DD - age 6 is always hungry

[janx]

My dd is very slim - but no matter how much she eats is always hungry. She is finding that school dinners are not enough for her is saying she is hungry in the afternoon. She often seems to have an upset stomach - any ideas?

I would consider food intolerances or maybe an overactive thyroid is it worsens. Most probably she has a high metabolic rate and needs plenty of low glycaemic food. I'd get the GP to check her over if her tummy upsets dont clear.

I second the above, but it might also be worth ruling out celiac disease (gluten intolerance), where people can't absorb all of the food and eating gluten worsens the symptoms. However she might just be growing quickly and very active. Would you be able to switch to packed lunched so that you can pack the higher energy, slow release foods?
Flapjacks with seeds, oatcakes, cheeses, and pasta are all good fillers.

Thanks - will book an appt at the doctors

does she have protein in her meals?
Coz if you rely on carbs too much, then she would burn that but not absorb much in a way of nutrients as smash said.
Make sure she has quality protein at every meal, eg cooked breakfast in the morning.

Problem with relying on carbs is that she would burn them up fast, not many quality nutrients in them, just energy, so she is starving for nutrients.

Thanks - will try that - she does love scrambled eggs so will try that in the morning

And also I think school dinners do tend to be small portions to avoid food waste as many 6 yr olds do eat relatively small amounts... however its the typical 'one size fits all' scenario where some kids will still chuck half the food away and others leave the table feeling hungry

I think by the time I was 7 or 8 I was polishing off adult sized portions. (And I'm v. small). Your daughter might just have moved up the calorie ladder

does she have worms. i was told a tapeworm can make you very thin and always hungry but that might be an old wives tale