That doesn’t mean you have to stick to a traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner arrangement, she notes. Study how your appetite or hunger cues fluctuate throughout the day and over the course of a week or so. If you notice your appetite is more active in the mornings, lean into that craving and schedule your largest meal for then, Morin says. Or maybe you have a hard time tolerating larger meals, so you can plan to eat smaller snacks throughout the day.
3. Try nutrient-rich smoothies, drinks or soups.
If you simply can’t eat solid foods, consider making a smoothie, a bowl of healthy soupor other foods that go down easily. Morin says it can help you feel fuller faster and longer and “pack a lot of calories into a small volume.” She suggests adding a little olive oil or cream to your soups for healthy fats, and tossing peanut butter or spinach into your smoothies for protein and vitamins.
If the foods you can digest aren’t necessarily stars in the nutrition department or if you’re trying to get more variety, you can try mixing nutritious options in with your palatable foods, says Morin, like sprinkling fruit on top of yogurt (or ice cream!). You can also buy pre-made protein shakes or nutritional supplement drinks like Boost and Ensure if they’re easier to swallow and you want to save energy by skipping the food prep step.
And don’t sleep on a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes! Potatoes are rich in vitamin C and potassium and are considered a “complete protein,” meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own. (If you do this sweet potato(You also get some vitamin A.) So, besides being relatively cheap and easy to prepare, they can do a lot for you nutritionally.
4. Choose cold or room temperature foods.
Sometimes medication-induced nausea can make your mouth water. I’m about to vomit kind of way. In this case, a big plate of hot steak and mashed potatoes that is wafting strong notes of butter and garlic may just decrease the chances of you eating anything. So instead, opt for cold or room temperature foods, Garcia recommends, because they’re less likely to have strong smells that can put you off.
Cheese and vegetables like carrots or celery sticks are solid options that are easy to grab with your hands, don’t require any prep, and offer a good boost of protein, calcium, and vitamins, Garcia says. Dry cereal is another good option because it tends to be fortified with the nutrients you need and won’t force any unwanted smells into your nose.
5. Drink fluids throughout the day, but not too much.
Hydration and always Water is key to staying healthy and feeling good overall, but if you’re dealing with a weird appetite, you’ll want to be extra conscious about drinking enough water — just don’t overdo it. That’s because dehydration can further decrease your appetite, but drinking too much at once or too close to meals stretches the walls of your stomach, which sends “I’m full” messages to your brain, says Morin. So maybe take a few days to log your water intake and reflect on how it’s affecting your appetite; you might be able to notice patterns that can help increase your desire to get some food into your system. You can also try snacking on hydrating foods like watermelon unlike things like salty potato chips, which can make you quench your thirst a little too quickly.
6. Make mealtimes enjoyable.
Family dinners and brunch with friends should stay on the menu, even if you can’t work up the appetite you once did. In fact, more (hopefully fun!) social gatherings centered around food can actually give your appetite a boost, says Morin. Research shows that people who eat with others tend to consume more compared to when they’re dining alone because you’re more likely to share food or feel more relaxed and happy in these scenarios. That said, it can be a little awkward to watch others chew their meal without doing the same. So maybe start with at least one social meal a week, suggests Morin, and see what that does to your food intake.