5 year old's diet

[HolidaySleep]

How much do your 5 yr olds eat? Mine is constantly hungry, and it's exhausting having to keep thinking of, preparing and clearing up food!

Here's what he's had today...

7:30ish Homemade American style pancakes (thick & filing - same size portion as me!)

We went swimming so kind of missed mid morning snack.

12:30 penne pasta & Bolognese in restaurant (big portion)
Crisps (because still starving and it's all I had in swimming bag)
Fromage frais
Cake bar

3pm weetabix

5:15pm 2 sausages, jacket potato, beans & cheese

6:30 cereal (apparently he was starving)

7pm banana (still starving!)

Is this typical? He is a very very energetic child. Doesn't stop ever.

It's endless!

I think my 5 year old eats quite a lot too. A typical day would be-
Breakfast- a weetabix with a banana and raisins, some melon and a crumpet/croissant/pancake
Snack and lunch- school
After school- cheese and crackers, fruit, malt loaf- something like that
Tea- bowl of pasta, fish fingers waffles and veg, hummus wraps
I don't think he eats much at school as he's always starving when I pick him up. He's very good at stopping when he's full so if he asks for more food I give him more. He also makes pretty good choices, unlike my dd (4) who would eat cap all day given the chance.

Crap all day that should read!

That does seem quite a lot, does he drink well?

Mine today had
Breakfast - small bowl apricot wheats, half a nectarine

Lunch- sandwich one slice of bread ham and cheese, mini cucumbers, carrots and yogurt

Snack- rocket lolly
Dinner - cereal bowl of chicken and pea risotto and a banana

Will have a cup of milk before bed

Height 101cm
Weight 14.4kg

I have a five and a half year old bottomless pit...

Today was -

Eggy bread x 2 slices, banana and milk

Something for morning tea at holiday club

Shepherds pie for lunch, with seconds

Beef chilli burrito then yoghurt for afternoon tea

Pasta with tomato sauce and meatless meatballs for dinner.

And she was mithering for a slice of toast at bedtime.

No idea where it goes!

That's interesting for comparison Battle. On a school day my DS actually has quite a small breakfast, then he eats at school pretty well, and like yours needs snack straight after school before his evening meal. Then supper!

I think he's start slowly but then it seems constant from lunch onwards. Might try to convince him on a more substantial breakfast.

He's currently eating an apple because far too hungry to go up to bed. Probably a stalling tactic!

Mine will be 5 in September. Today she had
Brekkie
Hot chocolate
2 x boiled eggs with soldiers (she just eats the yolk)
Snack
Fairy cake
Lunch
2 x chicken drumsticks
Some baguette and butter
Raspberries and redcurrants
Small petit filou
Snack
Handful of multigrain crisps
Dinner
1 x chipolata sausage
Rice
Carrots
Apple juice

Mine is 5 at the end of the month.

Today she had

Breakfast
A soya yoghurt (she usually has more but had a lie in and said she wasn't hungry)

Snack
A breadstick

Lunch
Spaghetti, cheese and some carrot sticks on the side.

Snack
Biscuits at a friends house. Some apple.

Tea
Chicken nuggets and some cucumber. (Mixed vegetables were left).

The way I see it if he's happy with an apple then he can have one! My ds's appetite is also quite variable, not really related to his activity more his growth I think, so he'll be a bottomless pit for a couple of days then goes back to normal. There are days he'll eat as much as me but others he'll just pick at things. I tend not to worry about it because, as I say he's happy with fruit/veg/reasonably healthy choices. Is your ds a healthy weight? Ds has been very disappointed with school food!

Today he ate a lot of carbohydrate (pancakes, pasta, weetabix, cereal, cake bar, jacket potato, crisps). Because they are low in fibre and digested quickly, eating a lot of carbs can cause major swings in blood sugar levels. This can contribute to overeating. This is because foods high on the glycemic index promote short-term fullness, lasting about one hour. On the other hand, foods that are low on the glycemic index promote a sustained feeling of fullness, which lasts about two to three hours. Blood sugar levels drop about an hour or two after eating a meal high in refined carbs. This promotes hunger and stimulates parts of the brain associated with reward and craving. These signals make you crave more food. Protein-rich foods will help him feel fuller.

Gosh, this makes me think my son doesn't eat enough. I don't give him food everytime he states he's hungry though. He's on the slim side though.

Breakfast- one and a half pieces of toast with butter and marmalade.
Snack- one giant oatcake and a packet of mini cheddars
Lunch- 2 egg omelet with chorizo and bacon. Apple
Tea- half a chicken thigh with cauliflower, cous cous, chorizo and tomatoes.
White chocolate magnum.

Watching with awe as my five year old eats like a bird.

Have you checked for worms? My niece was constantly hungry... and they were the answer

My five year old never stopped eating. He had a super size cereal bowl, he would eat cereal followed by a boiled egg and toast.

The best advice I was given, was to give him more full fat dairy. Full fat, milk, cheese, yogurt, butter and to put double cream into his food. It sounds mad but it’s very high calorie and has protein and fat soluble vitamins in. This helped fill him. He’s still skinny and eats like a horse.

I thought my 5 year old ate a lot, but it’s not as much as yours!
Today she had porridge with honey (adult portion) and a bowl of fruit for breakfast (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries).
She was at a sports camp today with food provided but tells me she had a banana for snack, a cheese sandwich, a yoghurt and jelly for lunch.
Came home and had a fairy cake, followed by garlic dough balls and pasta in a veg sauce for dinner. She’s absolutely tiny and I have no idea where she puts it!

Hmm I don't think he has worms. No other symptoms at all.

He's a good height weight. I'm not 100% sure but think around 19kg and about 120cm. I think he's around the 75th centile. In 5-6 or 6-7 clothes (he'll be 6 in 3 months)

It's a good point about the carbs. He's not great with meat. Fine with mince, sausages and a bit of roast meat. Salmon is ok in a fish pie but not on its own.

Today we were busy and I've been on my own with him and 3yr old for a few days so definitely leaning towards convenience. Will have a think of more protein rich options. He doesn't like eggs

We are lucky that our school has a fantastic canteen but on reflection a lot of the menu is white carb based & then a pudding!

It's so interesting to read what similar aged kids eat! Thank you all for sharing.

Typical day for ds with me
Breakfast bowl of cereal or toast with hot choc.
Snack 1-2 pieces of fruit or 3 crackers with cream cheese/ marmite. Sometimes asks for milk. Occasionally milkshake.
Lunch sandwich or pasta with veg sticks, biscuit or crisps & yogurt.
Snack toast/crackers/yogurt/fruit/crisps/ richtea biscuit x2.
Dinner generally rice or pasta dish, toad in the hole, wraps, etc.
Sometimes will ask for a hot choc before bed.
He drinks water throughout the day. Only allowed x1 packet of crisps/popcorn. Up to x3 biscuits, chocolate or lollipop per day. (This obv isn't every day and he never gets all the above)

Day with his dad
Breakfast bowl of cereal, biscuit & piece of fruit.
Snack jam on toast or fruit & yogurt
Lunch sandwich or oven pizza.
Snack crisps, choc & fruit.
Dinner usually a meal with baked beans chips or mash. Or mcds or chicken shop (madness)

Actually just weighed him and he's 20.9kg so he has had a bit of a grow! No fat on him at all though.

He sounds perfect!

My 3 year old is a bit like this. After being born under the 2nd centile he ate and ate and ate and is now on the 98th for weight and the 91st for height, roughly. He can put away an awful lot of food but as most of it is homemade, he eats a good variety of fruit and veg and has a balanced diet that includes a few treats occasionally, I don't worry too much about it. He's full of energy, sometimes too much , so am guessing he needs all the calories. He reached this weight centile at around 18 months and has been there since so he's tracking a line as it were. My DS2 who is only 10 months looks slimmer and slighter despite being born heavier, he can put away a decent amount of food and milk, though seemingly not quite as much as his brother at this age from memory. I reckon fed a decent diet kids will find their ideal weight and as long as height is in proportion or thereabouts, it shouldn't be too much of a concern.