My daughters are 5 and 3 and seem to be developing bad eating habits. They eat when I know they are not hungry. So they are eating simply for the sake of eating. If I say no they have a tantrum. I'm ok with dealing with the tantrum - I'm more worried about their eating when they aren't hungry and that it's setting them up for issues later in life. I've suffered with over eating since I was 18 so I don't want them to go down that path. Any ideas/hints/tips?
9 Replies
Ask if they are hungry (feeling in tummy) or feeling thirsty (feeling in throat or mouth). The centre in the brain that controls both sensations is the same, so teaching them early to differentiate the two is w good start. Also teaching them to eat nice and slowly can help with reaching that feeling of satiety. Make sure you are feeding them good healthy low GI foods at meals and snacks, make sure they are well hydrated and if they are still asking for food, I would say "no, our bodies have enough energy/fuel for now" and try and distract them with other activities.
Ive never said no to my kids eating. Kids graze its what they do. Perhaps visit a nutritionist or child health nurse to make sure youre not passing your fears around food onto them.
Theres absolutely nothing wrong with them having food all day long. Its the auality of the food that matters. A good breakfast, eggs a toast and fruit, morning snack, a fruit shake, veggies and dip, fruit, yoghurt, cheese and crackers, a good lunch, another snackbox for the afternoon and then dinner, then if they want something before bed we have yoghurt, frozen yoghurt or custard and fruit.
They probably wont smash it all, I know mine carries a rice cake or banana around for ten minutes. Definitely make sure you are giving them enough nutrition and lots of good food and water before you start restricting. And if you have an unhealhy relationship yourself its going to be worth seeking outside advice to make sure youre giving them the best start.
As one over eater to another. How do you know they aren't hungry?
Toddlers and small children eat a lot of times through out the day. There tummies are tiny and they can't fit that much in, so they have to eat often.
I feel like my kids do the same. They have their three main meals and can have a 1 morning snack and 1 afternoon snack... occasionally if they ask for another snack, I will say "we need to let the first snack settle down in our belly first. And if we are still hungry in half an hour, we can have another" and if they are still hungry in half an hour, they can have another snack, or I'll just bring their next main meal forward and have it earlier.
Toddlers are grazers, it's what they do. Unless they are a bit on the heavy side, I wouldn't say no to food ever. I would say no to bad choices and offer healthy alternatives, but I wouldn't say no to food. To be honest, if you start withholding food from toddlers, I think that will give them more issues around food.
My kids are a bit older than yours but I now ask them "are you hungry or are you bored?". More often than not it's boredom but I think that's a bit trickier with a 3 year old as they may not be able to make that differentiation but I think your 5 year old would have some understanding of this.
I don't agree that you shouldn't say no to food, especially if they are eating good sized meals, they really don't need to be constantly eating. I have to tell mine that they have had enough quite frequently. For example they'll tell me they're hungry 5 minutes after they've had lunch, I'll say "No you just ate, if you're still hungry in an hour you may have a piece of fruit". I mean, I'm an adult and sometimes I need my hubby to say "Hun, I think you've had enough chocolate now" or "are you sure you need to eat that?".
Some tips:
Don't use food as a reward.
Be careful what you offer, keep the treat foods to a minimum.
Make sure they're drinking enough water.
I'm Just wondering why you think they're not hungry..growing kids eat a lot...are they over weight?? Hopefully it's not your experience with your own weight issues making you feel this way..just a thought..good luck mumma :)
Mine eat when they're bored, or when their hands aren't busy doing something else. Especially watching TV or a movie or the iPad. So they have a tendency to overeat, and it's not healthy. Even if it's decent food. So I try to make sure they're occupied. If they're really annoying me for more food, I'll dig out a box of puzzles or games or toys they haven't seen/used in a while, and it's like Christmas lol. They suddently forget how starving they were!