My Son Is Always Hungry Need Help with Healthy Filling Foods

maybe have a special spot in the fridge dedicated to healthy snacks pre-packed in little snack sized ziplock bags... things like apple slices, low sodium pretzels, baby carrots etc, and a water bottle that stays full for him to drink out of. That way he can graze healthy and you don't spend a lot of time preparing things. When my daughter tells me she's hungry (which is about 50 times a day) the first thing I tell her is to drink a glass of water. This can help keep a fuller tummy without going right to food.

Don't forget avocado! A great healthy fat that'll keep him satisfied.

What about a healthy smoothie? Just blend frozen berries, a banana, and some milk (cow's, or soy/rice/almond alternative) and half an avocado. You can add peanut butter or almond butter as well to up the fat/calorie content and sweetness.

And if you're REALLY sneaky...you can throw in some handfuls of raw spinach or swiss chard....blend it with the milk first before throwing in the fruit, etc. Blueberries especially hide the green. Flaxseed (ground) too.

Good luck!

Been there, done that! :) My son is the same way when he's "growth spurting". I agree with the earlier post that says no more carbs, add proteins. Here are some of the snacks I feed him.
- Peanut butter toast (very filling/good protein)
- String cheese (again good protein)
- Fruits like grapes, bananas (very filling) and apples (the apples are even tastier if there are some slices of a good cheddar cheese to mix them in the mouth with)
- Ants on a Log (celery stalks filled with peanut butter with raisins set on the peanut butter.)
- Yogurt (my son loves the go-gurts and Trix yogurt, they're a little higher in sugar, but I think that's a reasonable compromise to get him to eat them)
- cottage cheese (good dairy and protein and you can mix it with some canned pineapple or peaches to make it yummier)
- fresh cut veggies with ranch for dipping (not as popular as some of the others, but with ranch, kids will eat just about anything)
- Graham crackers is a really good carb to add, it will keep him full longer than refined carbs.
- Chocolate milk (good way to make sure he's drinking plenty of milk and chocolate milk is a touch more filling than regular.)
- scrambled whole eggs (good protein and calories to keep him full)
- baked beans (good protein/folic acid/fiber)
- tuna fish sandwiches (great for protein and Omega 3's for brain development)
- Cream of wheat (yes it's a carb, but it's also loaded with iron and calcium)

Well, I hope this helps. You could try combining a couple of these at a time. One of my son's favorite snacks is peanut butter toast (cross cut into triangles of course :) with a string cheese and grapes. Also, don't be shy to feed him like this even for full meals if he resists regular dishes. As long as he's getting what he needs, you can fight the dinner battle later when he's older.

D.

If he's having a hard time feeling full for very long then the last thing you want to do is up his carbs since they don't last very long, what he needs are healthy proteins like soy, nuts, fish and chicken. Also if you start his meals with the protein and end with something really high in fiber then it will help him feel full faster and longer. Most likely he is just going through a growth spurt and just needs the extra protein to support all that new growth.
A little extra healthy fat, like Canola oil, won't hurt either but when I say a little I literally mean a tsp-tbsp more is all. (Smart Balance spread is great for healthy fats because it has a lot of the Omega 3 fats too.)
I hope this helps.

First, I'd say ask his doctor, for recommendations and advice. carbs are what fill you up quickly, protein keeps you full. Peanut butter, nuts, tofu, meat. I'd give him all the fruits and veggies he wants, and watch the other stuff. Also, they're never too young to eat for taste or boredom, whatever doctors used to say. Breastfed babies sometimes do it (like my chubby son), so never too young.

S.:

Hello! If he's gaining weight AND having normal bowel movements, his urine doesn't smell funky and his breath doesn't have a sweet smell to it, etc.) I would say feed him. Healthy snacks.

Carbs do not fill one up - they just give the extra "gas" to keep the engine going. Protein fills one up - beans, peanut butter, meat. Popcorn is a good filler as well as yogurt. Most fruit (oranges, grapes, apples, kiwi, etc.) has a water content which also gives one the feeling of fullness.

If he's losing weight and has sweet smelling breath or anything else like that - I would ask the pediatrician if he has juvenile diabetes.

If it's not that - does he have a tape worm? While most symptoms for a tapeworm are fevers, abdominal pain and diarreha - increased appetite is one as well. While tapeworms are uncommon in the United States, it can happen.

Ask the pediatrician to run some tests on his blood and urine to rule out any health problems. Low Thyroid issues can cause hunger pains as well.

I would also like to point out that stomach growling although commonly heard and thought to be hunger pains or an empty stomach - it is not - this sound is caused by the muscle activity in the stomach and intestines. The contractions of the muscles produce vibrations which then cause the "rumbling noise" in the abdomen.

I hope this information helps. Your son may just need to eat more regularly than others - like a diabetic - 5 or 6 smaller meals filled with proteins.

Take care. Keep us posted!

Sometimes when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty. I would encourage you to have him drink a lot. Mostly water, but milk may serve both purposes -- hydration and it is filling. I do this myself. When I am hungry, I drink water first to see if I really am hungry.

You could also look to some high protein cereals -- my kids love Kashi Go Lean and Kashi Go Lean Crunch. As long as you are watching his carbs and sugar (not letting them get to high), I think frequent eating is not a problem. If he is higher on the charts for weight or if he seems to hit sugar lows and mood swings (or a real drop in energy level), then I would make a visit to the doctor.

Good luck!

I've learned that protein is the key. If you start the day with protein, it is very helpful, as well. Bananas, french toast (because it has egg and milk), a slice of turkey or chicken, eggs, yogurt all work well. Ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins) and mini pizzas made from english muffins are fun. It is difficult keeping boys full. We homeschool, so I have definite snack times so they focus on their work, not food.

Dear S.,
I am a paraprofessional in the healthcare field and I am blessed to be mentored by a wealth of highly degreed healthcare professionals. The general consensus of thought amongst them all is that hunger is still present when the exact nutrients our bodies need are not available. In other words, any one of us can fill up on calories, but we might well still be hungry if our cells aren't getting the exact nutrients they need to grow and thrive.
That being said, the majority of us, child and adult alike, lack enough fruits and vegetables in our daily diets, even more lacking ones which are raw and varied in type.
A few years ago, in 2005, the US Dept of Health and Human Services, came out with new recommendations for daily consumption of fruits and veggies. Did you know that your son, as a 4 year old boy, is supposed to be having 6 servings of fruits and veggies a day for optimal health?
Additionally, the recommendation goes further in that the fruits abd veggies (F/V) we eat should be raw and of the full color spectrum. That's because raw F/V offer enzymes which repair the body and aid in digestion of all foods. Each color of a fruit or veggie represents a different antioxidant which repairs a different part of the body.
As a helpful way to accomplish that goal, one of my mentors, Pediatrician Dr. Bill Sears, recommends offering children a tray of healthy foods each day to snack on. He suggests taking a muffin pan each morning and filling it with a variety of raw fruits and veggies and having them sit out alongside your child for him/her to snack on at his/her will throughout the day as he/she plays.
Nevertheless, if you still find it hard to be able to make certain your son gets the F/V nutrients he needs, I can offer you a solution, if you care to know. I am a rep for a company which offers 17 fruits, veggies and grains in gummies or chewables for children and backed by 13 published medical studies. Moms love them because it takes all of the guesswork out of whether or not their child is getting an adequate amount.
I love to recommend them because there are independent, peer-reviewed, medical journal published studies proving significant improvements in heart health biomarkers as well as immune health biomarkers as a result of consuming them! :)
Well, I hope my input has blessed and helped you. If you are interested in knowing more about my product, you can email me at ____@____.com.
Blessings!
J. F.

cheese seems to fill my guy up. also mac n cheese, or mac and butter with cheese. put butter or olive oil on the vegetables for extra calories -- it's ok for them. butter on bread is a fave also.

One thing that I do personally is try drinking a glass of water first whenever I think I am hungry. Most of the time I am satisfied by the water (people rarely drink enough water!) and realize it wasn't hunger at all. HOwever, when food is what is called for, proteins are what satisfies the body. Carbs may satisfy the sweet tooth or curb the hunger momentarily, but they just give us energy that doesn't last very long. So I go for snacks such as
Peanut butter spoon
cottage cheese
cheese stick
yogurt
and fruits and vegetables!!! F&V are low in calories so can help by filling the stomach and providing necessary nutrients while not "fattening us up"

good luck!

one suggestion, oat meal is healthy and filling.... how about fruit? lean protein and whole grains in general are good, healthy and filling. carbs that are too processed (food with a lot of sugar or which contain regular flour) or will provoke peaks in the blood sugar and will make him hungry very quickly once the glucose levels drop sharply.

My son(5) is hungry alot too, but he's a 'drinker'- buy a juicer and try replacing those extra meals with healthy juiced drinks and smoothies. Given the right ingredients (there are several books/recipes on the market) it will fuel him right up! We got the Jack la Lanne Brand at Costco, just under $100, and it can with an awesome recipe book. Many of these vege/fuit combo can be mixed with yogurts and tofu's extra protein and filling capacity. Apple season is upon up- a few apples in the mix will cover the taste of any 'nasty' vege! I found that Jonagold's are particularly sweet and juicy for this time of the year and cover the the taste of the 'greens' very well. Also to mention, my son LOVES to help throw stuff in the juicer(Mommy's tools) and it has helped in the 'let's try this' department. Good luck!

Your best bets are whole grains- pancakes, muffins and the like can all be made into healthy versions with whole grain flour and you may also be able to refrigerate some items for later use. Stay away from the simple carbs like most pastas as they actually leave paste in the digestive tract causing problems. Try to go organic since wheat is always Genetically engineered otherwise and hence a high allergen food. Yogurt and kefirs are also great and you can blend them into smoothies and sneak in all types of good stuff. Good luck!

S.,
My kids love wheat cracker or whole grain crackers with peanut butter or cream cheese.

It's normal. My mom always told me at some point until she's in school she will eat lots of snacks. Just make sure they are healthy. I give her Crackers with cheese or toast with butter. I'll offer he yogurt. Very seldom does she get sweets because it's just not good for her and she doesn't eat alot at once and i don't want her to waist that small amount with junk. My daughter eats like 2 or 3 snacks before lunch and after breakfast and a few small snacks before dinner. I also make sure her meals are small. They don't keep her from eating snacks no matter what and figure i need to make sure I'm not filling her up it will only cause her to eat alot and make her fat.

Not sure how you structure meal and snack times, but it would be a great idea to add two snacks to the 3-meals-a-day if you haven't already. Planning for a snack time at least 2 hours before a regular mealtime may help him not ask for food as often and help fuel his growing body - after all, those little bellies can't hold a lot of food at once! I would guess that if you never gave your son food for a reason other than hunger (feeding him to stop him from crying as an older baby, etc.) than you are probably right about him not eating out of boredom. As long as he is active and maintains a healthy weight, you can feed him all the healthy food he seems to need (within reason, of course!) :)

If you're already doing that, perhaps a filling breakfast would be a good way to start the day. Oatmeal cooked with milk and a small amount of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon or jam would be a healthy start. Eggs are also a high-quality protein that will help fill him and you can even add a little grated cheese and maybe a spoonful of (mild!) salsa. When trying to fill up on healthy foods think of what nutrients fill us up - first is fiber, 2nd is protein, 3rd is fat, 4th is complex carbohydrates (aka whole grains). The oatmeal has great fiber and complex carbs and the eggs have protein - add a little from the other food groups, especially veggies, and you can have a nutritious and tasty meal. The same fiber-protein-fat-carbs rule is true any time of day, so you can certainly apply it at any meal or snack. Also, try serving the 'same old thing' in a new way - think shapes (cookie cutters) or making 'trees' out of broccoli and things like that. Perhaps asking your son help you prepare his food will help him be more adventurous with new foods.

Here are a few other food combos:

apple wedges and PB (try coring it, slicing into rings and making a 'sandwich' - even add raisins on the PB. My kids love this!)

cheese stick and pear slices

tuna or chicken salad (light on the mayo)

hard boiled egg

2% fat yogurt with banana cut up and mixed together

PB and banana sandwiches, always using whole grain breads

These are all things my two kids eat and LOVE - Hopefully that helps! You can always check the American Dietetic Association's website for sound nutrition advice at any stage of life - www.eatright.org. Also, your pediatrician may have brochures about ideas to help young kids eat healthy foods. Stick to the Food Guide pyramid and you'll give your son a great, healthy start!

You may want to balance his meals so that he gets the nutrients he needs. It's not about adding more carbs, protein, fats. It's about balancing.

- Pasta salad w/broccoli, peppers, and meat of choice.
- Soups and stews work very well to satiate. Choose from thousands of recipes on the internet.
- Good quality kefir to keep the bacteria in the gut working well.
- I'd steer clear of juices, cookies, cakes, or any other junk foods. His body needs nutrients, not fillers.

Hope this helps,

~L.
www.bodyrules.com

My son loves this cinnamon raisin oatmeal: In a good size pot put 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 cup raisins, 2 cups 1 minute oatmeal, 4 1/2 cups milk. Bring to simmer, cook 1 minute, put in portion size bowls and refrigerate up to a week. For those raw veggies, my son will eat almost anything dipped in one package of Italian dressing (a dry flaky mix found over the bottled dressings) and a 16 oz container of sour cream. So easy. He also eats a yogurt every day. We just discovered soy crisps in the chip isle that the whole family loves. Good luck!

I have had this issue with my son. With him it is that he is bored. He doesn't do this at school and he is there from 8:30-3:00. He may also just be thirsty and can't tell the difference between hunger & thirst. I have gone to only 3 meals & two snacks (big if they need to be). If he is hungry any other time he gets a drink (water or milk). Just a thought. But for my son it is certainly tied to being bored!! Don't have thoughts on snacks as I am often looking for them myself :) If you are worried about your son's picky habits there is a good book you might enjoy. The name is "How to Get Your Child to Eat, but Not Too Much"

I am a big fan of muffins. My kids think they are cupcakes, which is fine by me, and I can put so much good stuff in them (I use whole wheat flour, carrots, pumpkin, wheat germ, dried fruit, etc). They love to help me cook, so they also enjoy helping me make them. I use the recipe in the what to expect the toddler years book a lot, and just add what I want. They also freeze well, and are easy to take places. My two year old son is very picky, but muffins are always a hit, and that way I know he's getting a really healthy snack even when he doesn't eat a lot during meals.