Anyone else's child just won't stop eating?

[PleaseDontEatme]

3 year old DD. Not even lunchtime and she's already eaten half my cupboards.

So far she's had; bowl of cereal, toast, crisps, 2 bananas, a yogurt, a dairlee dunker, and a small box of raisins.

She asked for lunch at 10.30 as she's "So so hungry".

She's not thirsty as she had milk with breakfast, and has access to water at all times which she's slowly been drinking her way through.

She's small for her age; 18-24m clothes, 2nd percentile for weight, 9th for height. Is in proportion. No belly or excess fat (she's under a paeds for something else and he's happy with her). She just eats.

This isn't unusual for her. She goes to Nursery a couple of times a week and will often tell the manager she's not had lunch when she has to get a second one (thankfully they only charge me for one meal) and she usually eats double fruit and snacks there too. Again has access to water at all times at Nursery.

Anyone else got a non stop eater?

You’ve fed a 3 year old all that before 11am? Really? What you’ve fed her is all sugar so that could well be the issue?

Giver her a proper breakfast or eggs on toast or porridge then the next meal is lunch... Try entertaining her and offer water and an apple if you genuinely belive she’s hungry in between meals

I’ve got 3 dc all around the age of yours and I’ve looked after many others, never known a 3 year old to eat like that

I have a 2 year old like this 😳 this morning she's had a bowl of cereal, 2 slices of toast with Philadelphia cheese, a banana and half of my shreddies has has just ask for a snack 😂 I love her eating though because my others were all so fussy, so it's nice to have a child that eats everything. Go with it, you might find in a year or 2 she becomes a fussy eating (like most kids are)

Has she been wormed?

Agree with cutting the sugar box wonder shes eating so much. Cereal is just air and sugar. Try some scrambled egg on toast.

And just say no.

Not normal. And that will ruin her teeth long term to be eating so much sugar

That's an awful lot of food, skinny or not! Is she eating for the sake of it? I don't think there's any need for food so often. What about a good breakfast, one small yogurt as a snack and then a good lunch? Why all the snacking?

She won't eat eggs, it's the one thing she dislikes.

If I say no she tantrums.

I do entertain her, we've done some painting and drawing this morning, she's had a bath...we'll be going for a walk in a bit.

I think you will have to just put up with the tantrums.

And go for higher protein stuff.

I have an eater.

Today she has had cereal, Greek yoghurt with strawberries, banana and carrot sticks with humus but she had a swimming lesson this morning so I knew she'd be extra hungry.

I'd look at what you are feeding. Porridge is a good / healthy filling breakfast. If you are doing toast then go wholemeal and top with peanut butter or humus or avocado. A child shouldn't need both?

We stick mainly to berries, have no raisins (DC2 has teeth issues and gobbles down all fruit so we've banned the most sugary ones!) And we limit bananas as they are quite carb heavy, bananas aren't the best fruit for blood sugar levels.

Try actual chess as opposed to dunkers.

It could be boredom, my eater is terrible when bored.

Chess = cheese.

Also meant to say go for cereals like Shredded Wheat / Oatibix if you are giving cereals.

Give her more protein and less processed stuff and raisins. If she's still hungry, give her carrot sticks.

Cereal is usually cornflakes.

We have 50/50 bread as I don't like all wholemeal and find prepacked white bread sweet.

She usually has cubes of proper cheese but I don't have any due to having not yet done the shopping. Don't get paid until tomorrow.

My nearly 2 year old has days like that.
Last week she had a bowl of porridge, a banana, a slice of cheese on toast, a satsuma, a yogurt and water.
All before 10am!
Today- nothing. She's not hungry. I trust her to eat when she's hungry. I offer the food I'm happy for her to eat- that's as much control as I have over her eating habits

I consider myself to be quite a good cook, and her actual meals are fairly healthy. Today's lunch is Chicken and Leek Mash Topped Pie with peas and carrots, so not unhealthy.

She just doesn't seem to have an off switch with food. Even if she's playing she'll want food.

I have a 5 year old who does this. To the point where it becomes an issue.

He will eye up other people’s food and ask if they want it, even though his plate still has his food on it!

We lock the food away now otherwise they pull up my dining chair to the cupboard.

'If I say no she tantrums. '

Well, yes. She's three. She doesn't have the language skills yet to argue with you or the emotional maturity to manage her frustration so it all comes out as a tantrum. You still need to say no, and it's something she has to learn to accept, over time

And no food when playing. Food at mealtimes and snacktimes only

Is there any family history of juvenile diabetes? That is a lot of food and sometimes we all overeat out of habit. Perhaps you can get advice from the GP or a dietician? Agree with the others on here higher protein breakfast would help.

As long as a child isn’t overweight and has no health issues, I don’t see the problem.

Some people on MN seem disgusted by anyone who eats more than 3 tiny meals a day.

My two year old is like this. And all my friends kids, just can't feed them enough! As long as their weight is healthy then I wouldn't worry.

s long as a child isn’t overweight and has no health issues, I don’t see the problem.

That doesn’t work though as your setting the child in a constant eating habit so even if they burn it all off while young and active it does them no favours long term. Just because someone is currently a healthy weight also doesn’t mean that problems aren’t being caused by the amount/type of food.

It is perfectly fine to say no to a child even if they don’t like it. Infact it’s good for them!

Cornflakes are sugary crap so no wonder they don’t keep her full.

Try porridge.

Wasn't there a thread like this recently and it turned out the child was diabetic?

Some people on MN seem disgusted by anyone who eats more than 3 tiny meals a day.
Totally agree with this, it baffles me.

Op I think your feeding her fine, her diet sound perfectly normal to me. Children that age burn it off really quickly

Try thinks like:

Greek yogurt
Ham / cheese roll ups
Beans on toast
Peanut butter or cream cheese on toast
Mine dont like eggs on their own but will eat flourless muffins for breakfast

Would she eat something like porridge for breakfast?

Some people on MN seem disgusted by anyone who eats more than 3 tiny meals a day

No it's just that none of us grew up with this constant "grazing" that goes on these days with children. And it's a fact that doctors blame the modern fear of feeling hungry like, even for half an hour, for the obesity crisis.

Yes! I have an almost 3 year old who eats so much in the morning. He will have a large bowl of porridge at 7am then often ask for toast, banana, weetabix, babychino (frothy milk), etc, all before lunchtime. He doesn't eat so much in the afternoon though. He is big though, has always been 98th centile since he was 2 weeks old, so I am keeping an eye on it!!