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.

I know this is slightly off the point but please can someone tell me why pancakes are a treat breakfast? Eggs flour milk and a bit of oil, more nutritious than many breakfast cereals I think. I accept that when smothered in Nutella (yes DCs I am looking at you) maybe not so much but a pancake with Nutella seems more filling and nutritious than toast with the same. Or is it the effort to make them that makes them a ‘treat’ ?

Pancakes are because mpost eople would cover them in syrup or sugar or chocolate spread.

sIt's een as treat food partly because of the pancake and Waffle houses you get nowadays.

We have them all the time. Dons't ee the difference really between pancakes with sugar and lemon and a piece of toast and jam or a smoothie

She is having lots of sugar OP and I would imagine her feeling of hunger is due to blood sugar levels rising and crashing.

Have a look at low GI foods and make some swaps. They release energy more slowly and leave you feeling fuller for longer.

Mine are super thin a la crepe style and then the DC squeeze a lemon or orange and have them with the juice and a little sugar. And then possibly they have one with some lemon curd or Nutella but not slathered on (because they know I am watching... )

Oh the MN Food threads where people are either over or underfeeding their children, where kids are either ‘tall and slim’ or parents are worried about their weight/appetite. Where you just can’t win because on the same post one person says restricting sugary/fatty foods means a child will have an eating disorder but another says it’s practically child neglect to give them a 2 finger Kit kat or a bowl of coco pops.

OP your daughter could be hungry in the evenings. Or she could be bored. Or thirsty. It could be because she’s having a bit too much fruit and bread and not so much protein. It could be because she’s about to have a growth spurt. It could just be.

I’d try upping dinner portion size and making sure there’s plenty of veg involved. Also make sure she’s drinking enough water as mine snack more when they’re actually thirsty.

I used to fall into the trap of thinking fruit was this super food that was a perfect snack- it is a good snack, but not for every snack and even natural sugar isn’t amazing for their teeth. It’s also not hugely filling so now I try and give something with it, eg Apple and cheese.

Lastly, both my kids (neither of them tall and slim, both smaller height wise and of average weight) usually have some kind of ‘supper’ before bed even after a good dinner. I just watch it doesn’t get out of hand.

My 3 year old and 5 year old will eat more for breakfast and lunch than that. They have a cup of milk and a muesli bar as soon as they wake up and often a banana and apple after that. Then they’ll have a bowl of cereal.

Neither of mine want food after dinner/pudding so I’d suggest upping breakfast and lunch foods then moving dinner to 6ish and slightly increasing that portion too.

The whole food thing can be a nightmare for parents trying to get it right x

Thanks again everyone - I think as I have a toddler aswell it's crept up on me without realizing that she should be eating larger portions etc.

Interestingly I put her typical daily intake into MyFitnessPal as an experiment and it's coming out at about 1150 calories and that's without any treats of which she probably has about every other day. So I don't think I'm quite starving her.

I do take the points made about the correct levels of nutrition and more complex carbs and we'll look into this.

Am googling and seeing 35% carbs, 30% fat and 35% protein - does that sound right to you. And don't worry am not going to be weighing/measuring or anything just as a rough guide (I promise I don't have any issues with food!)

If she's hungry, give her more food, as long as it's healthy. Mine aren't hungry after dinner.

You need to up the veg op, I’d cut the fruit down to be honest. Boiled egg would be a good snack too 👍

Just give her more if she wants more. I have my own little experiment going. I have twins. DS could live n fresh air. DD eats and eats and eats. DD is the same, if not a tiny bit smaller than DS. Different kids, different needs. As long as you don't let them eat junk, then go with it.

Mine dc and not mn tall and skinny - but is 50th centile for height, 25th for weight, so a really 'normal' child (but dairy allergy)
just so you can compare eats:

breakfast:
Bagel
Dairy free yoghurt
1-2 pieces of fruit - eg kewi and banana

fruit snack at school - eg apple

packed lunch at school:
1 wrap - ham
mini cucumber
2 cherry tomatoes
small pot of humous for dipping
piece of fruit - eg plum
mini soreen for pudding

dinner:
roast chicken breast
brocoli, carrots, green beans, sweetcorn
HATES ANY POTATOES but will eat 1 bite to try if on the plate
gravy

dairy free ice cream cone for pudding

(we have pudding if dinner finished or not)

sometimes asks for oat milk before bed - did today...

DC does however exercise loads - 3 classes a week after school, and says afterwords now i'm hungry - and eats with gusto :)

I'd give more for lunch. And maybe increase dinner portion as well.

It does depend on the child as well. My DS1 would probably have been happy with that at 5 but he has a small appetite usually. DS2 is only 2 and there are days when he could happily eat that and probably more now.

Reduce carbs/sugar (obvious and some from fruit), and increase healthy fats, veg and protein to keep her full and satisfied. Too many carbs/sugars will keep her forever hungry due to rising and crashing blood sugar levels.

Still thinking about this. My two are in pre-school and get fed a substantial tea (soup or beans or sandwiches) at around 4/5 pm then come home to dinner as well. I think it’s really possible your little girl is still properly hungry.

It doesn't sound like very much food and not very substantial. Maybe she's not getting enough protein? I can't imagine not giving my child food if they were hungry. Unless you're offering mars bars and crisps a child isn't going to ask for food if they don't need it.

I'm assuming she's at school - seems a very small amount to be putting in her lunch box

If she’s hungry she’s not having enough food.

If she’s hungry she’s not having enough food.

Halleluja

Ds had 1/2 sized portions not one third at that age ( although I do realise "portion is not a technical term " ) . Our thing was - limit chocolate , sweets etc - by which I mean - sometimes not always and not instead of other food. DS grew in stages , sometimes sideways and then sometimes upwards. He has ended up slim ( well given I think he has " big bones" - he will never be skinny , but he is slim. It all worked out. But don't leave a child hungry. I kew someone who gave two 9 - 11 year old girls one cut up ( organic ) sausage each and two cut up tomatoes for dinner. They - they said they were hungry - I don't blame them . Food is good and enjoyable. All it takes is common sense - growing kids need food. ( For the avoidance of doubt and as you will infer ) I am not a dietician.