To think there's no way he can be hungry

[SlapACatFuckADuck]

Ds is 4 everyday we have the same discussions regarding food today for example he woke at 9:30 (didn't have nursery) we go downstairs i give him breakfast.

He eats all his breakfast puts the bowl in the kitchen and immediately wants lunch I of course say no. He then goes on continuously about how he "wants to eat" "I want lunch" "I'm hungry" "I want my sandwich" this has gone on for an hour and a half! when he gets lunch at lunch time the cycle repeats itself apart from it's not dinner because he doesn't like dinner he wants lunch as soon as he's finished his dinner the "he wants to eat" chorus pipes up again until bedtime where he will continue to go on about lunch until he falls asleep with the occasional check in that "you will give me lunch tomorrow right mum?"

I have no idea what his obsession is about lunch but inbu right? The kid can't possibly be hungry all the time especially after he's just eaten

Nothing wrong with a bacon or ham sandwich, or cheese on toast for breakfast, plus a glass of fruit juice or milk, and a yoghurt or fruit.

Because you were ill, he's begun to associate food that he likes with comfort, and also you say that he gets to have dessert if he's been good so he now thinks sweet things are a reward. He's having a lot of carbs and sugary foods during the day, and probably not enough protein. Can you switch things round a bit?

My DD, myself and my husband all have high metabolisms. Meals have to be packed with both protein, carbs and veg - we're all quite dinky so you'd not guess to look at us.

I would offer more (healthy) food and make sure all the food groups are covered.

My mum/dad had definite ideas about 'how much' I should eat to avoid getting fat. It caused me stress and shame as a child. They congratulate me on having a 4th percentile child like it's bloody slimming world but that's the 70s/80s diet culture having done its damage for you.

Well when I'm hungry I don't reach for the fruit either and tbh I doubt you do

An apple or banana isn't filling. He needs protein and carbs to feel full and for longer.

There are other healthy things apart from fruit.

Nuts, cheese and cucumber/tomato sandwiches, homemade soup and bread, crackers with ham, etc.

Not surprised he's asking for food. I would be as well if I was given fruit or a bowl of cereal for breakfast and snacking on things like Winders

Frosties?! Jesus that's just pure augr no wonder he is looking for more food.

Agree with others - he does need more food but he also needs better quality food

I've started threads and always get told to give him eggs. You can't live on eggs everyday though. Doesn't work anyway. Saturday ds had two weetabix with a chopped banana at 8ish, then two scrambled eggs with whole meal toast at 11, an apple, we went out then he did not stop going on about getting food because he's sooooo hungry. I know why, because he knew we might be getting some fast food.

The only thing that I've found has worked is to have no junk food in the house or at least hide it very well. Then he only has the option of something healthy.

It started when my DP looked after the DS's when I was in hospital because DS would wake up want a sandwich and he'd have a sandwich at say 9am then again for lunch

He obviously likes sandwiches. Give the poor bairn a sandwich for his breakfast if that is what he wants. Its not a crime to have a sandwich for breakfast.

Personally I think it is a deeper rooted problem, it is strange for a child to be asking for reassurance that he will be getting lunch the next day. Was your dp feeding him properly when you were in hospital?

No I don't but then again I don't also like cheese sandwiches

He doesn't like eggs, nuts, soup or tomato's. He won't have bacon or sausages for breakfast we tried doesn't eat back strange child and only eats sausages for dinner.

Sounds like far too much sugar and not enough protein.

Carbs and sugar aren't filling and burn quickly so he'll be hungry much more quickly if he's not getting enough protein. So while there is a place for cereal if he wants it try adding at least one protein to each meal, and give less sugary snacks. So e.g.

Breakfast: bowl of porridge as this is slow-burning, if he won't eat that how about eggs, boiled with soldiers, or poached or scrambled with toast. Does he still drink milk? A glass/cup of milk with breakfast will also add to his protein intake...

Snacks piece of fruit/biscuit/cheese cubes, mine loved cubes of cheese with a bowl of grapes as a snack at that age.

Lunch let him have his sandwich - what do you put on it?

And normal dinner with a small snack in between.

Also, will he drink a cup of milk before bed or perhaps have a piece of toast or a biscuit before bedtime so he's not waking up hungry?

And I'd push forward bedtime to 7:30 at the latest. He'll presumably be starting school in September, and if he's used to sleeping until 9:30 he'll really struggle with getting up and tiredness if he's allowed to stay up until 8:30 in the evening.

Also:

"I'm not sure why he has an obsession with sandwiches I could try switching it round I guess but you can't really have lunch for breakfast can you?" I love a good bacon sandwich for breakfast, me, doesn't everyone? if he wants a sandwich let him have a sandwich. As long as it isn't crisps chocolate and cake does it really matter?

Oh and if you're worried about cost wait until he's a teenager. mine is thirteen now.... :D

Would he eat porridge OP?

X-post with WannaBe

The sandwiches create some kind of security for him for some reason.

This isn't about him being hungry.

How long were you in hospital OP?

DP imo wasn't. far from it he told me he had chicken nuggets for dinner every day for the 4 weeks because "he can't cook" and I certainly wouldn't of given sandwiches for breakfast but hey I wasn't there. I cook him dinner so he'll have chicken/pork/gammon/beef with rice, salad, veg, potatoes, pasta ect but dp lived off of takeaways and oven meals when they saw me in the hospital they'd head on down to subway to get sandwiches

He doesn't stop even on treat day he'll get a breakfast at ASDA one of those breakfast 9 things he'll eat all of that

He won't have bacon or sausages for breakfast we tried doesn't eat back strange child and only eats sausages for dinner.

Does he liked cooked breakfast or not op?

There's nothing wrong with a sandwich for breakfast - there's no nutritional difference between a peanut butter and banana sandwich and peanut butter on toast followed by a banana, for example.

But it sounds like he needs reassurance for some reason. Your DP obviously relied on easy foods like sandwiches, nuggets etc. when you were in hospital and now he sees them as a kind of comfort, which isn't good.

Try a more filling breakfast (cereal won't fill him up for long) - so things like porridge with fruit, peanut butter on toast, bananas with greek yoghurt and honey, scrambled/poached egg on toast - even something like a cheese and ham sandwich is filling and full of protein.

And cut down on the sugary snacks - can you switch the fruit for vegetable sticks? Carrots or cucumber or sliced peppers, with oatcakes or crackers instead of biscuits? Sugary food doesn't fill you up for long - unfortunately that includes fruit. It's healthy but not especially good at filling you up for longer than an hour or so.

What do you do after meals? Is he asking for more food as a way of prolonging meal-times, perhaps?

Well if he won't eat eggs and nuts then he'll need to get his protein from other things. Toasted ham sandwich for breakfast, peanut butter for lunch, cheese and crackers in between?

Doesn't eat porridge and still doesn't eat eggs He won't drink milk on it's own but will drink a milkshake so normally has a milkshake in the day. He gets to pick his sandwiches normally cheese/ham and cucumber.

I get a bacon sandwich but the boy doesn't like bacon lol! imo a cheese sandwich for breakfast unless toasted is a lunch meal but i'll make an exception for him!

His bed time will change next month till round 7:30/8 in prep for school, it'll be a shock to the system for both of us and the baby. He use to sleep from 6:30-10 but I was told he shouldn't do that either

MT He has the 9 things so raisins, drink, jelly, sandwich ect I assumed every asda did that?! as I said we have the cooked breakfast

So you were in hospital 4 weeks?

And your DH fed him chicken nuggets every day?

That is what I said isn't it....

so he's actually very fussy then? That's new info too.

My DD (3) doesn't stop eating! But then she has days where she doesn't want to eat at all.
I never refuse her food

I wouldn't say very fussy. I don't eat soup and nuts either

And you wonder why your son has food issues.

He sounds hungry

If bedtime is 8.30pm, and he wakes 9.30am. I'm assuming dinner is 7.30pm or earlier, and breakfast after 9.30am. So every night he's going 14hrs+ without food, likely 15/16 if you do dinner at 6pm or whatever

So 14+ hrs of no food then a bowl of sugary flakes?? That's not really a way to break the 14+ hr fast.
Then at lunch he basically has sugar again with all those snacks. Or watery like cucumber so hardly filling. No protein really until dinner time.

My 5 year old would be starving. He eats dinner at 8pm, finished by 8.30pm (9pm bed), and breakfast at 8am before school. After 11 1/2 hrs no food overnight he eats as today a slice of toast with a poached egg. Spoon of beans. Plus small bowl Greek yogurt with blueberries and flaked almonds. Glass milk. He will have fruit snack at school, plus a two course school lunch 1pm ( beef roast today), then will eat another hot meal again tonight

A child's diet shouldn't be sugary cereal, animal biscuits and nuggets which all seem to feature often . But you must know this? Each meal should be 1/3 carb, 1/3 protein, 1/3 veg/fruit approximately

You weren't at all clear that you were in hosp for 4 weeks. In fact that sentence didn't even make sense. You seem very....er.. tetchy considering people are kindly giving you good advice (hmm)