Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

What time is lunch time?

73 replies

WhiteNoiseMoreToys · 21/02/2023 11:30

DD 3yo is nagging me for something to eat 😂

She had cereal and a banana at 7:30am.

She’s had a stick of cheese and a biscuit at 10ish.

all day every day all I hear is “I’m hungry” “I’m hungry again” “can I have a snack” “can I have something out of the cupboard” and my brain wanted to implode 😂

it’s got me thinking, as she’s nagging in my ear for something else to eat.. is it too early for lunch? I’d usually do lunch around 12:30/1pm but I do know a handful of people that start lunch from 11! That still seems like morning?.. or brunch 😂

what time are we all having lunch these days? (Brownies point for children lunchtimes)

OP posts:

Mew2 · 21/02/2023 19:10

If you are getting fed up with making snacks- my friends make their children of similar age a snack box- some fruit, raisins, cheese, veg sticks, crackers and a packet of crisps/breadstick etc to be able to be snacked at all day. They take it away an hour and a half before dinner... kids at this age are likely to graze all day- my 2.5 year old does- so hubby makes a grazing plate which appears at 11.30am for her to pick at in the afternoons and for lunch...

nothingmoreatthemo · 21/02/2023 19:16

In our house it would go:

'I'm hungry'
'What do you want?'
'I don't know'
'A bagel? A crumpet? Some cheese?'
(Child shakes head no)
'A yoghurt? Some blackberries?'
(Child shakes head no)
'A banana? A biscuit?'
(Child's face lights up)

Child is not hungry. Child wants a biscuit 😂

'Hungry' is apparently the new word for 'I want a biscuit or sweets'.

Theelephantinthecastle · 21/02/2023 19:22

My 3 year old:

6:30 breakfast
8/8:30 second breakfast (at nursery some days)
10 ish small snack
11:30/12 lunch
Sometimes small snack
4-5 dinner
6:30 bedtime biscuit

Really weighted towards the morning

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

3 year olds

Pinkywoo · 21/02/2023 19:32

LaFemmeDamnee · 21/02/2023 11:51

Are you a hobbit? 😀

Show quote history

Ha, beat me to it!

ThomasinVye · 21/02/2023 20:02

My sons nursery started lunch at 11.30, now in reception and they go down for lunch at 11.45.
This really does not sound like enough food for a 3 year old, who is likely having growth spurts. My son is a very healthy weight and he would have needed more than a stick of cheese and one biscuit at 10am if I expected him to last until 1pm! I would either bulk up the 10am snack and have lunch at 1pm and a light snack between 1pm and dinner, so you can all eat together. Family meal times are important, I agree. My son is always badgering me for good, he's 5, very active from the minute he wakes up, they need the energy.

Does she eat all of her dinner or meals? My son like me is a snacker, I cannot eat a big meal, we both have small meals, and snack every few hours, his dad is three meals a day, no snacks.

GetTheGoodLookingGuy · 21/02/2023 20:08

When my brothers were in preschool, they insisted lunchtime was 12:12 as they finished preschool at 12 and had lunch as soon as they got home. For years afterwards whenever a clock showed 12:12 we'd say "lunchtime!"

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 21/02/2023 20:08

Does she go to nursery?
Mu youngest went to one with fabulous food. And she lapped it up
She had breakfast, hot
Snack
Lunch at 11.30
Snack
High Tea.

Growlybear83 · 21/02/2023 20:17

When my daughter was young she had breakfast at around 8, lunch at 12.30-1 and then dinner at about 5.30. Once she was a bit older we brought our dinner time forward to about 7 so we could eat together, and then gradually moved it back to 8 or 8.30 once she started secondary school.

BettyBoops · 21/02/2023 20:42

Is she definitely hungry? My 3 year old often confuses thirst with hunger, so he will complain that he's hungry when he needs a drink 🙃

Backhometothenorth · 21/02/2023 22:13

Both my daughters were early risers so had a breakfast then a 'second breakfast' until they slept a bit later at age 5 or 6. First breakfast was a bit of fruit, cereal, banana muffin etc at 630ish. Second breakfast at 8ish was an egg/ beans on toast etc. Both late summer borns so started reception at 4 and this let them make it through until school lunch time happily.

MammaEvz3 · 22/02/2023 07:35

@motherofawhirlwind What time does little one go to sleep if they aren't having tea until 8pm?

BarbaraofSeville · 22/02/2023 07:40

Sounds like she's actually hungry and while I'm not usually the typical Mumsnet 'carbs are evil, protein' obsessive, maybe you could give her something less sugary?

Apart from the cheese, the rest of it is likely to make her more hungry, not less, so maybe swap the cereal for eggs?

Beseen22 · 22/02/2023 07:53

When DS was at home lunch was anytime after 11 so he could be down for long nap at 12. Then I start making tea at 4pm so usually anytime between 4.30 and 5pm. Then pjs on instantly and early to bed. Generally I found when they were little if I pushed meals any later they were getting too tired and cranky to eat them properly and just asking for snacks

ReallyShouldBeDoingSomethingElse · 22/02/2023 09:35

From this sort of age, if I was satisfied that DD had had enough good fuel (whoelgrains/protein) to keep her going, if she said she was hungry I would deliberately only offer things that she's not that keen on - not outright dislikes just stuff she's not motivated to eat for the sake of it. It would sort out whether she was genuinely hungry/bored/needing attention etc.

Other thing is to offer a cup of water/milk in case they're thirsty.

motherofawhirlwind · 22/02/2023 10:26

MammaEvz3 · 22/02/2023 07:35

@motherofawhirlwind What time does little one go to sleep if they aren't having tea until 8pm?

She was never asleep before 10pm - not a good sleeper. Turns out she has Inattentive ADHD and melatonin is working wonders now!

Original poster

WhiteNoiseMoreToys · 23/02/2023 10:15

Update:
Shes had Weetabix (2 with milk) and a banana for breakfast at 7:30.

She then asked for something else at 8am so she had a yoghurt.

she asked for something else around 9, refused everything we have except an orange, so I let her have an orange.

she asked for something else at about 9:30/9:45 so I’ve made her a cream cheese sandwhich - she ate this (tried to leave the crusts and said she was hungry so I told her to eat the rest) she did and now at 10:10 she’s having a tantrum because she’s “hungry again”

what is going on?! This just doesn’t feel normal to eat something every single hour? How is she going to eat a proper lunch and dinner if she’s eating every hour?

Starting to feel like I’m failing. It would be around now that I’d give her some cheese and a biscuit but she’s had so much I’m not convinced she actually needs it.

is she bored? I thought maybe worms but there’s no other indication of worms and this has been going on for months now.

or is it just normal that a 3 year old is hungry all day every day? 😅
what can I feed her that will fill her up for longer?!

OP posts:

jammmmm · 23/02/2023 10:24

Have you tried giving her things like eggs or Greek yoghurt for breakfast? Things that are more filling.

DD usually has weetabix or overnight oats when she first wakes up (7.30am) and then she'll have boiled or scrambled eggs with toast 45min-1hr later. That will last her a good couple of hours.

Theelephantinthecastle · 23/02/2023 10:31

She might well be bored - does it happen when you're out and about?

Blueflower1612 · 23/02/2023 10:38

I usually give my 3 year old lunch between 11.30 and 12 and tea between 4.30 and 5. I do think 1 is quite late. I try to match the nursery times so he has a similar routine.

gogohmm · 23/02/2023 10:54

Midday or a bit later if later riser. Not before noon because they would be begging for dinner too early. Mine always had dinner at 6.30pm.

Mine had breakfast about 8, lunch about 1, snack of cheese and crackers about 3.30/4 (after preschool, did pm preschool) then evening meal as a family. They didn't pester because I didn't give in. Preschool gave fruit and milk. I would give fruit or carrot sticks on top of the meals above

Paperexcelandpens · 23/02/2023 18:43

WhiteNoiseMoreToys · 23/02/2023 10:15

Update:
Shes had Weetabix (2 with milk) and a banana for breakfast at 7:30.

She then asked for something else at 8am so she had a yoghurt.

she asked for something else around 9, refused everything we have except an orange, so I let her have an orange.

what is going on?! This just doesn’t feel normal to eat something every single hour? How is she going to eat a proper lunch and dinner if she’s eating every hour?

Starting to feel like I’m failing. It would be around now that I’d give her some cheese and a biscuit but she’s had so much I’m not convinced she actually needs it.

is she bored? I thought maybe worms but there’s no other indication of worms and this has been going on for months now.

or is it just normal that a 3 year old is hungry all day every day? 😅
what can I feed her that will fill her up for longer?!

I'd assume it's boredom/ habit.

MaggieK123 · 24/02/2023 16:04

Hi, 1 banana equals 10-11 spoons of sugar; cereal convert to sugar in our blood as they’re carbs. She’s constantly hungry because her insulin level goes up the roof after so much sugar. I know this from my kid experience. Have you tried switching to sausages/eggs/general proteins for breakfast? I had the same problem and a nutritionist recommended switching to protein breakfast and my little one isn’t hungry until 2/3pm. I give carbs for dinner but it wasn’t good to start a day with them as my kiddo was hungry all day.

Johnisafckface · 24/02/2023 16:41

I have no set times for meals. However when I used to go into the office I'd eat breakfast around 8/8:30, lunch between 12-1:30 and dinner between 7-9. Of course with snacks in between.

I honestly feel like you should eat when you're hungry. Sometimes I don't eat breakfast or I eat a late breakfast so I don't eat lunch. My daughter is very scheduled and routine with her meals. She eats all of them about the same time every day no matter what. So I guess she's conditioned to eat that way.

I say let your DC eat whenever they are hungry, as long as they don't over eat it shouldn't matter.

Flip

1 2 3