Secret Snacking

I think you have some good responses regarding protein snacks, or considering his weight (if normal weight, not to worry as much). The only other thing I thought of is if you think he's eating out of boredom (because you mentioned not going outside, and starting karate soon). If that's the case, maybe you could try letting him chew sugar-free gum; it keeps the mouth occupied without lots of sugar or calories.

Keep up the good job in choosing healthier choices in nutrition!

Sounds like you have a healthy and normal boy!

Increase his excercise as much as you can...Karate is a great start!

I really liked the dietitions advice. My stepson came to live with us when he was 13. I was blown away at how much food he ate. I have two smaller boys (6 1/2 and 5) and they go through periods of time where they can't seem to get enough food. I think if you hide food, put a lock on the fridge, or continue to make a big deal about food, you will actually be startging him on a path of having a bad relationship with food. He will begin to eat or store large amounts of it whenever he can because in him mind, he may think it will be hidden or taken away from him. Karate is good, but keep in mind that exercise will increase his appetite as well. Be prepared.

Hi J.!

I know you have gotten tons of responses and someone may already have spoken to this, but from the example you gave of a snack (clementine or apple) something stood out to me. This type of snack is low in fat and high in sugar (granted good sugar - good job Mom!), so it does little to nothing to satiate an already hungry boy or to keep him satisfied. It actually just creates more of a roller coaster effect with his blood sugar, which can make him feel much hungrier, much quicker.

Part of the issue could be that he is a young boy and young boy's eat ALOT - an amount absolutely shocking to most women!

Part of the issue could be a need for dietary changes to make the most of what he eats so it isn't quite "so much." By this I mean, consider letting him eat 5 -6 smaller meals a day (recommended by many dieticians) instead of 3 bigger meals. This is better for his blood sugar AND for his age - smaller stomach and higher metabolism will cause meals to digest significantly more rapidly than an adult - therefore making him hungry more frequently.

You can also make the most of the meals by concentrating on healthy calories and fat (to make sure he is getting enough of both). For example, add a generous amount of peanut butter to his apple. Perhaps throw in cheese and crackers too. Nuts, nut butters, cheeses, whole fat yogurts (get plain and add fresh fruit) and avocados are all good sources of healthy calories and fat.

Many Americans make the mistake of purchasing "low fat" items for their kids. Kids (and many adults) do not need "low fat" food. Eating full fat yogurt, sour cream, etc. is not what makes many Americans fat. It's fast food meals (even "healthy" options on their menus), and it's pre-packaged, processed foods.

Definitely hope this is totally helpful information and not at all preachy or condemning. I think it's awesome that you care enough to ask the question. I pray you find the best solutions for him and you!

God's Grace to you,

Lisa :)

Hi J.,
I am a dietitian, and I can tell you that fruit (roughly 60 calories per piece) is not going to be enough to tide over a 7 year old after a full day of school. He also needs some kind of protein to help him stay full such as peanut butter, cheese, boiled eggs, milk/choc milk, yogurt and of course any kind of meat, plus a carbohydrate as well such as crackers, tortilla, toast, pudding etc. If you allow/prepare him an adequate snack up front, he will be less likely to raid your refrigerator later. Also, when serving him the adequate snack, it is okay to let him know that there will be no more snacking until dinner.

It would be a good idea to find out how well he is eating at lunch. Sometimes lunchtime is almost too distracting for kids to eat well or if they are served something they don't like, they'll just go without.

Also, if dinner is much later than 6:00 or 6:30, this may be too long for him to go, and it wouldn't hurt to offer him another smaller snack to tide him over until dinner.

Either way, I wouldn't worry about how much he is eating, and don't make a big deal about it with him, either. Believe it or not, restriction will not help him in the long run. Definitely do NOT put locks on your cabinets or fridge. This will only make things worse. He would likely start stockpiling in his bedroom, and eating as much as he can whenever he gets the chance.

Hope this helps you. And above all else, if you still are concerned, take him to the doctor before you do anything drastic.

Thanks,
A.

Does your son eat a good breakfast each morning? What time is his lunch at school? My daughter's lunch is at 10:15! If she buys lunch she has to wait in line and only gets 10-15 minutes to eat. By the time she gets home at 4, she's starving. I have found that fixing her a small afterschool lunch works well. A whole-wheat tortilla rolled up with some meat and mayo provides fiber, a bit of fat and protien; essentials to satiety. After having theses snacks, she is still able to eat a good dinner.

One more thing about the fruit. Personally, if I eat a piece of friut for a snack, it can make me more hungry! I don't know if it's the sugar content or what, but it does. However, if I accompany the fruit with some protein, I don't have that problem. So make a peanut butter and banana sandwich or put peanut butter on apple slices or add a slice of cheese with it.

Popcorn is also a good fiber rich food. Clear soups are also good. My daughter also sometimes likes to have some ramen noodles for a snack. And keep in mind that it takes about 20 minutes after you eat for your brain to realize it is full. Hope this helps!

karate will increase his appetite fair warning. but it will be real good for him. give him more beans and salad save left overs for him to snack on. vegtables will fill him up real fast. lots of peanut butter high protien food. set rules you can eat the bologna and this small ziplock package of cheese but the rest are for dinner.
You can eat chicken (keep chicken legs in the fridge) buy him nuts pecans peanuts or whatever everything is high protien. Fish sticks, chicken nuggets, heat and eat sausage. Teach him to cook eggs and tell him you can eat 6 of the dozen. Let him eat what he wants but set rules. I did it with my kid the biggest rule is leave me enough milk to cook with. Cheese sticks would be a good idea too. Frozen pizzas also work. Anything high protien and vegtables will fill him up faster. Hes probably stocking up for growth spurt. Frozen burritoes is another thing I kept alot of. If you think about it you will find cheap high protien snacks for him that wont interefere with dinner. Make a big batch of burritoe filling and stuff to make his own burritoes. beans are cheap and are high in protien so is the hamburger and throw in some cheese. very filling you could also put in potatoes in the burritoes to make it more filling. trick I learned from a mexican. or use rice in stead of potatoes. Good luck

I would try to move up his dinner, or give him a more substantial snack when he first gets home from school. If he has something with protein it will hold him longer. If you really want him to have a later dinner, he could have a turkey or peanut butter sandwich when he first gets home. Sounds like you have a lot of good healthy choices around! Also have him drink a big glass of water -- he might be confusing thirst w/ hunger.

Both of my boys went through this in the 1st Grade. They ate lunch at 10:30, which was so early they were not really hungry and when they got home from school they were starving. I would feed them yogurt and other healthy snacks, but they were still hungry. I finally starting fixing them dinner! Instead of trying to fill them up with snacks at 3:30, they would go ahead and eat dinner and then have the snacks later in the evening. It was a bit of a nuisance, but my husband is never home early enough for a family dinner anyway. They both seemed to adjust after 1st grade and we didn't have to eat dinner so early. If he is not overweight, then I would not worry about it.

I agree with the mom who said he may be starving when he gets home due to very meager school lunches served really early. (Did you know some school cafeterias start serving at 10:30 AM?) Fruit is digested in only 20 min., so it is not a good hold-em-til-dinner snack. When he first gets home, you want to get some protein in him. I used to sweeten a bowl of PEANUT BUTTER with a few tablespoons of local raw HONEY, and let my kids dip apple wedges into it. I'd also let them make "ANTS ON A LOG" where they could smear peanut butter on a banana and stick raisins on it. Always get brands of peanut butter with NO trans fat (no hydrogenated vegetable oils). Schedule a mini-dinner right after school. It can be left-overs or a simple peanut butter & jelly sandwich & glass of milk . Avoid processed bleached-white-flour products. White flour is nutrient deficient - with empty calories. The brain doesn't get the nutrients it needs and keeps yelling to the body, "Feed me!" My mom gave us whole-grain breads and cereals. When we'd ask why we couldn't have WonderBread and Lucky Charms like our friends, she'd say, "You may as well eat the cardboard box. You'd get just as much nutrition as what's inside the box." In order to have empathy for your son, SKIP lunch. Just try it for a day or two. Tell yourself you can't eat a single thing between breakfast and the time your son gets home from school. By 3:30 pm, you'd be in the kitchen hungry right alongside him! You could ask him to help you prepare a healthy late lunch - early dinner for both of you. As you sit and eat, don't talk. Just listen. He'll fill the silence by telling you all about his day. All you have to say as you sit and eat your PB&J's together is, "Hmmm." "Is that right?" "Wow." "Interesting." (This last advice from my favorite book: "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk.")

Sounds like a growth spurt - keep the healthy stuff around, maybe talk to the pediatrician about what to do re. food supplies and growth spurts, and have a bin in the fridge for him to get the "growth spurt foods" so he doesn't deplete your supplies fo ryour planned meals.

Involve him in the shopping, too :)

Kids don't get enough to eat at school. They get all of 10-15 minutes to get in line, select their food, find a seat that's with their friends, get their food all arranged (like buttering the bread and stuff for adults), actually sit and bite, chew, and swallow, their food. If you could hide and watch the lunch room at a busy elementary school you would see. Then they go play , go to class, have recess, get out and come home with having had little food since breakfast, and did they even get to eat a filling breakfast?

Kids need more calories than adults and adult mealtimes don't work for kids either. If you eat between 5 and 6 pm then he needs a heavier protein snack with whole grains. Then he is also going to need a snack around 8-8:30pm. If you eat later, say 7-8 pm then you need to fix him a meal for after school snack. He is starving when he comes home and you're only giving him a couple of peices of fruit. Which is used up nearly immed.

If you feel you have very valid cause for concern then please talk to your pediatrician. Tell him your child has unquenchable hunger and have him tested.

I, too, have food put back for certain meals and get upset when someone gets into it. We live on SSI and make too much money (they classify it as unearned income) for food stamps, if it was earned income we could get hundreds of dollars a month in assistance. So my food budget is tight. You need to put that food up or go by it every other day or so. He needs a place he can have snacks that are approved by you where he can go get something to eat. It will take some time to teach him how much he can eat and that it has to last until you go to the store again.

My friend has a pull out cutting board in her kitchen. On the counter beside it she keeps whole wheat tortillas, peanut butter, rice cakes, oatmeal bars, etc...and in the fridge she has yogurt with fruit, shredded cheese, grapes, strawberries, etc...she has taught the kids to make cheese casadia's by putting the shredded cheese on the tortillas and heating it for 23 seconds in the microwave, they also have individual serving size microwave popcorn the can cook. They put it in and select the little picture of popcorn and it auto cooks.

BTW, her kids are 6 and 8. They have been fixing their own snacks and lunches for a couple of years. I don't let mine do as much as she does but it works for her.

You don't mention his being overweight. If he is not overweight, then you need to accept that your boy is just plain hungry. (If he is overweight, then he probably is still just hungry but you have other issues to deal with.) Boys grow a lot (esp at his age) and can be so hungry it hurts during this time. Just feed him. Quit trying to give him fruit as the only alternative (it isn't filling when you are starving, just kind of takes off the edge) and give the boy a sandwich and milk and fruit/carrot sticks when he first gets home. The sandwich and milk will fill him and the fruit will soothe his sweet craving. See if it really effects his dinner. It probably won't. When the growth spurt slows down his eating will slow down and you can cut out the sandwich or halve it. But beware! He will have plenty of periods like this. I'm in the middle of raising 4 boys, all who are active and thin, who often out-eat their dad or myself during growth spurts. When it starts to effect dinner then you lighten up on the snacks. There are times they want nothing for snack, then a month later they are trying to put the fridge down their throat. <g> Just supply the food and that will end the sneaking around the eating of food that is planned for supper.

VickiS

Is he gaining weight? You talked about his constant eating but nothing about weight gain. My oldest would go through stages like that he would eat everything in sight and start to get chunky than he would have a huge growth spurt and his eating would go back to normal. Is he eating because he is really hungry or because he is bored? If you want him outside take him to a park to play.

Your son sounds like my 5 year old daughter. I know she's hungry when she gets home, but after having a healthy snack, she wants more. I ask her to drink a glass of water first and then see if she's still hungry. I think sometimes she could be dehydrated, bored and/or tired. In fact sometimes I know she needs a nap based on how whiny her requests for food get.

With the weather improving, we're taking walks after school. I noticed she doesn't ask for food after we walk around the neighborhood or after we do Wii Fit or Fitness channel exercises together.

On a side note... we're investigating whether or not she has a gastrointestinal illness. She has juvenile arthritis and other autoimmune issues and I've always thought there was some gastrointestinal-link (b/c of other issues). Tests are showing inflammation so we're exploring further. Doctors initially didn't investigate because they said she is not "failing to thrive" which is a symptom of a GI issue (she's average height/weight). But I read that some kids can still have inflammation, but grow normally because they eat a lot. I don't know if there's a connection yet, but we should hopefully know in a few weeks.

I just watched Supper Nanny and this was a concern on the show. The kids were eating and eating and then when dinner time came they were not hungry. Her solution was to a canister for each child with the snacks in it that the child has already picked out themselves. When the snacks are gone they are gone. She had two healthy snacks and not so healthy one. I thought this was a great idea!

You didn't mention his weight...And I didn't get to read all responses but when my 5 year old comes home from school - he is hungry! All schools are different...with exercise...Mine every day outdoor plays (as weather permits) and 3x a week PE...They have a mid morning snack but he doesn't have lunch until 1p. And even then he gets too excited with his buddies to eat everything...Then it's outdoor play...run run run!! My son is thin so I know it's just that little boy metabolism....So unless there's a weight issue, your probably ok!

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This sounds like a growing spurt. It also sounds like he needs protein for snacks.. It also sounds like you house is stocked perfectly with lots of healthy choices, so let him eat a small meal when he gets home. Many children can eat a sandwich when they come home and then eat their dinner with no problem. What time does he eat lunch at school? 11:00am? by the time he gets home it is 3:00? He is really hungry. And if he is really active and his mind is really working well, his body needs fuel.

He also could have a very fast metabolism. There are many people who need more food to keep their energy going this does not mean he has an eating disorder. The Karate will be perfect, but I promise you he will be thirsty and starving after each practice so take along a healthy snack in the car for the ride home.

Your child is probably just growing. Kids are hungry when they get home from school. He probably needs a snack larger than a fruit at 330. Cheese n crackers is not a bad snack if he has that at 330 vs a fruit, and, and... Children usually eat lunch between 11 and 12 so at home its mealtime not snack. Just a thought. For exercise take him to a park regularly or go out with him. Just a thought

I agree with Cindy. My daughter has an early lunch and she is starved when she gets home at 4:00. She has a mini-meal at that time which keeps her from snacking on the wrong foods. However, kids in a growing spurt will eat more and more often than usual so that could be the case. As long as they are eating healthy, I wouldn't worry. I have also heard that if a child keeps eating the same thing (craving) that they may need a vitamin supplement.

I didn't have time to read the responses, but I was dealing w/this w/my 7yr old too. So I started giving her a full meal when she gets home instead of constant snacking. We get home about 2:50pm each day and now I make her eat something more than a snack. Either a sandwich or bowl of cereal or bowl of soup or if I have some leftover chicken or meat in the fridge i will make her a tortilla roll-up. Something that will fill her up all the way until dinner. Cuz if I only give her a piece of fruit it only holds her over for a short time then its back to the kitchen again and again...then by dinner she is full from all the snacking! So try filling him up the first time around and see if that helps...sure has helped in my situation!

Sounds like he might be eating out of boredom. If he isn't getting outdoor playtime after school then he has learned to cope with boredom by eating. At school they only get about one 20 minute recess and PE twice a week. He needs another hour at least of physical playtime after school.

It sounds like he is hungry for something and isn't getting it. Maybe leave some leftovers in an individual container so he can have a full meal after school. If he fills up once maybe he won't keep looking. And young bodid and brains burn a lot of energy so I wouldn't worry about crackers for a snack. Just get whole grain without tons of sweetner and enjoy! Also try more protein and beneficial fats in the snack, like peanut butter or deli turkey. You might look online to get ideas of recommended calorie intake for his size/age for a guideline. I bet he is probably storing up for a growth spurt an next he will outgrown his shoes once a week! :)

Is he over weight now? If not then obviously his metabolism is high and he needs the food. My son, age 13, currently eats 4000 calories a day and is as thin as a rail. Every person is different. Locking food away and shaming him into not eating could cause him to develop an eating disorder later in life.

I think you're doing the right thing by having healthy snacks. My son and my nephew are bottomless pits as well. When I think back I ate a lot too as a child. They are growing and they need to eat. If you are concerned about weight gain put them in a sport, get them Wii sports, but a jump rope, small or trampoline. There are more ways to get exercise just be creative! God bless you GREAT MOM!!!

Personally, I don't think there is a problem with him wanting to eat that much. If you are home after school, why don't you prepare him something with more protein that will hold him over until dinner time? I recently saw a recipe with a tortilla wrap with peanut butter and apples inside it. That sounds like a great snack to me.

My son is almost 7 and eats like yours does. After dinner, I just let him go to town in the fridge with whatever healthy snacks he wants to eat - we keep cheese, yogurt, jello, applesauce, crackers - just for this type of snacking.

Good luck!
L.

My big question would be: Does he do this on the weekends too?

He *does* need more activity. He sits in school all day, not allowed to get up and only one recess that is about 20 minutes of actual play time. He might be going from 11 until he gets home from school before he gets to eat. My daughter is 7 and eats every 2 hours. When she was in school, they had lunch at 10:30am (and I am NOT kidding about the time - it really was that early). They didn't have any snacks at all, so she was going from 11am until we got home from school at 3:30 without eating. That is 4.5 hours, which is a loooong time for that age. When she got home, it was like she couldn't stop eating - because her blood sugar was low and she was craving food. She is 7 now and still eats every 2 hours. I keep healthy foods, like raw veggies and fruits, nuts, etc. for her to eat.

If you need a recommendation for a good karate place, let me know. My daughter is in karate and we LOVE the place we are at. It's in N. Frisco.