What to Do About My Daughters Eating Habits.

Between daycare snack and dinner, if she's hungry, have a bag of cut up veggies and some hummus or dip ready. Or fruit she can grab (or even applesauce cups). Tell her those are the only options. If she's truly hungry, she'll eat those. Also you can offer her a glass of water and tell her to drink that and if she's still hungry, to tell you. Maybe give her 1 piece of string cheese or something small to tide her over until dinner.

Is there a reason that you don't believe her when she says she's hungry? If there isn't then let her eat as much as she wants to eat. Eating until one is full is not a bad eating habit when the food they are eating is healthy food.

A lot of times my daughter will say "I'm still hungry" and we tell her that she has to wait 5 minutes and if she's still hungry she can have more food. It takes a little bit of time for the "full" message to get from your stomach to your brain, so waiting a bit gives more processing time. We sit with her at the table for those 5 minutes, and about 3/4 of the time she decides that she's actually full. If she's still really hungry, she can have a little bit more. We also work on "listening to your belly instead of your mouth." That's a little harder, but I think it's an important skill. We also do the "you can have as many fruits and vegetables as you want" rule.

Good luck.

My daughter just went through the SAME thing and she is 5 (almost 6). It passed and she grew 1 1/2 inches... now she is eating normal again. What I did though, and continue to do (I have a boy too who eats sooo much) is that they can eat whatever the dinner is and then if they are hungry still they can have any and as many fruit or vegetables as they want up until bedtime. We have weight issues (not my hubby and I but our parents, grandparents etc) so I am conscious of that and want them to be used to snacking on real foods instead of crackers etc.

I agree with the pp who said to serve something else with the pizza, like fruit or salad, carrot sticks, etc. If she does't want to eat those, you know she really is not hungry.
And remember, it takes more than 17 tries before a kid would accept food that they normally don't want to it. So don't give up. Set the veggies or fruit with the meal or as a snack and continue offering those even if she doesn't want them at first. At least you know she isn't really starving if she refuses the healthy food. But she will take them eventually if you keep offering.
I also agree that she may be thirsty instead of hungry. Even adults have a hard time with that and tend to eat when they are actually thirsty. My daughter kept complaining that she was hungry in between meals and even though she wasn't happy at first, she started drinking milk or water instead and she ate better at dinnertime.
Also, simple carbs like bread, crackers and cookies actually stimulate your appetite. So if she's getting that as a snack, it is not surprising that she gets hungry fast. If she can have nuts or dried fruit, that is also a good alternative. Soda also has lots of sugar and that may be stimulating her appetite as well if she is drinking soda with the pizza. Make sure there is plenty of fiber and protein in her meals. Beans and brown rice are filling, vegetable soups are good.
Also, it takes 20 mins for a person to fill full. So if she asks for more, ask her to wait a little for her stomach to digest the food and see if she is still hungry then.
Even 3 slices seem like a lot for a 6 yr old. I actually think one slice would be more appropriate and she can eat as much veggies or fruit as she wants. She won't be happy at first but you are the mom and you are ultimately responsible for those choices for her healths sake, whether she likes it or not.
Also, if she is overweight and hungry all the time, it might be time to get a physician's advice.

I'd offer her healthy snacks only when she's "should" be full, but continues to want more food. If she doesn't want the healthy stuff then she probably isn't that hungry after all. She won't grow into bad habits unless she's eating bad food.

I think a 6 yo is probably legitimately hungry (unless she's using to stall at bedtime or something). As long as you give her healthy snacks (fruits/veggies), I wouldn't worry too much. I liked someone's suggestion to wait 5 minutes. She needs to learn to listen to what her body is telling her. We talk a lot about that. Listen to your body when it says you have to go to the bathroom, when you are hungry, when you are full, etc. Is she a little hyper? I was as a kid and could eat TONS and never gain weight. But again, as long as you are teaching her that it's ok to have treats from time to time, but she needs to make her meals and snacks healthy, she won't develop bad eating habits.

I have had this too. My best answer would be that 4 pieces of pizza is not great for a child or and adult. It's a lot of fat and calories. I would offer something healthy to go along with the pizza like a banana or salad, fruit, etc.

If she's saying she's hungry after eating a full meal, tell her she can have something else to eat (some fruit or veggies) after drinking a big glass of water. Sometimes our bodies misinterpret thirst for hunger. Staying hydrated is VITAL!

If she's drinking enough water, eating full meals and is STILL hungry then make sure her snacks are full of protein and fibre. That will help her stay fuller longer. Any 'extra' food you offer her should pack a big nutritional punch and be as low in sugar as possible.

Also, make sure she's not resorting to eating out of boredom.

I don't. I don't see any reason to refuse a child who is hungry and eating more food at mealtime, unless they are extremely overweight and have been put on a diet by their doctor. Sometimes kids will eat a little and sometimes they will eat everything in sight. I give small portions of everything (main course, veggies, fruit) at meals and then allow the child to have as many helping as they want, as long as they are actually eating them and not just asking for more. There are times I'm cleaned out of whatever I've made and go find something else appropriate until a child is satisfied. Growing takes a lot of fuel and I think it's unfair to cut a child off from eating nutritious food (not snacks or junk) just because you feel they've had enough.

Have her blood sugar and thyroid tested - sometimes extreme hunger is a symptom of diabetes or a malfunctioning thyroid.

Hi, I have four kids including an eight year old daughter. We go through the same thing when she's about to have a growth spurt (which seems to be constantly lately!). I have found that when they are claiming to still be hungry it is fine to let them eat more. Just present them with a healthy food to eat. when my daughter comes home from school and says she is hungry (it's only been a couple of hours since lunch!) I tell her she can have a veggie, raw carrots, broccoli etc. I'm more than happy to let her eat that stuff! Most of the time she is mysteriously not hungry anymore:) and if she is hey she's eating veggies:) The same thing at dinner. Those microwave steamer veggie bags are great for that. Even if the original sides from dinner are gone I can throw one of those in the microwave and if she still wants to eat there is a hot veggie ready for her in five minutes. If she is really still hungry she'll eat the veggie. If she's not and refuses it but still continues to complain.. well, like you said, she won't starve. The only other thing I can say is if she eats the healthy choices you present her with and still continues to complain constantly of being hungry try making her drink more water. Dehydration is frequently mistaken for hunger. Listen to your mama instincts of course. you know your child better than anyone and if the pattern continues and seems to be a serious problem it never hurts to talk to her pediatrician and make sure there isn't a physical issue or stressor contributing to the eating. good luck!

4pieces of pizza is definitely not healthy for a child. Serve a salad with it first or vegetables to go along and have her eat those first. Or what I do with my son is give him 1 or 2 slices of pizza or a few chicken nuggets or whatever the main portion of the dinner is, then tell him if he wants more then he has to eat a salad or a helping of veggies before having more. But most of the time I tell him to drink a large glass of water, wait a little bit and come back to me if he's still hungry...he rarely ever is. Just like what another replier posted, our bodies often confuse thirst for hunger. It's also a mental issue sometimes with food, it takes our bodies a good 15 minutes to register to our brain that we've eaten so if we wait a little bit (hence the water drinking) or eat slower, we'll feel full.

I would let her eat as many fruits and vegetables as she wants, as often as she wants. She'll stop when she's full.

Children listen to their bodies a lot better than adults do. They are more apt to tell you when they are hungry and full. As long as they are able to eat according to their hunger, they will never develop poor eating habits. We have a nutritionist who says that children should be in control of their eating; parents should be in charge of the food that is available. As long as she isn't eating junk (sugar, salt, fat) or her snacking isn't interfering with mealtimes, let her eat! :)

At your next doctor visit, I would also mention this to your doctor if you think she is continuing to eat excessively.

Good luck!!

I am over weight and now so is my daughter. We struggle and it does seem to be a family thing for us. We come from a long line of big people.

I agree that the problem is one of balance. Don't make or buy a pizza big enough to have more than one or two slices each. Serve some yogurt, cottage cheese, vegetable, fruit, etc. on the side. Also, I'm starting to choose thin crust more often and get tomatoes added if it's a bought pizza.

Also, take a close look at what she's doing with her time. She may be bored. She's reaching an age where she should be reading on her own. Getting her into computer learning programs is awesome as well.

I would just make sure whatever she is filling up on is healthy, i.e. fruits and veggies. It's also good to combine a source of protein with healthy carbs, so that after school snack should something like apple slices with peanut butter or cheese and whole wheat crackers. If she needs a snack before dinner, offer carrot or celery sticks, or salad. And make sure she is getting plenty of fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer - whole grain breads, pastas, cereals, etc. Popcorn can be good too, as long as it's not drenched in salt and butter. Don't just let her munch on chips and junk all the time.