14 month old obsessed with food...

[clevername]

... I mean, she literally wants to eat all the time. She points to the kitchen and high chair to signify her desire for food all day. And now she's learnt the word 'more' she does a very convincing Oliver Twist with her cereal bowl in the morning.
A quick google suggests that the opposite problem is the norm at this age so just wondering if I should just be happy that I've got a good eater (obviously preferable) or worried about it in some way...

Could it be that I'm just not giving her enough at mealtimes maybe? Although, to look at her, you wouldn't think she was underfed... (actually, people often comment on her 'chunkiness' - which is perhaps a factor in me worrying about it. She's not fat, but she's a healthy-looking chunky toddler.)

Today she ate:
A large bowl of baby muesli with raisins (and then another half bowl after she 'Oliver Twisted' me)
A snack pot of dried fruit, rice cakes etc mid morning
Scrambled egg, garlic mushrooms and toast, followed by a banana and her advent calendar choc!!
A bit of my brownie and a fruity yogurt pouch mid arvo
Veggie lasagna, beetroot, yogurt with blueberries/raspberries for dins.

I'd say portions are usually about half a smallish adult one.

What do you think? Should I just plough on as I am and distract her from her food cravings in the knowledge that she's a good weight and getting everything she needs? Or should I follow her lead and give her more when she asks for it?

Cheers!

Wow, I wish 2yo would eat like that!

Is there a chance she's thirsty? I knows dd gets the signs mixed up and says she's hungry when actually what she wants is a drink.

Does she still drink milk (mine never did). Could you give her a cup of milk or water and see how that goes?

Growth spurt? Ds who usually picks at food and will voluntarily save half a chocolate bar til later eats for England when he's about to shoot up

Funny, I had wondered if some milk might do the trick. She does have some sometimes (usually mid morning), but it's not a set routine. Perhaps I'll try that. Thanks Kitty. And she has a cup of water around that she can sip on when she wants - I try that as a distraction sometimes and she very firmly shakes her head and points to the kitchen!!

I hadn't thought about a growth spurt - thanks Choude. Maybe it's that (although it's a very long one if that's the case!!)

Thanks for your replies

You could try more protein rich food earlier in the day? E.g. porridge at breakfast and some cheese or ham at morning snack time.

Thanks, CityDweller... might give that a shot too.

My son was like this, and still is now he's 2 although he is sometimes a bit more picky. It's totally normal but no one talks about it as all the parents of good eaters don't want to make the picky eaters' parents feel bad! My son eats more than his cousins who are 8 and 5. What you are giving her is perfectly healthy so just give her as much as she wants.

That's reassuring, thanks Kaff

One skinny, and one right in the middle of the BMI calculators here. Now 3 and 5, but nursery couldn't beliee the amount they would pack away over a day. They also had a full breakfast with us before they went to nursery (for breakfast, snack, lunch, tea), and a 2 course dinner when they got back home.
DS2 memorabaly ate the snack for the whole room - they left the melon on a low table in his reach, and he ate the whole lot (12 kids worth )
Would agree with trying a little more protein, and a drink first.

My DD (17 months) has always loved her food but definitely goes through spurts of wanting it even more. I go with it but try to distract with drinks or playing to ensure it really is hunger not thirst or boredom.
Agree with the point about protein snacks if possible - it is hard to not give in to easy carb/sugar laden snacks but I do try to not rely on that. So yoghurts, pieces of chicken/cheese and hard boiled eggs are in the list of go to snacks.
She doesn't look fat but definitely has solid chunky legs and a very cute belly so I am hoping I'm doing the right thing...

My DD was like that at that age, she ate very two hours and I had to carry food with me everywhere otherwise she'd get very cranky. She is an extremely tall 3.5yo now, skinny but still eats well but can go more normal intervals between meals.

More reassurance - thank you so much! And I'll give the extra protein trick a go too.

My 11 month old DS2 would happily eat all that. Whereas DS1 eats like a sparrow. As long as she's on her centile and not drastically over I wouldn't worry - it's a balanced diet (but offer to lots of drink to help stave off hunger pangs too)

Sounds like you are getting her to eat a great range of foods too! I'd just try to cut down the sugar..maybe cherry tomatoes, chunks of cucumber, hummus etc?

She has a lot of sugary foods - they're not terribly filling. More protein and some complex carbs would be a good idea.

Rice cakes are pretty nutritionally devoid - maybe try oatcakes instead?

Thanks again for your suggestions. She's a veggie (like us) but perhaps I need to be thinking more about reducing the sugar. She definitely has a varied and relatively balanced diet generally but I think I'll re-think those snacks.

DS is the same age as your DD and would happily eat that, more sometimes. His eating gets commented on a lot! I was worried but he's stayed on he same centile since he was 3 months.
Unless she's leaping up the centiles I wouldn't worry about it, and certainly don't judge by how she looks - it's sudden change in centiles that are more telling.
DS has natural yogurt with oats and prunes for breakfast, plus a slice of wholemeal toast, which seems to keep him going for a bit.