How to Increase Your Appetite for Better Health

December 2, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a study discussed in the journal Frontiers for Young Minds, chronic psychological stress can lead to chronically stimulated eating, yet acute stress can suppress appetite entirely. Whether due to stress, illness, or other factors, knowing how to increase your appetite is crucial for maintaining proper nutrition and overall health.

Quick Summary

This guide provides practical strategies for increasing a low appetite, covering dietary habits, exercise routines, stress management techniques, and supplemental options to encourage a healthy desire for food.

Key Points

Small, Frequent Meals: Eat 5-6 smaller meals per day instead of 3 large ones to make eating less daunting.
Mindful Eating: Focus on the sensory experience of food, avoiding distractions like screens, to reconnect with hunger cues.
Enhance Flavor: Use aromatic herbs and spices like ginger and cinnamon to make food more appealing and stimulating.
Incorporate Healthy Fats and Liquid Calories: Add calorie-dense healthy fats and use nutritious smoothies to boost intake without needing to chew extensively.
Light Exercise: A short walk before a meal can help stimulate your metabolism and increase your desire to eat.
Manage Stress: Use techniques like meditation and ensure adequate sleep to help regulate hormones that affect appetite.
Consider Supplements: Talk to a doctor about supplements like Zinc, B Vitamins, and Fish Oil, which can address nutritional deficiencies linked to low appetite.

Rebuilding a Healthy Eating Routine

Restoring a healthy appetite often starts with establishing a consistent and positive relationship with food. Instead of focusing on large, intimidating meals, a better approach is to shift toward smaller, more frequent eating sessions throughout the day. Aiming for 5-6 small meals rather than three large ones can make eating feel more manageable and prevent the stomach from feeling overly full. Consistent eating times also help regulate hunger hormones like ghrelin, retraining your body to expect nourishment at predictable intervals.

Mindful Eating and Environmental Cues

Making mealtime an enjoyable sensory experience can significantly impact your appetite. The sight, smell, and even sound of food can trigger hunger signals in the brain.

Enhance Aroma: Cook with aromatic herbs and spices like ginger, cinnamon, and coriander. The pleasant smells can get your mouth watering and stomach rumbling.
Improve Aesthetics: Present your meals attractively. A colorful plate with different textures and ingredients can be more enticing than a bland one.
Minimize Distractions: Avoid eating in front of screens. Mindful eating, where you focus solely on the flavors and sensations of your food, helps you tune into your body's natural hunger cues.
Socialize: Eating with friends or family can make mealtimes more pleasant, which may enhance your desire to eat.

Incorporating Appetite-Stimulating Foods

Some foods are particularly effective at stimulating appetite and providing dense nutrition without excessive bulk. Focus on nutrient-rich options rather than empty calories from junk food.

Healthy Fats: Add healthy fats from sources like avocado, nut butters, and olive oil. They are calorie-dense and easy to incorporate into many dishes.
Liquid Calories: Smoothies and shakes are excellent for increasing calorie intake when solid food feels difficult. Blend fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and protein powder for a nutritious, easy-to-consume option.
Herbs and Spices: Carminative herbs like peppermint, fennel, and ginger can reduce bloating and gas, making you feel more comfortable and ready to eat.

The Role of Exercise and Stress Management

Physical and mental well-being are intrinsically linked to appetite. Addressing underlying issues like stress and low physical activity can have a profound effect.

Light Exercise

Engaging in light physical activity can help burn calories and trigger the body's need to refuel. You don't need an intense workout; a short, brisk walk before a meal can be enough to kickstart your hunger. Exercise can also help regulate metabolism and hormones that control appetite.

Stress Reduction

Chronic stress releases cortisol, a hormone that can both increase and decrease appetite depending on the individual, but often leads to unhealthy eating patterns. Incorporating stress-reducing techniques can help normalize your eating habits.

Mindfulness and Meditation: Practicing mindfulness can help you identify and manage emotional eating triggers.
Sufficient Sleep: Prioritizing sleep is crucial for regulating hunger hormones and managing stress levels effectively.
Relaxation Techniques: Activities like yoga, deep breathing exercises, or listening to music during meals can create a more relaxed eating environment.

Comparison Table: Best Food Choices

When selecting foods, focus on options that are both calorie-dense and nutrient-rich to maximize your intake, particularly when your appetite is low.


Food Group	Low-Appetite-Friendly Examples	Nutritional Benefit
Carbohydrates	Porridge with nuts, whole-grain toast with butter, pasta with creamy sauce	Provides sustained energy to fuel the body and drive appetite.
Proteins	Eggs, nut butters, Greek yogurt, fish, tofu, protein shakes	Essential for rebuilding muscle and overall health; can be easier to consume in liquid or soft forms.
Healthy Fats	Avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy	Highly calorie-dense, helping to boost overall intake without large quantities.
Fruits & Vegetables	Smoothies, cooked veggies with cheese sauce, dried fruit	Provides vitamins, minerals, and flavor variety; blended options are easier to consume.
Soups	Cream-based soups, hearty broths with protein	Hydrating and nourishing, often easier to eat than solid food.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach for Sustained Improvement

Increasing a low appetite is a multifaceted process that goes beyond simply forcing yourself to eat. It requires a holistic approach that addresses dietary habits, physical activity, and mental health. By adopting a strategy of smaller, frequent meals, enriching food with calorie-dense ingredients, incorporating gentle exercise, and managing stress, you can gradually retrain your body's natural hunger cues. If these methods are not effective, or if you experience significant, unintended weight loss, it is important to consult a healthcare provider to rule out underlying medical conditions. Implementing these consistent lifestyle changes can help you regain a healthy relationship with food and support your overall well-being. For additional resources on healthy weight gain, see the National Health Service guide on Healthy Ways to Gain Weight.

Supplements that may help increase appetite

While lifestyle changes are often the first step, certain supplements can also be beneficial in stimulating appetite. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement regimen, especially to address potential deficiencies.

Zinc: A zinc deficiency can lead to appetite loss and taste disturbances, so supplementing can help restore normal hunger cues.
B Vitamins: Thiamine (B1) and B12 are particularly important for converting food into energy. Deficiencies can lead to decreased appetite and fatigue.
Fish Oil: Some studies suggest that fish oil supplements can increase appetite and reduce feelings of fullness after meals.

The Importance of Professional Medical Guidance

While this article provides many helpful strategies, it is not a substitute for medical advice. Conditions like chronic illness, medication side effects, depression, or an underlying eating disorder can significantly impact appetite and require professional intervention. A doctor can help diagnose the root cause of your appetite loss and recommend a personalized plan, which might include prescribed appetite stimulants or working with a dietitian to ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hunger is the body's biological need for food, triggered by an empty stomach and low energy. Appetite is the psychological desire to eat, which can be influenced by external cues like smells, emotions, or social settings, even when you are not physically hungry.

The time it takes to increase your appetite varies by individual and the underlying cause. By consistently applying lifestyle changes like regular, small meals and gentle exercise, you may notice improvement within a few days to a few weeks as your body retrains its hunger cues.

Focus on nutrient-dense foods rather than empty calories. Examples include healthy fats from avocados, nuts, and olive oil; calorie-dense liquids like smoothies and milkshakes; and flavorful, aromatic dishes made with spices like ginger, fennel, and coriander.

Yes, light physical activity, such as a short walk before a meal, can help stimulate your appetite by increasing your metabolism. Regular exercise can also help regulate your hunger hormones over time.

Stress can significantly affect appetite. Short-term, acute stress can suppress hunger due to the 'fight or flight' response, while chronic stress can affect hormones like cortisol, disrupting normal eating patterns. Managing stress is key to restoring a healthy appetite.

It is important to consult a doctor if your low appetite lasts for more than a week, if you experience unintentional weight loss, or if it is accompanied by other symptoms like fatigue, nausea, or stomach pain. A healthcare provider can help identify and treat any underlying medical conditions.

Yes, some supplements can be helpful. These include zinc, which is important for taste and hunger regulation, B vitamins like thiamine and B12 for energy conversion, and fish oil, which some studies have shown can reduce feelings of fullness. Always consult a healthcare provider before taking new supplements.