DD doesn't stop eating

[TheNightIsDark]

She's 3.6. All day long it's "I'm hungry". She eats breakfast and lunch well but picks at dinner unless it's sandwich type bits or fish fingers.

Usually she has cornflakes for lunch, a cereal bar or some breadsticks for snack, sandwich, handful of crisps, cucumber, fruit and yoghurt/cheese for lunch and then another snack. Dinners are fish cakes, fish fingers, pasta dishes, sausage and mash etc. not ideal but fussy DCs who won't eat food in sauce

This morning she's had Cheerios with a glass of milk, a small freddo chocolate bar, another glass of milk and a cereal bar (in my defence for the crap we are waiting for the tesco man!)

She is still saying she's hungry. How can she be hungry? She's not fat. She's quite solid and tall but 3-4 jeans need adjusting at the waist or they hang off her.

Maybe she needs more protein instead of carbs? Full fat yoghurt with fruit and bits of cheese, stuff like that?

I'll try that thanks. She won't eat meat or eggs so protein is a bit of a struggle really. Will up her cheese intake though!

Beans on toasts for breakfast instead? She really does need some more protein. Houmus?

She might eat beans for breakfast. I'll wake her up earlier so we have type for the clean up mission before nursery

Sounds like she's just hungrier early in the day. Maybe a bigger breakfast, elevenses and bigger lunch, with a lighter dinner?

I've tried doing a big lunch but she kicks off saying she doesn't like hot lunches. Tbh the pair of them are awful with hot food. At dinner I do the eat it or there's nothing else but I bed up caving and giving them a piece of fruit

Cornflakes aren't very filling.
Porridge? Weetabix?
My dd is same age and doesn't eat much protein, she will eat tofu (just cut up into chunks cold!!!) and almonds

Weetabix she will. I'll tell her we ran out of cornflakes! She'll eat 2 weetabix though and still be constantly after food.

Rice cakes?

Eggs in a different form. I was thinking yesterday how different cooking methods totally change how I feel about eggs. Little egg muffins for example can be made in advance (and even have sneaky veggies) but are like little savoury snack cakes.

I'd say she's not eating enough. Needs more protein. I'd go with ...

Cream cheese or peanut butter on toast or oatcakes
Banana
Plain crisps or popcorn
Cubes of cheese
Chicken slices
Pasta with ham/chicken/cheese

That kind of thing ..

Don't mean to be gross but does she mayby have worms? Our oldest 5.9 was always hungry, even 5 minutes after dinner she would ask for a sandwich. When at the doctor with her ( unrelated) I mentioned it so she gave dd meds and she is not as hungry now. Just a thought, check her poo for white string looking things.

I'll inspect her poo. Not a sentence I ever thought I would say pre-children!

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a go.

Might be worth giving her some toast or fruit as well for breakfast. My daughter usually starts the morning with a bowl of cereal and some toast. When she was younger, she'd sometimes want more so would then have some fruit.

As long as your daughter doesn't start to pile on weight and is having fairly healthy snacks, ie not something like biscuits or crisps constantly, I wouldn't worry about it for now. If she's a little fussy over eating cooked meals, it might be her body is trying to take more calories onboard during the day to compensate.

If she likes fish fingers, have you tried other fish options on her like canned tuna, cooked salmon or cod? Don't forget there is protein in milk and pasta (which she has) - it won't be as much as meat or fish, but still some.

Would she eat something oat based (ideally porridge) for breakfast which would be more filling?

I must admit I'm inclined to agree with the PP who said perhaps she's just hungrier in the morning.

My DD is 9 and we used to call her the Hobbit because she'd rather eat 2 or 3 breakfasts (early riser so at wknds would get up and have toast or cereal at 6am, fruit or a yogurt at 8 then a cooked breakfast when DH got up at 10 if she got the chance!) and pick at cheese cubes, fruit and salad for the rest of the day than have three proper meals .

She had got better with age and rarely has more than a couple of bits of toast or a bowl of cereal now and eats well otherwise.

She won't eat porridge. She's really fussy. She would eat all sorts when I was weaning her

Maybe it is a morning thing. Sometimes she will have 2 bowls of cereal, toast etc in one go.

She will eat eggs in pancakes. If I told her there was egg in them she wouldn't. She eats a good range of veg, cheese, bread etc but actual meat she can't stand. I can occasionally slip a ham sandwich down her or some ham on pizza if we make it but that's about it.

I was worse at her age and I've more or less grown out of it.

Is bacon out too? or sausages? Could you do a cooked breakfast? I reckon beans/lentils/houmous etc are all worth a try to up the protein intake. Quite filling too.

DS is only 13 months but incredibly greedy. We were quaking in our boots before the last HV appointment, convinced she would tell us he was horribly fat but actually he is fine. I suppose he knows what he needs after all!