib and let him practice. In a playful way they can discover the food on their plate.

Yes, this could turn out to be a disaster without them even taking a bite. But the distraction and sense of independence can motivate them to eat. 

Don’t force them to eat

When your child has eaten some snacks and you notice that your child does not want more, do not force him.  This will only make the situation worse.  

Serve the food separately

Make sure they have a choice and that you offer the different products separately from each other.

A child who does not eat can become overwhelmed when there is too much food on the same plate. This can cause them to lose their appetite.  

That’s why we recommend that you separate things. For example, if you serve them a stew and they only eat two bites of it, put it away. Then bring the rice to the table.

Repeat this process. Take away the rice and offer the meat. Followed by a salad, etc.

When your child eats one or two large bites of each dish, you know that they have eaten something.