Does your child's appetite go up and down?

[Park24]

Feeling slightly anxious about this as we have recently got over a horrible virus where DD5 lost her appetite for two weeks.

Usually without fail she eats a big breakfast, somewhere between two weetabix with milk and apple juice and that plus toast with cheese.

Today she only wanted one weetabix with milk, juice and half a slice of toast. So she still ate but about half of what she would normally want.

Should I be bracing myself for her coming down with another illness?

Sounds fine and normal

Oh absolutely. Far more so than adults as there are growth spurts to contend with. Appetite can go after an illness as the body doesn't want to ingest food that it will vomit up again, it can be lower during a period of stable growth and then suddenly they're eating like a horse while they have a growth spurt or developmental leap. Fussiness comes and goes too.

It's so pointless stressing about it.

Yes, everyone's appetite varies. Children are just better at listening to that than adults are generally.

Yes, depending on health, activity and growth spurts.
I'd say today's portion was better for a child anyway maybe add half a sliced banana to the one Weetabix too.

Yes, varies massively.
However (just like my oldest) your daughter has a very large appetite. If she is doing less because she is not feeling great, she can eat less, but still eat a really good amount - a wetabix and toast is a great sized breakfast for many 5 year olds.
Let her listen to her body. It's a great skill to have - I wish I had the self control to turn down chocolate cake like DS1 does!

Yes it goes up and down depending on growth spurts, what else they’ve eaten that day (or night before if it’s breakfast) and activity levels. Her ‘normal’ breakfast is huge for a 5YO so I would probably think growth spurt or not having had enough at dinner the previous day. Today’s breakfast sounds normal so I wouldn’t think anything.

I have a child the same age, for her breakfast she would either have 1 weetabix, with fruit and multigrain shapes.
1 sachet/measured out portion of porridge with some fruit or x2 slices of toast and a smoothie.

Probably the same amount as me on a normal day and your child on a poor day.

The breakfast your child has on a good day is a lot which would have indicated to me that she is going through a growth spurt.

It doesn't sound as though you have anything to worry about x

Yep my 4yos appetite is up and down or down and less down might be more appropriate!

She has allergies and reflux and if these are bothering her she goes to barely anything. On a typical day she now eats at every meal. Your half portions are a good day for my daughter! It definitely takes a while for her to rebuild her appetite. Although 4 she's the size of a 2 yo so I don't know how much of an impact that has on the amount of food she needs.

My eldest's appetite massively goes up and down depending on activity level, growth spurts, sickness etc.

Standard day is bowl of cereal for breakfast at home then breakfast 2 at breakfast club (usually only 1 slice of toast). Growth spur time that can double along with this evening meal.

It's defo normal. For what it's worth, my 9 year old is consistently an under eater with a very small appetite and would probably eat just half a slice of plain toast and call it a day. My 6 year old sounds much more like your child, she is a big eater, but her appetite definitely does go up and down too depending on how she is feeling. It doesn't necessarily mean sickness but it could be