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18m old constantly asking for food

66 replies

Zoink · 27/01/2021 22:39

So I know many chn ask for food all day every day up until older! Our 18m old eats a big breakfast, lunch and dinner (and I mean portion sizes of an 8 year old!! They then have five portions of fruit as snacks etc etc. They constantly ask for food and are always trying to get to the fridge. They also scoff food when they eat like an animal 😂 so I guess they aren't filling up until they've eaten double or triple what they should!

I have no worry - yes they are chubby but that's fine - but I just am wondering if I make food more available so they can have more in the day, what's the best food to be eating a lot of? Are there certain fruits that shouldn't be eaten too much etc? They are starting to now cry (fake cry) for food and even when I am bringing food out to them, they cry with frustration that it isn't in their mouth straight away!

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FortunesFave · 27/01/2021 22:43

Seriously? Chubby generally isn't fine...especially if it's a result of giving a child portion sizes which are too large for their age.

5 portions of fruit as a snack is massive....unless you're talking about a couple of slices of each one.

User0ne · 27/01/2021 22:48

That does sound like a lot.
Have you tried reducing sugary snacks (including fruit). My 2 and 4 year old have limited access to fruit as they'd eat it all day. I offer bread sticks, cold boiled potatoes, rice cakes/oat cakes with cheese, bread and butter etc instead. If they say no they generally aren't that hungry

Horehound · 27/01/2021 23:04

This doesn't sound right and chubby isn't ok. Speak to your health visitor.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Fuppy · 27/01/2021 23:52

My DS is the same age, he eats a fair amount too but he's not chubby and doesn't eat as much as your dc. Fruit contains a lot of natural sugars which aren't as bad as refined sugar....but it's still sugar and shouldn't be overdone. Some fruits contain more sugar than others, e.g. bananas and some less, e.g. Granny Smith apple. Your dc only needs 5 portions of fruit & veg, veg is 'better' than fruit due to generally less sugar, so better to have 2 portions of fruit & 3 portions of veg.
DS example of food eaten in a day:

Breakfast: 1 weetabix

Milk: 7oz
Snack:1 portion of fruit + breadstick
Lunch: plain pasta (8 penne or fusilli pieces, each cut into 3) home made beef mini meatballs, (quantity of mince is the same as your dc's fist) and a small handful of peas.
Snack: 1 portion of fruit + plain rice cake
Supper: roasted chicken (size of dc's fist) potato (size of dc's fist) steamed carrots and green beans (handful of each)
Dessert: yoghurt
Milk: 9oz

This is just an example. DS is allowed to drink as much water as he wants, we don't give fruit juice and chocolate he's allowed a small piece once a week maximum as a treat. Other treats include yoghurt coated cranberries or a few raisins.

DS is allowed to try anything we're eating unless it's inappropriate for his age (caffeine, salty, sugary etc)

If your dc is struggling outside of this then maybe carrot sticks/celery if your DC can manage those? Also try switching to wholemeal everything where possible as it helps fill you up for longer, but as pp have said already, I'd contact your Health Visitor or GP.

Toohardtofindaproperusername · 27/01/2021 23:55

Speak to health visitor fo rule out -in ... health condition.

Zoink · 28/01/2021 00:21

When I say chubby, I mean cheeks mainly. They have always followed the curve in weight gain!

Yes I'll try to get them to snack on other things. I always have cooked broccoli and carrots in the fridge so perhaps I could offer those. Yes they have daily - banana, pear, pack of raisins, portion of grapes and then one of the same again. Portion sizes I never worried about as health visitors and midwives all said they will stop when they're hungry. But they don't - they ask for more and more etc.

Also why are some people so rude on here. They just have really unhappy lives Grin

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Zoink · 28/01/2021 00:25

@Fuppy thank you, very helpful!

We do eat wholemeal everything and they aren't allowed chocolate or juice. I will definitely switch up the fruit, like you say, and I'll give more veg! When it comes to pasta, they'll eat 80g no problem. I think an adult amount is 100g. They are a machine! Health visitor is coming on Friday as we have moved county, so I'll be sure to ask them all about it. They sleep well, speak well, walk well, smile most of the day and have always followed the curve. So like I say, not worried but was just after some ideas of what to snack them on!

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Chalkcheese · 28/01/2021 00:26

Could you offer something more filing as a snack?

Chalkcheese · 28/01/2021 00:27

Also are the portion sizes big enough at meal times? Some kids need bigger portions than others.

Zoink · 28/01/2021 00:31

@Chalkcheese yes that may be a good idea. Or perhaps milk in the day. At the moment they have milk before bed.

As an example of what they're eating:

Breakfast - 2 x weetabix and a banana.

Snack - pear

Lunch - sandwich, 2 x broccoli, 1/2 large carrot, cheese triangle, 1 x egg.

Snack - grapes

Dinner - 50g pasta, homemade sauce of chopped tomatoes and lots of veg.

Or

2 fish fingers, 2 x broccoli, 1/2 large carrot, 4 x new potatoes

Afters - natural yogurt with berries.

Before bed - milk

This is basically what they have but are asking and crying for food in between! Also we have to eat our dinner quickly before they finish theirs otherwise they'll ask for ours.

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SquirtleSquad · 28/01/2021 00:37

What does he drink during the day?

Mylittlesandwich · 28/01/2021 00:40

DS is only 14 months so not quite the same. He just loves food, he would happily eat all day if we let him. I assume that like adults they can overeat because food tastes good!

DS has weetabix for breakfast, he's served 1.5 but by the time you discount what he's wearing I reckon he eats 1 and he has 1/2 a banana. I have the other half.

Snacks might be a sandwich thin with peanut butter, breadsticks with hummus or rice cakes. He also has a fruit snack, he's liking oranges just now and I got some lovely tiny ones from Lidl so he has one to himself.

Lunch is usually a sandwich with whatever veg we have in. No sweet foods after his lunch.

Dinner is whatever we're having, example spaghetti bolognese his will just be a smaller portion of meat and carbs but with plenty of veg so he won't go hungry.

He still has milk before bed too.

We do have to watch his portions thought because I really think he'd keep going long after he'd had what he needed, he just loves food.

SquirtleSquad · 28/01/2021 00:40

Sorry just realised I said "he" obviously could be a "she" just force of habit having 3 boys at home who eat me out of house and home (my 18month old eats pretty much the same as my 4year olds!)

SleepingStandingUp · 28/01/2021 00:40

Are they getting enough liquid? Thirst can feel like hunger

Zoink · 28/01/2021 00:48

@SquirtleSquad she drinks water and quite a lot of it. She actually prefers it to milk

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Chalkcheese · 28/01/2021 00:48

That does seem like a healthy low fat diet for an adult or older child, bud little ones needs more fat in their diet. Not much more but a bit more! That's why they have whole milk not skimmed or semi skimmed. Fat helps you to feel full and satisfied.

For breakfast you could do the weetabix and banana, but also a full fat fromage frais, a slice of cheese, a slice of toast with butter or peanut butter.

Snack you could add some full fat Greek yogurt to the pear, or switch it out for some crudités and hummus

Lunch instead of the cheese triangle have a slice of cheese. Have scrambled egg with one whole egg and an extra yolk, or one egg but a little bit of butter. Use full fat butter not margarine on the bread.

Snack grapes are white sugary even though they are good for us, they also spike blood sugar (most fruits do) so try to have more veg than fruit. Another way to balance it out is to have some fat or protein with it. So have some grapes and some chicken cubes or avocado, or skip the grapes and have some crudités.

Dinner Instead of tomato and veg sauce, you could add some cream, or some cheese. You could have something with mince like Bolognese for protein.

The fish finger dinner I would do 2.5 or 3 fish fingers but less potatoes. A little bit of butter on the vegetables. Maybe a mayo of yoghurt based dipping sauce. Broccoli and carrots are great, but peas have a higher protein content so can be more filling.

Afters is the natural yogurt low fat? Natural yoghurt is not as filling, dense or protein rich as green yoghurt. Always chose full fat, full fat Greek yoghurt being the best for fat and protein content. You could also add some crushed nuts.

It's not always about increasing calories to keep them full, but looking at what the calories are used on. Obviously fruit and veg are marvellous, but they should not dominate a child's diet at the expense of fat and protein and wholegrains. There needs to be balance.

Zoink · 28/01/2021 00:50

@Mylittlesandwich thanks! Yes I often think this. I find it impossible to regulate my hunger/food intake. I eat massive portions and eat when I'm not hungry. I'm naturally quite slim so never stop myself. Perhaps they've just copied me 😂

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Zoink · 28/01/2021 00:53

@Chalkcheese really interesting- thank you! In the morning I am going to re-read your advice and write it down so I remember what to add and replace. It makes a lot of sense!

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Zoink · 28/01/2021 00:54

@SquirtleSquad three boys! Amazing! Yes she's a she, ha!

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SillyOldMummy · 28/01/2021 01:36

Hi, no particular advice but how about you try natural popcorn (the kind you pop yourself) - if you get a few takeaway meals you can kit yourself out with a little stack of plastic tubs and each tub can have a few handfuls in, ready for when she begs for a snack.

Also, try rice cakes - if you wait for special offers the ones from Organix are lovely and worth investing in the many flavours (especially the cherry ones, or the apple and cinammon ones, my DD age 10 still adores them!). There is basically nothing in them at all, but they are tasty and munchy and satisfy a sweet craving.

When snacking try and give your DD some active element in the eating - eg one slightly larger chunk of pear with a plastic knife to try and chop it up; or a tall pot so she has to wriggle her fingers down to fish each grape out with a spoon - this way she isnt just shoving food in her mouth, she will eat a bit slower maybe and be entertained by smaller portion sizes. Maybe!

Lastly I would try offering snacks which have higher carb value.
Eg squares of toast and marmite,
toast and peanut butter,
breadsticks and low-fat hummus to dip,
Low-sugar cereal (maybe muesli would be fun?)

My DD didnt eat huge portions but she had 4 or 5 "meals" a day (afternoon tea at nursery and a full meal when she got home), and substantial breakfast (had something at home, then cereal at nursery). And then snacks between meals. And milk at bedtime. She was basically nibbling all day. She was a chunky toddler, but very active, and slimmed down enormously when she was aged around 3. She is now extremely slender and eats very sensibly (though still prefers numerous small meals and snacks to 3 hefty ones per day).

Porridgeoat · 28/01/2021 01:42

Just give veg for snacks

Porridgeoat · 28/01/2021 01:44

More Protein and water

kaleishorrid · 28/01/2021 01:51

Honestly I wouldn't worry too much. Your child sounds happy. Snacks could be more veggie based if it suits but if a child is hungry they are hungry. Most of the toddlers in our families were chubby and all slimmed down as they got taller and busier. The getting frustrated with you when you are dishing up is just a toddler living in the moment - I'm hungry now I want to eat now. You are the parent so it is up to you but I would not give such a young child anything low fat or low sugar - in my opinion it gives them a false sense of food values and doesn't fill them up. If you are just worried that your child is hungry try giving her "dense food" - wholemeal bread, unpeeled fruit, baked potatoes or potatoes boiled in their skins.

Good luck and enjoy your child x

FortunesFave · 28/01/2021 06:10

@Zoink

When I say chubby, I mean cheeks mainly. They have always followed the curve in weight gain!

Yes I'll try to get them to snack on other things. I always have cooked broccoli and carrots in the fridge so perhaps I could offer those. Yes they have daily - banana, pear, pack of raisins, portion of grapes and then one of the same again. Portion sizes I never worried about as health visitors and midwives all said they will stop when they're hungry. But they don't - they ask for more and more etc.

Also why are some people so rude on here. They just have really unhappy lives Grin

Absolutely nobody has been rude OP. You're the rude one...or at least you sound it saying things about other people having unhappy lives. That's a personal remark and it's designed to be hurtful. Tell me who said anything remotely equal to that in rudeness?
Cormoran · 28/01/2021 07:00

I think the meal plan is healthy, I just have a question.
I am not from UK, so I am always surprised by this habit most mums have to give a sandwich for lunch.
Where I am from, you would only eat a sandwich if you are on a train journey with no access to food, otherwise lunch even for toddlers and babies, would be a piece of fish/chicken/meat with maybe a potato, some rice, sauté green beans, ... A piece of salmon in the oven, or part of a chicken breast with chopped tomatoes and olives.

Maybe try a cooked meal for lunch and what about an egg with soldiers for breakfast or a crepe .

Also, not all cheese are equal. An industrial processed cheese (easy to spot, they are square or wrapped in plastic) won't have the same filling properties as a traditional cheese, cubes of parmiggiano, or some ricotta in a pasta.

Fish fingers are crumbs and small leftovers from when the fish filets are cut and there covered in breadcrumbs and fried. So basically half is flour. Fish is not hard to cook. Either in the oven, or even a simple filet in a pan with butter.

You could make meatballs, first browned in a pan, and than you add passata and frozen peas and cook for 30 min for the rich Italian meatballs. They are nice with some rice.

Omelette is always good, with spinach, cheese, some ham,

These are suggestions for you to test if his lunch could be to blame.

I am not sure about some of the other suggestions (rice cakes ,....). Ultra processed snack void of nutrition would be a shame as he has such a great diet.

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