I gave her extra snacks today (dry cereal, (ick) yoghurt raisins, oat biscuit, breadstick and a glass of milk) and she STILL ate a huge bowl of pasta with pesto and cream cheese (and nicked a hadnful of mine...) and polished off another glass of milk before bed.

She did try the 'I'm hungry' thing a few times, I offered grapes, satsuma or cheese, which she took quite happily, so I reckon she probably was hungry

Bad Mummy!

Ok, but I find something that is rejected in favour of biscuits or bananas is eaten quite happily if biscuits and bananas are not forthcoming.

You might want to up the protein/fat a little bit in the earlier meals (fills em up with little bits and keeps em full).

Also DS tries this as well, he can eat whenever he is hungry of course but they only things available for constant snacking are healthy things like yoghurt, apples, bananas, cheese, nuts, muesli bars etc. He has a section in the fridge door that he can help himself to whenever he wants.

Also if he pulls the old "I'm hungry" at bedtime I find the offer of vegetable soup is always a hunger killer (though be sure to have vegetable soup actually available, he has called my bluff before and was most put out when he was brough a cup!).

Haha listen to me I sound like supermummy! If only the reality wasn't that we are constantly skating along the edge of chaos!

DS and I have just finished lunch about 5 mins ago. We're having a quiet half hour (ie. me on MN, DS watching Cbeebies) and, just as I was checking the updates on this thread, hes said "I'm hungry" !

Hes only just finished eating beans and grated cheese on marmitey toast and a bowl of grapes. Aaargh!

Often when dd1 says she is hungry but has just left half a sandwich it is because she is hungry for sweets/crisps/chocolate etc.

She won't say "I want some crisps" cos she knows the answer will be no (not always tho' ) So she says "I'm hungry" and makes you list everything she can have, hoping that something she really wants will be in the list (IYKWIM).

I just keep repeating - "there is fruit, or yogurt, or cheese etc...."

Mine are always hungry. They have 3 meals a day and will also have the following snacks:

breadsticks
rice cakes
raisins
banana
biscuit
apple
milky way
bowl custard/rice pudding
pot of cheerios

They are like gannets. As logs as the snacks dont stop them eating their 3 main meals I dont mind. If they dont eat their main meal I get the hump and they get no pudding.

I also wouldn't re-serve rejected food, but don't give treats either..

Good ideas there, thanks a lot (she's 2.3 BTW) shall add a more substantial snack in the afternoon and see if that helps.
She is always offered milk before bed but half the time she refuses it.

I don't want to offer her rejected food like that SSYF, I just think thats unfair as I rememebr being forced to eat some foods I thought were revolting and made me gag, I do remove rejected food but just cook teh same again a few days later to see fi she eas it then.

Remove rejected food. Serve up when she insists she is hungry. Keep serving up the last meal's food until it is gone or until the next meal. Do this every time she insists she is hungry. She's just after biscuits, and if she's really hungry, well she's eaten her meal then!

My DS 19 mo eats loads, people have commented and said it's too much, which annoys me. He is skinny.

A typical day:

often cup of hot milk at 6 am

8 am bowl of porridge with most of a banana chopped up on it (made with milk), then a piece of toast and some cheese

10-11 oatcake and piece of fruit

12 lunch: usually cooked lunch like couscous with tuna, avocado and cut up tomato, or if in nursery a cheese sandwich

2.30 cup of milk after nap

afternoon: oat cakes, fruit bun, scone (often eats a whole big scone)

5 pm an apple or other fruit

6pm supper, always cooked, something like spag bol or shepherd's pie with broccoli

7.45 big drink of warm milk before bed.

How old is dd?

Any snacks? How much milk?

Many toddlers need little and often (my dd is still like this aged 7)

(sorry have only read the op)

Yes, good point re water

Your body can confuse thirst with hunger

I also agree re the habitual thing... this has def been the case for dd1 in the past

dd3 gets like this when she is bored. i usually send her out on the trampoline or go for a wal kwith her to stop her whinging for food. also offer water as well in case she is mistaking thirst for hunger.

DS (nearly 4) is always saying "I'm hungry" but I think part of it is habit and sometimes its boredom too.

He does have a good appetite and eats well but at the same time he turns to asking for food for something to do IYSWIM.

If hes actively engrossed in something he won't ask for food until the idea is put in his head (eg if he overhears someone mention food or we go past a cafe, food shop). If we're at home though, not doing anything in particular he asks for food about every 2 mins!

I think its quite normal, quite common

My 3 yr old twins eat that, but also have an enormous snack in the afternoon.
So they'll have lunch at 12 and then at 230 we had cashew nuts,homemade oat biscuits, nectarine and cheese chunks.
They had tea at 515 = 2 egg omlette, toast, sweetcorn and soya beans, strawberries and icecream. Then at 630 they had a bowl of twiglets and raisins.
If they don't eat like that dd will complain/cry/ roll around the floor saying she's hungry at frequent intervals. they are not fat, but solid and tall. It's a big shock because ds1 never said he was hungry.
I really do think that's as long as it's reasonbly healthy that 3 snacks and 3 meals is the way to go.
My mum was helpful when she said to always balance the snack -so not just apple but cheese chunks and an oat cake too.
It is time consuming, but they do go up a shoe size frequently so they need it to grow!

Sounds about the same as my DS. I still give him a big drink of milk before bed though, partly to take the edge of any remaining hunger!

Am trying to think of what mine have for snacks..

Cheese and crackers
fruit
breadsticks
veg sticks
those Organix chewy bar things
toast and marmite/peanut butter
dry cereal

I have heard that a toddler would never starve themselves, but then I think is that why she's asking for food, cos she is starving?! it's all too much!
I try offering her different food but she just wants biscuits, luckily for me (although not for DD2) she is addicted to DD2's Moon biscuits!

I think toddlers and small children are quite sensible about food, in the main...

They'll eat when they're hungry and won't bother if not. As long as you're not feeding her junk, and she's getting her protein and carbs etc...

Probably a growth spurt. I've noticed this with dd1 a few times

Yesterday we had
Same breakfast plus half a banana
apple, grapes, couple moon biscuits snack

lunch we were out so she had jelly, ham sandwich, half a pack of skips,apple juice, melon
handful of smarties over the afternoon
tea was nearly 2 chicken sausages, 5 large roast potato chip things, broccoli, cabbage and a bowl full of grapes.

DD has days when I can barely get her to eat and others when I simply can't give her enough Wouldn't worry about it she sounds pretty normal to me

Thinking about it she did have a pack of raisins as well out of my handbag, and some moon biscuits...and half a pack of skips...

She didn't have much today, she does normally have a carb load at night but when I started to cook the pasta she freaked out and demanded toast[rolls eyes]

Chirpy - that sounds pretty much what my 2-year-old would have in a day but with the addition of more snacks eg raisins, dried apricots, oatcakes etc. Usually a few snacks in the morning and a few in the afternoon. As well as the occasional "treat" eg half of one of my biscuits etc.

She is very active and certainly not overweight. Perhaps your LO is hungry??

Then again, perhaps she is just trying to get your attention.

Who knows at this age!

DD2 (20m) probably polishes that lot off each day (maybe more?)

DD1 is always ravenous, too

They are CONSTANTLY asking for food

Growth spurt?

I find upping the carbs does the trick (lots of pasta and rice)

bugger it, meant to put this in food, doh!

Normal inability to decide anything, see "do your children drive you insane?" thread.

And then you give her food and she doesn't eat more than half, and within an hour shes asking for biscuits and is 'really really hungry' again.
OR, am I starving her?
for example, today she had

bowl of cereal (mix of cheerios, mini weetabix and mini shredded wheats)
glass of 50/50 oj and water
slice toast with marmite

3 smarties (poo on the potty!)
gingerbread man

Lunch was
cheese and pickle roll, satsuma, 10 grapes
pack of no-salt crisps

Tea
Fritatta with 1 egg, loads of cheese, courgette and cherry tomatoes, slice of toast,a plum and a small bowl of fromage frais

I could hear her whinging over the monitor and when she saw me she satrted crying saying she was really, really hungry, she had some of her water and is quiet now (although not asleep!)

Is that okay? she has unceasing cups of water as well....