2 year old won’t stop eating

[laurabaker]

Hi mums,

I’d love some advice on my second daughter who recently turned 2. She has always enjoyed her food, but the issue is that she just doesn’t seem to have any end to her appetite. If I let her she would just eat and eat! She gets very upset when a meal or snack ends.

This is normally what most parents dream of but I am worried about the risk of obesity later on in life, or that if she never feels full she will never feel satisfied. She isn’t overweight currently.

i had to bottle feed her from a couple of months old as she couldn’t latch well, and when she weaned I gave her lots of food as she just kept eating. I worry these factors have caused this problem.

My eldest was breastfed for longer and I also didn’t overdo the weaning with her and took it more slowly. She is slim with more normal appetite control.

Has anyone else had this and any tips? Did they grow out of it?

Thank you

I don't think formula is causing her to now have a big appetite. I formula fed by choice and my son is very slim and stops eating when he is full (even if its a biscuit or cake!) I'm the total opposite. Always been a bit obsessed with food and a bottomless appetite - I was also formula fed. So same starting point with 2 very different outcomes.

I wouldn't worry too much - if she's active and eating lots of the right things. Some kids just have a bigger appetite. I definitely wouldn't draw her attention to it or compare to her sister.

Thank you for this reassurance! It was also that I really gave her a lot of food when she was weaning and so I worry I expanded her stomach or stopped her from listening to normal full cues.

Make sure that she’s having fruit and veg as snacks between meals and healthy protein rich meals and beyond that I wouldn’t worry. She’s growing. As long as it’s not chocolate and crisps and haribo.

They are constantly growing at that age. I wouldn't worry unless you start to see significant weight gain. But if she's had a meal and is still hungry, I would give her some fruit or veg or an ice lolly.

Mine was like a machine, she is at the top end of the healthy BMI but still little but she is also very tall. They grow a lot in these years they need a lot of food. Best thing imo is to not worry about how much she’s eating and focus on making sure whatever she’s eating is nutritious and building a healthy body. Also don’t get into fights about food. Just choose filling options, protein, low sugar fruit, veg etc.