Getting My 7 Yr to Eat When He Has the Flu

I wouldn't worry about anything other than liquids. There's also the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) that is great for upset bellies. Try to get him to eat popsicles or chicken broth. Ginger ale or Coke is great in moderation as well.

I wonder if he would like chipped ice to nibble on? Or freeze some of his favorite juice and let him chew on that? Anything to get the fluids into him. I would also think about offering chicken broth or beef broth...maybe Ramen Noodles ( heavy on the juice light on the noodles). Ask him what HE wants and then let him try it.
Does he like fruit? How about watermelon?
Don't push too hard...it will become a battle of wills and you will lose!!!

He doesn't have to eat... just keep hydrated so he does not get dehydrated.

Have you ever had food poisoning or stomach flu? It is VERY hard to eat when sick like that. When he is better, his body will naturally be 'hungry' and he will eat.... but just not right now. Its okay.

But, I would really try and get him hydrated... a sip at a time. When sick with a stomach flu, the body actually CANNOT intake a lot of liquids at one time, or it will be thrown up. So... take a little sip at a time... over the course of 1/2 to 1 hour.
A person sick with a stomach flu, simply cannot 'drink' like a normal person either. The body cannot take it.

McDonalds will just make him throw up.

If he does not drink anything, and gets dehydrated.... (look online for the symptoms), then he may have to go to the ER and they will give him an IV to re-hydrate him.
Tell him, is that what he wants???? Dehydration is very serious... more serious than not eating.
So, encourage him to drink something.... or suck on ice too. Popscicles etc.

But you do not have to 'force' him to eat solid food. He has a stomach flu... that will not help.

I would REALLY make sure, he is not dehydrated... his weight loss... can occur from not drinking and dehydration.... not from food.
Think about that... because, a body typically loses water weight first... not muscle weight.
So, you need to keep that in mind....
WATCH out for dehydration in him... especially since he has NOT even drank anything much... since Wed.

All the best,
Susan

Have you tried chicken noodle soup or broth? How about jello. If he doesn't like pedialite try gatoraide or capri suns. I would give him any kind of popcicle that he likes. Right now he just needs to start getting fluid in. Clear is best to start with. Once he sees that he did fine he'll start wanting other foods too. Poor guy, 5 lbs is a lot for a kid in such a short time. Good luck.

In our house, when my son is sick, he's allowed to eat anything and everything he wants--popsicles for breakfast, etc. Sounds like he's just not interested--just concentrate on fluids...can he be bribed with ginger ale mixed w/ a little splash of maraschino cherry juice, a smoothie, sherbet, freezer pops, Sprite, Gatorade.......hope he's better soon. Poor little guy.

Your son's appetite will return soon. Don't despair.
Think about it....you've had the flu really bad I'm sure. You know you need nutrition. But heck, there are just times when even the thought of anything is just too much.
Keep offering different things. I wouldn't throw some McDonald's onto an empty tummy that's been upset, but your son will get hungry again.
Maybe try offering some jello or fruit juice bars, maybe some applesauce. My kids liked it warmed up when they didn't feel good.

It's hard, but try not to worry too much. Your son will eat again, I'm sure of it.

Best wishes!

He doesn't need to eat. He does need fluids though. I totally understand his hesitation to eat or drink. I'm sure he doesn't feel like it at all. I would insist on a couple of sips every half hour or so. Tell him to take two sips and let that sit for at least 15 minutes. If he is okay, then he needs to take two more. Whatever you do, don't give him sugary stuff or that nasty McDs! That is not food and has no nutritional value at all. It will only serve to make him sicker. Yuck. You might go get some oscillococcinum from a health food store. It works AMAZINGLY well for flu. It is made by Boiron. It tastes like sugar, so your son will probably be fine with it. Put about 1/2 of a tube under his tongue, and let it dissolve there. In a couple of hours you can give him the other half of the tube. Keep giving it every 3-4 hours until he is better. I bet you won't even need 2 whole tubes of it before he is doing great again. Blessings!
EDIT: I've just now read all the other posts. I'm so sorry, but please stay away from the sodas, juices, and other sugary things. Sugar suppresses your immune system. It is counter-productive for getting healthy. You will only prolong his illness, making things worse. Sugar is a poison. We are addicted to it in America. And, we are an obese nation because of it. Did you know that only Colorado has a less than 20% obesity rate? I think it is because you have to work harder in Colorado just to live because of the altititude. Stay away from sugar. :)

Right now liquids are more important than food. Keeping him hydrated is paramount. Offer him just a tablespoon at a time of anything that sounds good to him to drink-pedialyte, sprite (I don't give my kids soda at all but desperate times call for desperate measures lol), ginger ale, gatorade. He is old enough to understand that he needs to drink to get better and keep from going to the doctor or worse the hospital. Just explain it in your awesome mom way

Glad he seems to be feeling better. When my kid's get sick and stop eating I reintroduce them to food w/ a gatorade/water mixture, and then soft boiled eggs, jello, and the BRAT diet, which a previous mom wrote about.

The body knows what it needs and it doesn't need food immediately to get better, liquids are much more important because of dehydration w/ a fever.

Good luck!!

just stick to the water.. try jello, ice cream.. or tell him sherbert is good for a tummy problem.. tell him it will make him better... ask him if he wants noodle soup... make sure he doesn't have sores or bumps in his mouth.. my kids were like this when they had cocksackie...

Hi! Did the doctor recommend clear carbonated soft drinks? Will he drink a little 7up?
Ialso use Shaklee PerformanceDrink for Electrolyte replacement, for all ages. Here is a link for more information. I'd be glad to help and send a sample.
http://sharon4health.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku...
All the best!
S. Garcia, ____@____.com

the last thing ANYONE wants to do after having the flu is eat - especially McDonalds! Yes, it's hard to see your little one not eating and losing weight - but that is normal. The best thing, I've found as a mom of 3, is to start with very soft foods that are NOT hard to digest - no fruits and veggies for a couple days. The BRAT diet is the best to get him back on track, and it will not cause further diarrhea, etc. It's Bananas, Rice (white), Applesauce and Toast (none to little butter). This is basically fool-proof, appetizing, and will get him right back on track. Also my kids always loved a little fluffy white pancake - NO butter NO syrup, but perhaps a tiny sprinkle or powdered sugar. Just appetizing stuff that will hold up in his belly without causing further problems. A couple days of this and he'll want to eat again, do not worry.
M. ;)

give him electrolyte water..and regular popsicles ...i've had that stomach flu and its just too hard to eat u just feel sick..the electrolyte water really helps..like Smart Water. good luck xo

First of all , he has to be dehydrated. So i suggest gatorade or ice chips.If he contiues this for more days he may have to be admitted to the hospital of an I.V. My daughter went throught the something and the gatorade and ice chips helped. I am a Medical Assistant and a Certifed Surgical Tech and I know that keeping him hydrated is the most important thing. I hope he gets better. My prayers are with him...

I once had a nasty virus or flu & my Dr. told me to drink nothing but gatorade for the next 24 to 48 hours until the bug passed from my system. Gatorade was the only thing I didn't throw up.

My mother used to make me a pitcher of Jello water... Basically, jello that hasn't been chilled. It's another way to get kids to stay hydrated. Don't worry about him eating sugar--besides, the presence of sugar will keep his electrolytes balanced (plain water and vomitting can cause the electrolytes to get out of whack) and give him some glucose for calories and blood sugar levels.