Eats too much?

[aliss]

Does my boy honestly eat too much? I just can't figure out how he crams in all this food and is still hungry.

Here was today, an example

Morning cup of milk
B- 3 strawberries, 1/2 cup cheerios, 1 serving cheddar, cereal bar, juice
S- More strawberries, crackers, 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Nap (another 8oz milk)
S- 2 banana muffins
L- Macaroni & veggie pasta with ground beef (1 full cup)
S (again) more milk, juice
D- I'm cooking a vegetarian tofu pasta dinner...! Not sure if he'll eat it.but I'm sure he will
And a bedtime milk..

I read the what did your toddler eat section and really can't imagine, he eats like 2-3x more than others!!! How on earth does he pack it in. I don't want to set him up for obesity either.

 

[aliss]

He is 33 inches tall and 34lbs, so above 99% for both height/weight

 

[RachA]

My boy is just the same. He's always eaten a lot and when he had bottles he was also drinking 4 x 9oz bottles a day.

If he is right at the top for both weight and height i wouldn't worry too much as long as there isn't too much sugar in the diet. Daniel was also top for both but he is as skinny as a rake.

Is your son really active? Daniel never stops and i think he burns off everything that he eats.

 

[QTPie]

I agree to a huge extent (bigger children need more calories). If he is active and you mostly stay away from refined sugars.

My observations - just things to consider - based on today's food:
- is that neat juice? If so, the worry about firstly his teeth (acid erosion) and secondly getting into the habit of getting quite a few calories from drinks (not a problem now, but can be a problem in older kids and adults). Neat juice is not a good regular toddler drink.
- cheerios have quite a bit of sugar in them. Fine some times, but not great all of the time.
- just noting that - depending on when lunch/dinner is - most of the solid snacks are in the morning. Would look at swapping afternoon juice for something solid (more filling and "slower release" of energy).

 

[aliss]

Yes he is extremely active, running constantly and we are always out walking.

QT- The juice is low sodium V8, the cheerios are the 1g sugar per cup, but yeah he prefers to eat mostly before the nap but ill try and spread it out a little more evenly, he naps 11am-2pm so he basically does '2' lunches (breakfast at 7, dinner at 5 the latest, he has acid reflux and can't eat too close to bedtime)

 

[bathbabe]

Harrison has:
6oz bottle when he wakes up
9am-10am 1 piece of toast, 1 weetabix, 1 yogurt
12 cheese spread sandwich, raisens, oat bar, little bit of grated cheese
2pm strawberries (about 6/7) and a few slices of apple.
2:15 - 5ish nap!
5:30 whatever we are having for tea, tonight it was spaghetti and meatballs.
8pm 2-5oz of milk.

And hes between the 2nd and 9th centile!

 

[bathbabe]

He also just sips his drink thru the day x

 

[PepsiChic]

Barry eats loads this is yesterday for example:

B: 1/2 cup oatmeal
S: 4 crackers
L: half an adult portion of chicken fettucine (out for lunch)
S: cereal bar
D: 4 chicken nuggests and a large corn on the cob

then 3oz toddler milk after dinner

he can finish off adult portions of most pasta type meals! especially lasagna and garlic bread!

 

[mrsthomas623]

Wow... he completely opposite of Nolan

Nolan has
B-half a cereal bar with a few sips of milk
L-6-7 penne noodles with red sauce with a few sips of milk
S- fruit snacks or goldfish with juice
D- After several attempts at real food- half eggo waffle with lite syrup and milk
Then 5 oz bottle at bed time.

Sounds like Alex is just a big, growing boy... I am jealous!

 

[RedRose]

Ahh what a good boy. It is a lot of food compared to others his age, but like you say, he's a big strapping lad, and his meals are balanced and nutritious. I really don't think you are making any bad habits. He obviously has a high energy requirement for all that running and growing!

Is his appetite always large, or do you find that it varies according to his rate of growth? Only I notice that Lily's appetite varies quite a lot depending on growth spurts and learning leaps etc.

 

[aimee-lou]

It's all a matter of proportion. He's a big lad, so needs proportionately more food to fuel his body for all that activity.

Earl is big (no idea of his measurements but he towers above most other kids his age. He will happily eat (taking last Saturday as an example):

Breakfast - 6oz of milk or fruit juice diluted, 1 weetabix with milk, a banana
Snack - slice of toast with honey and some raisins, water to drink (or juice)
Lunch - Spaghetti on toast with cheese, a cake bar, milk to drink
Snack - 2 biscuits and some grapes
Dinner - sausages (2!), mashed potato, peas and onion gravy. Yoghurt for pudding
Snack before bed : 6oz of milk and some rice krispies.

I don't think he overeats and you can see his ribs!

 

[lisac25]

my little girl doesnt stop eating either, infact both my girls have excellent appetites, they are both average height and build, my eldest actually is as skinny as a rake lol the way i see it as long as they are eating healthily and exercising plenty whats the problem.
its not like your filling him full of junk food everyday!!! as my mum would say hes a growing lad he needs it lol

 

[cw1975]

Archie is a nursery but will have

Breakfast at home - rice krispies (around 6.30 am)
Breakfast - at nursery 1 weetabix with milk (9.30 am)
Snack - fruit and milk
Lunch - lamb casserole with yoghurt for pudding (12.00 noon)
Snack - fruit and milk
Tea - sardines on toast and yoghurt (3.30 pm)

He then when he comes home has a smaller portion of I am having for dinner, but yesterday I made sausage casserole and chopped two sausages up for him and he really enjoyed them and started crying and shouting more when it was finished so I gave him another one and he was still looking for more - I think he was just complimenting my cooking

Bedtime: 9oz of milk