What To Feed A Sick Child?

As parents, nothing is more heart-stopping than a sick child. Their appetite takes a nosedive and no amount of coaxing on your part can tempt them into drinking that specially prepared smoothie you lovingly made for them. At this point you may be thinking, is there some magical food for sick a sick toddler? This begs the question, “What to feed a Sick Child?” Before you tear the pantry apart looking for that tempting morsel, let’s chat about a few tips.

Children seem to get sick quickly and often bounce back just as quickly after a period of illness. If they are troubled by vomiting and/or diarrhoea it can be near on impossible to get any nutrition and fluids into them. If they have a case of the snooties, coughing every 2 seconds, and passing the bugs onto their siblings it can still be hard work.

Any time you are concerned about your child becoming dehydrated you should act quickly and consult your doctor.

what can i feed my sick child

Sick Kids & Dehydration

Since their appetite may be out the window the risk of dehydration through fever or tummy bugs is heightened. In addition to offering more fluids, make sure to include hydrating foods in snacks and meals. (King, et, al 2003).

For sick babies under one year continue to offer breast milk, or formula milk more frequently if needed. For sick toddlers you can offer:

  • Cow’s milk
  • Plant-based milk
  • Coconut water (diluted 1:1 ratio with water) (offered occasionally)
  • Smoothies
  • Fruit juice (diluted 1:1 ratio with water) (offered occasionally, do not offer if experiencing diarrhea).
  • Ginger ale or lemonade

What To Feed Your Sick Child

Examples of hydrating foods for sick children include:

food for sick toddler
  • Broths and soups 
  • Popsicles
  • Pureed Apple
  • Yogurt
  • Cucumber
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Zucchini
  • Watermelon
  • Melon
  • Oranges
  • Pineapple
  • Apples
  • Spinach
  • Grapes
  • Jelly

These foods offered in small amounts help your little ones to get extra fluid. Again, appetites may have waned so offer little portions often. Sometimes they may not even want to chew, or it takes too much energy to eat. In this case offer soft and easy-to-eat foods like mashed potatoes, yoghurt, porridge, or pureed food pouches.

Children need more care and attention during times of illness so demands on Mom’s and Dad’s increase. Try and rest when they do and make sure you eat to keep well. Nothing is harder than caring for a sick child than when you are sick yourself.

Immunity-Boosting Foods For Your Sick Child

what to feed a sick child

Good old garlic comes to mind here. Without a doubt, garlic is nature’s antibiotic, not to replace prescribed antibiotics if your child requires them, but to enhance the body’s defence systems to reduce the duration of the common cold. (Lissiman, et al, 2014).

Honey (for children over 1-year-old) is a great defence against flu and colds in children. It has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and its effectiveness on nocturnal coughing has been shown to be successful. (Paul, et, al, 2007).

Berries, eaten whole or in a smoothie appeal to children of all ages. Berries have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory advantages. Your toddlers can suck on the juice of berries, like a strawberry to help soothe a sore throat and impart Vitamin C and extra fluids. (Skrovankova, S, et al, 2015).

Busting Milk Myths For Sick Kids

There is a common belief that milk increases mucus production. Contrary to this thinking, milk does not increase mucus production. It may make it more noticeable and thicker and therefore cause discomfort to your child. Milk is an individual preference, if you want to steer clear of milk while your toddler is ailing that’s fine. (Balfour-Lynn, 2019).

Coming out the other side of Illness

As they recover, our children come back to their normal energy levels and their appetite slowly improves. Sometimes they can appear healthy and energetic, but it takes a week or so for their appetite to return. Don’t panic this is perfectly normal after a time of fighting the bugs and it takes a few days for their tummies to settle back into a regular pattern.

I hope this article has assisted you in answering the question, “What can I feed my sick Child?” Often when they are unwell, their favorite foods are always a good starting point but also remember to add fluids and don’t stress. Check out some easy dinner recipes here that will hopefully help you and your little one get through the sickness.

Remember to consult your doctor if your child becomes febrile, listless, or will not take any fluids.

what to feed a sick child

References

Balfour-Lynn IM Milk, mucus, and myths Archives of Disease in Childhood 2019;104:91-93.

King CK, Glass R, Bresee JS, Duggan C; Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Managing acute gastroenteritis among children: oral rehydration, maintenance, and nutritional therapy. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2003;52(RR-16):1–16 PubMed Google Scholar.  

Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M. Garlic for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Nov 11;2014(11):CD006206. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006206.pub4. PMID: 25386977; PMCID: PMC6465033.

Paul IM, Beiler J, McMonagle A, Shaffer ML, Duda L, Berlin CM Jr

Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1140–1146pmid:18056558

PubMed Google Scholar

Skrovankova S, Sumczynski D, Micek J, Jurikova T, Sochor J. Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Different Types of Berries. Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Oct 16;16(10):24673-706. doi: 10.3390/ijms161024673. PMID: 26501271; PMCID: PMC4632771.