What to do when you have a poor appetite? To stimulate your appetite, changing the ingredients and dishes you cook can also help alleviate a lack of appetite. Use these 5 cooking tips to stimulate your appetite.

Why Do We Lose Our Appetite? Three Common Situations

First, let’s understand the causes of poor appetite so we can learn how to address them.

Poor appetite can be categorized into three main types.

• First, it can be caused by the weather and external environment, especially during hot weather. Sustained high temperatures can cause heatiness and dry mouth, and staying in a stuffy room or cooking in the kitchen can easily lead to a loss of appetite.
• Second, it can be influenced by personal diet and habits. Lack of sleep, fatigue, overeating, stress, or emotional distress can all contribute to a decreased appetite.
• Third, illness or disease can cause poor physical condition and a lack of appetite.

Your physical and mental state can affect your appetite. When preparing a dish, you can quickly adjust accordingly. When your appetite is low, avoid overly greasy dishes like fried or braised dishes. Instead, utilize the unique characteristics of various ingredients:

Use sour ingredients to create appetizers and salads.

Recommended ingredients: plums, passion fruit, tomatoes, pineapples, kiwis, apples, etc.

Acidic fruits promote saliva production and help stimulate appetite. Prepare one or two appetizers before meals. Use Japanese-style sauces or sweet and sour yogurt to create a refreshing sauce. Dice the fruit and chill it. The sweet and sour flavors of these appetizers stimulate your taste buds and brain, stimulate your appetite, and signal that it’s time to eat.

Use honey to create a sweet and savory sauce.

Recommended ingredient: honey.

Honey water has a soothing effect on the stomach. Drinking a small amount of honey water or honey lemon water before a meal can help stimulate your appetite. When preparing dishes with sauces, use honey to flavor them, such as orange honey sauce or lemon honey teriyaki sauce. Use them as a basting or grilling sauce for chicken wings and drumsticks, creating a salty and sweet flavor that won’t disappoint.

Use spices to stimulate your appetite.

Recommended ingredients: garlic, scallions, onions, etc.

The aroma of spices primarily stimulates the sense of smell and stimulates the appetite. Use ingredients like onions and tomatoes to create sweet and sour sauces, or sauté garlic and butter to create a milky aroma. For these, pan-fry, stir-fry, or poach meat or seafood instead of deep-frying, creating a lighter flavor.

Use spices to enhance the aroma of your dishes.

Recommended ingredients: basil, perilla, herbs, peppercorns, etc.

Spices are the finishing touch to a dish. The aromatic components of spice plants not only enhance the flavor but also help moderate your diet. If you’re not usually exposed to scents like perilla and herbs, they can actually help relax your senses and taste buds. Wrap meat rolls or rice with perilla leaves, or garnish steamed clams or fish fillets with a little basil or peppercorns to bring the aroma to the table.

Cook a sweet and refreshing vegetable soup to soothe your stomach.

Recommended ingredients: Melons and various vegetables

A bowl of sweet and refreshing vegetable soup can also soothe your stomach. Refreshing melons are a good choice for this purpose. Bitter melon, cucumber, or winter melon, which are abundant in spring and summer, are rich in water and have a cooling effect, which helps clear heat. Simmering them releases a refreshing sweetness.

If you haven’t yet whetted your appetite, try a few sips of the soup to warm your stomach and perhaps stimulate your appetite. Adding a few savory mushrooms or kelp sprouts can further enhance the flavor of the soup.

Loss of appetite caused by emotions or fatigue can be managed through rest.

Changing cooking ingredients and cooking methods can improve immediate appetite. If loss of appetite is caused by emotional or mental distress, it’s important to adjust your physical and mental state. For example, proper exercise can increase metabolism and help activate the digestive system, allowing the body to more easily sense hunger.

If you’re overly tired, return to a regular sleep schedule and sleep. After overeating, eat light meals, starting with small, frequent meals, with a few appetizers, and gradually transitioning back to regular meals.

If loss of appetite is caused by illness, use spices to stimulate the taste buds and then consider appropriate foods. For foods that boost immunity and alleviate fatigue, increase B vitamins such as grains, meat, and green vegetables.

To help repair tissue cells, supplement with protein such as fish, meat, beans, and eggs. To increase antioxidants and immunity, consume more vitamin C. For serious illnesses or cancer, it’s recommended to follow your doctor’s dietary recommendations.