Kids demanding food all the time

[feeb]

My boys are the same, if we are out and i put back pack down they are in it looking for food and pull everything out till they find what they want.

Drives me nuts when you give them something then they dont want that and chuck it on floor!!

[Mak]

Can be a pain here but I started to do lunch at 11am and it seems to have helped. SO they have breaky about 7am, snack about 9.30am. Arvo tea is at 2.30/3pm and then dinner at 5.30. It seems to be a massive amount of food in the morning and then less as the day progresses. I let them choose one snack from the pantry for the day and they get to choose when they eat it - so tiny teddies or the like but the rest of the snacks are fruit/yoghurt/vege etc. I found giving them control/choice or the illusion of it has helped. Maybe boys are different tho? xx

[Beach Mama]

Mine eat a lot too, I refuse to give in though and they are offered fruit if it is within one hour of a main meal, take it or leave it. They then have the offer of a bikkie etc if they are still hungry afterwards. If it is consistently before main meals maybe think about moving the time? We have brekky at 7, toast around 9 ish, fruit around 10:30-11, lunch at 12, mid arvo snack and dinner is at 5:30.

[Rivlas]

Have fruit & vegies available all day, in a container on the bench or table and if they say they don't want it tell them that it's that or nothing. If they are really hungry they will eat it. Also get them to have a drink of water between meals as well as just after their meal. Sometimes a drink is enough to fill the gap.
Many children get into the habbit of asking for food even if they don't really want it.

[Heaven]

If I had a dollar for every time I heard 'Mummmmmmmmy I'm huuuuuuungry!!' I'd be rich!!

[Cranky Kitten]

My DD would go through stages (still does) of either eating very little or eating me out of house and home. Usually followed by a growth spurt a week or so later.

I do second the idea of having healthy snacks readily available (fruit, vege sticks, cheese etc) rather than bikkies, if they're really hungry they'll eat it, otherwise they're just after the munchies because they taste nice, not because they're hungry.

[Tegam]

Boys tend to need more protien in their diets and girls carbs....cant remeber where i read this...also remember something about breast milk being higher in protien when nursing a boy... ahhh wish i could remember where i got that from...

anway, in this house its true DS is horrid if he isnt getting enough protien, carbs just dont fill him up! I also brought dinner time to 4.30pm as the kids were filling up on afternoon tea and dinner became a battle. I also make yoghurt for sweets so they think that are getting a treat but its that protien hit before bed rather than sugar.