How do you get your kids to eat nutritious and have enough nutrient especially if they are always looking for excuses to skip their meals or having small appetite? 

Kids can be picky eaters and it is hard to make them eat what they don't like. They might be pushing food around on the plate but barely put any in their mouth. But it is extremely important to ensure that they get all the nutrients that their body requires and in adequate quantities during their growth and development period. I believe that this question has been bothering many parents, let’s try on these tips to increase your child’s appetite.

 1. Compulsory breakfast

Eating a good ad healthy breakfast is bound to increase your child’s appetite. Breakfast---The most important meal of the day. It is an absolute must, not only for those who want to lose their weight, but also for kids because breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. A balanced breakfast breaks the night fast and kick-starts their metabolism as well as gets the body working for the day. 

2. Keep an eye on their iron levels

Low iron levels or iron deficiency are tending to reduce your child's appetite. Some reports indicate that at least one in eight toddlers tend to become anaemic before the age of 2 years. Kids less than the age of 9 years need about 7 to 10 milligrams of iron a day and those above the age of 9 years need about 8 milligrams of iron daily. You can include iron rich foods like spinach, eggs and lentils in their diet for iron intake. Combination of iron rich foods with Vitamin C in their meal help in increase iron absorption and use by the body.

3. Offer water 30 minutes before their meal time

Start your kid's day with a glass of water even before they drink milk. They should also have water at least half an hour before the meals. These basics really help a lot as water tends to activate the digestive juices and enzymes which increases appetite and also boosts digestion. 

4. Add more zinc rich foods to their diet

Zinc is a very important mineral and is required for many physiological functions such as boosting immunity, regulating the functions of antioxidant and growth and development. You may have not thought about this but zinc also helps in building appetite. A mild zinc deficiency may cause loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea and increases vulnerability to the infections. Wheat bran, pumpkin seeds, nuts, spinach, beans and mushrooms are good for improving the level of zinc in the body. 

5. Give them food every two hours 

Children need all the energy to study, play around and have fun through the day.  Children who fuss over food because they are not too hungry should be feed in small portions every two hours. The standard three meals may not be help in boosting digestive system to make them feel hungry. Besides, give them light snacks between meals would be helping as well. Instead of cookie or chips, offer cereal, sandwich or peanut. Peanut is sometimes called the king of nuts for their appetite-boosting and protein building properties. Incorporate it into your child’s food in the form of peanut butter or just fry it to be eaten as crisps.

6. Do not make milk a meal

 Many children who have low appetites suffer from what can be called the ‘too much milk’ problem. It reduced children’s appetite for meal when they have milk as appetisers or snacks. Parents can try to include yogurt or cottage cheese into their meal.