Ideas for what to eat when low appetite/nausea?

[smileforawhile]

Hello. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions of things that have helped them overcome no appetite/nausea? One of my main sources of anxiety comes from knowing my appetite is not what it should be and then of course when I don't eat I feel even worse. Trying to keep soldiering on when anxious and not well nourished is hard work. I am so frustrated at the cycle I get myself into over this. It's been a fortnight now and I'm worried my appetite is still not back. Any suggestions? x

[spawn]

I found yogurts, melon and bananas were the only things i could eat when my anxiety was very high and i couldnt eat alot.

[Annie0904]

I am the same, in fact some times I look at a meal and cry because I know I should eat it and want to eat it but just feel so nauseous with anxiety that I can't! I try to eat little and often, my husband is really good at encouraging me to eat. I eat bananas mashed with milk, milk jelly, blamange, fruit...things that go down easily! Some days I can eat some dinner others I can't face it :(

[smileforawhile]

Thanks for your replies. Yeah - fruit, jelly and a bit of cereal or toast is about all I can do at the moment. It really alarms me though that this is all I have in me to keep me going. I know that this is just not enough which sends me into anxiety overdrive. x

[bernie1977]

I've just had a bad bout of gastritis and I was so nauseas I couldn't eat, my Doctor suggested the BRAT diet which is bananas, rice, apple sauce and toast.

[Annie0904]

I know what you mean and when I do eat it often goes straight through me!! My husband always says that I will be retaining some of the goodness though. Soup is quite good to eat also but I don't know why but when I am really anxious I find it easier to eat cold food rather than hot. x

[merlotsmum]

I used to have Complan powder mixed with soya milk, I can't do dairy. Its packed with vitamins and minerals. It is like a light meal calorie wise. I felt that I was getting some goodness x

[clio51]

i'm exactly the same the first to go with me when i'm anxious is my appetite you want something but it's like your brains saying NO and you feel so empty which makes you feel worse.
when i'm like this as the days go on I can manage things like....

weetabix with milk
fresh soup (supermarket or make your own)
rice pudding
banana
yoghurt
fish

[Anxious_gal]

I have the same problem :)
Milk, super milk, hot chocolate you can get one to mi with milk or water, flavored milk.
Meal replacement drinks such as Complan, can be found in supermarkets and Chemists,
Soups, cupa soups ofen have added vitamins,
Eggs are good for b12 and protein.
Sugary drinks for the energy if you feel lightheaded, like 7 up or Sprite. Sports drinks too if you feel dehydrated.

High calorie foods such as pizza always helps me keep my weight up, for some reason I found pizza to be the best.
Muffins, chocolate muffins can have as much as 500 calories and arent overly filling.
Cheese is highish in fat and calories and yay for calcium :)

I tend to have a huge amount of veg with my main meal, veg has never ever made me feel sick :)
Also if you don't enjoy fruit or find it goes off too fast the Innocent fruit juice range is great, it's just fruit no other ingredients or chemicals :)



Multivitamins tablets, or even the chewable ones and liquid ones for kids :)

Yogurts with probiotics are good.

I was considering a food intolerence test as I often feel sick after eating, not had the money yet to give it a go.

Going to long without eating will cause nausea when you do eat, so try to drink milk or have a lot of small snacks or meals through out the day so your tummy is never fully empty :)

[smileforawhile]

Thanks for your thoughts. It's a slow process trying to get myself back to normal eating habits and a stress when it's not happening as quickly as I'd like. Occasionally I do find myself feeling relaxed enough to stomach something small so I guess I just have to hold out for those times. x

[paranoidtree]

i tend to eat 'beige' foods when i feel like this, toast, oven chips, banana, rich tea biscuits

I'm trying to re-learn how to eat healthy and am going to start some research into the relationship between food and anxiety to try and give myself a motivation to get started!

[Elle-Kay]

I'm fighting this battle too at the moment. I've lost a lot of weight recently because of my anxiety playing me up, and I'm trying to get back to eating normally, but it's hard work I agree. I find that because I feel worse in the evenings it's easier for me to eat in the middle of the day, so I try to eat all of my lunch - a sandwich or a wrap usually, with cheese/chicken/tuna and salad. I also let myself have what I fancy, and one good thing is that I don't need to feel guilty about eating chocolate, biscuits, cake etc. In fact, it's good for me if I do! :) I also drink a sports drink most days, to help with hydration & sugar levels. At dinner time I am cooking something with a bit of bulk to it (pasta, rice, potatoes etc.) so I get maximum bulk for whatever I'm able to eat. I rarely finish what's on my plate, but try not to beat myself up over it because that is counter-productive.

For several weeks I had a gnawing pain in the right side of my stomach which I had been getting quite concerned about, but "touch wood" that seems to have practically gone over the last few days, so I'm hoping that it's a sign that my body is appreciating my efforts to eat more 'normally'.

[ElizabethJane]

flat lemonade and ginger preferably the crystallised type really good for nausea. Peppermints and peppermint tea also very good. EJ

[Goodmorningmidnight]

I find mezze type food good, things that you can pop in your mouth and offer variety: mine would normally be avocado, a bit of cheese, pitta bread, humous and whatever else. The avocado has really goo fat in it too so you get some oils in you, and the humous has protein.
I know the feeling BTW, and when it's really bad I automatically cry when I open my mouth too wide - weird!

[ReissG]

Hi dear!
Anxiety loss of appetite really is horrendous, it's like a hangover!
Even just the look and smell of food makes me want to vomit when my anxiety is sky high.

When I go through the phase of bad anxiety I stick to good healthy foods.
Oranges
Lettuce
Bananas
Tomato's
cucumber
Prawns (this is weird, but whenever I'm anxious I crave prawns lol)

Anything that you know will help you but isn't too much to force down.
Sometimes I find eating healthier makes my anxiety die down a bit as I know I'm doing good for my body, therefore it makes me feel positive which helps the intake of food.

Good luck to you dear! <3

[Serenitie]

Granola, creme fraiche & banana, soups or toast are what I usually go for.

Hope you feel better soon :hugs: