Greedy toddler obsessed with food

[Nomad86]

My ds is 16 months old and is always eating. Ever since we weaned him, he never seems full. He eats until he's sick, then wants more. He sobs when meals are over. He steals other people's food even if he has some, goes in the fridge and helps himself (just caught him wolfing down blueberries). If I get up from the sofa, he rushes to the kitchen and points at the cupboard, whining. I've tried only giving him food when he isn't screaming for it, but as soon as I go to the kitchen, he screams for food so I'm just rewarding him! I genuinely don't know what to do. My first child had a good appetite but nothing like this. DS is a healthy weight for his height but at the top end of both so likely to be a big boy as he grows.

I don't think it's hunger, as if he doesn't see food or think it's on the cards, he's perfectly content. He's very active so probably needs quite a bit of food but this is ridiculous. Has anyone else had a child like this? With full on tantrums and hitting at the word no? How do I give him food without him thinking it's because he's cried for it?

I'd try the health visitors but I've had an awful experience with the ones at my surgery and want nothing more to do with them. I feel it's behavioural rather than medical.

Would he eat scrambled egg? I would not give him rice cakes but try snacks that are more dense - banana or avocado maybe.
I'd take him to the dr in case there is something wrong, but there probably isn't.

Is he getting plenty of liquids?

I suspect that you might need to train him to eat at mealtimes and child-proof your fridge.

He sounds a sweet little scamp.

Good idea Cordelia, I think I'll keep a record of his food and behaviour and check with the go if the protein doesn't work. Thanks all!

Agree with bluntness. Be very careful cutting carbs in favour of protein, he’s a baby and a child’s nutrition needs are very different. My dd has a nutritionist and his basic madness is don’t fuck around with your basic fats, carbs and protein, cook from scratch as much as possible, and let them eat to appetite.

Cheese, yogurt, milk etc are better choices than breadsticks, rice and fruit because they are more calorie dense.

He still needs carbs for energy and to grow. So don’t cut them or go too protein heavy, it isn’t good for developing kidneys.

Basically, your balanced diet. But substitute his “healthy” low calorie food for higher calorie stuff and see if that helps. Slugs of olive oil in pasta, that sort of thing. I’d up his milk too, mine were on two 8oz cups of milk am and pm until they were two.

he sounds bored to me. he doednt dound hungry or underfed at all. I had to basically just be home for food and naps because my kids seem to think eating can be their hobby (unless it's dinner or something healthy they are junk food fans lol). I do toddler group in the morning and shops/park after nap. if meeting up with friends make sure they aren't the type to carry millions of snacks in their bag!!!

Thanks ummmmgogo, there could be an element of boredom. We used to go to playgroup three mornings a week but they all have snacks laid out in reach of the children and it was getting embarrassing when he was always wanting more and crying.

I know exactly what you mean 😂 and there's always an unhelpful persons saying oooh he's hungry isn't there 😂

I agree with seeing your GP. But what he's eating from your first post doesn't seem an excessive amount to me for a toddler because some do eat a lot more than others. Also agree he isn't being given very much protein and a lot of carbs which could affect his insulin levels and cause hunger. Definitely seek a Dr's advice.

My little boy is 4 now and a much smaller build. It seems he eats a lot to me compared to my little boy at that age but all different. and eating till he's sick shows he's over eating I would think not all the time obviously but if he eats till he's sick. I would speak with doctor it could be a phase or just a habit when he's in house ECT but I think I would look into it.

I was wondering about boredom too - maybe he’s a really active boy and he’d do well with trampolining or something very active - my second dd gets food obsessed if she’s bored.

Some children are like this though, my friend's daughter, for example.

Has always been "hungry" since birth, eats enormous amounts and has always been overweight. She's been checked by specialists but there appears to be no medical reason for her unrelenting hunger.

The second child is completely different.

My DD was a nightmare for snacking until about 3.5, in retrospect I wish I had implemented set times for snacks and made sure they were substantial, so DD knew what to expect and I could time so she wasn't snacking just before meals.

As she got older I talked about how it's ok to feel a bit hungry and dinner was in x time.

I think the food diary is a great idea. It will not only show your dr but you just what he eats. I would then go to your dr and see what they think. The fact he doesn't get upset about food when you are out says there may be a boredom issue here as opposed to a medical one, but it must be hard seeing him so upset about not having something to eat. Hope you get some answers op.

Sorry I haven’t been back earlier. Yes, agree with others. He’s not greedy, I think he’s genuinely hungry.

My DF had this with her tall DD. Instead of offering 3 meals plus snack, she started offering 5 or 6 meals a day. Took her a bit of figuring out at first but the change was almost miraculous. Her DD was instantly more content and slept better too.

Try something like this:

7 am Blueberry pancakes and milk
9.30 am sandwich and veg sticks
12 pm salmon fishcakes and steamed veg and milk
3 pm scrambled eggs
5 pm evening meal with family and milk

Then if he’s still hungry, oatibix with chopped banana and milk before bed.

Have you been restrictive with his food? He just seems obsessed with food and it reminded me of my DD when we were told she was overweight and I became very restrictive with food - within a week she was food obsessed.

I've found a better strategy is to have strictly 3 meals and two snacks a day and to allow her eat as much as she wanted during those meal time but provide nothing but water between. As he can't understand he might need 3 snacks and 3 meals a day.

Food diary for doctor is great idea - also take a look at protein guide yourself so you have an idea www.nutrition.org.uk/attachments/article/734/BNF%20Toddler%20Eatwell%20Leaflet_OL.pdf

And just by comparison my dc are very slight - on the 25th or below percentiles and would typically eat:
Breakfast-
Big bowl of porridge and fruit
Milk to drink
Snack - oaty bar and banana
Lunch - salmon, pasta and veg
Yogurt for desert
Snack - biscuits, small sponge or similar
Dinner - eggs, rice, cheese and beans, fruit
Milk to drink

Here are some ideas:

Try 'growing up milk'/formula instead of drinking cows milk. My DD was still breastfed at that age so he may need more than cows milk can provide.

Porridge for breakfast with banana and if he can have nuts, add a nut butter to it. Try breakfast muffins made with oats and bananas, good for mid morning snacks too.

Is he does not like eggs, could you make pancakes? My DD does not like eggs in their whole form but pancakes go down well.

For lunch, could you do leftovers from the previous day's dinner so more protein? Other options could be more protein in sandwiches like haslet, sliced chicken or pork etc. Try things like Cornish pasties.

You could add some bulking protein to meals too like chickpeas and lentils.

When he cries for snacks, consider giving him protein rolls (available in Lidl bakery), sausage rolls, bananas, that kind of thing.

Sorry missed the bit where you said he doesn’t like eggs. If you are after some breakfast ideas try him with sausage, beans and toast, just cut the sausage lengthways otherwise it can be a choking hazard. Weetabix with chopped banana and whole milk, smooth nut butter on toast, porridge with added cream.

Mine also like a milkshake with their breakfast sometimes. I blitz a banana with some whole milk and add some fruit, usually frozen berries. Seems to fill them up a bit more and gets sone extra fruit and milk into them.

I have a 4 year old and 2.75 year old, and they both eat substantially more than your little one. They're both tall, but average build (the older one is quite slim I think), so I'd agree with others that he might be hungry. I also find that if we're out, or some really interesting is happening, then they don't eat as much (but scoff down masses of dinner).

I also think they function better on 3 regular meals plus snacks. Rice cakes and breadsticks don't have much in them, so they don't fill tummies well.

I've found pancakes to be good snack things. I make a load of them and freeze them to make it easier. You can put all sorts in the batter to beef them up - nut butters, pumpkin/squash purée with some fruit goes well, you can also change up the flour you use. They can make quite a substantial snack, rather than just empty calories like rice cakes. Flapjacks are the same - just needs a bit of experiment to find a recipe you like.

Smoothies are a hit with mine too - I think it's the treat of a straw that gets them 😅 Again, you can beef them up with a handful of oats etc.

Some small kids eat loads...it's mind boggling!

I would definately try the Drs

Id also worm him

I would ditch the cereal too and things like rice cakes too

Make snacks a bit more substantial.

And make sure there's a bit more protein and fat.

Would be eat hummous. Cucumber sticks and hummus would make a good snack.

Try nut butters on the toast.

Falafel
Cheese cubes

Cathedral city do some mini cheds

Would he eat eggy bread?

I would try and get him to eat eggs they are great for breakfast.

If you get a good filling breakfast in him then you could well start avoiding the whole constantly snacking cycle.

You may well have to just ride out the crying and have him get used to you saying no.

I'm always amazed at how much sone if these toddlers eat im full just reading

I know this is an old thread but I literally could’ve written OP’s first post! @Nomad86 Did anything help? And how is your DS now?!

He's almost 6 now and extremely tall for his age, but a completely normal weight for his size. He still eats a lot but he's not constantly wanting more. I think he just did a lot of growing in those days. It helps that he's really active (he did a 25 mile bike ride the other day).

We still give him a bowl of cereal before bed which helps fill him up and he has as many snacks as he wants as long as they're healthy. Little and often seems to be best for him, with lots of activity.

My SIL was always famished as a child and it turns out she had coeliac disease and her body wasn't absorbing the nutrients so she was constantly hungry.

Also, peanut butter is a good protein/fat option. I put a bit of it on banana slices (we call them banana buttons) and my DD loves it!

I agree with this. The eating until sick and then wanting more is a red flag for me. This sounds like more than behaviour and more than needing protein. I hope you get some answers!

Ah sorry, just realized this is a very old thread. It came up in Active for me.

I think he needs more protein in his breakfast as otherwise his sugar levels peak and then plummet during the morning.