Nutrition for 6 - 10 year olds

Hello Kavitha, did you speak to your childs paediatrician about it since you are facing this problem for a long time. Being active and healthy is more important than acquiring a chubby look. If she is healthy, dont worry. Here are few things you could try:
*Feed her nutritionally rich breakfast in the morning. Solid food is more important at this age for weight gain and to meet other nutritional needs. Some children drink only milk and eat very less breakfast. Only milk wont be enough.
* Avoid junk food
*Feed her when she is hungry and give enough gap between meal times, atleast three hours between each feed.
* She can have her favourite food but be creative and try different recipes to make her meals as interesting as possible. For instance, if she likes Dosa, you could try a variety of dosas with different combinations of rice, dals, oats, millets and other grains and legumes. For the same dosa batter, you can add vegetables, coconut, and other stuff to make the dosa taste different and interesting. You can also make kulipanyaram out of it. If she likes pasta, pizza, or rice you could try and make creative healthy recipes.
*Include her in the cooking process but follow safety measures. Since she is very young, you could ask her to make dough, roti balls, pick her favourite vegetable, peel something, break an egg, decorate the cake, mix the batter or anything that will get her interested in the process. When she is involved, she will eat her food with more interest.

Doctors usually prescribe vitamins, and something that will increase appetite. You can also discuss this with a dietician who will make a chart to help you. Hope this helps. All the best.

Diet plays an important role in recovering from a fever. The overall diet should be light and easy to digest. Here are some tips to help your 9-year-old to recover soon.

1. Lots of fluids: It is important to drink a lot of fluids to help your child feel better. Fluids in the form of soup, hot tea or just plain water are recommended. If your child had a cold and cough, hot soups can help loosen the dried mucus in the nasal passages and help relieve symptoms. Soups can also help boost his appetite.
2. Protein: Lean protein can help regain energy to fight off the infection. You can choose bland foods such as scrambled eggs and unseasoned chicken. If your child is not able to take solids, opt for a smoothie or a shake made using non-fat milk and yogurt.
3. Fruits: Choose soft fruits like banana, papaya, oranges, sweet lime and melons. Vitamin C-rich foods can help boost immunity.
4. Avoid fatty foods: It is a strict no for spicy and fatty foods as it can be hard to digest. Kichidi and poha with lots of vegetables can be good to start with for recovery.
Remember that your child is slowly recovering from the illness and it is natural for him not to have a great appetite. Do not force your child to eat, if he doesn't like it. Just stop and feed him after a short break. Also, make sure that he gets plenty of rest. Give him lots of soups of drink as they are easy to digest and rich in nutrients that will help him with recovery. Wishing your child a speedy recovery!

Thank you so much, Team. We are taking the steps suggested by you. Hope he recovers soon!