Problem with 16mo eating too much

Contrary to common known fussy eaters, I can't seem to find advice or articles about a toddler who will not stop eating.

My partner and I are afraid that we've created a bad habit by allowing our DD to constantly graze on cheerios, fruit, arrowroot bikkies, raisins etc healthy snacks in between main meals fortunately. We have used it as a way to keep her quiet, but she's been conditioned now that when she whinges, we give her something to eat... So much that, at day care, she steals the other kids' food.

I'm just wondering if anyone has the same experience with their bub? What should we do?? sad huh wacko

Grazing isn't necessarily a bad thing. You just need to change what she is grazing on and you need to never ever use food for either a reward or to change a behavior. If she is whinging, go and play with her. Find something else to hold her attention. get a bubble wand or a cool puzzle. When kids whinge, its for a reason and its usually predictable. get them doing something before they start so they don't need too. I find after about 3 is when they are heading into whinging territory, so I try and have dinner sorted out before then, or thats when i set them up with a fun activity.

If you suddenly restrict food, this will have a negative effect as she will want what she can;t have creating a bad food attitude. Make her a shelf that she has free access to, with things like grapes, strawberries, raisins, cheese crackers etc. Put the food out that you are happy for her to eat (Avoid processed sugar such as the cheerios, arrowroot biscuits) and in what quantity. Let her have free access so she has control over it. Put in a couple of water bottles as well.

The only way you can change it is to change your attitudes towards food. As soon as you use it for anything other then what it is, you change the rules.

Thanks! That's really sound advice! smile She does start the whinging after 4/5pm... Especially when she does watch me go to the kitchen and begin to prepare dinner! blink

I guess we didn't really think about the consequences of just handing food for her whenever. We recently set-up a little table for her to sit and have her meals. She has a water bottle there all the time, and now I leave a container with snacks in it for her to access all the time.

I was just curious if she should be having a "set time" for snacks? I did read somewhere that grazing is normal for toddlers, but maybe everyone's definition of 'grazing' is different? roll eyes

She's really not a fussy eater at all. My problem is actually trying to get her to stop eating everyone's food... even after she has hers! wacko And when I say 'everyone'... she has gone up to strangers in a cafe/restaurant and stared at their food, or tries to steal off their plate!

Fortunately for me, she's too cute for them to be annoyed... haha laugh laugh tongue laugh laugh

lol, I think thats just something some of them do. Not so much because they are terribly hungry, but because they might have interesting food. Obviously because they are cute and have big fluttery eyelashes, strangers just hand over whatever they are eating. lol

I don't do a set time for snacks. The kids (5 and 2) can access the foods I want them too whenever. We have breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and the kids can access fruit, cheese, sometimes natural popcorn etc in between. I change it around. There is usually a shelf in the fridge for them - usually full of easy to eat fruit such as apples and grapes. Morning and afternoon tea is when they get more substantial stuff like a yogurt, slice, custard and fruit etc.

Your little one is still quite young, so I think what you are doing is great! With the dinner whinging - get her involved. Sit her on the bench and get her mixing. When mine were that age I used to give them containers with their own ingredients and they could either cook with them or eat them. I used to give coconut, almond meal, natural yog and sultanas. It means they are busy, while you get stuff done and they are copying you as well as being involved with dinner prep. Giving her some dough is fun sometimes as well.

She sounds quite normal and I don't necessarily think you giving her food for behavior has made her start stealing food. I think that is what some kids do. But I do think you should stop the food for behavior bit now as that is how food issues arise. Fussy eaters are created....
All the best with it!

Zoey Sheppard wrote:
Contrary to common known fussy eaters, I can't seem to find advice or articles about a toddler who will not stop eating.

My partner and I are afraid that we've created a bad habit by allowing our DD to constantly graze on cheerios, fruit, arrowroot bikkies, raisins etc healthy snacks in between main meals fortunately. We have used it as a way to keep her quiet, but she's been conditioned now that when she whinges, we give her something to eat... So much that, at day care, she steals the other kids' food.

I'm just wondering if anyone has the same experience with their bub? What should we do?? sad huh wacko

From what I've read constant grazing is actually quite bad for their teeth. When we eat (esp fruit or sugary food), the pH in our mouths becomes more acidic and this is when tooth erosion and decay begin. Our mouths remain in an acidic state for about 20 minutes after eating. The more often we eat, the more frequently our teeth are attacked and are likely to decay.

So for that reason I stick to set times for eating with no snacking or grazing in between....to give his teeth a rest. My son has breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and then milk half an hour before bed. It usually works out that he is eating every 2 hours during his awake times. I'm not a total nazi about it though. If he's hungry half and hour before morning tea then we just have it early etc. And he does occassionally steal a bite of what me or my husband are eating...but it's not a daily habit.

Even though dried fruit like raisins are 'natural' they are not necessarily healthy as the sugars in the fruit become concentrated with drying and also they are sticky so cling to the teeth. Also, you tend to eat a lot more dried fruit than if it was fresh...think about how many dried apricots you can wolf down whereas if they were fresh you'd probably only eat 1 or 2. If you do give her something sugary then it's a good idea to follow it with some cheese as the milk protein it contains has protective qualities for the teeth.

Hope that helps smile

Chel-Belle wrote:
Zoey Sheppard wrote:
Contrary to common known fussy eaters, I can't seem to find advice or articles about a toddler who will not stop eating.

My partner and I are afraid that we've created a bad habit by allowing our DD to constantly graze on cheerios, fruit, arrowroot bikkies, raisins etc healthy snacks in between main meals fortunately. We have used it as a way to keep her quiet, but she's been conditioned now that when she whinges, we give her something to eat... So much that, at day care, she steals the other kids' food.

I'm just wondering if anyone has the same experience with their bub? What should we do?? sad huh wacko

From what I've read constant grazing is actually quite bad for their teeth. When we eat (esp fruit or sugary food), the pH in our mouths becomes more acidic and this is when tooth erosion and decay begin. Our mouths remain in an acidic state for about 20 minutes after eating. The more often we eat, the more frequently our teeth are attacked and are likely to decay.

So for that reason I stick to set times for eating with no snacking or grazing in between....to give his teeth a rest. My son has breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and then milk half an hour before bed. It usually works out that he is eating every 2 hours during his awake times. I'm not a total nazi about it though. If he's hungry half and hour before morning tea then we just have it early etc. And he does occassionally steal a bite of what me or my husband are eating...but it's not a daily habit.

Even though dried fruit like raisins are 'natural' they are not necessarily healthy as the sugars in the fruit become concentrated with drying and also they are sticky so cling to the teeth. Also, you tend to eat a lot more dried fruit than if it was fresh...think about how many dried apricots you can wolf down whereas if they were fresh you'd probably only eat 1 or 2. If you do give her something sugary then it's a good idea to follow it with some cheese as the milk protein it contains has protective qualities for the teeth.

Hope that helps smile

I think it depends what you are grazing on really. You wouldn't spend a day eating dried fruits, you would eat maybe a tablespoon in a day. It all depends on what you make available to them. You don't put things out you don't want them to eat. You provide foods that are good for the teeth - such as cheese and avoid processed foods. A kid won't eat continuously all day even if they have food available to them. (healthy nutritious, non processed foods. If you give them biscuits, sultanas, chips and yogurts then they might try!) If they are doing lots of activities and are stimulated then they shouldn't be having time to continue going to help themselves. The snacks are on offer for when they are genuinely hungry. My kids are 2 and 5 and they have always had snacks available to them. Even if its just a drawer of apples in the fridge or a bowl of watermelon cut up. They eat at all meal times, aren't fussy, can regulate their own eating. Some days they don't eat any snacks, other days they eat everything and request more.