To ask those of you whose kids are 'big eaters' ?

[rabbitheadlights]

I have 7, all healthy weights, reasonably active etc ... But my god!!! They do not stop eating. Ever. We've just had breakfast and the conversation was about what's for lunch! I mean really, why? I'm sick of it I feel like a slave to the kitchen. How do you guys do it? Is there set snack times? Or a free for a all? I dunno ... If I hear "muuuuuum, I'm hungry" one more time I think I may cry!

Mine snack loads when not at school. Before it was obviously just weekends now its all the time. The eldest has a huge appetite - and will eat whatever is offered: fruit, plain bread, plain yogurt, chunk of cheese. Youngest is usually angling for a biscuit.

My 11 yr old has a huge appetite he eats bigger portions than DP and snacks in-between, I swear he has hollow legs!

try the twinings water flavour sachets if your dc don't like drinking plain water, i found it encourages my dc to drink more :)

By the time I was 10 I had a snack tub for the week with some nice treats in it, but it was only topped up once a week. Other than that I could help myself to as much fruit/yogurt as I wanted as long as it was more than an hour till the next meal. Maybe you just need to encourage them to sort themselves out a bit more? I have a snack bag for my 3yo DD with little boxes of raisins/oat bars etc, she knows she's allowed to help herself, although usually she needs help to open packets.

I have younger ones and I find a strict routine helps us. At least I can answer the ‘I’m hungry (bored)” with its not snack/ dinner time. Plus as a result of this the 4 year old has learned to tell the time so he knows when its coming so I guess thats a bonus too!

I have hollow legged teenagers.
thin as twigs.

3 good nutritious meals a day. plus each have a snack bowl which we fill in the morning that has: 1 apple, handful dried fruit, handful plain nuts, a couple of bisquits or a few chrisps, some kohlrabi/carrot/pepper sticks & yoghurt dips.

I feel you there! I have a toddler and a baby and we go through £30 of fruit a week! 😂 were due our third in August and honestly I’m more worried about my fruit bill when they’re all children!

I don't think it's normal for kids to be thinking about their next meal when they've just finished one. They sound like they must be very bored. Were your kids like this before lockdown OP

I insist they drink big glass water and.come back in 20 minutes. Every time. Then of still hungry its carrot sticks, celery, cucumber etc

My 4 year old seems to have decided shes constantly starving all of a sudden, literally 2 minutes after her breakfast this morning she started with the 'I'm hungry' and 'can I have lunch now'😬 it is driving me insane. I think it is definitely more boredom than actual hunger though, she is really missing nursery and I have a very demanding 1 year old who takes up alot of my time so she is having to entertain herself a bit more than shes used to doing.

I find that adding protein to snacks helps to curb the insatiable appetites. A piece of cheese with an apple, or peanut butter, or some nuts and fruit. If I give pure carb snacks they will eat and eat. Also plenty of water as already said.

What are you actually feeding them?

It might be just out of habit. Mine want to snack all day. One is an excellent eater and eats the same as me at meal times. He is 6
His weight is normal, more on the slim side. The little one eats less, but eats almost everything. Shes very tiny and slim.
They ask for snacks 5mins after meals! I always remind them that they just had lunch and need to give their tummy a break. But they just go on and on until they get their snacks (usually about an hour after the meal).

I have 2 DC and my 5 year old just has a normal appetite. Somtimes she can't finish a meal,

My 3 year old? He is like a bottomless pit. He eats double what his sister eats and twice as many snacks. We call him guzzler in this house for how much water he goes through in a day.

He is a lot more active than my 5 year old though, he barely sits still so I've always assumed its partially to do with that.

We do alright because he isn't fussy and will eat anything you put infront of him

Not sure if someone has suggested this in the post but I've seen a few people making up packed lunches for their kids for during the day.
I saw it and thought it was a great idea

My teenagers both have hollow legs, they are skinny rakes who eat and eat at times. One has grown 3 inches since lockdown started so that's where it's going.

@managedmis typical day is Breakfast Porridge is the favourite sometimes cereal and fruit or toast.

Lunch usually some sort of meat and salad sandwich, apple and crisps

Dinner usual family meals tonight is enchiladas with salad, wedges and coleslaw

Between meals they eat their weight in Jaffa cakes and an enormous amount of fruit (I fill the fruit bowl every 2 days), crisps, raisins, yoghurts they've even been known to eat dry cereal as snacks

At first view they need more protein and fat.

Porridge isn't filling, you need some protein with it.

Sandwiches are the same. Serve them with lentil soup maybe?

Snacks should focus on fat and protein I. E cheese, peanut butter, flapjack, fruit compote and full fat yogurt.

Thankyou @managedmis I use lentils a lot in main meals such as Bolognese and chilli etc to bulk it out for them and they love homemade lentil soup!! Any suggestions as to what to put with porridge? None of them like nuts/peanut butter etc ..would bananas be any good?