As a parent, it can feel like you’re trapped in a constant cycle of make meal…clean up…make snack…clean up…make meal…repeat forever. Some of that’s to be expected when you’ve got kids at home who are eating three meals and one to two snacks a day. But for some parents, the requests for food seem like they never end. One of the concerns I hear from parents is that their kids always seem hungry no matter what they do. This can be especially hard for parents who are worried about their child’s weight because of the child’s current BMI or because of a family history of overweight or obesity.
If there’s been a big change in your child’s appetite (either up or down), it’s worth checking in with your child’s pediatrician to make sure everything is okay. But assuming everything’s normal, there are a few common culprits that could be at the root of your child’s seemingly bottomless pit:
1. His meals and snacks aren’t filling.
A lot of common “kid food”—think fish-shaped crackers, gummy fruit snacks, and sugary granola bars—provide calories but aren’t particularly satisfying. Ditto for foods made with refined flour like white bread and pastries. That means that even right after eating them, your child may still be hungry. Kids who don’t eat fruits and vegetables, which are full of hunger-busting fiber and fluid, may also find themselves less than satisfied.
Author: Mile High Mamas
