So my 16 month old is now HUNGRY ALL THE TIME! He used to eat breakfast, snack around 10ish, lunch at 12 or 1, snack at 3ish then dinner at 6 or 7 (my schedule at work and school varies, it sucks)
Now a days he eats a ton at meals. I give him his proportional (for him) bowl of food or plate. He eats and starts screaming till I give him more food. I've tried distracting him in case he was bored or what not, nope. He wants food.
Between snack and a meal, he'll go to where ever I keep his snacks or to the fridge and cry and reach. At that point I'll give him applesauce or yogurt or something light and he then is content. If I don't all H-E-double-hocky-sticks breaks loose. I don't do it all the time depending on how recently he ate. I does it about every 20-30 minutes. He is getting taller, his feet go to his feet instead of the extra leg length, so that is why he I think he is spurting. I never noticed his spurts before because he was a giant spurt as a newborn and baby. By the time he was 3 months old he was 23 lbs. Huge, I know. Tell my arms that. So i never saw the iconic increase of food or sleep. I talked to his doctor about it and he said it was normal for some babies to get that huge. He never really ate more than a normal baby did.
So is this a spurt or is this a I want food all the time phase?? If so how much should I give into his want of food? I mean if he really is hungry than I want to feed him, it would be cruel not to, but it's hard to tell if it's hunger or just a want.
**His snacks are healthy. I have recently evaluated our diet and have decided to go vegetarian and I'm cutting out all (well 90%) sugar that isn't found in foods naturally :)
He's hungry just now. Let him eat. Lots of babies put on weight before they grow. My grandson was a BIG eater and now he is nearly six feet tall. He was a rounder sort of child and very handsome. He's muscular, athletic, and very handsome.
Another grandson of mine eats and is rotund and at nine years of age stands at 59 inches.
Feed him really good food and he'll grow up straight tall and healthy.
My mother and my pediatrician always told me when a baby/toddler is hungry - feed them. But feed them healthy foods, not processed junk. This is the rule that I follow. I would tend to think he's going through a growth spurt, esp if you try to distract him and he still wants to eat. Go with your instinct, mothers always no whats best for their kids! :)
Some times a strawed sippy with ice water will keep my little guy happy when he "thinks" he need more food.
just give him half an apple with peanut butter or granola or something and let him eat he is probably going through a growth spurt my daughter did around that age (had to buy two sizes up after getting her new summer clothes two months before) and with you wanting to go vegi make sure he is getting other form of protein by beans or tofu
My daughter is 5 and for the last year she has been on a constant eating frenzy. She grows about twice a year. Right now she is a little on the chunky side and soon she will be tall and thin. Just be sure he is getting plenty of rest and exercise.
Chart his weight and height and see what percentile he is in. If he is in a high percentile for weight and not height, then cut back a little and occupy him.
My kids do that, when hitting a growth-spurt.
Always hungry.
Our Pediatrician said, no worries.
Its fine.
Just feed them healthy.
My daughter one summer, did that and grew like at least 5 inches in one summer.
Major growth.
Both my kids are lean and tall for their age.
Even if eating all the time at growth-spurts.
If a kid is hungry, feed them.
They are hungry.
For whatever it is worth, I noticed that my son, from babyhood through the teen years would, every three or four months or so, become a "black hole" for food with his mouth the "event horizon." We could not shovel enough food down it! Then he would sleep more than normal. And, shortly thereafter, he would be an inch taller. Then he would be normal for a few months, and then repeat the cycle.
I think you are dealing with a growth spurt. Don't worry. It won't last forever. But, any food that gets within the gravitational pull of the event horizon will disappear. :-)
Have fun!
Make sure he is getting lots of protein, which can be difficult in a veggie chidl. My daughter could easily give up meat and she LOVES all kinds of beans and nuts (she is a little older).
When he asks for food, feed him. Give him healthy stuff, not candy of course, but if you refuse him food it will just turn into a power struggle and he will want to eat just to be in control. If you are concerende abouty his weight, talk to your doctor. otherwise, just feed him healthy foods and make sure he is getting lots of exercise and enough attention from you. It may be that he asks for food when he is bored, play with him and read to him and take him out to play outside as much as possible. Good luck!
I have a 2 yr old who has always been like that. He eats SO much! I was worried about him but just keep feeding him when he wanted. I was worried he'd get bad habits or throw up from overeating, etc. None of that has happened so far. I just keep feeding him!
Once I gave him dinner and he went to a babysitters. She told me that he proceeded to eat a piece of pizza, two granola bars, and a banana. It's crazy! He will finish up his 4 yr old brother's dinner. I have no idea why he's like this, but he eats and eats and eats. It's not a growth spurt. Maybe it's just a super fast metabolism that maybe will calm down someday. But I feed him. I don't limit him. And he's not a huge kid. He's 28 pounds.
