Anyone else got a RAVENOUS 3-year-old? Has he got tapeworms or what?

[madamez]

Today DS, who is 3.5, has eaten:
1 bowl of porridge
I pot fromage frais

4 more pots fromage frais

2 helpings of tuna/broccoli/sweetcorn risotto

1 lollipop

6 mini fairy cakes
1 round ham sandwiches, plus several chunks of cheddar
2 large pots fromage frais

He was asking for more but I vetoed it as I thought he might puke, said he could have another cake/fromage frais after his bath but after bath he didn't want anything.

This is a fairly normal day's eating for him: he's not fat nor even chubby, just... bottomless.

my kids would eat all day if I let them - on a few occasions it has been down to worms though !
But they are still pretty hungry most of the time. I think they take after their dad who is tall and skinny and like a bottomless pit!

my ds' appetite changes from day to day .... but there are times when I wonder where it all goes. Saying that 7 fromage frais is a lot

My 3yo DS is the same.

He'll finish a (big) meal, get down from the table and then ask for a snack.

Also if we're out and about at friends houses etc as soon as he spies food, or someone mentions food its "Mummy I'm hungry". Its quite as I'm sure people wonder if hes been fed that day.

On a positive though he will eat lots of healthy things so its not just that he craves crap.

BettyS, yes he does at least eat plenty of healthy food (quite often will demand an apple if we are shopping and then devour it down to the pips...)

My dd 3yrs just constantly demands food - she has 3 meals and at least 4 snacks - it's driving me mad 'mummy can i have something to eat pleeeeeeease' she's not fat, but she is very solid!I am being really careful about healthy snacks because if she's eating so much i think i have to make sure it's not crap eg she had cheese and carrot sticks earlier,but that was 45 mins before tea and she had 2 large yoghurts plus fruit for pudding.

Have you ever been tempted just to see how much he would eat in a day if he had unrestricted access to food? I know I have .

When he was younger we had to hide the fruit bowl otherwise he would have just ploughed his way through it. He also used to frequently be found with his head in a box of cereal (the only "instant" food within his reach)

When he was about 20 months we were at a party where there was a buffet, and he found a tray of cocktail sausages and ate the lot. Then puked all over me on the way home So I tend to try distracting him if he's really pigging...

My DS (17 months) had for breakfast the other day - 2 weetabix (and cried whilst the milk was warming) -then cried for my weetabix - had 1 more (I gave in - lazy parenting at 6.40am and all that) - 3 weetabix!! Then had a handful of cheerios.
THEN... 1 piece of jam toast THEN blueberries & raisins.

He will eat his own bodywieight in food when he is hungy enough. He isn't overweight BUT he is solid (as others describe) so I don't worry about it too much. But it does suprise me in how much he can take in at one sitting.

My DS is like a stick of celery though - tall and skinny.