Good Foods to Feed Your Sick Toddler

good food for sick toddlerBeing a new parent is so exciting but can also be scary. You’ve read all the parenting books, taken all the classes, and always listen to your doctors. You feel as prepared as possible. Unfortunately, life is not something that you can be fully prepared for.

Although you’ve done everything right, it is still possible for your child to get sick. The National Health Interview Survey conducted a study in 2014, and this study revealed some interesting health facts about children in the United States. About 8.4% of American children suffered from hay fever, 10% from respiratory allergies, 11.6% from skin allergies, and 5.4% from food allergies.

Sometimes, a parent’s worst nightmare can be food allergies. When you’re giving your child a certain food for the first time, you never know how their bodies will react. Some of the most common food allergies, according to Kids Health, are:

  1. Milk
  2. Eggs
  3. Peanuts
  4. Soy
  5. Wheat
  6. Tree nuts
  7. Fish
  8. Shellfish

It may seem impossible to avoid all of these foods when feeding your young child, and that’s okay. It is not always necessary to avoid these. If something does happen to your child from consuming any one of these foods, visit your local hospital or urgent care to seek solutions and good food for sick toddlers.

Taking your child to a pediatric urgent care when your child has a potential allergic reaction to food is probably the best thing to do. The pedi center will be able to test your child for food allergies and tell you if your child needs medication. They also can give you a list of good food for sick toddlers to help mend your child with a food allergy or suffering from any other kind of sickness. Here are some things to keep in mind when you have a sick child, according to New Kids-Center.

Hydration
When your child is sick, it is important to give them food and drinks that will keep them hydrated. The body needs fluids to help fight infection, so it is important to keep your toddler hydrated.

BRAT
Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast are the foods that make up the BRAT diet. These foods are easy to digest and have a better likelihood of staying down than many other foods when a child is sick.

CRAM
Similarly, CRAM is a diet that consists of cereal, rice, applesauce, and milk. This diet has a higher fat content than the BRAT. Cereal and milk can help boost your child’s nutrition by giving them more protein when they are ill.

Other foods like fruits and veggies, as well as chicken soup, are considered good food for sick toddlers. Remember these when your child is sick, and if they have an allergic reaction, take them to urgent care!