My kids are ALWAYS hungry!

[Holli]

Even before raw, my two boys (ages 2 & 3) could eat me under the table. They've pretty much been raw for many months now and it seems as if they are even more hungry than before. It's gotten to the point where I had to put a lock on the refrigerator because they've been waking up at 5 am and eating a container of fudge balls and who knows what else. I'm just wondering if there is anything I can do to fill them up more. We do gs every morning, small meals throughout the day, they get plenty of fat and protein from nuts, avocado, seeds, etc. Well, here is what a typical daily food plan for them looks like:

8am- large gs, grawnola with almond milk, banana

10am- celery with almond butter and apple

12pm- raw veggies with hummus with some sort of raw dessert (fudge balls, cookies etc.)

3pm- trailmix, fruit leather, banana, almond milk

6pm- large salad, raw burger or taco meat, raw dessert of some sort (they really like desserts!)

And then I try to give them lots of water all day-water is still a struggle.

Looking at this menu, I can't help but think I must have the healthiest eating kids ever! I never ate like this, even though my parents were pretty health conscious when I was young.

But, in addition to this, they still ask for food and like I said, if I'm not supervising them they sneak food- granted it's all raw and vegan, but still I don't like them eating unattended for many reasons. I'm just wondering if they need something they're not getting, if they need more, or if they are just plain bored! When we get out of the house, they tend to forget about the food more, but when we are home-they just want to eat! My husband says it's totally natural for boys to want to eat 24-7. Of course, I'm getting comments from others questioning if their diet is giving them all the need (they are thin, but their dad is 6'3" and weighs 180 lbs on a heavy day, so they aren't going to be big people!).

Anyway, any ideas to fill them up more? Should I be concerned?

(also, I don't know if they are going through their own detox, but the diapers since raw have been so horrific! Not diarrhea or anything, just very frequent and VERY potent- but that's a good thing too right? I mean, if they are eating 5-6 times a day, they should be pooping a lot. It's just very different)

[coco]

have you considered running the daily diet through a nutrition tracker like fitday.com to see where you are with nutrients?

[shine72]

Welcome to MY world!:) My kids were like that before raw, and yes, they're like that since. I say, and this is my opinion, let them eat. I have with mine. And they do stop when they're actually full. It ain't been cheap, but my kids are the healthiest they've EVER been. And they weren't big to start (well, my one with autism was, but that's a whole different thing), but they've gotten smaller since going raw. I just watch their heath and their energy levels, as long as both of those are good, I don't worry, and I let them eat. And EAT they do.;)

HTH!:D

[Holli]

Coco- I will check fitday out...it loooks interesting.

Shine- Maybe your right, maybe I should just let them eat as much as they want instead of always telling them they've had enough. "They" (whoever they are) say that your stomach is the size of your fist and I just think the portions I give them are already generous enough and they should be satisfied...but they' disagree! They especially want to eat bananas. My little one once stole a bunch of bananas from the counter and went into his little play tent. He had eaten 6 of them before I found him and nothing bad happened! I always worry about them eating too much fruit because I don't want them to get diarrhea or too much nuts because...well, I don't know why I worry about nuts (I heard once that if your kids eat a lot of nuts they can develop an allergy to them. Is there any validity to that?? I tend to worry a lot!)...the only thing I wouldn't worry about is if they ate unlimited amounts of raw veggies.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Yes, let them eat as long this is good for them. I would also try to inspire them to eat slowly and chew slowly. Maybe being creative with sort of game with them.

The good thing about raw food is that it gives you a signal to stop eating when the body has enough. So if your boys are hungry, i would say that they need to eat. I recall eating enormously as a child and i was slim. Now, i eat like a bird. They probably have a very high metabolism.

Hugs and love
-Chantal

[rawmonkey]

Holli

I have also experienced the same issue with my 4 children always being hungry. I was not sure if they needed the nutrients or if they felt deprived when I was in control of their food . So I decided to open a counter space where I piled lots of fruit (the smaller ones needed my help to peel oranges, slice apples,etc), nuts, seeds, and a few raw goodies like crackers and breads. I let everyone know that whatever was on that counter was for them to eat whenever (even two seconds before any meal). The first week the children were at the counter ALL THE TIME, but after the novelty wore off about a week later, they realized that the food would always be there. Now they no longer complain of hunger and only go to the counter occasionally after playing outside or if I am running late with a meal. This empowers the children to eat when they are truly hungry and also choose what their body needs, not what I am craving ;) . I realize your boys are young, but this might really work for them (my 1.5 year old LOVES choosing from the counter). Now everyone's content; I am not in the kitchen all day, and they don't feel deprived. A win-win situation :) .

HTH,

Christina

[Raw Angel Mom]

Christina, thank you so much for sharing your experience. This is such a great idea and so clever.

[Zaphirah]

I agree with both Shine and Christina. My guys are *always* hungry. The rule is fruit between meals, but they can eat as much as they want. Sometimes they eat 5-6 bananas each or 4-5 apples each or a whole bag of grapes. Lots of $$$, but as I said in anther post, I make it up when I don't have to pay all those co-pays and buy meds each week. LOL!

[Conscious Midwife]

Looking at your menu they seem to definately have room for more fat and fruit intake.

Try two small smoothies add a little nut butter or coconut oil and maybe some dhydrated craker option spread with avacado.

[Holli]

Christina-I too love your idea. I tried something like that the other morning...I just put a few things out on the counter and my little one (he is 2) was the first one up and ate everything before his brother could pick what he wanted...maybe I need to put out more or just supervise it better? I'm just afraid there will be a brawl and it will be a race to the counter to see who can eat the most, not because of hunger, but just because they don't want the other to have it! Is this odd behavior? You'd think these kids were being starved!

I have told them if they want something, to just ask and I will get it for them. I have definitely stopped telling them when they've had enough and just keep feeding them until they run off and play...that seems to be helping.
They eat a TON in the morning and a huge lunch and after nap snack...lately they have not wanted dinner much at all. I haven't pushed it, but it seems they are getting up earlier and earlier (sometimes 5 am!) because they haven't eaten in over 12 hours by that time! I don't want to push food on them if they aren't hungry, but a girl's got to sleep!:)

[rawmonkey]

Holli

You crack me up :D! I totally understand about the brawling in the kitchen...my four sometimes catch me off guard fighting over the last banana! Seriously...when I said I gave them free choice over the counter, I really meant the counter-ALL the fruit I buy gets put on the counter and they have access to it 24/7. I know you are afraid that they will eat it all in one sitting, but they can't. Their bodies will be satisfied at some point and in a matter of days their panic about their brother eating all the food or their feeling hungry all the time will go too. You mentioned that they are not hungry at night, so just shift their food from dinner to "first breakfast." Then they can eat "second breakfast" before lunch! We eat when we are hungry; give your little ones the power to eat when they are hungry, and you will have a huge weight lifted. I know you said that they just have to ask you for something to eat, but I found that my children are more satisfied knowing they have access to an abundance of food ALL the time.

One more thought, if you want the boys to give you a little more time to sleep in the morning, fix them a fruit shake that is more like dessert than dinner about 1 hour before bed. Our favorite one to make is fresh squeezed orange juice (about 4 oranges), 1 tbsp raw tahini or ground sesame seeds, 2 tsp raw agave nectar and frozen strawberries thrown into the blender. Add more strawberries to achieve the desired thickness. (This will make two tall glasses) I have tried to add the peeled orange to the blender but the pulp is just too much for us. My whole family begs for these 24 hours a day. They are filling and very refreshing. This might be the way to give yourself a few extra hours in the morning.


Have a wonderful day with the boys :D

Hugs,

Christina

[NifteThrifte]

I'm sure their just growing boys!!! But, I also think that you may need to get them some more greens. Try buying some green powder and spirulina (healthforce is what I use) and putting it in a smoothie in the morning. It may give them a deeper fullness and it's an easy way to get nutrition in them, also easy for mom!!

[jacsam]

It really is true that boys can eat you out of house and home. I didn't know about raw food when my boys were young but I was one to prepare very healthy, whole food meals and snacks, and they ate like horses. I don't care what size they say their stomach is, they are still hungry. Because I knew that what they were eating was good for them I didn't worry about how much they were eating because they looked healthy and when they went on a growing spurt they would definately eat even more and would look like they were putting on 3-4 pounds, then all of a sudden they would sprout up and we'd be back to just the normal eating us out of house and home routine. My children always knew what foods I was saving to make meals with (so I wouldn't go to make a meal and not have what I needed) and they also knew what foods were for snacks and they were free to eat as they pleased and needed and there were alot of those foods.....remember I wasn't raw back then....but some of the foods they always had on hand for snacks were, whole grain, homemade bread with honey, lots of fruits, whole grain cereals, left overs from the dinner the night before and I always had some wholesome deserts made of apples or whole grains etc. I think children have to have some control of their personal life or they can become secretive and it can cause problems. I really think your boys are very normal and I wouldn't worry, which us mom's are very good at, for even a second, they'll stop eating when they really are full and I would say that my youngest son who is 19, probably eats as much as my husband, myself and two girls. I'll make a green smoothie and the vitamix will be 3/4 the way full, which is enough for myself and my two daughters and my 19 year old son will make a smoothie of the same size and he gets a glass and just takes the whole container with him....and on top of that he would anything we didn't from ours and he would probably have a snack an hour later. This boy is about 6 foot 2 inches and is not fat or chubby in anyway but very muscular and well defined. He is very active: runs, bikes and is in love with rock climbing and I have to say that I love to watch him rock climb because his muscles are to DIE for....and they weren't made with even an ounce of meat. They are rock hard green muscles. I really don't think people would believe me if i told them what that boy eats. He basically is 90% raw and eats some whole grain bread now and then, rice once in awhile, maybe a baked potatoe diced up on a huge greenn salad and that's about it, oh, and sometimes he'll tear up a 100% whole grain tortilla on his salad. He'll be leaving home in 1 month and 3 days....can you tell I'm going to miss him....and I love it because he knows how to make all his food and says he needs to get a blender when he gets there. Okay, I'm rambling.....he is the most raw out of all my children but they are all healthy eaters which I'm VERY grateful for. Good luck!!!