2 yo and food

[vvviola]

I just wrote an epic post and my computer ate it. So I'll try again and hope my computer behaves!

Basically, 2yo DD2 is always hungry, always asking for food. It's driving me crazy. She has dairy and egg allergies which complicates food and snacks, and she was referred to a dietician as she didn't gain weight between 6months and 10 months. By the time we saw the dietician though the weight gain had kicked off again and the dietician reckoned we were doing fine.

I don't know whether I have unrealistic expectations of what she should be eating (DD1 has always had a big appetite, but manages with 3 good sized meals, and a snack at 10ish and another at 3ish - with the occasional extra piece of fruit)

DD2's average day (that I aim/plan for) is
7am - bowl of porridge with raisins, half slice of toast with honey or marmalade
10am - snack of fruit, crackers, raisins
12 noon - lunch: beans on toast, or ham sandwich. With fruit, crackers if she still seems hungry.
After nap time (usually about 2:30): snack of a couple of biscuits, a drink of oat milk and a piece of fruit. Sometimes a little bowl of jelly with fruit.
5:30 - dinner: anything from spaghetti bolognese to chicken stir fry. She loves fish, most vegetables and rice. I never know quite how much she's going to eat, but she usually has a good amount if she isn't too tired.
7:00 - cup of oat milk and then bed.

In between these she is constantly asking for food. Opening the cupboards, pointing to things, asking for raisins, or biscuits or fruit. I probably give in about half the time (so an additional 4 to 6 'snacks' on a bad day) simply because there's only so much screaming I can handle, and because I worry that she is genuinely hungry. She'll interrupt playing happily to ask, so I don't think it's boredom.

Should I be giving her more food? Different food? Or am I right to,be trying to resist all these requests? I struggle with variety in her snacks due to the limitations from the dairy and egg allergies (and we have to avoid largely soy-based things as she can't seem to handle large amounts of soy).

I'm really driven mad by it. Does anyone have any advice?

I'm no expert, but I also have a hungry 2yo, and yours eats a lot less than mine

A thought - the snacks she is eating aren't substantial. Crackers and raisins don't fill a person. Maybe for a few days try something more filling like toast, banana, cheese if she can have it?

And don't forget to offer a drink with the food (you don't mention how much she drinks other than oat milk).

Why are you worried, btw? Her history with the medical professionals might make you edgy but doesn't mean there's a problem. 2yos are doing and growing all the time, and need a surprising amount of food.

Reread your OP, sorry - not cheese then.

Banana seems to cause issues with constipation, so although she loves it and will inhale one in about 30 seconds, I try to keep it to a minimum. Shall offer more toast though, she likes that too.

I really struggle with snack ideas especially when we're out ( which is a lot) so revert to crackers and raisins quite a bit.

I suppose I'm worried because it is incessant. And she's asking for food minutes after she seems to have had a decent lunch. And because I struggle with snack ideas I'm worried she's just eating 'empty' calories. I think with her allergies and having to exclude so many things because of them I worry about her diet and the healthiness of her food and attitude to food an awful lot more than her sister (who so far will eat absolutely anything put in front of her with the exception of avocado and mushrooms, and has a frankly odd adoration of Brussels sprouts )

Watching your thread with interest. My four year is like this and has been since before she was two. My 18 month old is heading the same way. I am lost with it. Like you, HCPs say we're doing fine. It doesn't feel fine to me. I'm really struggling and it's becoming a battle ground (and yes, before anyone tells me, I know I shouldn't let it, I can't help it, it's too hard).

Worse with allergies. We 'only' have nut allergy here. DN has multiple allergies though and it makes eating and food a much more emotive area.

Tricky, isn't it. I have one who's been dairy free for about 2 months now and won't touch eggs, fruit or pasta. All the food/snacks threads I read on here suggest those as staples! It hasn't worked for us but people often suggest raw veg sticks with hummus to dip in as a snack. We tried raw and steamed but they were not a hit, although it might go down well with your child. My next plan is to attempt dairy free toddler muffins. There are recipes online if you google.

My dairy & egg free muffins don't last long around here - DH & DD1 eat just as many of them as DD2 does. I should get back to baking again (too hot and humid right now) but muffins seem too sugary to give her constantly. And nearly every savoury muffin recipe I come across seems to require either cheese or "fake cheese".

I'm overthinking this, aren't I?

I don't think eating so frequentjy is unusual, but it sounds like the difficulties with protein aren't helping. What dietery advice have you been offered?

It looks like the sort of quantities DS2 (2y 7) eats BUT he'd have more protein and fat.
Can you think of ways to up this?
Off the top of my head: tuna in oil, avocado (think its your other child who doesn't like them?), hummus, olives?

Are you sure she's drinking enough? Lots of people seem to confuse thirst and hunger.

As others have said, it's pretty carb heavy, but you know that, and it's not easy. Have you considered using ham and chicken simply as snacks? We generally always had cooked chicken in the fridge and DD at that age would often get them out.

Cook up some boned thighs or breasts, live them in a container in the fridge, offer as a snack. Or as addicted says, tinned fish / hummus.

If it's boredom - is she easily distracted from it? "I want a biscuit", "let's play favourite game?" - how long would she do that before returning to hungry, if it's not long I really doubt that it's anything but genuine hunger - but it may be not for overall calories but some other macronutrient.

I think it is a great healthy diet but too low in fat and protein. The crackers/fruit etc is low in both. I have no experience of the allergies but could you join a group (Facebook etc) to give you snack ideas? The food she has may not satisfy as it has too much carb and little fat.

Agree chicken slices? That pretend cheese slices on the crackers?

Great suggestions thanks. She loves ham so will look into that and chicken on their own as snacks. And she adores avocado - would eat a whole one in one sitting so shall remember to get more (avocado and toast is our emergency snack when out and we have to buy lunch for her somewhere).

The pretend cheese is all soy based and too much of that seems to disagree with her, which is a shame, but might take another wander to the health food place to see if there might be another alternative.

Thanks again everyone!

Maybe supplement with some omega oils
How is she with nuts? Nut butters?

Rather than aiming for 3 meals and 2 (or more) snacks, could you try 4 meals plus 1 or 2 snacks? I had 4 meals a day as a child (I stayed skinny throughout), and have just gone back to that now that my DD is a toddler. I snack much less as a result and am less grumpy due to hunger. For the 'extra' meal, I have either a more-cooked breakfast or an easy lunch, and then later on I have a second lunch or early tea. I find that treating this meal as an extra breakfast or lunch really helps with the meal ideas, rather than having an unsatisfying/boring snack.

How about porridge as a snack? If it's solid enough, it can be rolled into small balls or biscuit shapes which can be eaten as a snack without a spoon.

Have you tried not having anything sugary like honey or marmalade for breakfast? Sometimes sugary things at the start of the day can make a person hungry quickly afterwards and want to snack all the time.

Similar to what others have said - you could try to increase the fat and protein intake to fill her up. I started a thread in weaning section asking for ideas on foods that have a decent amount of fat in because I was struggling for ideas (son is allergic to dairy, soya, egg and peanut) - I got some good ideas on there:
oily fish
hummus (if there's no issue with sesame seeds then use tahini to up the fat content)
using meat stock as a soup base - lots of protein and fat

Mind has gone blank now! It was only a couple of days ago though, so easy to find.