Do your kids have good appetites?

United States
January 2, 2009 7:19pm CST
I guess I just don't normally notice at home because I'm used to the way my kids eat, but others have commented on what good appetites my kids have. New Years Day we went out to breakfast at Denny's. We don't go out to eat often anymore, at least not at a sit down restaurant. Instead of ordering kid's meals, I ordered each child an adult sized breakfast. They each got 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, and 2 pieces of meat, either sausage or bacon. The toddler got a kid size meal of about the same thing. We ordered 1 egg for the baby and I shared my sausage and hash browns with him. Hubby and I got rather large meals ourselves. By the end of the meal, every plate was wiped clean, not a crumb of food left, aside from the bits the baby spilled on the floor. The waitress came by and was astonished that my kids finished their meals. She said her kids probably wouldn't have even touched their food. Once I thought about it, I could recall about a dozen times that someone has commented on my kid's appetites, but I never thought anything of it. As I said, I'm used to the way my kids eat and have come to expect it. My kids have always been very good eaters, and they aren't very picky at all. But they're not fat either, they're all rather thin... actually my oldest is stick thin, but he eats like a horse! Are your kids good eaters? Can they eat large, adult sized meals?
1 person likes this
14 responses
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
3 Jan 09
My son had a really good appetite for the longest time, but when he started taking his medicine for his ADHD a little over a year ago his appetite practically disappeared. On the days I let him not take his medicine he eats like crazy all day. He used to eat an Extra Value Meal from McDonald's all by himself. My daughter has always had a pretty good appetite. If she is turning down food you know she is not feeling well. She can eat an entire Double Cheeseburger by herself.
• United States
3 Jan 09
How long has he been on the meds? I remember when my brother first went on his meds it was a huge change. He didn't eat, and he was sleeping a ton. He'd come home from school and just crash, it was weird. He eventually got used to the meds and was his usual self when he was home from school, if not a bit worse. I think when the meds wore off it created some sort of monster inside him. I would have preferred he wasn't on the meds at all, or on them 24/7, but it wasn't my call.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
3 Jan 09
He started them back in October of 2007. We tried 3 different ones before we found the right one for him. He lost a lot of weight at first, but it evened out pretty quickly. His medicine pretty much wears off by 6pm, but if he got a higher dose I don't think he would sleep at night.
• United States
3 Jan 09
My brother never tried any other meds. I don't think my mother was truly interested in helping him, she just wanted to help herself by making him less of a maniac. I would have done things differently, but as I said, I had no control over the situation.
@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
3 Jan 09
My daughter is 2.5 years old and she my dear, is the pickiest little freaking eater alive i swear! everyday for breakfast she ONLY wants toast and peanutbutter, for lunch NU NU's.. which are zoodles, and for supper she will eat rice, and pick out the veggies, sometimes sgetti, she wont eat any veggies, sometiems she'll eat hard boiled egg.. and she will eat ham. . holy hell it stresses me out cause i think she might not get all the vitimens and minerals she needs. doc says she will outgrow it. I hope soon.
• United States
3 Jan 09
Oh that sounds frustrating, but don't give in! Keep offering her different foods all the time. My toddler has certain things he won't eat, but I still put them on his plate, and I know one day he will eat them. I had to do the same thing with my twins, and now they're good eaters.
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
5 Jan 09
My kids aren't picky eaters but they aren't huge eaters most the time either. They like most foods but they tend to only eat what they have too. atleast the girls are that way. the baby is only 17 months old and sometimes he eats more than the girls do. every so often they get in moods where all they want to do is eat.
@gemini_rose (16264)
3 Jan 09
My children eat, but they do not eat massive amounts all the time. Out of the three younger ones I would say two of them have good appetites and one does not. Mine are not picky or fussy but they have the right sized appetites for them, luckily mine still eat kids meals when we are out so it still costs us less to take them out, when they start eating adult sizes we will be going out less it will be too expensive lol!
@GreenMoo (11834)
17 Jan 09
If my kids are tired, you can't get them to eat a thing. But under normal circumstances, they will eat and eat. At home, they eat what I cook for everyone else and they've been brought up not to be fussy. It's normal for me to serve them up whatever I serve everyone else, but I'm reminded how lucky I am when my eldest has friends round and I have to cook something special because the guest won't eat anything but pasta or chips.
• India
3 Jan 09
My daughters were not good eaters but once we went out somewhere tehy woudl eat more than they ate at home. sometimes it becomes embarassing when you go to someone's house and when offered something to eat say that your children do not eat that and your children reply that they want to eat it. Children are unpredictable and their diet varies.
• United States
3 Jan 09
Good appetites is an understatement. I have four kids and they eat like there is no tomorrow and every one of them is tall and lanky. My oldest son said his favorite breakfast would be six deep Belgian waffles, nine pancakes, bacon and sausage, will all the extra fixings and enough milk/water/juice to wash it all down. His younger brothers and sister are not far behind him. As a matter of fact I'm making pancakes later today. I use the Bisquick pancake mix recipe and multiple it by four (at least) so I have enough for that morning and hopefully the next, if not they will be gone by lunch.
@vicki2876 (5636)
• Canada
3 Jan 09
My older two children have big appetites like me but my youngest is like a bird nd eat hardly anything. Also they are not very picky and are willing to try just about anything put on their plate. I am a huge eater and eat more than my partner. My sister gets shocked when she hears how much food comes through here in just a day. As for eating out my children are older now so they get all the food and none left on the floor. LOL Also when we go out it is soooo rare (only birthdays or long power outages) that when they get the food it is a real treat and they don't want to miss any bit of it.
@tlb0822 (1410)
• United States
3 Jan 09
My daughter has a very big appetite. Although she doesn't have any teeth yet although she just turned one, she eats almost everything that me and her dad do. She loves pasta, and all kinds of meats. She loves her vegetables and fruit to. I really haven't found anything that she doesn't like. She loves eating breakfast in the morning, usually an egg and toast, or she eats a bowl of cheerios. I don't think there is anything wrong with children having big appetites. As long as they are healthy, and are active then let them eat. I don't deny food to my daughter, if she is hungry I let her eat. She isn't overweight, and she is healthy so that is what matters. Happy mylotting.
@bombshell (11256)
• Germany
3 Jan 09
my litlle girl has no goon appetite.she is not eating a lot but we canĀ“t force her since she is a girl. we dont want her to be fat and like other kids that eating and eating all the time.but she loves fruits and tomatoes.
@dropofrain (1167)
• India
3 Jan 09
I think you should not wonder much about your kids appetitie till the time they are not obese. If they are healthy, then it is fine. As they are into the growing stage, they need a lot of fodd. Apart from that, they are playing all the time which needs a lot of calories. So it is absolutely fine if your kids have a good appetite.
• India
3 Jan 09
My daughters were not good eaters but once we went out somewhere tehy woudl eat more than they ate at home. sometimes it becomes embarassing when you go to someone's house and when offered something to eat say that your children do not eat that and your children reply that they want to eat it. Children are unpredictable and their diet varies.
@Masmasika (1921)
• Philippines
3 Jan 09
I have only one child and since he was a little child he has a good appetite. I think children who are healthy have good appetites. Maybe your children are very active so they are thin. My son is neither thin nor fat but he eats too much meat. Children with good appetites are good because they don't give us problems in the kind of food we feed them. I like children with good appetites.
@Polly289 (269)
• New Zealand
3 Jan 09
Aren't you the lucky one. Most of my children have shocking appetites. All bar one, anyway. My skinniest, smallest can eat enough for any army and she usually looks like she enjoys it and she'll just about eat anything too. Can count on one hand the food she dislikes. Anyway, it's great that your children like to eat. I hate wastage and especially don't like picky eaters. It can be so hard to please them. Sad to say, in my house two of us like most things and two like very little. Sometimes, trying to think up something for dinner that pleases everyone is a chore. Happy eating and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR