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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Does anyone have a toddler that wants to eat constantly?

27 replies

PuppyLoves · 04/08/2009 22:52

DD,21 months old, has 3 meals a day (obv.) and she is allowed healthy snacks in between meals. But she seems to want eat all the time. She is starting to tantrum if we say she isn't allowed any more snacks.

On a typical day she will have:

Breakfast: Shredded wheat/porridge/Oatibix and fruit (usually mixed berries with a bit of yoghurt)

Then a snack. I grab something like a flapjack if we are out, or maybe pitta and houmous if we having a day in.

Lunch - scrambled egg on toast/soup/cauliflower cheese/a sandwich, followed by a yoghurt.

Then another snack after her nap. Normally a biscuit and milk to give her a sugar levels a boost.

Dinner is whatever we are having. Tonight she had salmon fillet with broccoli and new potatoes, followed by bannanas and custard.

This sounds like more than enough to me so why does she want to always eat? Its driving me crazy!

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accessorizequeen · 04/08/2009 23:00

Sounds a wonderfully healthy diet. But if your toddler says she's hungry, feed her more! She is using up a huge amount of energy just toddling. It doesn't matter if it seems like enough to you, if she's having tantrums because she's hungry it's not worth the hassle arguing. She's not being difficult, she just needs fuel.

pigletmania · 04/08/2009 23:03

Lucky lucky you puppyloves, i have the complete opposite with my dd, i practically have to spoon the food in her mouth as she will not eat just play around with her food. I wish my dd eat like yours, she is really active and runs everywhere, i dont know where she gets her energy from.

paisleyleaf · 04/08/2009 23:05

We call our DD the buffet queen
she seems to graze all day.

But they will sometimes say they're hungry when actually they're bored or tired.

Original poster

PuppyLoves · 04/08/2009 23:14

I know I should be grateful, and I say to dh we should count oursleves lucky she isn't a fussy eater and we haven't got to deal with the worry that comes with that.

And I really don't want to sound like I'm moaning (alhough I am ) Its really hard work trying to work out if she is actually hungry. I did try letting her appetite dicate her food for a couple of days but all that happened was that she ate snacks all day and didn't want her dinner. Which I didn't think was a healthy thing to be teaching her. Plus most of her veg intake is with her main meal (she doesn't like raw veg only cooked) and I don't want her missing out on that.

Maybe I should relax more but I do worry about overfeeding her and having an obese toddler.

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pigletmania · 04/08/2009 23:19

Aww sorry Puppyloves i am not much help, i guess we moan when they dont eat and moan when they do lol

Original poster

PuppyLoves · 05/08/2009 08:17

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accessorizequeen · 05/08/2009 08:21

You're doing a great job with the food, relax a bit It's just a phase and v.common with children. She's not going to be obese if you give her more flapjack when you look at the rest of her diet. She'll run it all off. Maybe make the after lunch snack more substantial, a sandwich maybe. I give my boys a huge amount of food and they manage to scoff it all!

Original poster

PuppyLoves · 05/08/2009 08:53

I just need to relax then and not worry so much - I'll try my best

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Original poster

PuppyLoves · 05/08/2009 14:35

tried relaxing, not working, still driving me crazy!

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accessorizequeen · 05/08/2009 19:19

Tis fairly normal for kids to want to graze all day rather than big meals plus 2 snacks. She won't be like this for long, they switch and change all the time, it really is a phase. Everything she is eating is healthy, which is great. And she may change her mind about raw veg if you keep offering it. Try more veg in soup maybe (if she can manage it) ideal way to get more veg into them.
I think the hardest thing with kids is to let them be and relax. I'm not sure what exactly is bothering you so much? Do you feel frustrated that your carefully planned and organised diet is going out the window or have I got that wrong?

HensMum · 05/08/2009 19:33

Your DD sounds like my DS. He eats loads - good, healthy stuff like your DD but just lots of it.

It's really rare for him to refuse food (though he did go through an odd phase of not wanting much breakfast recently)

It's so hard to work out if he is actually hungry or just eating because he likes it. And he's big (on the 98th centile) so I worry about him being overweight.

I've cut down on his portions slightly recently and if he wants more I offer fruit, veg or something bland like a rice cake (as I know he'll only eat those if he's actally hungry!)

It is nice to have a good eater but still a worry.

Original poster

PuppyLoves · 05/08/2009 19:34

Its the constant demands for food that drive me crazy.

I have no idea if I should do what dd wants and feed feed feed her all day long or if I should do what I'm doing now and try to restrict her intake . I'm concerned the former may result in an obese toddler but the latter ends up in tears and tantrums, resulting in me feeling like a nasty parent.

Thats the crux of it

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Original poster

PuppyLoves · 05/08/2009 19:37

Your DS does sound very much like my dd Hensmum

I've tried offering bland, normally a piece of bread and butter. She either eats it and demands more or discards it and demands more.

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peanut08 · 05/08/2009 20:19

I went through this with DS during the toddler stage and it drove me nuts!. It took me a while to realise just how much energy he was using during the day coupled with growth spurts and the realisation he was more prone to tantrums when he hadn't eaten and his blood sugar levels had dropped so I just kept feeding him raisins, fruit, breadsticks etc and it eventually calmed down. He's now a healthy 5 year old with no weight issues though just as active.
As others have said I think it's just one of those things you have to ride out I understand it can sometimes become a habit but if she's eating the snacks and her main meals she probably just needs the energy boost.

peanut08 · 05/08/2009 20:24

Just had another thought does she drink enough? sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger at least that's what I was told.

Original poster

PuppyLoves · 05/08/2009 20:49

She is starting to drink less water than before so I wonder if thats a factor. I may have to start giving her some sort of juice.

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mummytowillow · 05/08/2009 22:11

Oh I'm so jealous .........!!!

This is what my toddler ate yesterday!

Two mouthfuls of weetabix
One mini sausage (which she stole out of the fridge)!!
Two mouthfuls of pasta

Everything else she said 'its disgusting'

THATS IT she has the appetite of a bird and doesn't seem to get hungry, I'm at the end of my tether to as I feel so guilty and I worry she will be ill!

peanut08 · 05/08/2009 22:33

Mummttowillow, Try not to feel guilty I've found through experience of my own DC and those of friends that most toddlers seem to have an all or nothing attitude to food while I was worrying about DS eating everything in sight friends would often be at their witts end because their DC refused to touch anything. I'm a great believer (through my own trial and error) that unless there is a medical reason children will eat if they're hungry even if it is a tiny amount and most of the time it is a phase that will pass (sorry hate using that phrase but hope you know what I mean )

Jobiscuits · 26/09/2018 22:00

Puppylove and Hensmum - I was wondering how your kids are now? I'm having the same issue with my 2.5yr old (he's been like this for ages) and am hoping it will improve!

Peacelover1975 · 26/09/2018 23:17

My 2 year old DS constantly eats too. He's not overweight and is always on the go, but I still worried there was something wrong.
He had his 2 yr health check on Mon and the health visitor said we shouldn't worry at all... It's normal for active toddlers and would be much more of a worry if he was picky or not eating much.
I suppose part of being a parent is to worry whatever our kids do or don't do!

P. S. I was also worried my DS was hyperactive as one particular family member (with no recent experience of kids) said he was. Turns out he's not hyperactive at all. Normal toddler behaviour once again

Jobiscuits · 26/09/2018 23:42

Thank you! My son has always been a big eater and is overweight despite having a very healthy diet. He constantly complains he's hungry and never seems to know if he's full or feel full.

PaulMorel · 27/09/2018 08:51

How lucky you are! My daughter is opposite, she is a very picky eater.

Jobiscuits · 27/09/2018 09:03

It is not lucky to have an overweight toddler who cries for food all day and who seems distressed about it. It is not lucky to not be able to take him anywhere with food because he'll scream the whole time. It is tiring and worrying.

Antonija · 11/02/2019 16:23

I completely agree with Jobiscuits. It is frustrating. I have a 13 month old and can't even cook in front of her because she immediately starts running towards me if she sees any food. So during the weekend while my husband is at home the whole day, I need to prepare lunch for the following week and freeze it (while he's distracting her or while she's napping). And even when I'm unfreezing the food, she's standing in front of microwave and crying!
She's not skinny at all, so there is no option that she's hungry always.
I can't eat in front of her, so some days I find myself not eating at all till 6 pm. It's just so tiring.

TigerQuoll · 11/02/2019 22:13

@Antonija can you keep some snow peas and/or carrot sticks in the fridge always and give her one or two whenever she's crying for food and it's not meal time? It is hard to imagine anyone becoming obese on just extra veggies

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