Child Runs Away From Food or Refuses to Eat? 4 Practical Ways to Increase Appetite

Dr. Sandip Gupta

Many parents ask: doctor, my child just doesn't eat — we know what to feed, but the child runs away at the sight of food, or eats two or three spoons and spits the rest, and doesn't even want to look at food. This video gives basic, practical solutions parents can try at home. 1. Check for iron deficiency. Most children in India have iron deficiency. If your child's growth is genuinely low — below the 3rd centile on the growth chart — get an iron test done and correct the deficiency, because iron directly affects appetite; children with low iron have less appetite. Otherwise, iron supplementation can be regularly prescribed by your pediatrician at 1–2 mg per kg per day. Giving it for one or two months often improves the child's iron status and, with it, appetite. 2. Don't overdo milk. Above 1 year, children do not need a lot of milk — the energy concentration in milk is fairly low: cow milk and mother's milk both give only about 67 kcal per 100 ml. Too much milk means too few calories and iron deficiency. Children above 1 year should have 400 to 600 ml of milk a day total — mother's milk, cow milk and formula combined — not more. More than this fills the child's stomach and they don't want to eat. Also give milk at least 2 hours before a major meal — for example, if lunch is at 1 pm, don't give milk after 11 am, otherwise the child won't be hungry. A child's stomach needs to be empty to feel hungry; giving cow milk repeatedly throughout the day means the child won't eat and weight won't increase. Milk is a good energy source with calcium and protein, but weight does not increase from milk alone. 3. Encourage self-feeding. Along with three major meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and two snacks (mid-morning and mid-evening), use one of the snack times to let the child feed themselves — arrange seedless soft fruits like banana, mango or papaya on a plate, or make a fruit salad of three or four fruits with a little honey, and let the child eat it independently. The child will play with it and throw some around, but gradually develops the habit of self-feeding, which builds interest in food, helps weight gain, and also makes feeding easier for parents. 4. Eat together as a family. A common complaint from parents: the child tries to eat off the parents' plate but refuses their own food when sat down to feed. Children above 1 year copy adult behaviour — they watch what adults do and learn from it. So when parents sit and eat, take the child along to eat with them; this automatically builds the habit of eating home food. Also — limit outside treats. Don't give too many biscuits, outside chocolates or candies, because the child develops a taste for those flavours, and home food starts to seem less tasty by comparison, leading the child to refuse it — which also stops weight from increasing. Relevant for: parents whose child runs away from food, refuses to eat, or spits food out after a few bites; parents asking whether iron deficiency causes low appetite; parents whose child drinks a lot of milk and eats very little; parents asking how much milk is appropriate above 1 year and the correct gap before meals; parents wanting to encourage self-feeding and finger foods; parents whose child eats from their plate but refuses their own; and parents whose child prefers outside snacks and biscuits over home food. Disclaimer: This video is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child is different — please consult your pediatrician for iron testing and the correct supplement dose, and if your child's growth is below the normal range on the growth chart.