DD hungry

[Bluefargo]

Hi there - my DD is complaining of being hungry in the evenings. She is 5 years old and tall, average weight for her height but not skinny (has a bit of a tummy but nothing to worry about)

Anyhow - she eats well but always asks for more food after dinner or complains of being hungry. Following is a typical day maybe you could advise if this seems enough or am I not giving her enough?

Breakfast
1 or 2 Weetabix with milk

Snack
Cheese stick
Petit filous
Piece of fruit

Lunch
Wholemeal sandwich with ham or cheese or plain butter/jam
Piece of fruit

3pm Snack - will sometimes have crackers with butter or a banana. Sometimes a digestive biscuit with a glass of milk

5pm Dinner (about 1/3 of an adult portion) - typically something like
Egg fried rice
Or roast chicken, broccoli and mash
Or beans on toast

Dessert if we are having it might be berries or watermelon, ice cream the odd time

Dinner is usually eaten and by 6:30 she is starving again and asking for toast with butter. We don't give her this and give fruit only after this stage but she could easily eat a banana, apple and tangerine at this stage.

Seems like a massive quantity of food for a child who is not very active other than playing / walking 15 mins to and from school. She's not doing any sports yet.

Personally going from my two and seeing what kids at school eat I don't think she's having much for lunch....

Tbh mine were always hungry an hour or so before bed so offered small bowl of cereal then pj's, teeth and bed. Can't have them going to bed hungry.

It's all a bit samey, isn't it? Lots of bread and fruit.

Have you tried doing proper dinners in the evening to see if she finds it a bit more satisfying?

More in the day. Thenlinch is a bit light. My dd when 5 would eat a round of sandwiches, fruit, crisps, some sort of cheese type thing and still ask for more.

Iirc my dds had bigger portions than that for the main meals, similar snacks though. So, 2-3 weetabix for breakfast, bit more lunch, half instead of a third for dinner.

Would she eat an increased dinner portion? Assuming she finishes the portion you give her. If not then I'd give her an evening snack but probably not more fruit.

Someone much more informed will be along soon I've no doubt.

I think lunch is your problem, they are so active at school she probably needs more also what is the issue with toast at night. Fruit is full of sugar too if toast is more filing then why not?
My son is super active at 8 and eats more than me and is super skinny just due to all of the running around.

If she’s genuinely hungry then feed her more - I don’t think fruit is particularly filling or substantial if she’s hungry.

I have a 5 year old DD of average height and weight and she eats more than your DD. I would make sure one of her meals is a 'proper' dinner. a sandwich for lunch and then beans on toast isn't enough imo amd also sandwich and beans on toast is too much bread.

I think you underestimate the amount of activity at playtime at school. I know it differs for each child but am pretty sure my DD is running around a lot of the day and remember they get playtime throughout the day in reception (if you are in UK and she is in reception) 15 minutes each way to walk is a lot. Could you not give her school dinners? that would solve the lunch problem.

My DCs often said they were hungry when in fact they were tired, or thirsty when they were actually hungry.

If you’re concerned about her putting on weight then rather than restrict her food, I would focus on getting her more active. Lots of family walks, bike rides, running around the park and walking everywhere possible. Probably a class or two like swimming, dancing, football etc if finances allow.

Sounds perfectly normal. All 3 of mine have always had 3 good meals a day plus a couple of snacks and still have cereal before bed.

DS is 12 DD1 is 8 and DD2 is 5. All will wake up at the crack of dawn with rumbling tummies if they don't get cereal before bed!

I would try her with a small bowl of cereal and see how she gets on.

Thanks for the advice all - will take it on board and try out some of the suggestions given! She does have a proper cooked dinner most nights with meat, carbs and veg. The additional activity rather than trying to control portions is also a good suggestion thanks. I don't want her to develop any issues around food!

FYI we are in rep of Ireland so Montessori is only til 12:30 and she has lunch when she comes home from that. No school dinners in Ireland unfortunately!

I don't think that sounds like enough. My 5 year old would eat that plus fruit and toast and oj at breakfast, some soup or salad as well as the sandwich at lunch (or a cooked school lunch), fruit as well as the afternoon snack, and sometimes cheese and crackers/oatcake an hour after dinner. And more like a half portion for dinner. I'd give her something more if she's hungry!

That's not a lot for lunch tbh, with a snack of fruit (am) and a biscuit or a cracker (pm) my kids at preschool, younger than yours, generally have a sandwich, a yoghurt, fruit, some carrot sticks or similar veg, some have crisps, some have a Barny or other sweet thing. Not just a sandwich and "a piece" of fruit.

Depends also on portion sizes, a 3 year old needs about 1000 calories/ day, as a short arse lazy woman I only need about 1500 so not really a huge difference.

In the example you give I'm seeing a distinct lack of

Dairy
Healthy fats
Veg
CALORIES.

She may not be very active (you could remedy that) but she IS growing. A child ASKING for more food who isn't overweight, does tv ask a lot, doesn't have any conditions that connect with not having appetite control is actually quite concerning.

That "lunch" is nowhere near enough!

I see absolutely no reason why you're refusing her anything but fruit after dinner.

You could give her veggies with a dip, meat or cheese portions, yogurt, rice pudding...

I hope it's full fat milk she's having?

Restricting food is JUST as likely to give her issues as letting her have free rein.

The third of an adult portion at dinner just needs upping to half (I know my one year old could eat a third of an adult portion of egg fried rice). If it's beans on toast, that's going to be, what, one piece of toast and a few beans? She isn't going to be full on those portions.

I would leave the lunch as it is (a sandwich and fruit is what I would usually have myself) and focus on more balanced evening meals.

it is simple... if she is hungry give her more food... dont worry about what she has eaten all day long just give her something more

There's also very little protein until dinner time

Tbh I don't see any reason to refuse her supper. If she was only asking for biscuits or chocolate fair dos, but she's hungry. Give her more food.

IMO nothing she's eaten all day is gonna keep her full (accept a decent dinner as you say, although I'd say a third is too little). Not saying my kids eat any better, just that you should t be restricting proper food unless there is a reason to

*shouldn't

The lunch isn’t much and neither is the dinner.

Is the egg fried rice example literally a bowl of rice?

I would definitely up the calories and protein in breakfast/lunch and see if that helps. DS2 always eats better for breakfast then tails off throughout the day and has loads of energy and very slim. DS1 is the opposite and is much more likely to want snacks and although still a healthy weight isn’t as slim as his brother.