Get your appetite back and running with these easy side-effect-free changes.
Loss of appetite can be a symptom of various medical conditions, especially if it is coupled with other symptoms. If your appetite suddenly or gradually falls off the charts, talk to a medical professional.
On the other side, appetite loss can be caused by lifestyle habits and routines. You can find yourself getting tired of certain foods or eating becomes a chore. In such a case, this editor shares personal tips to repair your relationship with food.
It also doesn’t hurt to try them when you are getting treatment for appetite loss.
1. Serve food on different plates
One of the most fascinating things I have ever seen is mukbang foodies. I have lost hours of sleep watching them in the past. They either have amazing editing software or they are simply gods of food. However, I noticed that they never mix food on one plate. It adds to the aesthetic and communicates the magnitude of the meal.
This style of serving food is common in East Asia. For example, the Japanese eat triangular food. They can eat any food no matter the taste or preparation because of this technique. In triangular eating, you have a bite of each dish at intervals. This helps give the taste buds various flavours in one meal and time to savour each. It is a kind of seasoning during the meal.
Lumping food on one plate can overwhelm you and kill the unique flavours leaving you with a bland palate and little desire to eat more.
2. Cook various small meals
Venture away from the beaten path of food and sauce/soup. Prepare small portions of different foods. You can cook three foods with stew, sauce, salad, veggies. You can also use different preparation methods like steaming, boiling, frying, and grilling. Cooking can be fun but if you stick to one standard or routine, it can affect you.
Multiple small meals can also give you more time to be creative with different recipes, spices, and ingredients.
Make sure to have proper storage for the food if it can last you a few days. Buy small portions of many foodstuffs rather than stocking a few foods.
3. Sit at the table
Use the dining area rather than the bed or sitting room. Even if you’re alone, the mental association of the dining area with eating and gathering around meals can help put you in a better mood.
If you don’t have a dining table, set up a convenient eating area for meals. It can be sitting on a mat, using your work table (without the workstation equipment), or creating a sitting arrangement on the floor with cushions and a pallet.
4. Eat without distractions
Eating is a necessity but it is also an activity that engages your senses and emotions. Your experience with food can influence your eating habits. Have you ever been so taken by a delicious meal that focusing on anything else is impossible at that moment? You probably have a memory or two.
So don’t mix your entertainment with meals, at least for a while. Give your food attention!
5. Have someone cook for you
Take a break from the aromas and preparations and be served. Sometimes we cook and by the time you serve, you don’t have an appetite for the food because of the smell and taste. Go out to a nice restaurant and have some food or ask a friend, or family member to take care of the cooking once in a while.
Lastly, engage in activities that work up an appetite like working out or playing. Stay hydrated during periods of low appetite and nutritious foods when you eat.
