Help! 16 month old wants to eat all the time!

[BipolarBaby74]

Ever since we went on solids, we have been struggling with portion size/knowing when our DS has had enough. He is not a picky eater, at all and will eat all foods with gusto, except citrus.

I am concerned that he is not getting large enough/satisfying enough portions, particularly as he wakes during the night (this is a whole other issue for another post) and often will not return to sleep until he has had a meal of solid hot food ( a cup if milk won't send him back to sleep). I suspect this is a prop, and not a hunger issue.

But at the same time I am very concerned, as he has never been a small (weightwise) baby. His weight is in the 75% percentile. And i worry that perhaps I am setting him up for bad eating habits and obesity struggles down.

Suggestions on average portion sizes would be appreciated.

[Haribo2012]

Hi, I think the best thing to remember is that most Lo's self regulate really well and will eat when hungry and wont if not. As long as your offering healthy balanced meals then i wouldnt worry too much. My DS luckily has always been a big eater but he is non stop all the time so I guess he burns it off.
My DS adores breakfast so this is often an adult size portion of porridge, weetabix and snacks are rice cakes, oat bars, fruit, breadsticks, pitta breads, lunches are pasta, potatoes, rice, meats. Tea is often scrambled eggs, beans on toasts, sandwiches. Mostly what we eat as main meals, LO could be having a growth spurt and no amount of food could fill my DS then 
I've attached a link for you to read Serving sizes and healthy snacks for toddlers

I would guess the NW for food is a prop.

[creations]

Hi, my DS didn't wake at night for food but we did have a phase of him asking for food right before going up for his bath at BT (clearly hunger not stalling).  I had great advice here to increase his protein as this would keep him fuller for longer. Although he wasn't a fussy eater he really wasn't eating a lot of protein when offered at lunch and dinner.  I switched his breakfast from cereal to protein (omelet) and he didn't bat an eye at the change, just ate the whole thing so I continued with that for most mornings and he was more satisfied and stopped asking for food at BT.

[BipolarBaby74]

We have started adding additional protein and slightly larger portions to his meals over the last two days. This seems to be solving the problem. We also have been tackling his sleeping/night waking issue with a more rigid routine, ect. The first night, he woke and i did give him some solid food (after 2.5 hrs of trying to get h back to sleep, as a last resort. But I halved the portion size. Last night he slept all night. I am encouraged!

[creations]

Ooh great news!  Keep going!!