What to Feed Your Poorly Child

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Having a child is one of the most wonderful things in the world. You love them more than you love anything else, even when they’re screaming, crying, and generally driving you up the wall… but there’s one part of parenthood that’s harder to cope with than anything else, and that’s when your child gets sick. Whatever age they are, it never stops being heartbreaking to see their little faces sad and poorly, even if it only lasts a few hours.

One of the worst kinds of sickness is when their stomachs go haywire: the dreaded tummy bug (or viral gastroenteritis if you want the fancy name). If you’ve never had to deal with a child spewing from both ends, you’re very lucky – and probably have it to look forward to, as it happens to about 21 million people every year! After going to your doctor for advice, don’t be afraid and just take some simple measures to look after your child. If they’re over twelve, you can give them vomiting medication and tablets to stop diarrhea, which can be bloody marvellous. Aside from this, often all you can do is tuck them in, love them, and give them the best foods possible to help them get better.

In this situation, the blander the better! Chicken soup might be a stereotype, but it’s also an amazing food to give your child if they’re feeling poorly. It’s cheap, easy to make, and there are some great recipes online if you need them. If you’re a vegetarian family, try substituting the chicken with tofu – or even changing to a miso soup if your child isn’t too picky! The key here is to go for something clear and liquidy, nothing too thick or stodgy. You want to give their digestive system the least work possible, whilst keeping them fed and hydrated, so light soups are definitely the best way to go. 

Another brilliant option (particularly in the morning) is bananas. You might not think of bananas as being that versatile, but you’d be mistaken! You can eat it straight from the skin, have slices of banana on toast, put banana chunks with some light cereal and milk, and if your child is really young you can mash them up into a paste and spoon feed from the bowl. 

Aside from bland foods, just make sure to listen to your child and their needs – often, they’ll know their body and what their body wants much better than you can guess it. If they don’t want to eat anything, don’t force them to do it, and let them build up to more substantial foods as they feel like it, particularly with meals including rice, pasta, potatoes, and other carby foods as these will be the least likely to upset their stomachs again! Of course, if they ask for Haribo then you might want to hold back on that one… but otherwise, listen to what their body needs! Ultimately, they will recover themselves; you are just a helpful bystander on this one. It’s a tough lesson to learn, but one you’ll find more and more as they grow up and become the person you’re raising them to be.

This is a collaborative post.