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?

@DrinkSangriaInThePark I have 5 children all have grazed to the extreme and none are obese. I'm also a huge grazer (will easily eat 5-10 packets of crisps a day/plus fruit, chocolate ect) and I'm a size 10. I think if your meant to be big it's in your genes. And obviously if you can see your child is heading down that route then you keep an eye on it.

5-10 packets of crisps a day (plus chocolate) isn't healthy even if you are a healthy size / BMI

@Crunchymum I didn't say it was. I'm saying some people have a fast metabolism. Everyone points out obesity (I don't know anyone who is mind you) but that can't be implied to every person that eats loads! I can eat a takeaway every night (and I have done) and not put a pound on. Op has said her child is small for her age. So therefore has no concerns about her weight.

So if a child is small then it’s fine to teach them bad eating habits?

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
I agree with you drink I was going to ask pleasedont do you think she has got into a habit of snacking and it has become normal?

The only thing I can think of is what others have said, a breakfast that is filling, put up with the tantrums and distraction techniques. If you do think she is Hungary offer her something very plain to see if she rejects it for ' something nice'

I love crisps but 5-10 packets a day is silly, all that fat will sit around your organs no matter what size you are

OP if you are worried contact your GP or speak to your paediatrician. Your little one will tantrum they are at that age, but if you give in and give more food they know they can keep doing it. Try some of the more filling foods people have suggested if you think it will help. Good thing to be aware and keep an eye.

@flowersaremyfave

I see the point you were actually making is that you can be a healthy weight and eat a lot of crap, which isn't actually a good thing.

If she's eating a lot, but she's not overweight, then she needs that food, doesn't she? Some people need more food just to keep going! Don't worry about it.

But op is feeding her child crap. What she's feeding her is normal @Crunchymum

@Sirzy how is grazing a bad eating habit 🤔 children shouldn't be taught that food is only for mealtimes. So many children are underweight because the parents aren't feeding them enough because there teaching them it's only ok to eat at certain times of the times which is just odd imo

My 4yr granddaught has been like this for some time, but when she goes to preschool she won't have any breakfast. when home doesn't stop she is over weight ,but so was her sister although her sister didn't eat like her she is now quite skinny , the 4yr goes to preschool 4 days a week so she is not eating to much on those days but as soon as she is home the first thing she says is I'm hungry

Isnt*

Certain tones of the day*

Well doctors and obesity experts say that constant snacking is not a good habit.

There are plenty of thin people with underlying health issues due to eating unhealthy food. My uncle has dangerously high cholesterol and is very thin. Your child eats 5-10 packets of crisps a day is crazy! I don't know what point you're trying to make... That's very unhealthy!

@DrinkSangriaInThePark if you had bothered to read it properly you would see that I said "I will easily eat 5-10 packets of crisps a day" not my kids! 🙄

Over eating and grazing are two different things, you seem to be using grazing to replace “eat everything and anything in sight”

@Sirzy but we're talking about kids here not me. If kids graze all day what is the harm in that?

If you get in a habit of thinking you need to eat every 20 minutes you can’t see why they is setting up issues for later life?

Let her tantrum.

My two are both like this, absolute eating machines and always have been. They're 12 and 14 now and neither are fat.

She ate her lunch happily, then I dropped her at her dads were she told him she'd not had anything to eat today so she's had two big portions of pasta bake followed by icecream

I really have no idea where she puts it

I'm sorry but that's just too much food!

I have lean eaters. They both had the biggest appetites at nursery. Quality of food matters and they are satisfied better on fats, proteins fibre and complex carbs rather than the easy route of simple carbs. I've got no worries about their weight, but am aware that too many low nutrition empty carbs/ sugars will do their health no favours in the future.

Some children can apparently get away with disproportinately huge appetites, but a balanced mix of nutrients is still important.

I think you also need to tackle the lying to get more food

Although she doesn't sound like she is excessively thirsty, eating excessively without putting on weight can be an early sign of type one diabetes. Might be worth familiarising yourself with the signs (toilet, thirsty, tired, thin, plus infections, thrush, excessive hunger and in the late stages smell of pear drops, vomiting, drowsiness and difficulty breathing) in this is the issue.