Is my DD eating too much?

[pecanpie]

This week, my 17 month DD has come home from nursery every night and has had her bath, her milk and then starts pointing frantically at the kitchen for more food. I thought this was because I was making supper at the time for me and DH, but last night I left it later so I could try to work out if she really was hungry or if she just likes her food a bit too much.

I spoke to nursery and she does eat really well and good portions (they fill in her daily diary to say as much but I wanted to understand if she really is eating full portions as they say).

On Tuesday she had 6oz milk when she woke up then:

Breakfast: 1 weetabix with milk, 1/2 slice toast
Morning snack: fruit - mixture of banana, apples, pears
Lunch: tuna pasta bake, yoghurt
Tea: Sandwiches, cucumber and fruit

She ate all of the food she was given.

Then came home and drank all of her milk (6oz) and had a tea biscuit with it, started wildly pointing at the kitchen for food so she had a little bit of salmon I had in the fridge. Then she was still up when DH and I had supper (she has been going to bed really late every night this week too!) and had some of our bolognaise - just a little - and 2 BIG SPROUTS (yuck!)

This morning I'm working from home as is DH, so she had a normal breakfast of 6oz milk at 7.30am, weetabix at 8am, she had a morning snack of 1/2 pear, but DH just made some toast which she helped him to polish off and then he made a slice just for her and she ate the whole thing - we're not even at lunchtime yet!

She's not well built, but is certainly filling out this week. She isn't walking yet - we're still cruising - but she's no more active than before to need more food. I don't want her to go hungry and I love that she enjoys a good range of foods, but I'm starting to worry that she wants to eat more because she loves food rather than she's hungry.

Am I just a neurotic first time mum and it probably is just a growth spurt? What is a reasonable amount of food for a 17 month old or is it limitless?

Think that sounds fine and healthy too.

Wish mine had an appetite like that. really wouldn't worry and if she gets a little chubby she'll lose it soon as she starts racing around the place. Think you can save the worrying for when she's a little older!

That sounds a good diet to me too, again, wish DS would eat that! Absolutely fine

I don't think I would worry about this just yet.
It does sound like she is eating a lot (compared to my fussy child anyway), but just wait and see what happens over the coming months. Children are very good at self-regulating IME, and it has just turned colder which may be making her hungrier.

What time to they give tea at nursery? Mostly it is around 3.30, this it is not surpising that she is ready for some more food at 6. I always understood nursery tea to mean afternoon tea (i.e. another snack) rather than supper.

Good point from witchandchips. Iirc, my DD's nursery used to give tea at 3:30. She was too tired to east when we got home, but I used to send her with extra food for them to give at 5:30 (I collected her at 6).

eat (not east)

She has tea at 5, same as home, unless she wants to eat earlier (4.30) with some of the other children who have tea at that time.

Thanks all so much for your reassurance - and for such quick responses!