Not Enough Food?

[Registered but Anonymous]

I have a new six year old girl who started last week. Every morning she says she's still hungry after breakfast. She's the only one. Today we had scrambled whole organic large eggs (2 oz. scoop), 1 slice of turkey bacon, half a banana, half a slice of whole wheat toast with pumpkin butter, 6 oz. glass of milk and a 4 oz. glass of orange juice. She ate/drank every bit! It far exceeds CACFP standards and I'm not reimbursed for all of the components but I feed them like I feed my own children. Right after breakfast she said: "Miss? I'm still hungry!" To which I replied: "Well, I think we're going to have another glass of milk and then be done until snack time. That's more than enough for pretty little six year old." Now I feel bad. I would never want a child to go hungry, but I find it so hard to believe that she's truly still hungry. No, she's not overweight and she has no diagnosed medical conditions besides latent asthma. EVERYTHING I've learned about nutrition, child development, and portion control says that she should no longer be hungry after that complete meal. I wouldn't be hungry after that meal! Ideas? Am I wrong, here?

[Springdaze]

my first thought is maybe shes just bored. i eat when im bored and i must be bored alot!

[Willow]

As a child, a very very thin bean pole child, I ate more than my dad did.

My metabolism was sky high, and still is, and it keeps me hungry all the time. There is nothing wrong with me. I canjust pack it in and burn it off very quickly.


My daughter is the same way. She easily eats more than my husband does at times and is by far one of the thinnest kids in her class. We joke at times that she must have a tape worm. She calls it Charlie. When she's "starving" and eats as much as a grown man she shrugs and says there's nothing she can do, Charlie is hungry

I'm sure it doesn't help matters that your food is different than her norm and probably tastes exponentially better.


You don't have to feed her more than you're used to serving but if there's nothing wrong with her I highly doubt it will hurt.

[crazydaycarelady]

Afrter eating that much she should no longer feel actual hunger, she just might be expecting to have a stuffed feeling.

[Meyou]

As a child, a very very thin bean pole child, I ate more than my dad did.

My metabolism was sky high, and still is, and it keeps me hungry all the time. There is nothing wrong with me. I canjust pack it in and burn it off very quickly.


My daughter is the same way. She easily eats more than my husband does at times and is by far one of the thinnest kids in her class. We joke at times that she must have a tape worm. She calls it Charlie. When she's "starving" and eats as much as a grown man she shrugs and says there's nothing she can do, Charlie is hungry

I'm sure it doesn't help matters that your food is different than her norm and probably tastes exponentially better.


You don't have to feed her more than you're used to serving but if there's nothing wrong with her I highly doubt it will hurt.

I was like this too and my kids are the same way. If she's active and healthy she may really just be hungry. I try to give my girls alot of protein. They eat tons of eggs and lots of nuts and seeds for snacks.

[sharlan]

My 3, 4, and 5 yo each eat 1 1/2 XL eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, 1 slice of toast, 1/2 banana or apple, and 6 oz of milk for breakfast. All 3 are super slim.

My teeny 13 mo eats the same.

[My3cents]

My two year old's eat more then that.

a whole banana
1-2 eggs
2-3 pieces of bacon
a whole slice of toast
glass of milk
and maybe a handful of cereal
cheese on the eggs

Many kids are morning eaters, the meal they get the most out of. Plus I would offer more if still hungry. My kids all know when they are full, they tell me. They are not over weight either. I have big eaters. I don't deny kids food, if I had a child that had a weight issue, I would talk with parents and come up with a plan. I have also seen kids that have smaller meals (parents were providing them) and were over weight. The whole family was over weight. I think Metabolism has a lot to do with diets in children and family genetics.

[itlw8]

really that was plenty but maybe she just wants seconds. another 1/2 slice of toast would be fine and then water. Does she eat fast?

[Heidi]

If she does eat fast, ask her to slow down a bit so her tummy can give her brain the "full" message.

Otherwise, I'd say "Ok, tell you what. I'd like to wait for 20 minutes, and if you are still feeling hungy, we'll get a nice big glass of milk to hold you over until lunch".

My second son has always had a mole's metabolism. I remember as a kindergartner we learned that when he had a "meltdown" in school, it meant he needed something to eat. Usually a carton of chocolate milk did the trick.

He's 20 now, in the army for almost 3 years. He is 6'2" and weighs maybe 150. Absolutely NO body fat.

[countrymom]

I would give her 2 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon (because you can never have enough ask my kids) and a whole piece of toast. Like my own kids. They eat really good for breakfast and supper and lunch is a hit or miss, but you can only eat so many sandwiches.

[Unregistered]

Thank you for the insights and thoughts! The scoop is supposed to be 2 eggs, but I haven't tested that theory out. I just took my food rep's word for it.

I don't want anyone to think I would ever let a child go hungry. Two hours after breakfast they had carrots and celery with choice of dips (strawberry cream cheese, peanut butter with raisins, or low-fat blue cheese), fruit and jello parfaits with homemade whipped cream (6 oz serving) and purified water with wild berry fruit flavor (pureed frozen mixed berries to a pitcher of Brita). 2 hours after that we had homemade vegetable lasagna, spring mix salad with candied walnuts, dried cranberries and duck confit (my mom made the confit; it's soooooo good!), bubble bread (garlic toast with a bruschetta and mozzarella mix on top), apples slices with sharp cheddar cheese, and grape juice. She ate it all, then came back later after nap and said: "when's snack?" as she watched me take the oatmeal-raisin-flax cookies out of the oven, of which she had 3. I think I'm going to have to let her go because I don't want her to be hungry but I can't afford to feed her until she can't possibly eat any more 4 times a day. Today she's here until 5:30 so I'll feed her an early dinner of pizza on whole wheat bagels, pasta salad, mixed vegetables, strawberry shortcake (only with angel food cake) and Ovaltine milk.

I feel really sad and like a really bad provider today. I have too many clients to increase my food bill too much for one, even as much as I've come to care for her.

[kitykids3]

That is more than I feed my kiddos and if they have exceeded the 'normal' for what they need, then you definitely have not let her go hungry and I would not feel bad about it. Usually takes the brain about 20minutes to tell us we're full. Does she eat really fast? I have one that does and scarfs down a ton of food for a 4 year old, so I have him wait a little before he gets thirds. Usually then he wants to be excused.
If she is a morning eater, then perhaps talk to the parents about giving her a little snack before she comes.

[Meyou]

For my school aged kids....if they are still hungry after meals or snack I let them have apples. If they're hungry they'll have one and if they're just bugging they won't. Maybe you can try that with DCG.

She sounds well fed and like a very good eater.

[Unregistered]

I allot 45 minutes for a meal and she is usually done in about 20ish, but she's in the middle of the group. I have two who are "scarfers", done in 10 minutes or less, and they sit for the entire meal socializing or enjoying another cup of milk/water. I have one who would take the entire 45 minutes but I encourage her to eat and she's getting better and now she takes about 35 minutes.

Anyhow, this may all be moot because I'll probably lose her by the 1st of the year. She was homeschooled up until last week (when she started) and mom's hours changed. Mom was going to work until 1-2 and then homeschooling DCG in the afternoons/evenings. She asked me to keep her late today because she had a meeting after work and comes to find out she now needs to work a full day (until 4:30 every day) in a new division starting in the new year. Apparently, DCD is not happy with the current afternoon/evening homeschool plan, and now DCM fears he's going to make her enroll DCG in public school during the day since DCM will be working so late. I'll know more when they return on Tuesday, but I'm pretty sure DCG will be mainstreamed. I also asked DCM about the portion sizes DCG eats at home, and DCM says they're mostly "grazers", so she'll eat lightly multiple times per night and will occasionally have chicken nuggets/mac and cheese/chili (her favorite foods, I found out!) when she's really hungry. So, maybe DCG is just really digging the hearty meals she eats here. It's just so hard to believe she will eat so lightly at home and so heavily here.

[LK5kids]

Oh my goodness...you have absolutely no reason to feel you are not a great provider. You are offering wonderful meals and snacks.
I don't see how you're obligated to give her any more food. Doesn't she go to school? Don't feel bad at all.