All 3 of my boys have a stomach virus and boy is it a doozy. All 3 have some pretty nasty diarhhea. One of my little guys has it really bad, with virtually no appetite (this is day 4 of hardly any food) and anytime he eats anything, even just a couple of bites, it goes right through him within an hour. We had them all at the doc just to make sure it was a virus so I know that it isn't anything more serious at least for now. My question is this. Seeing as he is barely eating anything, what are some of the very best things he can eat that are going to give him the best nutrition? He is drinking just fine and is staying hydrated. Even though I know he will be fine I just want him to get the most with every bite. He is 17 months old, but typically will eat anything, literally. There are only 2 things he won't eat ever and they are yogurt and jello. And I have tried several flavors of yogurt and the different textures as well, he just won't eat it. So, anything else goes. Any suggestions?
Pedilyte is the best things to prevent him from getting dehydrated. My son had this a couple months back and it lasted 10 days for him. His doctor said to offer him crackers (the salt helps them keep liquids in) and plain rice and broth. To avoid things like milk and pasta.
Have you tried bite size fruit like grapes, blueberries, and cut up strawberries. My daughter will eat those when she isn't feeling well and you can sit them out so he can just pick at them without having to sit and eat in one spot.
bananas, fried egg and toast, crackers and cheese, a bit of peanut butter
I always do clean liquids if they are doing a stomach virus. Sugar feeds the virus so no sweetened drinks at all, NO SUGAR FREE either.
Then toast always makes me fell better or crackers, whole wheat bread/toast may just make the pooh irritating since it may have whole wheat berry's coming out undigested...ouch. Try oatmeal cookies or something he can nibble.
Poor kids. I'm sorry.
How aboout:
crackers (of any kind. Get all sorts.)
Plain toast
Clear soups or chicken broth
Ask your ped about pediasure for hydration (they even make it in popsicle
form but I found the liquid easier to give).
Rigtht now do not focus on nutrition -- because the "nutrition packed foods" are mostly ones that will be tough for him to digest or keep down if he has diarrhea. If you give him berries, grapes etc. as someone suggested, that could worsen things -- they are nutritionally great but full of seeds and fiber and skin that are hard to digest!
He will be fine nutritionally and will catch up -- a few days of unsalted saltine crackers (not whole wheat, plain white flour saltines) and white rice and bites of banana will be fine and he will feel better if he is not eating any veggies or fruit or dairy. Ask your pediatrician if you don't believe me!
Please search on "BRAT diet" here on Mamapedia and online; it's for bananas, rice, applesauce (not apples) and toast, and is often recommended by doctors for kids or adults with digestive upsets. Nutritious? Not very, but it gives the child enough to keep going while the system is upset.
And please! No yogurt or cheese or any other dairy. I know the probiotics in yogurt are usually great but dairy is hard on digestion if one is sick. Again, phone your pediatrician and they'll tell you to go very light and very bland. Hydration is key and if the diarrhea is really bad they may ask you to get something beyond water.
