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Most food threads are about picky eaters, but I have the exact opposite problem, these kids are eating EVERYTHING. I serve very healthy meals, and the parents are always in shock over how well the kids eat for me. I always have enough for seconds, but rarely thirds. Yesterday was homemade chicken noodle soup (1lb pasta, a whole chicken, bag of carrots, stalk of celery), homemade sourdough rolls, greens and beans (spinach and garlic with cannellini beans), and a whole pear each. I had 6 littles, my entire crockpot was empty, 18 rolls were gone and there were tears when I said I was out of pears (and pouts when I ran out of soup)! I have tested it, raw veggies for snack? GONE. It really doesn't matter what I serve. I LOVE that they are all great eaters, but I'm BROKE. I used to make a double batch of lunch and reheat for my family for dinner, but now I'm making it all over again or a different meal because everything is gone. Would it be wrong to say no to thirds or fourths?
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Nope. ALL my DCK's eat like yours. They devour everything and anything I serve. I do seconds until there is no more and then that's it. I don't make enough on purpose for seconds but if there is some left over, I do serve them more but I won't go out of my way to make a ton just so the kiddos can all have seconds and or thirds. I RARELY allow thirds.
These kids can eat at home too ya know.
I try to stick with the reccommended serving sizes and that is that. I refuse to be eaten out of house and home when I know these kiddos should be eating healthy and fillingly at home as well.
Don't feel bad. Just serve what you got and that is it.
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I could have wrote this post.
I have good eaters. I have to stop myself and say am I over feeding these little kids at times? It is easy to do, they have good appetites and love things most kids don't. I expose them to a wide variety. If a child doesn't eat something here it is because they truly don't like it, or they have had it at home and are sick of it. We cook big and make many meals out of one, so having enough food is not usually the problem.
I have one child that is like a hoover, this kid will swipe his plate or tray with one hand and be done before I can say do you want more, or before I can serve the next child. I am always looking for ways to slow this child down.
I have friends that say they can't get the kids to eat vegetables or different things. Do you serve them I ask. No- I don't want to waste, they won't eat them. How are they going to like them if they don't see them often and have the chance to try them or see you or the other kids eat them? Give a teaspoon on a plate, you don't have to give them a full portion and waste.
I sometimes serve thirds or I wouldn't call it thirds but really it is. If I cut something up and I don't want to see it go to waste I will split it up if a child would like some more. I do this on healthy things fruits an veggies. I don't want a child hungry, but I don't want a child to be over weight because I overfed them in the early years. With the hoover child it is easy for me to do this and I have to think it out. I feel for the child because they just love food and love it fast.
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My kids eat like this too. I make a little extra of the main and lots of extra veggies and if all else fails and we run out of food completely they can have an apple. 
I go through at least 10lbs of apples a week.
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what is with homemade soup, kids eat it up like crazy here too. Yesterday I had a mom stop and drop off some food that was for her kids (they were going to gma's for dinner) so after she left I took a peek, and I couldn't believe it. 2 cans of fake pasta (chef boyrdee but my kids call it fake pasta even thou dh and I love beefaroni) and the rest was totally junk food. Figures the kids are wild and fight with each other. When they would eat dinner here, they would eat everything and ask for more, mom still tells me that they don't like anything healthy, ya right you just have to cook it and they will eat it.Comment
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About half of the kids don't eat well at home. Cereal for dinner, fast food, etc so my lunch is more like their dinner. I had a dcb tell his Dad last week that I said he couldn't have more snack (it was gone) and Dad looked at me like I was supposed to defend myself. I told him that we didn't have enough for thirds & that he should be hungry for dinner!
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Is this a symptom of the pack effect or something? Like they are over eating just to feel included or like they got their fair share? My ds gets almost animal like when he sees another kid about to finish and ask for seconds. Its like he has to compete or something.
I allow seconds if we have it and thats it. Second cup of milk too. Thats all. I think they need to teach themselves to listen to their bodies and not just eat and eat and eat. Seems like a lifelong bad habit IMO.
If their is more and the kids are begging, simply to beg, I tell them its for my hubs. Now sometimes before they even ask for seconds they ask "Is THAT for Jason?" ::
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HAHAHA! I should do that! All of the kids love my dh!Is this a symptom of the pack effect or something? Like they are over eating just to feel included or like they got their fair share? My ds gets almost animal like when he sees another kid about to finish and ask for seconds. Its like he has to compete or something.
I allow seconds if we have it and thats it. Second cup of milk too. Thats all. I think they need to teach themselves to listen to their bodies and not just eat and eat and eat. Seems like a lifelong bad habit IMO.
If their is more and the kids are begging, simply to beg, I tell them its for my hubs. Now sometimes before they even ask for seconds they ask "Is THAT for Jason?" ::
It isn't pack, I don't think. I have an older group (youngest is 2 years old but talks like a 5 year old, oldest is 5, not in school yet) They aren't competetive, and share really, really well (today dcg offered to give dcb some of her lunch when we ran out) I could have just one kid here and he/she would still eat the same. The kids who aren't here for breakfast are usually the worst, I'm sure it's from a light breakfast at home.Comment
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My own kids, as well as most of my daycare kids...are big eaters.
Half are/were overweight, the others normal....those stats carry over to my own kids, too. All very, very active.
I used to make double, freeze half for next time...that doesn't work out so well, because...then there is seconds/thirds available & causes issues/power struggles with food and eating until stuffed.
I ended up just going with a school lunch style...you get what you get & don't have a fit. MOSTLY because my older girls (the "heavier" kids out of the bunch) could/would overeat even on healthy stuff. It was/is a struggle to help them eat healthy portions while not overeating....then letting the non-overweight kids eat seconds/thirds is just setting everyone up for hurt feeling and power struggles over food. Absolutely not going to do that to my preteen girls.. So, since the foods I feed are healthy and plenty even with one to two servings dished up...you get your plate and that's that.
If the kids are hungry, they eat it all up. If not, they pick & choose off the plate. My skinny kids can make up their extra calories at home or when it isn't so "in your face, I can eat more than you..".
Last night we had chicken caesar salad...3 heads of romaine, THREE pounds of chicken....I have a 13yo, 10yo, 2yo,2yo, me & dh. GONE. Jeez. One of my 2yo's sneeks cauliflower like it is candy. Hard to get upset, but man, I lik e it, too!Comment
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