Demand led feeding -for older kids?

[mixedraceparents]

Does anyone do this?

I know traditional family meals are the mainstay of family life, but... we throw half the food we buy in the bin every week.

i'm starting today just feeding the older kids when they tell me they are hungry and want food, instead of wasting this massive amount of food.

Has anyone else tried this and do they have any tips?

We kind of do a mixture of both in our house. I only have 1 dc, though, but if you have a larger family you could find yourself chained to the cooker! I don't insist my dc
eats at rigidly set times or even that she eats 3 meals per day. I do insist that she eats enough fruit & veg, though & I buy good cuts of meat & plenty of fish. So long as they eat healthily & are a healty weight, I think it's up to you how/when you feed your dc's.

Thanks for replying :0)

I have 4 two who are not old enough for this so they are fed regularly.

The older two invariably do not eat their dinner or pick at it, and then ask for food an hour later. I have tried everything to get them to eat at normal times without success.

They are both average weight and very active and eat lots of healthy food so there are no worries there.

And yes I do feel chained to the cooker!!!!

Does your dc ask for food in general, or do you just get a feeling for when she is hungry?

I can take a good guess at when she's likely to be hungry by judging how much she's already eaten that day. She does ask for food & if it's not convenient to cook a meal I tell her to have fruit/salad. I allow a treat everyday (usually chocolate) but that's on condition that she continues to eat healthily on a daily basis.

HTH!

You could still do 'proper' mealtimes but just make them an hour or so later so that you know they'll be hungry for it?

I know what you mean though. I only have a 2yo and I get disheartened about the amount of food that goes in the bin.

This hasn't been necessary in our house.

But I think if either DC suddenly started picking at food and then saying they were hungry an hour later, I would just reheat the same food.

Why do you have to throw away uneaten food?

We usually put bowls on the table and then let them serve themselves so if they take a small portion, the rest can go in the fridge for a later meal.

We let ours eat as and when, but not stuff I have to cook. They regulate their food really well, and actually tend to do most of their eating at mealtimes. I still insist on three opportunities to eat together a day, and mostly they join us and it's lovely because it's not forced. If they want to eat between meals that's fine - they can have things that are easy for me to do, or things they can do themselves. I try to avoid waste at mealtimes by making food we can keep to reheat another day and by giving them tiny portions and then seconds.

Oh and just read you said you have two that are not old enough - we have never stopped being baby/child led and it's worked out fine. They all eat a very balanced diet over all but, like I said, we have regular opportunities to eat a meal together - the rest of the time they're free to eat what they want and when they want so long as I don't have to cook it!

Usually they snack on cereal or fruit or bread/toast.

Too lazy to do haul myself out of the chair whenever they want to be fed and too stingy to splash out on extra food outside of planned meals/snacks. But don't throw away uneaten food either, just try to make sure people don't end up with more on their plates than they can eat; anything that's just been in the communal dish can go back in the fridge.

i agree with mrs wobble about giving them smaller portions of food, children never need as much food as you think. i used to give DD 2 a plate of food, only for her to eat three mouthfulls then say she was full, now i cook the same amount but only give her a couple of tablespoons at a time. more often than not she polishes it off and asks for more. any food thats left can then be frozen or kept for another meal.

Ok thanks for all the advice and I will try later mealtimes and smaller amounts of food.

I think basically because they are all different ages they have got into the habit of "grazing" or wanting food when they see someone else eating.

It has actually worked well we've only had one meal that one asked for remain uneaten.

I don't know what it is but they turn their noses up at anything that has already been given to them. I do generally put my foot down and tell them it's that or nothing - first reaction is "Daddyyyyyyyyyyyy"!!

Their dad will generally make something for them or give them some of his food (he cooks African food, I cook British/whatever I feel like from anywhere).

Grapes and Mrsw you are right I took a note of what they actually ate in a day and it was about half of what I think they eat .

That's a great idea about giving them much less I am trying it tonight!