A poor appetite may not cause any dangerous health problem, but it can leave you tired, irritable and under-nourished. If left untreated, this can make your immune system weaken and also result in dehydration. Therefore, dealing with a poor appetite is important.
Whether it is caused by a digestive problem or stress, not wanting to eat can be a trouble if it results in unwanted weight loss. Luckily, there are some foods that will make you feel hunger and want to eat more. In case you are trying to eat more, there are some foods that increase appetite you should know to help you gain more calories.
In this article, I will reveal some of the best foods that increase appetite in details, so I hope that you will keep your eyes on the following foods for health and then try to add one or more of these foods to your daily diet for good.
List Of Foods That Increase Appetite – 34 Best Foods:
1. Foods That Increase Appetite – Ginger Remedies
Ginger has a volatile oil that has digestion-improving properties. Also, it helps in removing the intestinal gas produced during the digestion process. Moreover, ginger has a refreshing taste and a strong flavoring action And the best way to use these advantages of ginger is to add it to your daily cooking. To get better results, you can try making some ginger tea by adding ½ tsp, of ginger powder into a cup of hot water and straining this tea after about 10 minutes. You can drink this tea or add a few drops of honey to sweeten it.
Another way to make use of ginger is to peel and then grate a piece of the rhizome. Then, you add some black pepper powder and some drops of lemon juice to this paste. You must consume this paste on an empty stomach daily for about half a month to see positive results.
In addition to this, combining ginger with other strong digestive ingredients like coriander also helps you have a better appetite. Make a mixed powder of dried ginger and coriander seeds in a ratio of 1:5 and add about 100ml of water to it. Boil it until the liquid reduces to ½ and then drink it when warm.
2. Vegetables With Appetizer Action
Some veggies are known to have some certain properties that can facilitate digestion and thus helping in improving the appetite. For instance, raw grated radish combined with curd is known as a strong appetizer. Raw cucumber and raw white onion also contain strong appetizing properties. Eating bitter-tasting foods such as fenugreek, amaranth and bitter gourd regularly also helps in improving the production of digestive juices and increasing appetite.
3. Carminative Spices
Gas is produced during the digestion process occurring in the intestine. And the presence of gas may cause a heavy feeling. Besides, it may affect the intestines’ ability to digest the foods as the result is that a person who suffers from abdominal gas will have a poor appetite. To deal with this health condition, in some cases, it is good to eat some certain spices that contain the properties leading to the expulsion of gases. These properties are known as carminatives that have a wonderful digestive action.
Some of the carminative spices you should know must include fennel, coriander, black pepper, mint and cinnamon. Add these spices to your daily diet and you will be able to have a gradually increased appetite. Also, you can sprinkle powder of any of the carminatives on your servings of vegetable such as cucumber or tomato and then consume as a good salad for better appetizing action.
4. Fruits To Increase Appetite
Some certain fruits are known to increase hunger and they include apples, grapes and black berries. Most of them contain constituents that may help in improving digestion and thus helping in improving appetite.
They are actually one on the list of foods that increase appetite that you should consider consuming as soon as possible to increase your appetite.
Read More: 35 Best And Worst Foods For Constipation Relief In Adults
5. Fast Foods
These highly- processed foods are packed with trans fats, preservatives, HFCS and salt and these substances may interrupt our brain’s ability to recognize that we are satisfied and full, so we still keep eating. Addition to this, salt in fast foods may cause the body to retain water, making you feel bloated and dehydrated.
6. Low-Fiber Foods
Many foods that may cause us to feel hungry right after we have consumed them are refined, processed and stripped of the fiber’s benefits. Fiber is so important as it can slow down the absorption of the foods we consume from our stomach into our bloodstream. And when foods are fiber-less or low in fiber, they will travel quickly into our blood, resulting in a crazy increase in blood sugar level. Insulin is released to begin the process of digestion and remove the insulin from the blood. Therefore, eating foods that increase the insulin response is a way to make us feel hungrier in the long term.
Learn More: Top 35 Best And Worst Foods For Diabetes Patients
7. Foods That Increase Appetite – Gluten-Free Grains
Some gluten-free grains are known as the best foods that increase appetite you should not skip out including quinoa, buckwheat and whole oat groats. They are one on the list of foods that increase appetite that you should know and consider adding to your diet as soon as possible, especially when you are facing loss of appetite.
8. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are a vital part of the bitter foods group that may help you increase your appetite while increasing your immune system. They are packed with antioxidants, and have anti-cancer and anti-viral properties. Therefore, you can provide your body with dynamic nutrients while increasing the desire for food at the same time. Some cruciferous vegetables you should consider adding to your diet include cauliflower, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and spinach.
Read More: Top 18 Health And Nutritional Benefits Of Vegetables
9. Bitter Foods
Some certain bitter substances such as vinegar, lemon juice, wine, sauerkraut and bitter herbs such as mustard and rocket will stimulate the flow of saliva and gastric juices to cause hunger. You can consider making a salad with olive oil and lemon juice to enhance the vegetables’ flavor. You do not need to consume a lot of these bitter items in order to get your required response. Be creative by adding as many of these foods as possible to ach of your meal for variety.
10. Garnished Foods
Many studies have found the fact that better-looking foods may help you increase appetite. In case the feel and look of the food can attract you, it is sure that you will want to eat this food. Therefore, foods that are well- garnished will make you feel hungrier.
They are one of the best foods that increase appetite that you should try to add to your diet at home if you want to deal with your appetite loss naturally.
11. Fresh Foods
Another one on the list of foods that increase appetite that you should know must include fresh foods. Remember that stale foods fail to attract your senses even in case their nutritional values are not reduced. Therefore, always try to consume fresh foods in order to increase your appetite.
12. Foods That Increase Appetite – Red-Colored Foods
According to a study, color may affect your appetite. You may have noticed that most of the fast foods have red color. However, we do not suggest that you eat fast foods that packed with trans-fats to increase your appetite. Instead, be smart when using this theory in a healthy way. You can consider adding red bell peppers, tomatoes, red-colored chilies to make your foods red. Watermelon juice is also a good idea for you to replace your coffee or tea.
In fact, red-colored foods are one of the best foods that increase appetite you must consider consuming when you have loss of appetite.
Learn More: List Of 42 Foods Good For Skin Health
13. Foods That Smell Good
Although broccoli is very healthy, it may be very difficult for you to be attracted to it like the way you are attracted to a serving of kebabs. Smell is a sense that dominates the way on eating foods. Foods that increase appetite often have very delicious smell. But, foods like green veggies do not have smell, so they often fail to attract us. Therefore, you should try to make your foods smell delicious by adding toppings and sauces. For example, you can cook broccoli in mushroom sauce in order to make it smell better.
Do you want to know other foods that increase appetite? Continue reading this entire article for good!
14. Salty Snacks
It is true that you may find difficulty to eat just one. This is because salty snacks have excess content of sodium and have no fiber and protein. The high content of salt of these foods is dehydrating. This can trick the body into consuming more of these snacks in lieu of drinking a cup of water. The lack of fiber and protein means that these snacks are unbalanced and carbohydrate-heavy, resulting in an unwanted increase in blood sugar level.
In fact, they are one of the best foods that increase appetite that a lot of people in the world love and have been consuming for good.
15. Chinese Foods
You may be hungrier than before eating after you chow down on Chinese foods. This is because Chinese foods are often packed with MSG, which is used to enhance the flavor and is found in many types of foods including processed meats, soups and more. Some studies show that the chemicals in MSG may lead to a drastic increase in the appetite. People who consume the large amounts of MSG tend to have higher risk of overweight than those who do not have MSG in their diet.
16. Foods Labeled ‘Healthy’
We are likely to overeat the foods that are labeled ‘healthy’. This tends to make eaters order larger servings and feel less full after you eat foods labeled healthy. The reason behind this fact is unclear, so you need to be careful with these label claims, and remember to check out the ingredient list before you decide to purchase.
It is smarter to consume healthy and high-calorie foods as they can help you prevent weight loss while providing you all the nutrients you need. Some nutrient- and calorie-dense foods that you can choose from such as bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, dried fruits, peas, white potatoes, corn, pudding, nuts, nut butters, white breads, quinoa, raisin bran, etc.
Read More: 36 Best Foods To Lose Weight On The Planet
17. Fat-Free Salad Dressings
One of the best foods that increase appetite you should not skip out must include fat-free salad dressings. Fat-free salad dressings can be packed with sugar and salt in order to give them better flavor. We tend to pour on more, ensuring that each piece of lettuce in your salad is doused. After we consume the salad, the sugar and salt will make you feel hungry and want to eat more.
18. Foods That Increase Appetite – Store-Bought Soups
Soups that are bought at the grocery store oftentimes have more sodium than any of the other foods. The sodium in these soups can cause a feeling of addition and wanting to eat more. In fact, store-bought soups are one on the list of foods that increase appetite you should not look down if you do not want to eat anything.
19. Chewing Gum
This trick will stimulate the production of gastric juices. Saliva is produced and it moves to your stomach that fools it into thinking there is still food to be digested and this makes you hungrier. Therefore, you should consider chewing gum if you are looking for foods that increase appetite.
20. Bananas
Bananas are hydrating and they also provide the body with electrolytes that aid in maintaining your health and energy. Naturally, they are sweet but they are balanced when combined with dark leafy veggies in a smoothie. Also, they will help the bitter vegetables to taste better. You will have the required appetite stimulus and the nutrients.
21. Sweet Potatoes And Carrots
Both of these foods are also essential antioxidant foods that may increase your appetite while offering beta-carotenoids, which are vitamin A compounds that help to build tissues and contribute to the digestion and eye health.
They are other foods on the list of foods that increase appetite that you should know when you are looking for some foods that may help you increase your appetite naturally.
22. Sugar
Sugar and all of its forms are highly addictive due to its release of associated-heightened dopamine. The fact is that we are designed to find out sweetness to survive and that highly-concentrated sugar sources are omnipresent, sugar addiction has been increasingly prevalent and become a contributor to our healthcare crisis. Processed and refined sweeteners can make you overeat and do not provide satiety, satiation or nourishment.
Continue reading this entire article to discover other foods that increase appetite and then try to add one or more of these foods to your diet for good!
23. Muffins
They can be packed with calories, but they are made almost of sugar. And this sugar is rapidly absorbed and digested, leaving you starved for something more. In fact, muffins are actually on the list of foods that increase appetite that you should consider adding them to diet as soon as possible.
24. Foods That Increase Appetite – Sugary Cereals
Sugary cereals are known as ones of the best foods that increase appetite you should not look down, but try to add to your diet for good. A large number of sugar-sweetened cereals have no fiber and protein, two essential nutrients you will need in the morning to maintain your stable blood sugar level and avoid an attack of a mid-morning hunger. Stick to your sugary cereal along with fat-free milk means that you are skipping out satiating fats, which keep you felling full. So, look for kinds of cereals with more than 5g of fiber per serving and do not skimp on the protein and fat. Also, look for diet-friendly, low-calorie cereals. Even in case they are low in calories and sugar, they also tend to be low in protein and fiber.
25. Tomato
When it comes to knowing foods that increase appetite, you should not skip out tomato. Tomato can also help to deal with indigestion and increase appetite. Adding a large amount of red and juicy tomatoes into your diet or making a tomato soup is a good choice for you to increase appetite naturally.
26. Peppermint
It is a herb that is known as one of the foods that increase appetite. Whenever you find yourself not wanting to eat you can consider making a cup of peppermint tea by simply adding some peppermint leaves to a cup of hot water. Allow it to steep for a couple of minutes, strain and drink when this tea is still warm.
27. Olives
They are known as bitter foods that have special fatty acids to increase your metabolism while healing your body. Olive oil has been highly recommended for centuries as an important food in the Mediterranean. And now people are using olives and olive oil to reap their extraordinary health benefits. So, try to add olives and olive oil to your daily cooking to increase your appetite.
28. Cheese
Cheese, a concentrated form of milk is also known as one of the best foods that increase appetite. These protein compounds found in cheese, combined with the high content of fat and salt are responsible for the obsession with the consumption of cheese. Therefore, the more cheese you eat, the more you crave.
29. Pizza
Another one on the list of foods that increase appetite that you should consume when you are looking a food to help you increase your appetite must include pizza. You know that you cannot eat only one piece of your favorite pizza, no matter how big this piece is. This is because your pizza has a combination of hydrogenated oils, white flour dough, processed cheeses as well as preservatives. This combination can throw off the level of blood sugar, release of satiety hormones as well as hunger-regulating brain regions.
30. Foods That Increase Appetite – Doughnuts
Doughnuts are made out of sugar. They break down into sugars, causing us to release more insulin. When the insulin level increases, too much of this sugar will enter your cells, leaving no sugar for your blood. Finally, a low blood sugar level will make you feel hungry right after eating them.
31. Juices
The process of making juice strips fiber from the sugary liquid. This leaves you with a beverage packed with calories that may increase your blood sugar level, resulting in a hunger. Studies have proven that our bodies are not satisfied with the calories found in juices, so stick with water and eat vegetables and whole fruits. In case you are looking for something to drink, try blending the veggies and fruits that you are planning to make juice. In case you do not have all the pulp, consider adding a nut butter or some protein powder. The added fat and protein work to slow down the absorption of the foods that you consume into your blood flow.
32. Low-Fat Yogurt
Yogurt is promoted as a healthy food, it may also depend on which type of yogurt you choose from. The higher carbohydrate load as well as low-fat content may be able to help you feel hungrier and even you will want to look for something to eat, even after finishing your last spoonful. Instead, you can choose a plain Greek-styled yogurt that contains twice the protein and then add your own nuts, fruits and seeds for additional antioxidants and fiber. In fact, consuming low-fat yogurt may leave us craving for more solid foods, so you should not skip out this healthy snack when you have loss of appetite.
33. Ketchup
Think over before you smother this condiment on the baked sweet potato fries or combined with a breakfast egg dish. Ketchup, or any of the foods made with high content of fructose corn syrup, can increase your appetite. It interrupts the metabolism of the body and simultaneously slows down the release of leptic, which will help us feel satisfied and full. Therefore, there is no message informing that you are full and that now is time to stop eating.
34. Foods That Increase Appetite – Egg Whites
This is the last one but very important one on the list of foods that increase appetite you should know if you are trying to deal with your appetite loss naturally. There is a reason behind the fact that you feel hungry soon after you eat a egg white omelet. The saturated fat found in egg yolks adds to satiety and it is needed for your hormone production and the absorption of some minerals and vitamins.
Once you get started on eating these foods that increase appetite as I mentioned in this article. This change of diet will help you increase your sense of smell, taste and appetite. So, try to add these foods that increase appetite to your diet as soon as possible.
A poor appetite may be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. People who have a sedentary life and people who smoke heavily tend to have appetite problems. If you are taking any medications or suffering from other health-related conditions that may decrease your appetite or even after adding to these foods as I mentioned above for a month or more and you still find there is no change in your appetite, consult with a dietitian or your doctor for help in dealing with your specific dietary needs.
In this article, I revealed 34 best foods that increase appetite you should add to your diet as soon as possible, so readers of Nutrition Kit should read this entire article and then consider consuming one or more of them for good. If you know any of the other foods that increase appetite, remember to share with other readers by leaving your comment in the comment section below.