My son is almost 6 and has a strict diet due to food intolerances and severe eczema (which has cleared with diet changes & gut healing)
He has become obsessed with food. And when I say obsessed I mean obsessed, it's the first thing he asks me about when he wakes up, when he has finished breakfast he's asking about lunch and dinner, it gets to the point sometimes where he is just constantly talking about it. He eats a lot. I've asked him if something is worrying him but he just says he is hungry. The obsession just doesn't seem normal, has anyone else experienced this? Does anyone have suggestions ? tyia!
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5 Replies
He is 6, they eat an awful lot at that age, like non stop! Is he getting enough choices in his day food wise? It's quite normal for kids on restricted diets to become quite focused on food. I used to see it in my work quite a lot. Also maybe a follow up with a nutritionist night help, I get the munchies when I'm not eating enough protein.
Could it be that maybe he just isn't getting enough food? Or the food he's eating isn't filling him up? Maybe he's truly hungry and just getting used to the changes in his diet. However my kids are the same age and always asking when is snack time or dinner time and what are we having
I thought it was normal too
Thanks for the replies, I thought the hunger side was normal... But it's the obsessive non stop talking about food all the time that got me. Ive been telling him he doesn't need to worry and that he will get food. He has a range of fruit and veg and mainly chicken or turkey. I'll try up the protein intake, thanks for all your comments
Are there carbs (grains like rice or starchy veg) and fats (oils, avocado etc) he can have? Lean meats and fruit and veg aren't really enough for a young child.
I think it's pretty common for kids who are unfortunately very restricted to obsess over what they can't have. I would watch him though, some kids do take to hiding food and eating in secret. Sometimes they do it with the stuff they're allergic/intolerant to (especially if it's exciting/tasty stuff) so if you feel like his obsession may become that sort of issue it might be good to talk to him about it a bit more. Perhaps enlist some help with that?