Food stealing

[Sleepyquest]

My daughter has just turned 5 and has started recently going into the kitchen cupboards when I'm busy elsewhere and helping herself to junk food. She's very slim and active and has 'treats' often. It's got to the point where I have stopped buying biscuits etc. We have resorted to putting locks on the kitchen cupboards and on the kitchen door but still sometimes my guard is down and she manages to get something. Today, we have been busy clearing space for the Christmas tree and general chores and she's had not one but two galaxy ripples.

I just cannot understand it - if she's hungry, she's given food. She has a very balanced diet. Why might this be happening and how do I tackle it?

I'd just have a Quick Look at this guide from the Caroline Walker Trust as it gib s suggested portion sizes and sample menus. I was surprised that an active 6 yo girl will need over 1700 calories a day.

Thanks for that @TinyMouseTheatre , maybe I underestimate how much she needs. Going to reevaluate using this document!

We found the teen one useful when DC1 was beginning to want food all of the time. I know teen so but it was literally non-stop. I read the guide and because he was older I shared a few bits with him, we discussed it, made a few adjustments and he was much better, said the hunger wasn't as bad.

Maybe have healthier snacks in the house. Not judging you - just a suggestion!

Thanks @teaandkittehs I did think the same after the above post. A biscuit isn't providing anything - I'd be better off giving her a plate of cheese and cucumber, breadsticks etc and say fill your boots

My stepson snacks a lot and his dad keeps lots of unhealthy stuff in the house. Luckily there is a big age gap between him and our child (13 and nearly 2) so I can keep their snacking quite separate for now but I dread it when she gets older as step son and husband both eat loads of crap!

How are you getting on today @Sleepyquest?

I've also got a slim, active five year old. She definitely goes through hungry periods, and we basically do let her fill her boots on healthy snacks. Her after school snack in particular is essentially a fourth meal some days, something like cheese on toast or peanut butter on toast and a piece of fruit.

I'd say making sure she can fill up on healthy stuff is definitely worth a try – nice, simple solution to the stealing if it works.

Sorry!! Well we have all been unwell so everything went out of the window, but at the weekend I made her a snack plate and just let her go to town basically!
Going to continue to offer toast, yoghurt, babybels etc thank you 🙂

Sorry you've been unwell, it's rubbish at any time of year but in the lead up to Christmas it's always unwelcome

Both of mine liked homemade cheese straws with something like halved cherry tomatoes on the side. They're quite easy to make, she could even help, and they are hugely calorific and filling

They also liked milkshakes made with banana and sone fresh or frozen berries. That might help her immune system too

This is exactly what I do for my 2 year old, cucumber, humous, cheese, Breadsticks or crackers, fruit. She usually makes pretty good headway into it!