4 year old always hungry

[Bex1517]

Hi there. My 4 year old son is always hungry. Like always. He eats and eats and eats and is always saying he's hungry. He's a normal weight for his age. A typical day he eats weetabix, biscuits, fruit, cookies, Barney bear, dunker or a sandwich, grapes, nuggets and stars, pudding then still wants more. !! It actually bugs me how much he asks for food.

More protein, less refined carbs.

Yep more protein needed. Most of what he is currently eating is carbohydrate (sugars). He needs protein and fats to build a healthy body and keep him satiated.

What the heck are stars? Maybe some proper food?

His diet is nearly all sugar and no protein. No wonder he's always hungry. You need to cut out all that sugary garbage you're feeding him.

Our youngest was like this at that age. She’d eat an enormous breakfast, eat the last bite and say ‘When’s lunch?’. One evening when I was making tea she screamed at me ‘NOT THE OVEN! USE THE MICROWAVE - IT’S FASTER!’ She ate everything we put in front of her, and cleaned up her siblings’ plates too, and ours (if we left anything). I was a little worried with her infatuation with food, but she now eats a normal amount (5) and she’s the tallest in her class by far. I think she just spent all of age 4 growing.

More protein less crap

I would say he needs more.protein but also, a lot of his diet seems processed?

Nuggets and stars is fine once in a while but he needs proper fresh veg as well. More fruit maybe?

Look at snacks that are more filling - my son is a similar age and likes things like cheese and crackers with cucumber sticks.

Too much rubbish. Try to swap weetabix for porridge, or peanut butter on wholegrain bread. Cucumber and hummus, or Apple slices and nut butter for a morning snack. Lunch - scrambled eggs, beans, decent nuggets (proper chicken), served with some carb and lots of cooked or raw veg. I let mine have a small piece of sponge cake and a glass of milk mid afternoon, and maybe some fruit, but sitting down properly at the table. Lots of water.

Is a dunker one of those cheese pots with bread sticks? I wouldn't expect that to satisfy a child for lunch.

The only food on that list that sounds remotely filling is weetabix.

Try cooking casseroles, sausages, roast chicken, fish served with potatoes and a couple of different veg, or spaghetti Bolognese, stir fry and rice for dinners. These types of meals are more filling.

Eggs are great for lunches as they're quick to cook and full of protein.

He needs more protein. DD2 was always asking for food so we upped her protein intake and she is much more satisfied now.

OP, do you know which foods provide protein? Do a search and print off a list, and make sure he has a decent portion ( the size of the palm of his hand ) with every meal. And loads more veg and fruit. No sweet drinks ( whatever they're sweetened with ) as they will just make him feel full and then leave him hungrier.

I notice a big difference on days we do porridge instead of weetabix. We are not really snackers but if hes had porridge it keeps him full all morning.

There doesn't really seem to be any actual meals on your list apart from weetabix breakfast. The rest is mainly snacks. What does he actually eat for lunch and dinner daily?

Sorry but that's a pretty poor diet. All fine on occasion but not as a typical day. Stuck to offering healthy foods (NOT biscuits, cookies, dunkers etc) and you'll soon know whether it's eating because it's nice tasting junk food or genuine hunger. I suspect it's the former.

Jesus I wish I hadn't asked. Any need for most of you to be so catty!!!

People are just trying to help. It’s a diet high in carbs and sugar and is unlikely to fill up a child.

Apart from the fruit, it's all processed non-food. How about...

Breakfast - porridge with fruit, milk to drink

Snack - cheese cubes and cucumber sticks

Lunch - home made fish cakes with veg and mashed potato, yoghurt

Snack - blueberries, milkshake

Evening meal - chicken casserole with rice and veg

@SoyDora. I understand some are trying to help but bloody hell is there any need for some of the way it was put! He won't eat half the things suggested it's not for the want of trying.

We aren't being catty. You are being defensive. Your child's diet is mostly rubbish. That's a fact. You asked why he's so hungry all the time and we told you. He is loaded up on sugar and then he quickly crashes. That is the truth.

@Aquamarine1029 I know his diet is "crap" but is there any need for you are feeding him garbage etc!

Putting aside the comments, is there any protein he will eat?

Which vegetables or salad is he happy eating? Maybe increase that as much as you can, plenty of veg would help to fill him up. Agree with others about him needing more protein too.

Know where you are coming from re refusing to eat some things (got the t-shirt on that one), but perseverance is the key really.

Would he eat eggs for breakfast? That would fill him up for the morning.

Veg is a tricky one. Peas and carrots are about it. He likes lots of fruit blueberries, apples, grapes banana etc. He will ask for breakfast I'll give him it whether it be weetabix rice crispies etc then he'll say he doesn't want it. He gets a snack at nursery which is usually toast/crumpet and fruit. He does like chicken. But mainly as in a nugget or dipper form.

Will he eat home made nuggets ?