With June’s heatwave showing no signs of letting up, we may notice changes to our daily routines. While we all know we need to stay hydrated to compensate for water loss through perspiration, the NHS also recommends eatingcold foods – especially salads and fruits with high water content during the hot weather.
However, some parents may become concerned if they notice their young ones eating less as temperatures soar. Offering insight on this matter, children’s dietician and author Lucy Upton seeks to “reassure” parents and carers about alterations in their kid’s eating behaviours during the sweltering heat.
In a TikTok video, she explained: “Whilst we are not used to these spicy 30 degree temperatures, it is exceptionally normal that your child will eat less dinner this week and throughout the heatwave.”
Lucy, who boasts over 15 years of experience as a paediatric dietitian, further noted that it’s “biologically and physiologically” common for appetites to be depleted in hot weather. “Eating generates heat, digestion generates heat,” she clarified. “The body is going to be in ‘keep us cool’ mode, so children’s appetites will often drop.”
After an active day, children are also likely to be “quite dysregulated” and a “bit aggy” due to the heat, so they’re “probably not going to want to eat much at all”, according to the expert.
“My daughter hasn’t eaten any dinner for the last three days when hot, bothered and a bit ‘done’,” Lucy confessed. So, how can we ensure our own children’s wellbeing in such circumstances?
“Continue to offer them something and start with small portions,” Lucy advised. “Make your life easier.”
As to what to put on the table, Lucy said: “This is the week for picky dinners. Fruit, salad veg, cold meats or fish, frittata, bread and spreads like hummus or cream cheese. Keep it cool and keep it easy.”
She continued: “Don’t cook – just pop a balanced meal on a plate in the garden, on a picnic blanket or wherever, and see what they fancy. They are likely going to be attracted to the fluid-rich foods, such as the cold yoghurt and fruit and veg from the fridge, but all of those are perfectly normal.”
And Lucy further stressed: “Fluids absolutely a priority this week. Think fluid-rich foods – lollies, smoothie bowls, fruit, veggies, cereal with ice cold milk, overnight oats.”
Lucy said parents whose children normally have good appetites shouldn’t be concerned if they notice a change when it’s warm. “Their appetite will return – just trust them, and in the meantime, try and keep cool,” Lucy closed.
It’s not just children who lose their appetite when it’s warm out. “When we’re in a heated environment, we actually have less of an appetite and consume fewer calories as a way of cooling our body,” Allison Childress, PhD, RDN, a registered dietitian and an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University, pointed out to Verywell.
When it comes to keeping children safe in the sun, meanwhile, the NHS advises online: “Make sure your children drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Remember, drinking little and often is best.
“The first sign that a child is overheating is when they become grumpy or complain of a headache. If this happens, get them into a shaded place that is as cool as possible. Remove any clothing you can, give them water to drink and get them to rest.”