How much does your 2 y-o eat (and it's not a 'he won't eat anything' thread)?

[midnightexpress]

DS2 is 2.2 and he seems to want to eat all day. DS1 went through a refusnik phase at about the same age where he wouldn't eat anything, but we seems to be having exactly the opposite with ds2. Every time he goes into the kitchen he wants something, and spends much of the day asking for fruit, biscuits, breadsticks, whatever, and then eats all his dinner, and then demands more. Is this normal? We are trying not to cave in to the constant demands - he gets three meals, plus a snack after his lunchtime nap, and one mid-morning too, so I'm sure he must be getting plenty. Fortunately he eats quite healthily - plenty of fruit and veg, not much sugary stuff or junk, just milk, water and occasional fruit juice to drink. But we don't want to set him up with bad habits either.

Has anyone else had a child like this, and how did you handle it?

bump

i try to steer clear of too much fruit not good for there teeth but inbetween meals mine can eat as they like lots of carrots cucumber apples raisons ect. i dont give much in the way of weat based products but rice cakes are good i wouldnt worry about it aslong as he eats his meals and there is no obvious weight issues

Ds (2.10) goes through phases of eating everything that isn't nailed down - and then eases back again.

Perhaps making sure that the snacks are substantial and not sugary (so maybe carrots, cucumber, celery with wholemeal bread for slow release carbs, rather than dried fruit or biscuits) and plenty of veg with lunch and dinner would be a good idea

Thanks for your responses. When you say that your ds eats like this CMOT, do you mean all day? DS2 just seems to eat something and then immediately ask for something else atm if he's in the house. Will perhaps re-think the snacks though - he does tend to get fruit (bananas, blueberries),or occasionally a home-made smoothie or biscuit (albeit the hideous Organix, sugar free ones), so perhaps something more savoury would be good, with some bread and butter. He likes veg too, so don't think he'd turn up his nose tooo much. It's the quantity I'm most concerned about though. Do you think that sort of switch of snacks would perhaps fill him up more?

My DS is like this, he eats really well. I asked the HV about it and she said it was fine as long as he looked pretty much in proportion and that the food was healthy.I have stuck to 3 meals and a snack mid morning and afternoon.

I am lucky that he will eat anything and it is all really healthy stuff. When you have a good eater you do need to make sure that it is as healthy as possible as they will be eating alot more food than most DC ime.

Literally, yes given the chance. Fr'instance on Sunday he had 2 Wheatabix at 7, then a chocolate brioche at 7.30, then another Wheatabix at 9 (staying at friends and diff people getting up at diff times), then a whole apple at 10.30, chicken nuggets chips and peas, plus a naan bread and my poppadum at 12.15, a hot cross bun at 3, three biscuits (at grandmas filched out of the tin) a banana at 4, and a huuuge bowl of pasta at 5. This was a rather junky day admittedly !

Cos fruit is pretty sugary, it tends to give you a sugar high and crash which can make you more hungry ime - complex carbs are much better for levelling things out.

DS isn't overweight at all btw, and easts anything - but is on the go all the time. I think he is readying for a growth spurt at the moment too

That makes me feel much better . The 'double breakfast' scam is a familair one. Will try upping the complex carbs and see how that goes I think.