How much do your kids eat?

[Skrimpy]

I am asking this because I am really confused I plan out meals so that there are usually seconds for everyone. For the kids I normally give slightly smaller portions than I give myself or dh.

Lately DD keeps asking for seconds and thirds. A lot of times I don't even have enough for thirds! It honestly baffles me how she can't be full. For instance, if I've eaten one piece of chicken, had a salad, a portion of rice, and a little kimchee with a meal then I am stuffed. She gets 3/4 of a piece of chicken, a salad almost as big as mine, as much rice as me, and a little bite of kimchee (not to mention a cup of milk) and asks for more. How can this little four year old possibly eat as much as what stuffs me? Is her stomach able to hold that much food.

Sometimes if we do have enough for "thirds" I give it to her and she won't eat it. I'm not sure if she keeps asking for more just out of wanting it or if she's really hungry.

I don't really want to have to make *more* food for her after all of our supper is gone (and I am sure I make good, filling, nourishing meals), it's really tiring and I start to feel like a servant (hard not to with feeding three, one still nursing, + dh and myself). But then I wonder if maybe she really is still so hungry, though I don't see how she possibly could be...

Does anybody else have a kiddo who seems to eat more than grown men and women? Should I add in more snacks?

[4evermom]

I'm kind of in the let children eat whenever they are hungry catagory so I would probably keep a bunch of snacks in the fridge that she could get herself when hungry. This didn't work for me, personally, because my ds wants to be waited on (asks for something but refuses to get it himself). Maybe at meal time, you could make extra rice so your dd doesn't feel like there isn't enough food. If she doesn't eat it, it can be turned into fried rice or thrown into soup.

I think it's important for children to figure out when they're hungry or full, and some experimentation is neccessary for that. My ds has gotten so much more opinionated about food in the past year (meaning very picky). I think he just became more aware of all the options surrounding food. That has combined with enjoying asserting his independence (no, I'll only eat it if it doesn't have green specks on it!). I think, right now as he approaches 5, he must not be in a growth spurt because he seems to be eating a lot less lately.

I might worry about the quantity that your dd eats only if she seems to be gaining extra weight but I would be very cautious about how I approached that problem. I would look into eating foods with a lower glycemic index as a first step, if that were the case, as well as getting the whole family more active.

[L&IsMama]

Originally Posted by Skrimpy

Does anybody else have a kiddo who seems to eat more than grown men and women? Should I add in more snacks?

My 3 yd old seems like a bottomless pit,I swear! Total opposite of my 19 month old who puts birds to shame with his finnicky eating habits. We all just pretty much eat when we are hungry. I mean,we do have breakfast lunch and dinner at about the same time every day,but if they ask for a snack I do give them one.

[hottmama]

My 3.5 yr. old can put food down like nothing. He's been like this his whole life, too. The first time he ever got solids he ate an entire banana! At 5.5 mos! At 1 yr. he was eating "kid's meals" at restaurants, plus bread, salad, and dessert.

[Alkenny]

Bottomless pit, hollow leg, you name the cliche. Sounds like a growth spurt! (My older DS can eat more than DH and myself COMBINED!)

[PancakeGoddess]

I second the growth spurt suggestion. My 3 boys are all over the map. Sometimes it's frightening how much they eat - definitely more than me, and I'm pregnant! My 2yo often eats more than the almost-9-yo.

If it's healthy food, I say just start making more and give until she's finished. Soon it will probably taper off a bit.

[1growingsprout]

yes that sounds right... try doing that with FIVE kids....

[L&IsMama]

Well,I'm glad I'm not the only one who has a 3 yr old with a voracious appetite! I was starting to think he had a worm or something!

[nikisager]

When my kids want 3rds, I tell them go ahead and grab an apple. We always have a bowl of them on the counter, and is one snack in the house that kdis do not ever have to ask for, they can grab one whenever. If you know they have had enough, they may jsut really like what you were serving, or sometimes it could be a growth spurt, or they ate too fast and do not realize yet that they really are full. Maybe if you say, "honey, you just had 2nds, why dont you wait 10 minutes and if you are still hungry I will be happy to get you some more"

[LunaMom]

My 7 y.o. can easily eat as much as me at a meal (and I don't eat like a bird, let me tell you) and she's skinny as a rail. We joke that she has a tapeworm. We've named him George.

[mommy68]

I always let my kids eat as much as they want. They usually make up for it in other areas of the day when they don't eat at other meals or what have you.

[veganf]

LOL, sounds like my boys...especially my 3 1/2 year old. They eat equal protions of spicy tofu, broccoli, and rolls as we do now (a recent meal...there was actually mashed potatoes and beets as well, but they didn't eat as much of those, though they came close on the mashed potatoes!). And they'd eat more if we had any more! I may have to start buying double amounts and cooking more.

And they eat 3 snacks a day too.
Growing boys!

- Krista

[onlyzombiecat]

My dd is 6 and never eats more than we do at a meal. She eats smaller amounts more frequently though.

I think the suggestion of waiting before getting another serving is great. I have read that it takes about 20 minutes from the time you eat for your brain to register your stomach is full. Maybe offer celery, an apple or other low prep healthy foods if your child is truly still hungry after 2 normal servings.

[3timesamama]

I am right there with you!
Since I have 3 boys I'm afraid it will only get worse as they grow. My 10 year old is ALWAYS hungry.
This week at the grocery store we spent $500!! And the crazy thing is I know it will only last us about a week, then we'll be stuck eating beans every day until payday!