18 month old never full and tantrums when he doesn't get anymore food.

[shortbreadsharon]

My little boy has always had a huge appetite but for the past couple of months theres been no filling him. He has 3 full meals with sometimes 2nd or 3rd helpings and 2 snacks a day. He isn't fat and is healthy apart from this but my family has a history of being fat and I don't want him to get that way. Then as soon as its clear meals are over he kicks off, throwing himself around the room, throwing anything hitting whoevers near and screaming. My daughter, who is older is the opposite and I've literally to force her to eat and shes so gentle and easy I just have come to the end of my tether. Anyone got any advice, thanks in advance.

Let him eat to appetite.

You're bringing your worries into this by restricting his food intake. You will not create a healthy relationship with food if he's always left hungry after a meal and cannot learn when he is full by himself.

His meal intake sounds fine. Mine also had milk morning and afternoon at that age.

Plus he's probably having a growth spurt!

Outwith meals offer fruit, veg or dairy.

So offer him a carrot, some cheese, apples. Nothing processed.

If he's hungry he will eat the snacks.

I think it really depends what you are feeding him, in your situation I'd give him a normal toddler sized portion of food with 1/3 veg/protein/carbohydrates if he asked for more I would only offer more once everything was eaten (so no asking for more chicken before all the broccoli was eaten) I'd then give him a half toddler portion and if he asked for more when that was finished I would give him just veg and also fruit as a desert.

My toddler is now 2 and his appetite really fluctuates, some days he will eat tons and other days he'll pick at his dinner, I just let him get on with it.

Thanks everyone for the comments, I also give him milk in the morning and also before bed. I don't have to worry about him in the sense of more chicken less broccoli as he refuses nothing. I know I should be glad I don't have to force him to eat like my other child. I just feel he eats far too much. Its really adult portions hes getting and sometimes he can have soup before his meal or a pudding after and still want food. Then the tantrums and I don't want to give in as I think eventually he will cotton on if he behaves like this and gets food he can try it with other things but I don't want him to be hungry either.

Could you just let him fill up on raw fruit & veg after meals?

If he will eat anything is just give him carrot sticks, celery, cucumber slices until he asks to go down and play.

What's an adult portion? Is he drinking enough water?

I'd just let him eat until he's full if he's a healthy weight and gets lots of exercise. No rubbish etc but if he's still hungry after a meal I'd give him more veg until he's ready to stop. If you're anxious about him being fat that could rub off on him and create an issue with food that doesn't need to be there if he's a healthy weight.