Eating Too Much? - Morrisville,NC

My son is like that too. His docs all say that it's very common for toddlers and young kids to eat bigger meals at breakfast and lunch times, but then just pick at their dinner. I wouldn't worry about it. If she's hungry, she'll eat.

I agree with the other mom's - if it is healthy foods, let her eat. My daughter is 4 1/2 and her eating habits change daily. Some days she eats like we starve her and others she just nibbles. On days when she seems to be eating more than normal, if I get too concerned she has eaten too much, I usually offer her a drink of water and ask her to let her tummy settle for 10 minutes and then see if she is still hungry. I know sometimes she just eats fast and she hasn't had time to realize she is full yet. Thus asking her to wait the 10 minutes to give her belly time to realize it's full. If she is still hungry after 10 minutes, we offer her more of the heathly items.

she may be going through a growth spurt its important to feed her if shes still hungry And she ate all of her first plate

If she's still hungry, give her more. Unless your ped is concerned that she's gaining too much weight, she's not going to overeat. She may be going through a growth spurt. My kids are 7 and 4 and are completely unpredictable day to day as to whether they'll eat a ton or just pick at their meal.

To this day, I sometimes eat when thirsty, so I agree with Skye on that. Sometimes, my son who's 3 likes to have milk instead of snacking. I'm not sure if children at this age are capable of eating out of reasons than just being hungry/thirsty, but I give my little one food when he says he's hungry. Sometimes, he eats like a bird, and then when he's about to hit a growth spurt he eats everything! Nothing wrong with eating, especially if it's whole foods, try not to worry so much-you don't want your daughter to develop an unhealthy relationship with food. If overeating is worrying you, try more activity for her instead of refusing to give her more food maybe. Seriously, girls have their whole lives to torture themselves with body-image issues, they get enough pressure from the outside world, try not to project that onto her so early in life by stressing about if she's overeating. I stay very active, so I eat what I want, but if I had to choose between being overweight or being neurotic, I'd happily take the extra pants size!

My Grandma had a saying: "Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and a pauper for supper." It was some sort of dietary advice for "good living" or "being healthy" or something. Maybe your daughter is just naturally doing this. She may also just be protesting against the type of food (after all, if she gets sugary cereal for breakfast, and her favorite PB&J for lunch, she may very well want more, only to protest against vegetables at supper). If this is the case, you'll want to make sure she eats properly and gets her vegetables (perhaps serve more at lunchtime?). What you might do in any case is just to give her a small amount (a spoonful or at the most two) of the food she's supposed to eat at supper, and require her to eat that. If she wants more, she can have more; but she must eat at least that. And for the other meals -- as long as they're nutritious, I wouldn't worry about her eating extra if she wants to. If the breakfast is something like scrambled eggs or whole-grain waffles with a dab of syrup or jelly, that's not bad to eat more of. But if it's something really sweet and/or rather non-nutritious (white flour doesn't have much actual nutrition in it), then you should not give her more, but offer her an apple or a carrot or something else nutritious if she's still hungry.

My suggestion would be to not limit her. Just choose healthy meals for her and if she wants snacks AFTER her meal is finished, give her unlimited fruit and vegetables :) I actually use organic lollypops made from fruit juices at www.naturalcandystore.com for an added incentive to finish their main meals. My kids love them and it works very well and I know their not getting a bunch of chemicals in their bodies from regular candy. Then if they want snacks after the lollypop and it's not too close to their next meal, I have plenty of apples and bananas for them.

In most situations, children are much better than adults at eating when they are hungry and stopping when they are full. My first inclination would be to offer her all the healthy foods she wants whenever she wants and make sure she has plenty of water to drink at all times.(Now, getting up from breakfast and asking for fruitsnacks or candy is another story!!)

Personally, I think we tend to overfeed our kids and not realize how many calories they actually ingest, then wonder why they are not hungry. Even our 'old standbys' like goldfish crackers can add up for little stomachs and keep them from eating more healthy option.

I seriously doubt this is your case, but there is a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi where kids (then adults) have no control over their desire to eat. When I worked in Mental Health, I worked with a few PW kids. They are almost always mentally delayed as well. When we hear those stories on the news about 200lb 5 year olds, this is usually why.

Best of luck to you!!

Sometimes wanting more food and sometimes not wanting any or very little is normal. Her little body is growing and if she eats everything and is still hungry, then by all means, give her something more! Just make sure it's healthy food - fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, yogurt, etc. If she turns her nose at the fruits/veggies etc but wants a cookie, then she isn't really hungry. Sometimes when my son was that age, he'd ask for more food but what he really needed was a drink. For some reason he confused the thirsty feeling with hunger - so try offering her water or juice when she says she's hungry after she's finished a meal. If she's regularly eating dinner and asking for more (and eating it too) she might need bigger portions to fill her up. This happens frequently before a big growth spurt! :)

I would give her more food as long as it is healthy. As you said, some meals she wants to eat down the house, while at other meals she'll barely have a bite. This is completely natural for kids this age - they are going through different physical and intellectual growth spurts. Just give her a small portion of something when she says she is still hungry - gradually add to it until she says she's satisfied. If allowed to listen to their bodies, kids have a fantastic self regulating system when it comes to food. I would only become a bit concerned if she started gaining unhealthy amounts of weight. good luck!

Is she a fast eater? If not, give her more. She is growing and as she grows, her body needs more. More activity needs more nourishment. Perhaps add a little extra protien to her diet. Good luck and God Bless.

Sounds like a growth spurt. If she's eating healthy foods, and just wants more, I'd let her get her fill. My daughter seemed to have a bottomless pit at that age, and now that she's five she eats like a bird. It's much more worrisome to think they're not getting enough than too much. Count your blessings, and get ready to watch her sprout!!

Let her eat. Children have the ability to know when they are full. She is probably going thru a growth spurt. She will probably be sleeping more soon if it is a growth spurt.

My mom is a dietician and this is what she taught me. Children eat differently than adults. Children need small meals and snacks all day long. Feed her breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, supper, bedtime snack. Do not buy junk food and sweets. Do not even have them in your home. Feed her healthy meals and healthy snacks and she will be fine.

I think that 3 year olds still have that natual ability to stop eating when they are full (which we lose sometime later in adulthood) so if she is still hungry, I say give her more food. My three year old often picks at dinner but I think this is normal, especially if he had a big lunch. My 3 year old always wants to eat right before or at bedtime. He always wants fruit. As long as he is looking for healthy food, I give it to him. I would give her more food but make sure it is healthy.

Your daughter sounds exactly like my 4.5 year old daughter. She's a very picky eater so I'm very please when she asks for more. If she's hungry, I feed her. I never push her to eat after she says she's had enough. I've learned that when she asks for more she's usually heading into or having a growth spurt or has had a very active day and needs more calories. I'm learning she's tuned into what her body needs. I don't worry about junk food as we are an all organic/all natural family who does not consume junk.

Trust your gut - and her's - and she'll be fine.

I agree with everything that Sharon D. said!

give her the norm. it won't hurt her to wait it regular snack or meal timr. she will be fine. if she isn't hungry at meal time maybe she is getting to big of a snack. blessings, R.

I could be wrong but I don't think kids overeat naturally. I think it would be a learned thing over time. When I was young my dad MADE us clean our plates or we did not leave the table...I learned to overeat all my life. Still do. I think she is hungry. Maybe she is busy and wants to go play when she does not eat. My daughter sometimes barely eats and I have to say, "take 3 more bites or you cannot get down". sometimes both my kids eat a lot. I always let them eat if they are hungry, I just choose what they can have. I don't let them overeat on junk or even anything like fries, etc. I will say, "if you are still hungry you can have a banana or apple or even a pb&j sand. I would let her eat, she may be growing. Just not junk food.

Hi M.,

Eating is due to the body craving nutrition, not bulk. As many moms said, if she is eating what she needs, she can't and won't eat too much and she won't gain weight from it either. Since we started eating organically, my kids don't eat half of what they ate before. Nutrition is actually getting into their systems and they don't want more. My husband used to want a 16 ounce steak when we grilled out. Now he only wants about 4 to 5 ounces of what I am buying. the cost of organic food is not high when you factor in that the family doesn't eat as much.

If your little one does not absorb nutrition effectively then a multivitamin/mineral is probably needed (and maybe a few other things). I can recommend one if you want to go that way. Flintstones, etc do more damage than good so please don't go that route.

I have found that my youngest wants carrots and apples to snack on. My husband as well. My oldest would rather have oranges. I personally snack on arugola...(sometimes I dip it, sometimes I eat it plain)...I know it sounds strange but I found a leafy green vegetable that actually tastes incredibly good to me and I could eat a whole box!

Check the packaging of things you give her. If it has things in it you can't pronounce, then they are probably addictive. 50 years ago we preserved food by freezing it or salt curing, now we add chemicals. I would be glad to get more specific if you'd like. My vocation is helping people get and stay healthy and show them how it can actually save them money.....

God bless!

M.