Why Does My 3 Year Old Always Want More Food?

Just remember he is 3 and there still leaning. If he had breakfast and he wants what you are eating. It might be that he does not want to feel felt out. What If you husband was having pizza and you had a salad, would you want a bit of his pizza? My kids did it to. We would go out to eat and they would get something different than me. At first I gave them some. Then I stop and said you ordered it, you will eat it or do not eat, and I’m not going to give you mine. If it was something they had never tried I would give them a bit and say just remember the next time we come here you can have this. Hope this helps

My kids think food always looks better when it's on mine or their dad's plate. Even if they just ate a huge meal, if either of us eat after them, they always wanted some. I stopped it early by telling them it was my meal, they already had theirs. Their dad indulges them and they still do it to him now several years later. I had 1 that had that extra super hungry phase for way too long. I started offering a glass of water. They had to drink the water, wait 10-15 minutes, then if still hungry I would serve them a snack. Occasionally they were still hungry, most of the time, that's all it took. Oh, I tried this after I had heard little kids can't always tell the difference between hungry and thirsty.

I think he is hungry. During grow spurts my son, who is 4, can pack it away! Like the other mama said...if he does not have a weight problem then by all means...let him eat (as long as it is not junk food). My son goes though periods where he won’t eat much for days and then he goes though periods where he wants everything in sight. I try to allow him to develop his own eating habits (like when he eats and how much) but at the same time I make sure he is eating healthy foods most of the time. You can't decide for a child when they are hungry or full...that is something they have to do all on their own from day one. As for the tantrums, if this is really the only time you are having problems with tantrums then it is most likely that he is just hungry. Hope this helps! Good Luck!

I think if a 3 yr. old says he's hungry, feed him. When he's done, ask if he wants more. If he's away from the table, make him sit back down. If time is a issue, give him something he can eat in the car on the go like dry cereal in a baggie, grapes, whatever. I always have snacks in my purse and car when I've got kids along. Kids go through all kinds of phases where they do or don't eat. (I remember when my 2 yr. old would eat 3 or 4 bowls of Cheerios for breakfast, and nothing the rest of the day.) I don't think he's pushing your buttons. If you're hungry, you can get your own food--he relies on someone else to feed him. In a year, you'll be on this site trying to figure out how to get him to eat!! Let him decide how much he needs to eat and see if the tantrums disappear.

Why would it not be okay for him to have more food? Is he overweight? If not, then by all means let him have some of what you are having if he asks. It isn't like he left a bowl full of oatmeal because he changed his mind. If he cleans his plate and wants more healthy nutritious food then it seems to me he is still hungry. I am amazed at what my 2 year old nephew can eat compared to my seven year old son (both are extremely active). My son has always been a light eater and my nephew can pack away as much food as me. Each kid is different. Unless there is a weight concern, let your son figure out when he is full or he will grow up to have food issues.

He's not whining for cupcakes...let him eat!
You'd be surprised how much little kids can eat.
You'd be surprised how many moms beg their kids to eat ANYTHING.
If he's not overweight, I wouldn't worry. Everything he wanted was healthy.
If my kids said they were hungry even after breakfast or lunch, or even dinner, I let them have fruit. They were not picky eaters. It's not like they refused anything I served and wanted something else instead. My kids would want fresh raw green beans or peas out of the garden, yogurt, some berries.
I think you should be happy your child has a good appetite. Just because you already served him breakfast doesn't have to mean a waffle and some cereal and yogurt doesn't sound really good to him too.
There's no need for 15 minute tantrums.
If he wants some of what you're having, let him have it.

I go through this from time to time with our 4 yr old. Sometimes it's boredom or the fact that she wants everything she sees. I keep her out of the kitchen now and hide the things I don't want her to have. A schedule has also helped. If she wants food outside of snack or meal time then I choose what she can have (fruits and veggies). I don't allow large snacks before meal time. I also don't eat in front of her if I don't want her to ask for what I'm eating or I eat fruits and veggies in front of her. I spend time hiding in my room scarfing down food sometimes so she can't see! Kids want everything they see. On the average at that age they are hungry every few hours.

Sounds like mine. Very rarely do I enjoy a meal to my myself.

My daughter's like this. I have to admit, it does drive me crazy. We're working on getting her to think with her stomach, not with her eyes.

Here's some stuff that helps.

If I think she's had enough, I tell her that she has to wait 5 minutes. If she's still hungry in 5 minutes, she can have something else. Sometimes it just takes our stomachs a little while to catch up.

If I'm having something to eat and she wants it, I tell her she can have one bite, but it's my breakfast/lunch whatever. Honestly, this is more about manners than it is about food. No one likes to be harassed into giving up their lunch!

If she's finished everything she's asked for, I check in with her to see if she's full, and then I remind her that she can't have something else to eat for 2 hours. If she leaves food behind, I tell her that's fine, but she can't have something else for 2 hours.

If she asks for something to eat and I think that she's not really hungry/isn't going to like it, etc the rule is that she has to eat at least half of it. So we used to have a big battle about yogurt - she was sure she liked it, but she'd always take one bite and decide she wasn't hungry. Finally I said if she asked for yogurt, that was all she got to eat until it was gone. It only took one time of having yogurt for snack and then the same one for lunch for her to realize that she didn't like it and to stop asking for it. Same thing with the "I want more/I'm full!" I DON'T believe in the clean plate club, but I also don't believe in wasting food and not thinking before you ask for more. It makes her more hesitant to ask for thirds if she knows she's really going to have to eat it all.

Finally, I often say to her "listen to your belly." Sometimes she'll decide that she only wants a "little bit" or will have more later.

Sorry this got so long. I do know the conflict between not wanting to starve a hungry child and having a child who learns that constant eating is not ok or healthy. Good luck.

I think he's just trying to test the waters and seeing just how far you will go with his requests. Did he get cereal and if so, did he eat it all? If so, maybe it's a growth spurt.

When my kids whine, I walk them to their bedrooms and tell them to come out when they are done (it usually takes less than 2 minutes).

3 years is about the age when they try to see just how much they can get away with. - just show him you call the shots and don't always give in and it too will pass (in about a year) :).

This is late but my nearly 3 year old regularly eats a full bowl of oatmeal and applesauce for breakfast and sometimes asks for more. What I would typically do is offer something she will eat but doesn't love (fruit or veggies, etc., rather than the treat-like cereal bar she will ask for) and if she's truly hungry she'll take it. If not, she won't. Up to her. Obviously if they're hungry, which they often are, you want to feed them.

So, I know you posted "what happened" but I just felt I just add that we deal with this a lot too and I have to agree with Jane M, that I think it's more about manners and being hungry with your eyes. I do agree that 3 year olds can eat a surprising amount and for the most part when a toddler says they're hungry, they are. BUT, they are also learning the manipulation tactics at this age! My daughter, 3 next month, does the same thing for breakfast...wants something on her own and then if I eat a different thing she wants that too. She could easily eat a packet of oatmeal, applesauce and more (on some days anyway). You don't necessarily have to give him another meal, maybe just more applesauce or other fruit or a little more milk. Sometimes I tell her I'm happy to make you oatmeal, but I'm having waffles, do you still want oatmeal?? Sometimes she changes her mind and sometimes she doesn't but either way she's made her choice and there's no going back. I do think your response should about manners and not being wasteful. I like the idea of offering a bite or two but then saying no, this is my breakfast, I do that too. If your son is truly hungry, then by all means, let him eat, but I'm not so sure it's not a way to test his boundaries to get everything he asks for.

It could be hunger..

but maybe its just that he wants what you guys are having.,
My son is ALWAYS watching what we eat. If it's not the same as what he has he bugs us for some of ours.

Kids always go through times when they eat constantly. You don't want a child with food issues. He might have been satisfied with one or two bites of your food, why should he feel bad sharing food with a parent as long as he knows its only family he shares with, if he ate more than that, then make more. You decide how much you need to eat why should he be different, he's not old enough yet to have too many nefarious reasons to be acting this way, you don't want him to think he won't be able to be full or he will start hoarding and overeating, I think this would be the thing you should worry about. I had a doctor once tell me that children have a better feeling about what their needs are than adults, so let him decide as long as he's not wasting food.
I watched my MIL make my nephews into neurotic foodies, first she would tell them they had to eat, then complain when they ate too much, it was never just right, those boys have so many food issues and of course they are overweight as they never got to trust their own instincts, they only got to hear her complain and force them into what she thought they should eat! Just some things to think about.

I have two boys (8 and 2) and am constantly amazed at how much they can eat. I kept a food journal on my two year old earlier this year and he consistantly eats 2500 calories a day. That's more than my husband! My eight year old can eat more than that during wrestling season. I took the journal to my doctor and he said that as long as my son is healthy I should let him eat when he's hungry. Everyone is different and some people just need more food. As long as his health and weight are good, I think you should let him eat.

well he may have still been hungry. my kids always ate 2 packets of oatmeal as 1 wasn't enough for them. They always ate 2 boxes of cereal when they got those small variety boxes.

If you all eat at the same time all together at the table then he probably wouldn't be asking for the other foods. It is important to establish good healthy eating and having a schedule helps. I notice when we don't eat together as a family the kids tend to eat all day long grabbing stuff as they go along the day and never seem to be satisfied as they tend to grab the quick to eat high carb, high calorie type foods. They don't usually pick veggies on their own and usually missing the protein foods too.

Don't make your home a restaurant! Serve the same to everybody & you'll eliminate this issue. It's amazing how smells & sights can trigger your appetite or trick you into thinking you need to eat! & yes, a 3y.o. can be hungry after eating what he had for breakfast.

One of the things which really helps set the pace (in my daycare).....is the little sing-song we use daily: lunchtime, naptime, snacktime, mommy time. Even the < 2 y.o.s will use this little ditty to orient themselves in our daily routine! & odder than odd, we rarely need this for mornings.....they're just so full that there is no time to think about food/mom/etc!