If the answers to these questions raise no cause for concern, it could simply be that the child is genuinely hungry. Children go through growth spurts which can be quite dramatic – perhaps several centimetres in only a month or two – and at these times they’re likely to need lots of energy. Boys seem particularly affected. Most adult men will remember times in their adolescence when they could eat everyone else under the table and still feel hungry!
Eating Properly at Mealtimes
Make sure that a child who claims to be hungry all the time is eating three good meals a day.
Having said that, remember that younger children can’t usually manage large portions and may need to ‘graze’ throughout the day. What appears to their parents to be constant hunger may just be eating smaller amounts more often. Older children should be able to eat bigger portions at each sitting, but they will often need a couple of snacks during the day in addition – children are very energetic and burn off calories faster than most adults.
Do encourage hungry children to eat until they are full, but don’t force them to have more than they want.
Keep Snacks Healthy
Children typically need one snack in the middle of the morning and another in the afternoon – perhaps when they get home from school – to keep going. Do make sure the snacks they eat are nutritious as well as filling. For example, they could eat a bowl of cereal with milk, some toast with baked beans or a banana.
If children fill up on junk food or sugar-laden snacks, they’re risking their long-term health and may put on too much weight. The high fat content of such snacks makes it easy to eat too many calories without feeling full. In addition, the ‘sugar rush’ produced by sweets and chocolate bars tends to be addictive – not to mention their bad effect on children’s teeth. Discourage habits like playing on the computer, watching TV or even doing homework with a bag of crisps, a box of chocolates or a can of drink to hand. Better still; don’t keep such snacks in the house.
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It’s possible to confuse hunger and thirst, so it’s worth giving a child something to drink first. Water, milk or fruit juice are the healthiest choices (see comment on ‘sugar rush’ above).
Getting Enough Sleep
We all feel the need to keep up our energy levels when we’re tired, perhaps by eating something sugary. Eliminate this possibility by making sure a child is getting plenty of sleep.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Overweight Children
If a hungry child is also becoming too fat, it’s a sign that their eating habits are getting out of control. In this case, their bodies have become conditioned to expect large quantities of food and regular ‘fixes’ of calories, so they feel hungry even though they don’t need the food for energy. This is a whole subject in itself – please see our separate article on childhood obesity.
Psychological Issues
Constant hunger – or rather constant eating – can be a sign that a child is using food to fulfil some emotional need. It might be as straightforward as reaching for a snack when they’re bored or it might be more complicated than that.
If parents suspect that a child is bored or needing some comfort rather than genuinely feeling hungry, it’s a good idea to suggest an activity together or settling down for a chat before making a snack. They’ll start to learn that there are other ways to satisfy that ‘empty’ feeling.
In a few cases, food can become a serious mental health issue. Children who habitually eat for reasons other than hunger could be starting on the road to an eating disorder. If parents suspect that this could be happening, it’s essential to seek professional help.
Awful advice.
She is always saying she is hungry even though I eat the same amount of food and I am full she keeps asking for snacks I am concerned about her also i know she need to drink more water but it’s a struggle to get her to drink even 2 bottles of water a day she just keeps saying she’s not thirsty.
If it makes any difference I’m vegetarian and my sister is pescatarian.
This past yr it happened and it happened fast. I've got her off all fruit juices. Only water and sometimes milk. I do know that some of hers is emotional. But mom needs some help on handling this. I've struggled with weight all my life. Luckily height runs in the family. Obesity no. This is my 3rd child. Shes the baby. My other 2 are very healthy. I'm not perfect. Of course I'm an on the go mom and by fast food every now and again. But trying to sub fried with fruit or something else. I'm scared for my daughter. Please help?!
I'm doing everything I think I can do.
I am a mother of 9 years old daughter. she is an overweight and her daughter asked us to control her diet. she always over eats and constantly asking for food like sweets, biscuits, chips etc. after her meal. She never feels like her stomach are full.
What to do please advise
My child(actually my granddaughter), just turned 8 and I feel your frustration. I am getting her checked out now by a pediatric endocrinologist because she is at the 95th percentile.
she is always asking for food.
when she was younger, I made a bowl or plate of snacks for the morning and 1 for the afternoon that was out of site. I told her she did not have to ask for water or snacks from her snack plate and that lunch was at 12 noon or whenever. Then I put the timer on 3 hours (or the hours and minutes until lunch) and told her you would giver lunch when the timer went off but she could eat all or any of her morning snacks if and when she wanted. This took the control off of me and she could see she had plenty of food (that you approved)& she ddidn't have to ask. I have 4 boys and 2 girls and control battles start early with girls. I hope this might help a little.
Her without giving her a issue
They eat all their meals which i make healthy and ask for more then they eat dessert- fruit or yogurt, then they ask for more and more! 10 minutes after a meal my daughter is saying she's hungry. And this continues l day. This has been the same since she started on food. It's not a growth spurt.
When it really bothers me is when we are at social events. All she wants to do is sit and watch eat the bowls of crisps and snacks and not play with other children. I can coax her off to play for a whil but 5 mins later she is back asking for more. And this goes on for hours. I'm concerned.
She's on 75th percentile for weight and 50th for height so she's not fat but she's cuddly.
Should I be concerned? What can I do? I feel like it's a habit and mental thing but don't know how to stop it. I don't give her snacks all the time and say no most of the time and offer fruit when at home. But it's exhausting me and I just wish she could think of something that's not food!
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