Am I underfeeding?

[LetsBreakItDown]

I have a 15 month old. My friend has a 2 year old. We were talking through the week, and I would just like some opinions. For breakfast in the morning, I give my DC cereal, and if they still seem hungry, a slice of toast. Then they have snack then lunch etc etc. My friend gives her DC cereal, 2 slices of toast and some fruit. Every morning. It has made me wonder if maybe my DC needs more for breakfast in the morning?? I figured cereal and some extra toast on mornings DC was hungrier was enough, but maybe not? What do your DCs eat for breakfast in the morning? I only ever have cereal or toast, and I guess I've just treated my child's diet the same way I do my own.

What cereal do you give? Some are very poor nutritionally.

My DS is almost two. He has cereal and some fruit most mornings, small banana or half an apple.

Cereal, fruit and 2 slices of toast is excessive for a 2yo IMO. Dd is 3 and I wouldn't give her that much, she doesn't even have more than 1 slice at a time, though I would give her 1 slice and something else like a banana.

My DS is 21 months he usually has 1
Slice of peanut butter on toast, a banana, handful of strawberries and raspberries.

Depends on the child too. My DD is like a bottomless pit, others at creche hardly eat.

Cereal AND fruit AND two slices of toast would be more than most adults would eat.

Can't you just feed a 2yo to appetite? I put a child sized amount in front of mine, they eat what they want and then stop, or they eat it all then clamour for more so I give them more. Seems to work fine.

Oh yeah dd(3) has cereal and some fruit or 1 slice of toast and fruit and ds(13months) has the same but doesn't usually eat all of it.

My son is 2. He often has 1 Oatibix or porridge with berries plus a slice of toast. If he's still hungry, he has more fruit. Sometimes, he s after our toast as well.

He's always hungry at breakfast though and has a lighter lunch. If he doesn't eat much for breakfast though (rare!) I never force it.

Depends on the child. My 4yo eats like a sparrow but my 12mo will eat all day if I let her!

I have two kids aged 2 and 3. The two year old has a bowl of porridge and the three year old has Rice Krispies (he's fussy mind you...) and thats it! I honestly don't think I have ever given either of them toast for breakfast. They sometimes get it as a mid morning snack but usually that's fruit.

Your child will soon let you know if they are hungry, be guided by that. My DS1 has a really small appetite and is quite fussy but I've just got used the the fact that he doesn't eat a lot. Not all kids are the same, but FWIW your friends child eats more than I do for breakfast and I'm a quite active adult!

I give my 4 and 5 year old a bowl of cereal. That's it. No toast unless it's the weekend and we are going out for a while after breakfast

Perhaps her LO very hungry in the morning and eats less at other meals? Perhaps they have less milk than your LO? I really wouldn't worry about it. As long as your LO is growing and happy and energetic, they are getting enough.

If you a guide on portion sizes, have a read of Eating Well for 1 to 4 year olds. A practical guide.

Sounds like you’re doing ok.

Your friend is giving her child a HUGE amount of food

Some people have a weird obsession with packing as much food into their child as humanly possible. It’s almost competitive.

There was a thread on here not too long ago where everyone was talking about how lovely it was to see their kids eating a massive roast dinner, 3 helpings of pudding then half an hour later shovelling down 6 weetabix!

Not sure I could eat all of that haha! Ours (4 & 2) have cereal and fruit, or 1 slice toast and fruit. No 2 year old needs 2 slices of toast?! Still amazes me how much some parents try to feed these tiny people. At a school trip I noticed some of dds friends had the most excessive amounts of food in their lunch boxes... 2 rounds of bread sandwiches, crisps, a whole BIG Tupperware full of chopped fruit, plus an orange AND a banana (why?!), chocolate bar, cake, chocolate raisins, 2 babybels, fruit bar things, and 2 bottles of squash drink. Then the parents ask why they haven't eaten all their lunch when they pick them up 😂?! DD takes a one slice sandwich (I don't want her filling up on bread and the school like them to eat this first) a pot of berries, pot of olives, breadsticks, a flapjack or cereal bar, and a bottle of water. She usually eats all but one item, but occasionally eats it all. The school suggests they have 4 items plus a drink and some of these kids have 10 things to try and wade through.it either goes to waste, or the children feel they have to eat a "bit more" and end up overfilling themselves. Some of the children are already extremely overweight at preschool age and it's really sad to see.

Definitely depends on the child. So don't worry.

My boys have completely different appetites, always have. 6YO eats like a horse and inhales any sized meal put in front of him. He rarely eats between meals. 4YO is a slow eater and much prefers to eat little and often throughout the day. He was even like this as a baby on bottles!

I give them both different amounts. With breakfast in particular, I start with one item, if they finish that offer something else and if they finish that offer something else. 4YO usually only has one thing, 6YO will have the lot.

My son can sometimes ask for and eat four bowls of cereal before 9.30. And then hardly eats eat anything the rest of the day. Denying the food early leaves to tantrums, forcing the food later leaves to tantrums, so we go with what he needs. He has just turned 3.

My 3 year old DS has a big appetite and not sure he'd eat all that for breakfast! At 15 months that seems a huge amount of food. He has porridge (oats so simple sachet so adult size) with half a banana mushed in, or 1.5-2 weetabix with banana or raisins, 2 crumpets, or bowl of cereal and slice of toast. At nursery they just have cereal and he seems happy with that.

Is your child growing? Are they meeting their milestones and do they seem content between meals? If the answer to these are yes then you're feeding your child what they need. People are much more likely to overfeed than under feed toddlers.

Yeah I wasn't worried about how much my DC was eating but when friend said how much her child eats, I was wondering if I wasn't offering enough! My DCs breakfast cereal of choice is weetabix! Doesn't really like anything else, though I have tried. But will happily eat1 1/2 weetabix each morning. I'm not worried about them growing etc, was just curious as to what others eat and wether my child just had a smaller appetite.

Think about food over a week not one meal. DD used to have huge breakfasts but she rarely ate dinner.

I used to worry so much OP, I get it. But I read a lot about regulating their own hunger (if no other issues, if child is well and no other problems) and now I offer food and he eats when he is hungry. He eats a lot in the morning. I feed snacks too.
He is now eating a lot at 2, but before he was not eating much at all.

I personally don't give cereals as they don't fill much unless is porridge with milk and banana which he loves.

They are all different, soon your DC will be able to tell you when they are hungry

One my DC eats a huge amount for breakfast, and small amounts of lunch and dinner.

One of my DC eats nothing for breakfast but has a huge lunch and small dinner.

The other DC eats small meals but grazes on salad/fruit/crackers throughout the day.

They're all different. I'd happily eat loads for breakfast but I've got friends who could skip it altogether. Can't see why little kids should be any different.

My dd is 3
She either has two weetabix and some fruit
Or one piece of toast with marmite or peanut butter and occasionally chocolate spread and some fruit
Usually in the week
Sometimes at weekends we have eggs on toast or pancakes

I think it depends on the child.

If your child is hungry again in 20 minutes, or is running out of energy your probably not giving enough. If however they seem fine, and are healthy weight you are fine.

Some children might eat the bulk of their food at breakfast, some at lunch, some at dinner. I don't think cereal, 2 slices of toast and fruit is necessarily too much, this might keep them going till lunch and they might not have much at lunch or dinner. They might just be a child who likes their energy in the morning. You can't really look at one meal and say this child is eating too much or too little.