To improve the appetite of the child in cancer treatment, you should offer foods rich in calories and tasty, such as desserts enriched with fruits and condensed milk, for example. In addition, it is important to make the meals attractive and colorful to help stimulate the child to feel like eating more.
Loss of appetite and the appearance of mouth sores are common consequences of cancer treatment that can be treated with special care with food to help the child feel better and stronger to face this stage of life.
Foods that have improved appetite
To improve appetite, you should provide your child with high-calorie foods that provide plenty of energy even if they eat in small amounts. Some examples of these foods are:
- Meat, fish and eggs;
- Whole milk, yogurt and cheeses;
- Vegetables enriched with creams and sauces;
- Desserts enriched with fruit, cream and condensed milk.
However, it is important to avoid low-calorie foods that are low in calories, such as skim milk and dairy products, green and raw salads, fruit juices, and soft drinks.
Tips to increase appetite
To increase the appetite of the child should increase the frequency of meals, offer food in small quantities and give preference to the child's favorite foods, creating a warm and lively atmosphere during meals.
Another tip that helps to improve appetite is to drip lemon drops under the tongue or chew ice about 30 to 60 minutes before meals.
What to do in case of mouth or throat sores
In addition to the loss of petite, it is common to see sores in the mouth and throat during treatment for cancer, making it difficult to feed.
In such cases you should cook the food well until it is soft and pastey or use the blender to make purees, offering mainly foods that are easy to chew and swallow, such as:
- Banana, papaya and avocado crushed, watermelon, apple and pear scraped;
- Pureed vegetables such as peas, carrots and pumpkin;
- Mashed potatoes and pasta with sauces;
- Scrambled eggs, ground or shredded meats;
- Porridge, creams, puddings and gelatin.
In addition, avoid acidic and irritating foods such as pineapple, orange, lemon, tangerine, pepper and raw vegetables. Another tip is to avoid very hot or dry foods such as toast and biscuits.
