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What does your 3 year old eat for tea/dinner?

13 replies

BambinoBoo · 21/11/2011 16:40

DS is 3 in January and eats really well at nursery - all snacks, meals and pud. He also eats his lunch well at the weekends, but he won't sit down to a proper tea, preferring to eat a roll and raw carrots with a dip or something picky. He does have a snack after nursery of fruit or small bag of buttons, but even when he doesn't have a snack, he'll hardly touch his dinner.
His average day is this:
Breakfast: Yoghurt, fresh fruit, dry cereal and glass of milk (perhaps a biscuit if DH is on duty Hmm )
10am Snack: more fruit
Lunch: Pasta / curry / shepherds pie etc + veg followed by a pudding
3pm Snack: more fruit or crudites.
4.30: fruit if he wants it
try and give him his dinner between 5.30 and 6 but normally take a couple of mouthfuls.

  • water etc throughout the day.

I don't know whether or not to just go with the flow and give him a roll and carrots etc for tea or cut all snacks. The only thing is, that would mean cutting them out at nursery too which would be more difficult as it's very communal. He is certainly eating enough I think, and wonder if he just prefers to stock up in the day and graze.

Opinions welcome. Many thanks. Smile

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winnybella · 21/11/2011 16:45

It seems like he's just not hungry. 5.30-6 seems awfully early to be serving dinner. DD has lunch at about 12 in the nursery, then a snack at 4 and dinner is a 7-8. She eats everything (most of the time). She would not be hungry an hour after the last snack.

If you don't want to change dinner time than perhaps give him small quantities of highly nutrtional stuff, likes eggs or avocado etc.

BambinoBoo · 21/11/2011 16:51

Thanks winnybella. Perhaps I should make dinner much later then. Perhaps at 6.30 - 7pm. He has his bath at 7.30 then out like a light by 8.

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ladywithnomanors · 21/11/2011 16:52

I'd just go with it. It sounds like he has a big cooked lunch so I think you can be quite relaxed about what he has for dinner/tea.

Winnybella - my 3yo would go completely mad if she had to wait until 7-8pm to eat, she would be too tired! She's in bed for 7pm every night.

5.30 - 6pm is a reasonable time to eat BambinoBoo and even at that time my DC's are getting tired. I often feed mine at around 5pm. If you want him to eat quite early maybe miss out his 4.30 fruit snack then maybe he;ll be hungrier.

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Besom · 21/11/2011 16:55

I say go with the flow. He's eating plenty at lunchtime and it all looks healthy.

BambinoBoo · 21/11/2011 16:59

I think I will try it a bit later but probably go with the flow on what he has. He will happily chomp away at a bowl of carrots and pepper with a dip, coming and going back to the table but will go into meltdown if I try and make him sit and eat a proper meal. I don't want to make a huge issue out of it either as I think that could be worse in the long run.

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simpson · 21/11/2011 17:03

My DD would also go mad waiting till 7/8pm.

Mine eat at 4.30/5pm.

She is normally in bed by 6.30 Shock

If DD has eaten a big lunch then she is not likely to eat much in the evening.

thebigkahuna · 21/11/2011 17:04

My three year old will only eat one big meal, which is usually at tea time.

She definitely couldn't eat a cooked meal and a pudding at lunch time and still want a proper dinner.

I say enjoy not having to cook for him, let the nursery feed him up and just give him toast/fruit/crudites etc at tea time.

BambinoBoo · 21/11/2011 17:07

Thanks everyone. I will relax a bit more now I think.

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loveisagirlnameddaisy · 21/11/2011 17:38

I think he's not hungry as he's snacking a lot between lunch and dinner. My LO has lunch at 12noon, then nothing else (unless she asks) until tea at 5pm. It doesn't sound like he's a fussy eater as he eats well the rest of the day, just not hungry enough (understandably) after two snacks in the afternoon.

mumbrane · 21/11/2011 17:40

He seems to be eating plenty. I wouldnt worry.

DD (3) has cereal for breakfast, sarnies and fruit for lunch and a hot meal and yog/fruit for dinner. If she has a proper hot lunch occasionally, she wont eat a big hot dinner and I just give her a bit of cheese on toast or some more cereal/fruit.

ZuleikaJambiere · 21/11/2011 17:45

Does he nap at all? I ask because my almost 3yo seems incapable of eating if she's tired, and as she's just dropped her nap then tea is scarce in this house too. I feed her earlier, before tiredness gets extreme and then she can be in bed for 7. But it sounds like he's getting a full and varied diet and if he's healthy, lively and not waking in the small hours really hungry then it must be right for him

Backtobedlam · 22/11/2011 07:44

I think 7/8pm is very late for a 3yr old to eat...even as adults it's much healthier to eat early. My ds (3.5) also has a cooked meal at lunch, he is always hungry when he gets home (about 4pm) so instead of letting him snack I do his dinner about 4.30pm (although like you it's a snacky dinner...beans on toast, or sandwich). After his bath, so about 6pm he has some fruit or a yoghurt with a drink, then in bed by about 7/7.30pm. I don't think many children at this age can eat 2 big cooked meals a day

BambinoBoo · 22/11/2011 09:23

He does still nap and if he doesn't he'll be falling asleep at 4. I think I'll stick with the snacky type teas. I knew deep down that he wasn't liking the big meal in the evening, but wasn't sure if not giving him one seemed a bit like I was depriving him nutrition wise. He has veg and fruit with every meal so I'm sure he's getting his vitamins. Gosh, he's almost 3 and I'm still on mumsnet asking dumb questions Grin

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