What do you feed your ill toddler?

[talilac]

DD1 has been going through recurrent bouts of chucking up this month, and for the few days before she starts and a few days afterwards she has no appetite. Not even pesto pasta or tomato soup which are her favourites.

So my question is, what do you give your sick child when they need to eat something but are refusing all the usual stuff?

So far today she's had a few dry cheerios and honey on a spoon!

Toast with honey?

TBH if my DS is ill and refusing to eat his normal food, I tend to spoil him and let him eat junk, i.e. crisps and biscuits if he wants them!

DS goes for plain things like naked pasta, weetabix, toast - only little bits at a time.

I go for things that are not bright coloured, so the sick doesn't stain.

rich tea biscuits are always good, agree with legoleia, no ribena!! ha, if they can't keep stuff down then those energy tablets are good accompanied by water.

i would give them anything they felt they could eat - if theyre going to be sick they will be sick anyway -

Tried it, she just nibbled at the edges and licked off the honey. Thus the honey on a spoon!

I let her have white choc buttons yesterday. She ate a couple then just squished them between her fingers and put them down her top! You know a child is poorly when they dont even want chocolate.

I wouldn't mind but its the fourth bout now and she's so skinny.

sorry that was a reply to mishymoo.

legoleia - she chucked after minestrone last week, now that was very bad, none of us will ever eat it again I think.

Shes past the throwing up stage I think, is just poorly with no appetite now. And cranky.

what about drinks? Full fat milk? DS likes bread and butter cut into tiny squares (shreddie size) fruit peeled and cut into little pieces. Try and make it fun and easy to eat. Its a toughie cos all children are so different

also with recurring bugs maybe try yoghurt to boost good bacteria? sounds like she might have an imbalance. I'm no doc though.

probiotics great idea.

things cut up small good idea too.

I have some success with random things on a spoon - honey, peanut butter, whatever.

Yes every child is different but you get inspiration from what works for other people!

I'm cautious with full-fat milk,as sometimes that can upset their tummy again. Last time dds had tummy bugs, it was chocolate buttons, diluted apple juice, toast and chocolate spread, grapes and anything else they asked for!

Ready Brek or scrambled/boiled eggs used to do the trick for mine, although as others have said depends whether you're avoiding dairy or not for ready brek. Smoothies? Would also strongly recommend Minadex tonic, always seemed to kick start my DCs' appetites when they were under the weather whilst getting vitamins and minerals into them.

P.S. meant to add, hope she's feeling better soon, and also ask her what she fancies....

Thanks and good point Lilo! She'll prob say "daddys crisps" which are usually absolutely off limits. Wonder if I should give in today...

i give bananas, apples, rice and toast. they are meant to make up a word so that you can remember but i can't remember if it's bart or brat!!

I let my toddler graze on small snacky things - whatever he can stomach, really - toast, yoghurt, fruit pots (the little apple sauce-type pots that babies like), little triangle sandwiches, cereal/porridge. He often likes freshly squeezed orange juice when he has a cold, too. Treats like hot chocolate or choccie buttons always seem to go down well, too, and I don't see any harm in that.

No ideas, other than 'whatever she wants' tbh, but I hope she feels better soon, poor little girl. Its hard enough as a fully understanding adult to keep throwing up, but as a toddler it must all be quite bewildering for her.
Hope things are back to normal soon.

I agree - anything they fancy really because that is probably what the body needs - just make sure the portions are very small and not scary. You don't want her craving something then chucking it up and putting her off having it again. My DD was skinny toddler too and worried me everytime she was ill but she made it through! Hope she's better soon.

Jelly, ice lollies/ice pops mostly water so will keep her fluids up too.

Brilliant thanks everyone..

She actually asked for lunch today so fingers crossed shes on the mend and this time will stay that way!

my ds is quite poorly several times a year and all he wants is a subway sandwich cue a mad dash to town for a subway which inevitably he brings back up few hours later however a bit of what you fancy........