Advice Please - Lafayette,IN

First and foremost, I would NEVER give a child 4 bowls of mac & cheese! Do you have ANY idea how many carbohydrates are in that? How about filling her up with FRUITS AND VEGETABLES that contain FIBER that will fill her up. On top of that, what about BALANCE in her diet? Where is the protein? How FAST does she eat? SLOW HER DOWN! If she eats fast, you HAVE to slow her down. The brain cannot/does not have adequate amount of time to tell you that you are full. Protein is needed to slow down insulin release. It keeps you fuller longer.

Set a time limit and if you have to spend 10-15 minutes eating one bowl of something, then so be it. It CAN be taught.

In addition, IS she adequately hydrated? MANY TIMES, dehydration can be mistaken as hunger. WATER, MILK and limited juice- 100% juice (NOT juice blends) NOT soda.

These ALL need to be taken into consideration. You didn't mention whether what her weight is like.

Hi, A.! I think it sounds like a little much, but as long as she's not getting chubby, I guess I wouldn't worry about it too much. I wouldn't allow her to eat as much as an adult, because she doesn't have an adult-sized stomach. I would think she would get sick after eating too much. The other thing I would watch for is allowing her to eat so much, then it becoming a habit. The last thing you want is an overweight toddler/child. Kids can be so mean when they are in school! Get her on the right track while she's young!

If you ask me there is no such thing as normal and abnormal where kids are concerned!! My son is an absolute pig!! He eats more than seems humanly possible. He's 18 months and still going strong. I asked my doc the same thing, and he said as long as he's not overweight to let him eat if he's hungry. He's at the 52nd percentile for weight, so I just let him. If your daughter is at a healthy weight then let her eat. If she's overweight I might try to tone the consumption down a little.

When my boy was about 11 mo old he regularly at 3 eggs with cheese, 3 bowls of cereal, and a banana for breakfast and it just started there. I couldn't give him enough food. It has tappered off now that he is 2 although still a good eater. The feeding frenzie lasted a good 6 months. I guess all I am saying is my kid was the same. And he is little.

That seems like a lot to me, but I do understand kids have their growth spurts and sometimes when my kids now ages 4 and 2 have something they really like - like mac and cheese pizza, they really pig out. I would just suggest to offer her healthy items, small frequent meals, if you aren't already so that she doesn't get soooooo hungry that she ends up eating too much because she is so hungry. Also with more protein. I have several good recipes for mac and cheese from a cookbook if you are interested. I try to at least use Barilla Plus or soemthign similar and add my own cheese, and love to through in pureed chickpeas so they get more protein.

4 bowls. HOLY COW.. My son is 21 mo and he likes to eat to BUT he would NEVER eat that much nor would my 4 yr old... Trust me my kids would eat 24/7 if I would let them but NOT HEALTHY to do that... I give them a balanced meal and after lunch I give them snacks ONLY if they eat ALL the food. NO food no SNACK and do not give in to her. lol At night I give them yogurt and it actually has helped them both sleep so good at night. Sry but if you keep up the 4 bowls of Mac and Cheese she is going to be very unhealthy and have problems when she gets older... I know they are in the running /walking stage at this age at least mine were at 9 mo and they will burn off a lot and want to eat more. Give her water to drink and not juice and water will help fill her up some but do healthy stuff like fruits and veggies..... Sry that health clinic is on drugs b/c it is NOT healthy for this to be going on and yes she might be in growth spurt but not to eat this much.... If it continues when you take her for her check up ask ped dr and they might run some test could be something not clicking right in her body....

In my humble opinion, normal doesn't exist.

I have 2 daughters, and when they're going through growth spurts, they will almost literally want to eat the house down! There are times when I can't believe how much they're eating, but then a little time will go by, an it'll subside. Yes, sometimes it's seemingly lasted a couple of months.

Growth spurts affect each kid differently. With my oldest, she'd start eating like there was no tomorrow, she'd get a little bit of a belly-pooch over the courst of the eating, then she'd stop eating, and then she'd get tall and the belly would go away. That's how her body works. We know that now and don't worry about it. With my youngest, she might graze all day for a few days, hardly get a pooch, and then all the sudden she's outgrown all her clothes.

Just keep a watchful eye as to how the growth spurts affect her, and then the next time it comes along, you'll know what to expect.

If she is not gaining a lot of weight and constantly hungry I would investigate a little more and talk to the doctor about it. At their most, and I have raised three children I have never seen this happen for that prolonged a period of time.

Hi Angela,
I have a ten month old boy and I can't believe how much he eats right now!! I never imagined that he would eat so much! I try to give him tons of finger food so that he has to feed himself and so that it takes longer for him to eat and then I know that he is digesting his food all of the way but he will eat 1 1/2 hotdogs with peas, bread, cheese and fruit all in one sitting, it might take him an hour to eat but I taught him "more" in sign language and the whenever he has finished what is in front of him he is signing more!! Anyway I'm taking him for his check up today and I'm hoping to find out if he this is ok but I am in the same boat with you. I have my husband grill two chicken breasts at the beginning of the week, I cut it up into small pieces and I swear he eats both of them by the end of the week!! Good luck!

It sounds to me like your daughter is craving more nutritional foods, so her body is asking for more food period. Mac & Cheese is a source of empty calories, and both the wheat and dairy in it are addictive foods that are not necessary for human beings. She could have food sensitivities that make her crave those foods that are not doing her any good. See how she does when she eats a balanced, nutritional diet without including those ingredients.

A little over a year ago, I went to see an Integrative M.D. who put me on a very wholesome diet. It has changed my life. Now, I eat to live, instead of living to eat. I lost nearly 40 lbs, and my energy level increased dramatically. My food cravings are gone, and I am able to eat until I am satisfied and not overdo it.

The big secret of this diet is to avoid grains (except oats) and dairy (except yogurt with active cultures) entirely, and to eat fresh when possible frozen when fresh is not available. Avoid sugar, and use honey or stevia instead. I eat a little bit of sugar, but not much at all. I'm not fond of stevia, so I stick with honey. Still, now that I'm eating a balanced, healthy, wholesome diet, I don't crave sweets the way I used to. When I first started this plan, I thought it would be impossible to follow. Now I can't imagine eating any other way. I recently tried to "cheat" by eating a sandwich, and the bread felt so alien in my mouth that I wasn't able to enjoy it, so I threw the bread away. Amazing! I still love the smell of it, but I can do without it otherwise. I was the original queen of cheese & crackers, and now I can't stand either of them!

Try your daughter on a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables with berries, nuts, and any lean meat she enjoys, and see if that doesn't satisfy her body and help her to feel full.

It doesn't sound normal!! I wouldn't let my 8yo's eat like that. Also, not to sound harsh, but this isn't the type of eating habits you want your child to be learning. You may just have a child who, as long as you keep giving it to them they're going to keep going. So, you've got to start saying all done and give her the bottle and then put her down away from the table.

With that said.... Definitely go to your doc and if they won't look into it, go to another one. You've got to be an advocate for your child and tell them until they do blood work and other testing your not letting up. You should google...what should 11 month old be eating or something to that nature and you can see what they should be eating. Goodluck

I was concerned for my 3 1/2 year old about the same thing. She could eat and eat and eat. She could eat 8 chicken nuggets and a 1/2 box of mac and cheese and then she'd be hungry an hour later. I asked the doctor how to tell the difference between hunger and gluttony. He really didn't have a good answer. That was over the winter and when we went to the doctor's office this spring, she had grown 2 inches!!!! It was totally a growth spurt. Now she is back to normal eating. I woudln't worry unless your baby put on a ton of weight without any growth. It's usually a temporary thing. Good Luck!

My son still out eats me at just about every meal. He is now 6 and has been doing it for as long as I can remember. He is underweight and burns it all off because he's so busy. On a Saturday afternoon, he will eat a whole box of mac & cheese, two hot dogs, apple sauce, 2% milk and still want a snack between dinner and lunch then eat all his dinner. On a side note, his dad has an extremely high motabolism as does his dad's whole family. The family tries to gain weight and they lose, no joke. I was also always underweight as a child. He does now have occassional days that he doesn't eat nearly as much. We just go with the flow.

I do. My son is 15 months old now and he is the same way. I am usually amazed at how much he can eat but he's not overweight and it doesn't affect him in any other way so I don't mind. The doctor also told me that it is normal for children around his age to eat like they haven't eaten in a week because their metabolism is very high and they are very active making them a whole lot hungrier than us because their high metabolism digests their food a lot quicker than it would ours.

A.,
No, this does not sound like normal eating behavior for an 11 month old. You are very right to be concerned. First, I would take your daughter to a different doctor for a second opinion. Second, I would try to find different ways to feed her to avoid her wanting so many helpings all at once. Finally, I would choose really healthy foods. I know, all kids love mac n cheese, but it's absolutely not healthy at all (except for the calcium from the cheese/milk). Look on the internet, and you should be able to research healthier options for all types of foods little ones love. Good luck!!!

I wouldn't worry too much as long as your daughter isn't overweight. My daughter is 15 months old right now and can eat an unbelievable amount of food. She is a BIG breakfast eater, usually a normal to small amount of lunch and then a BIG supper eater. She normally out-eats me during breakfast and supper. Yesterday was a great example. Breakfast = 3 eggs. Yes, I said 3. For lunch she hardly finished a yogurt and a 4 oz. fruit cup and then for supper she almost ate 2 entire pieces of pizza. Unbelievably she is only at the 50% for weight on the growth chart. She does go through phases where she eats more sometimes than others, but she has never been higher than 75% on the weight growth chart. She has always been on the high end of the chart for her height and is a very physical child. She walked at 10 months, can run, climb and thinks she can do everything her 2 year old brother can. Hope this helps....I came to the conclusion that "normal" has a huge range to it when dealing with kids.

I have a 14 month old and I feel like I can not get her full eaither she wants to eat all the time and eats more than me. I was going to ask he doc at the 15month but it sounds like thye must be growing and it must be "normal"

try some healthy food. mac and cheese is not nutritious. it's "fluff"... easy to eat a whole box and not get full. go for colors--veggies and fruits that are green, blue, orange, red... the deeper the color the more nutrients it has (um, food coloring doesn't count, of course) my kids LOVE blueberries and they are super good for you! and strawberries and kiwi and oranges and lettuce...

anyway, you should check if she is absorbing anything. my brother could eat 6 tacos as a baby, no joke, and it was because it just went straight through and wasn't really feeding his body. so he was always ravenously hungry, but mysteriously not gaining weight. turned out he needed digestive enzymes and a limited diet to actually get any nutrition. is she gaining weight like crazy? or not? because with that appetite she should be, or something is not working right. my parents went to a nutritionist who discovered that he was not able to digest wheat, eggs, dairy... when they changed his diet he gained weight right away and grew out of his allergies after a year or so. he can eat anything now, and is healthy.

No, not really. Check online for an eating guide, doesn't sound like you are balancing out her meals? Do you give her baby food? Consult your pediatrican...