Should I limit toddlers fruit?

[gastonthebabyshusher]

My 22 month old DD wants to eat fruit all day, everyday. I have always said that she can eat whatever she likes from the fruit bowl, but everytime I turn round she's eating. This morning in the 2 hours before the childminder she had eaten a banana, a portion of grapes, a portion of strawberries and a pear! This is as well as a bowl of porridge.

I know that they have a fresh fruit salad everyday for afternoon snack at the CM

Then I picked her up tonight and all the way home in the car she was just saying the names of fruits. As soon as we came in she got herself a satsuma. Then had her tuna pasta and salad, and when I came back from the kitchen she was peeling another banana!!!!

She has always loved fruit and veg but in the last few weeks has really upped the intake. I am seriously thinking of hiding the fruit bowl!! But don't want her to get issues about food.

Should I carry on letting her choose, or restrict her snacks?

FYI she always eats her meals so this isn't affecting her intake of other food groups, and she never really eats "treats" like biscuits or choc.

That's a lot of fruit...and sugar

Can you up her protein a bit more?
Maybe less pasta more tuna. I'd just be concerned about too much sugar and fruit acid tbh.

I am normallly all for allowing them to eat fruit and veg but that does sound like a lot to me. a bowl of porridge and one peice of fruit should be more than enough to get her through 2 hours.

I can't see how she can be hungry for that much so it sounds more like she is eating it because its there and she likes it.

Yes, I would - that's a huge amount of sugar she's eating. Replace it with veg - celery, peppers, cucumber, carrots etc

The amount of sugar she is eating will be making her blood sugar spike and then plummet, and when it plummets is when hormones make her think she is hungry again. Without the sugar, this won't happen.

I'd be worried about the effect of all that fruit acid on her teeth. Does she like cheese? Could you suggest she have a piece of cheese with an apple for example. The cheese would probably fill her up for longer. Does she like things like carrot sticks? I give ds carrot sticks and cream cheese as a snack as it seems to fill him up for longer than fruit alone. All that sugar will be making her feel even hungrier later.

Thanks ladies, yes the sugar is my main concern so we do a lot of teeth brushing. (which I kinda hoped would slow down the fruit itself, mint and orange anyone)

one thing about the teeth brushing. Make sure it's at least half an hour after any fruit consumption as fruit acid will make her tooth enamel softer and you can damage it brushing too soon afterwards. Try to get her to have a glass of water after eating a piece of fruit to wash away the worst of the fruit acid. A small piece of cheese after eating fruit is best to protect her teeth.

Thanks head fairy! She does drink lots of water. Never juice or anything sugary to drink. I didn't realise about the brushing thing though.

Cheese is the answer apparently!

yes, or some other kind of protein to fill her up. I did read that cheese after fruit neutralises the acid in the fruit, but I'm not sure if that's just an old wives talk. Definitely don't brush her teeth straight after eating fruit though.

I would advise caution on quantities of apples and strawberries from personal experience. DS has always been a fruit monster and we let him have more and more strawberries. The nappy explosion was quite catastrophic and not something we wanted to experience again! Apples and strawberries ferment nicely in the tummy...

Yes glitter, this is a lesson I have learnt already. However, I have worked out her pre poo routine, and hubby hasn't, so he is often alone with her in the room, while I'm "just popping to the shop/car/bathroom" et voila