How do I know if my child is really hungry?

Hunger is a strong physiological sensation. However, small children often find it difficult to recognise the feeling of hunger and instead appear tired, cranky or irritable. In a society where food is plentiful, parents can make the mistake of offering children food whenever they appear unsettled or bored. This results in a child that learns to eat in response to a number of feelings (not just hunger), which leads to overeating. It can be assumed if a child is overweight they are not regulating their appetite well – i.e. they are eating when they are not hungry and not stopping when they are full.

True hunger can be difficult to identify. Behavioural signs in younger children may be irritability or fatigue, but in many cases a general claim “I’m hungry” may not necessarily be true. An easy way to tell if your child is really hungry is to offer them a plain type of food, such as an apple or other piece of fruit.

Generally speaking, if a child truly is hungry in between their regular meals and mid meals they will eat whatever is offered to them. If they reject that food type you can be happy they are not really hungry, but are just looking for something tasty to put in their mouth.

Guidelines for appetite management

1. Do not make your kids finish all the food on their plate

If children are made to consume extra food when they are not hungry, they will learn that it is OK to eat when not hungry. Remember, if children are offered a range of food for each of their meals and mid meals, they will learn to eat the volumes required.

2. Let children serve themselves

Once children reach the age of 4 or 5 years, letting them serve themselves is a great way to teach them to eat in response to their appetite. If you are worried that your child is overweight, estimate how much food each family member will require and cook only this amount.

3. Teach your child to eat slowly

If children eat too quickly, they will not have time to respond to their internal fullness signals, which can take up to 20 minutes to register. A family meal should take at least 20 minutes and family members should be required to wait until all family members have finished their meal before being allowed to leave the table.

4. Stick to set meal times

One of the common issues observed with children’s eating habits is that they eat all the time. Constant grazing means they rarely, if ever, experience real hunger. While small children do need to eat regularly, they still need a break of at least a couple of hours in between feeding occasions. Sticking to set meal times that correspond to breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner will help to teach your child that there is a time to eat and a time not to eat. This will help them manage their hunger accordingly.

5. Do not substitute

A habit parents can easily get into is offering children sweet, more appealing foods when they reject other nutritious yet bland options – such as vegetables, meat or fish. This can teach small children to reject more nutritious foods, knowing they will eventually be offered yogurt, fruits or treat-style foods. A key aspect of appetite management is children learning that there are certain foods which are eaten at certain times of the day, rather than waiting for what they ‘like’ to eat. In turn, they will then consume these foods when they are hungry, rather than waiting to eat appealing foods whether they are hungry or not.