Seasonal changes affect everything from appetite to mood, here’s how to keep your kid healthy all year round.
Even at the best of times it can be difficult to get a fussy eater to try new foods, but in Winter there are even more obstacles in the way. It’s not only an unwillingness to eat certain dishes that causes kids to turn away meals. In the colder months sinus infections, sensitivity to weather changes, and less time outdoors exercising all contribute to an increased lack of appetite in children.
Winter is when kids need their immune system to be at its strongest in order to fight any bugs or viruses that are going around. However carb-heavy winter dishes often don’t provide sufficient nutrition during stages of intense growth and development.
There are ways however to continue to encourage your kid to experiment with new flavors and textures, while still ensuring they get the daily recommended dose of essential vitamins and minerals.
Why Do Kids Refuse to Eat in Winter:
Picky eating can start at any age and is normally something that most children eventually grow out of. Sicknesses such as throat or chest infections, respiratory viruses, stuffed noses or vomiting bugs are far more common in Winter. All of these severely affect a kid's appetite, whether it be due to a loss of smell and taste, pain swallowing, or stomach cramps.
It can take weeks for children to feel normal again and in the meantime they can show a reluctance to eat anything other than starchy foods such as breads, pasta, and cereals.
Winter Nutritional Guide for Picky Eaters:
- Creating a relaxed atmosphere around mealtimes plays a vital role in teaching children to enjoy food and develop healthy eating habits. Having smaller portions of fruit or vegetables available on the table allows them to experiment in their own time without tension.
- Hydration and exercising outdoors both help to increase appetite, so even if it's cold, try to wrap up and get active before eating.
If you feel that your child has some gaps in their diet, EllaOla’s Unflavored Powder Multivitamins can be blended undetected to liquids and foods. It contains 19 essential naturally sourced nutrients and contains the exact dosage for each age.
