DD1 is always hungry ie hse says "im hungry mummy" about 10 times a day - outside of the 3 meals and 2 snack times! she finishes breakfast and 10 minutes later says she wants lunch!!?? usually i try to just distract her out of it or offer water but she is persistent. Oh if i do give her more she still wants more again in another 20 mins???

am i underfeeding her? at first i though maybe a growth spurt but its continued?


here is what she eats on a typical day:

breakfast: 1 or 2 pieces of toast with cheese & 200mls Lite milk

morning tea: 1 cup (or 1.5cups) lite yogurt with real fruit in it ie 1 banana or handful of strawberries + water

lunch: corn fritters 4 x 6cm ones + water

afternoon tea: fruit ie a small apple and handful of berries [or 3 cruskits with lite cream cheese] + water

dinner: 1.5 cups of spag bol + 200mls lite milk


is this a suitable amount for a 2yr 8mth old who is normal height to have for a day or am i underfeeding her?? she is 60th percentile for height and 90th percentile for weight. i certainly dont want to deprive her but i also dont want to overfeed her. ???

thanks

It's so hard to say, I often wonder the same thing myself with my 2.5 year old.

What makes me think you are NOT overfeeding her is that her weight is on the 90th percentile, and higher up the charts than her height.

Just for comparison, this is what my DS will eat in a day:

Breakfast - 3 weetbix
Morning Tea - An apple or mandarin or 2 arrowroot biscuits
Lunch - A sandwich with vegemite or meat and salad.
Afternoon tea - A banana plus a couple of plain rice crackers. Sometimes an hour later he'll have a couple of small pieces of cheese.
Dinner - About a cup of whatever we're having followed by yoghurt if he's still hungry.

With my DD I think it's boredom, unless she's occupied pretty much all the time she's always asking for food at 4yrs, and has been doing since around 2.5 yrs.

My DD would also eat all day if I let her. Usually she will have just finished something and then say "eat" for more. I have given her extra on occasion and find she won't usually eat it so am confident she is just bored or asking because she can.

The only thing I could suggest with your DD is to give something a bit more filling like pasta or sandwich at lunch or try to include low GI foods/fruits so they take longer to digest.

An example of DD's day is:

breakfast - small bowl cereal Ie one weetbix or some porridge plus 1 piece toast and small cup milk (not always drunk)

Morning tea - piece of fruit and water

Lunch - sandwich or hot food ie leftovers plus some cheese/sultanas

Afternoon tea - yoghurt and fruit

Late arvo snack - rice cake or some crackers or fruit bread

Dinner - whatever we are having ie meat and veg, spag bol etc plus water

Milk before bed - small sipper cup.

Hey there!!

Goodness, I am wondering whether I am underfeeding my 4yo DD. She too, always says she's hungry, but she's in the 90 percentile for her weight, so I dont want to keep giving her food when she says she's hungry.

Her typical day would be:

Breaky - 1 piece of toast with milk

morning tea - no morning tea when she's at home, but she gets morning tea when she goes to kinda two days per week

lunch - 1 sandwich with glass of water
small bowl of yogurt or fruit for desert

afternoon tea - 1 glass of milk with fruit or rice crackers

dinner - a small plater of whatever we have plus fruit, yogurt or custard for desert.

before bed - another glass of milk.

I always worry about her weight as she starts school next year and I dont want other kids to tease her. She certainly doesn't look overweight, but she's a chubby little thing. That's why I limit her to what she can eat - but she's always hungry.

I dunno!!!

Both my DDs are the same (almost 4 and 2.5yrs), I definately know with my eldest it's boredom/routine because when shes at daycare 1 day a week she will sometimes leave food in her lunch box and if she's busy playing she will barely touch lunch (but will always go for the yummy biscuits or cake). She is also in the 90th percentile so I am a bit stricter with her. With my youngest she is very petite and constantly asks for food but I will often find it left in pieces around the house - she's a grazer but if I distract her from eating she will happily forget about it. I think as a parent you always worry about over feeding or underfeeding. I've just come to the conclusion that you can offer the healthiest food in amounts you feel appropriate. Maybe add a bit more protein to her diet and try to use wholegrain cereals and bread etc to fill her up a bit more.

I can really sympathise with you. My DD aged almost 3 is always asking for food (" I really hungry mummy!").

I do think it's a boredom thing because when she's occupied she doesn't ask.

But she is 17kgs so I don't want to over feed her. We've also recently switched to lite milk rather than full fat.

Her diet seems pretty similar to my DD's but I'd agree with the PP's about trying more low GI foods which will fill her up. This has definately worked with my DD. When I give her porridge for breakfast or weetbix then she doesn't ask for food but if I give her toast she is hungry only an hour or so after breakfast. Maybe also try some protein with her lunch such as egg, chicken, baked beans etc.

It's hard isn't it?