Medications for attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) can often suppress appetite. Here are tips to ensure your children eat regularly and stay healthy.
- Feed your child nutrient-dense foods. Pack a lot of nutritional value into a single serving with foods like avocado, yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter, brown rice, turkey, and granola.
- Fill up on breakfast. Offer your child a high-protein, high-calorie breakfast before the medication takes effect - food first, pill second.
- Offer liquid meals. High-protein drinks, shakes, and smoothies are fun ways to ensure that your child gets his share of daily nutrients. Switch flavors to add interest.
- Encourage grazing. Eating four to five small meals a day is a good way to stay well-fed. Snacks should be healthy - avoid soft drinks and overly refined foods with empty calories.
- Give vites. A daily multivitamin will help protect against nutrient deficiencies.
- Limit juice intake. Discourage your child from drinking more than eight ounces of juice each day, especially with meals, or she may feel too full to eat.
- Schedule outdoor play before meals. Fresh air and physical activity spark your child's metabolism, prompting him to feel hungry.
- Try new foods. Engage your child in the choice and preparation of new recipes to raise her interest in eating.
- Buy fortified foods. Milk's not the only fortified item on the market anymore. Look around your grocery store for enriched breads, calcium-infused juices, or snack bars with a full day's dose of several vitamins and minerals.
