Intro
As a parent, it can be incredibly stressful when your toddler is sick and their appetite disappears. You’re left wondering what to feed a sick toddler when they refuse to eat, yet you still want to make sure they’re getting the nutrition they need to recover so that they can feel better.
It’s completely normal for sick toddlers to eat less. The primary focus should be on keeping them hydrated and offering easy-to-digest foods that will soothe their upset tummies.
Keep reading to discover some easy, nutritious, and comforting food ideas that can help get your little one back on their feet in no time!
Understanding a Sick Toddler’s Nutritional Needs
Before diving into what to feed a sick toddler, it’s important to understand your toddler’s unique nutritional needs when they’re feeling under the weather. Hydration is key, along with offering easily digestible foods and smaller, more frequent meals to support their recovery without overwhelming their little tummies.
Hydration is Key
Many symptoms of illness, such as vomiting, fever, and diarrhea, result in fluids being lost from the body. When these fluids are not replaced through foods and drinks, it can lead to dehydration. Because toddlers have smaller bodies, they have smaller fluid reserves. This makes your toddler at greater risk for dehydration when they are experiencing these symptoms.
If your toddler has a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, follow their pediatrician’s recommendations for replacing fluids. This will help to minimize the risk of dehydration.
Easily Digestible Foods
To help little tummies recover, it is important to offer foods that are easier for your toddler to digest. Easily digestible foods give your toddler’s belly a chance to rest as they recover from their illness.
Food choices low in fiber and fat like saltine crackers, or foods that are soft or easy to chew foods like applesauce, make great options that require minimal effort to digest. Other options to offer when deciding what to feed a sick toddler include clear foods and liquids like Jell-O or broths. Not only are these choices easy to digest, but they can help replace lost fluids to keep your toddler hydrated.
Small, Frequent Meals
Offering mini-meals or snacks throughout the day rather than large meals can make foods easier for your toddler to digest. Serve smaller portions than you would typically offer your child.
Try including foods that are familiar to your child but in smaller portions than you normally would offer. Serving up their favorite foods may be another way to help entice them to take even few small bites.
What to Feed a Sick Toddler – Best Food Options
Ok, so let’s get down to it! If you are wondering about what to feed a sick toddler, here are my top food recommendations to offer your little one.
- Clear Broths and Soups: Broths and soups can be soothing and are easy to digest. Try serving warm lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth in a cup with a straw for your toddler to sip, or serve with small pasta shapes like ditalini or elbows for a homemade soup.
- The BRAT Diet: You may already be familiar with the BRAT Diet. If you are not, it stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. While research is limited on this diet, it is one that is commonly recommended for children dealing with diarrhea. The idea behind this diet is that it offers your child bland foods that are low in fiber.
Because the foods that make up the BRAT diet are gentle on the stomach, this diet may help to ease the work their belly has to do during the digestive process. This helps give your little one’s belly time to rest while it recovers. - Plain Crackers and Dry Cereals: Sick toddlers may experience symptoms of nausea. Offering your nauseous toddler simple, bland foods like plain crackers and dry cereals can be helpful.
Remember, while fiber is an important nutrient for digestive health, it is also harder for the body to digest. So, skip the fiber during this time until your child recovers. Choose crackers and cereals with minimal amounts of fiber like saltine crackers and crispy rice cereal with a little milk. - Mashed Potatoes and Plain Pasta: These choices are not only comforting, but bland in flavor, making it easy for toddlers to eat. Avoid making mashed potatoes and pasta with high fat mix-ins like whole milk or butter, as fat may upset nauseous bellies. Instead, try mashing potatoes with low-fat milk, milk alternatives, or lower sodium broth. Serve pasta plain or toss with a splash or two of lower-sodium broth.
- Yogurt: Yogurt is another easy to digest option when your toddler is sick. However, don’t wait until they are sick to serve up this nutrient-rich food. Most yogurt brands contain probiotics, or helpful bacteria. Research demonstrates that probiotics found in fermented yogurts support the immune system. Check the label on your toddler’s yogurt to ensure it contains live and active cultures.
- Scrambled Eggs: Another great easy to digest food option for sick toddlers. If your toddler is nauseous, they may do better with just the egg white because the yolk has a higher fat content.
However, if your child is not experiencing any nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea and has an illness like the common cold, try offering the whole egg. This gives your toddler the biggest bang for their buck, as egg yolks contain Vitamin D and zinc, key nutrients known to support immune health.
What to Feed a Sick Toddler – Nutritious Liquid Options
- Diluted Fruit Juice: Fruit juices offer hydration and some vitamins while being easy on the stomach. Choose 100% fruit juices like apple, pear, or white grape juice and dilute to be a mix of 50% juice and 50% water.
- Homemade Smoothies: If your toddler isn’t in the mood to chew foods, try blending them up to make a homemade smoothie. Blend fruit and yogurt, along with a beverage like diluted fruit juice, low-fat milk, or plant-based milk alternatives to make a treat that will help to rehydrate your little one as well as provide them with essential nutrients and protein.
Try blending a banana with yogurt and vanilla almond milk, or blend together strawberries, diluted apple juice and yogurt for a sweet and nutritious treat! - Oral Rehydration Solutions: Rehydration drinks designed specifically for children, like Pedialyte, are an option to offer your toddler if they are experiencing diarrhea or vomiting. These drinks are designed to replace glucose (sugar) and sodium, nutrients that are lost when your child is ill.
When my kids were toddlers, I always ensured I had a bottle of an oral rehydration solution in our pantry as a backup. This way I knew it was always there, on-hand for when needed…because, in my house it seemed like vomiting or diarrhea always happened in the middle of the night!
It is important to always consult your toddler’s pediatrician before offering oral rehydration solutions or electrolyte drinks. They can help guide you on how much and how often to offer these drinks to your toddler. - Coconut Water: This drink option comes from the liquid found in young coconuts and is naturally rich in electrolytes, which can help with hydration. Coconut water naturally provides a mild sweetness your toddler may enjoy. Look for varieties with no added sugars. Try adding coconut water to homemade smoothies for a little sweetness!
Foods to Avoid When a Toddler is Sick
- Spicy Foods: Spicy foods may irritate your toddler’s stomach and worsen symptoms they are experiencing. When deciding what to feed a sick toddler, it’s often best to stick to bland food options until they are feeling better.
- Fried Foods: Similar to spicy foods, fried foods are also known to irritate upset bellies. This is because of the higher fat content associated with fried foods.
- Citrus or Acidic Foods: While citrus fruits like oranges and clementines are a great source of immune-boosting vitamin C, they may not always be the best choice if your child has a sore throat or symptoms of reflux.
The high acidity in these foods can tend to irritate these symptoms, making your toddler uncomfortable. Wait until their symptoms improve before adding these healthy food choices back into your toddler’s diet.
Tips for Encouraging Your Sick Toddler to Eat
It can be frustrating when trying to figure out what to feed a sick toddler, but it can be even more frustrating when trying to get them to actually eat. While getting your sick toddler to eat and drink can be challenging, keeping them nourished and hydrated is essential for recovery.
Here are a few tips to help encourage your toddler to eat and drink, even when they may not always feel like it because of an illness. Keep in mind that if your toddler refuses to drink any fluids you should consult your toddler’s pediatrician for more guidance.
- Create a Calm Environment: Reduce distractions and offer food in a quiet, comforting setting.
- Make Hydration Fun: Keeping your toddler hydrated is more important than food when they’re sick. Try making hydration fun so your toddler can’t resist sipping throughout the day! Use a fun cup, colorful straw, or even popsicles made from juice or oral rehydration solutions.
Get creative with imaginative play! Add water, diluted juice, or oral rehydration solutions to tea cups and host a tea party for your toddler. Serve applesauce pouches along with their “tea” as a easy-to-digest snack. - Use Fun Utensils and Plates: Make mealtime more appealing with colorful utensils or favorite character plates.
- Let Them Choose: Giving toddlers some control can help boost their interest in eating or drinking. Offer two options (like a banana or applesauce) and let them decide.
- Offer Small, Frequent Meals: Large portions may overwhelm a sick toddler. Offering small amounts of food more frequently is often more manageable. Serve small bites every 1-2 hours rather than three full meals.
- Stay Patient: Remember to be patient. Encourage eating and drinking, but don’t pressure or force-feed your toddler. Trust that their appetite will return as they start to feel better.
If concerned about your toddler’s lack of eating or drinking, always reach out to your pediatrician for more specific guidance.
Seeking Medical Advice
It is important to always seek medical advice from your toddler’s pediatrician when they are sick. Your pediatrician is the expert that will know your child best. They can help personalize recommendations to your toddler’s unique illness, symptoms, and needs.
Key Takeaways
It’s normal for toddlers to eat less when they are sick. When figuring out what to feed a sick toddler, it’s important to prioritize hydration and offer simple, easy-to-digest foods.
Clear broths, the BRAT diet, and plain crackers or cereals provide nourishment without overwhelming their sensitive stomach. Serve small, frequent meals and comforting foods like mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs, which are also great options.
Offer nutritious liquids, such as diluted juice, smoothies, or coconut water, to help keep your toddler hydrated. Remember to avoid spicy, fried, or acidic foods that may irritate their bellies and worsen symptoms.
Try some of my recommended tips for encouraging your toddler to eat during times of illness. But, above all, stay patient. And, consult your pediatrician if you have concerns about your toddler’s food or fluid intake during illness.