Greedy toddler

[HelterMcBelter]

Hi all,

I am a little concerned about my dd (16 months)

She has always had a good appetite (even before weaning, she guzzled milk) but she seems to never been full.

Thankfully she loves healthy food, faves are broccoli, blueberries, satsumas, cucumber, tomatoes. But she just seems to never want to stop eating. I swear she would never stop eating if I let her! She also drinks loads of water so I know she isn't confusing thirst for hunger.

She has always been on the heavy side, and in the 90th centile, but is also pretty tall for her age (98th centile) and is very active, she never stops tunning around. She also looks ok to me (typical toddler chubby cheeks but not huge) but I am aware that I could be looking at her through mothers eyes so to speak.

Most docs/hv's say that babies are pretty good and will self regulate their intake as long as they are having healthy food everything is fine, but I am worried she just never stops! I honestly think she could out eat me.

If anyone has dc's the same age could you list what they eat on an average day? Would love to compare, and see how much more than others she is eating.

my ds1 was like that, he's now three has a good diet, runs around looooooads (we call him the tornado) and is perfect size, i struggle to get trouser to stay up!

my ds2 is now the same, currently 6 months, eats breakfast/lunch/dinner and 4/5 bottles a day! his fat rolls have fat rolls

As long as good diet, plenty of running round and equal amounts of fresh air i would worry

** wouldn't

My dd ate like a little sparrow, ds1 ate like you just describe your dd, and now ds2 is an all day grazer but never seems to finish a meal! They're all different - as long as you are offering her a good variety and quantity of healthy food then I'm sure she'll be fine.

Both my dd's are like that. They were very chubby till they started walking. Never slept particularly well but ate for England.

Now at 2.8 and 5 not much has changed. I feel like I'm always at the supermarket and they eat an insane amount of fruit!

YY offer a wide variety, they burn so much off at that age anyway. I'd also offer lots of protein as that keeps them fuller for longer. My two love home made mini quiches and soft boiled egg.

For example she will eat in a day;

Breakfast
1 weetabix
1 slice of toast
1 satsuma
Handful of blueberries
Then wants me to share mine, so has a couple of spoonfuls of my porridge.

Lunch
2scrambled eggs on toast or
Whole ham sandwich with cherry toms/cucumber sticks/carrot sticks.
Yoghurt or pear/satsuma/raspberries for pud

Dinner
Faves are
Cottage pie
Fish pie
Spag Bol or any pasta (she will eat loads)
Salmon with sweet potato

All dinners have broccoli and carrots and sometimes other veg- loads of veg. She will choose it over anything else!

Snack are mainly fruit or carrot sticks, mini cucumbers. Sometimes a biscuit or rice cake.

I know the food looks ok, but it's just the portions I really think she eats more than me.

Speak to your HV, just to be sure. But to me it looks fairly normal. As long as she's active and she has a varied balanced diet, I'd let her have the extra. Does she have dairy at all? Fwiw my 2.8 yr old will often wolf down double what her sister does. I can never get my head round it.

That's quite a lot more than my 17mo has. I serve up similar but for example she will normally only eat 1/4 to 1/2 a slice of toast max.

Sounds like a Hoathly diet though and she's taller than she is heavy so I wouldn't worry about her weight. She's just a big girl.

Ds was the same at this age and still has a huge appetite now aged nearly 3. HV suggested swapping fruit and rice cake snacks for more filling small items, like yogurt, cubes of cheese, pieces of ham, small cubes of cooked and cooked sweet potato.