What do you feed your children?

[Ayla2010]

I have no non-paleo foods in the house.

My 2 seem to be constantly hungry, but always want fruit first.

I am trying to give them other stuff more then fruit after.

I gather its normal for kids to always be hungry? Or should they be able to do 3 meals like us?

2 and 5 years old.

The main meals consist of eggs, meat, vegetables, basically the same as ours

Some things I offer my 2 are(in between meals):

Boiled eggs

Raw cashews

Raw macadamias

Left over meat

Baby cucumbers

Carrots

Fruit.

What other things can I offer them to keep them satisfied longer?

I def notice they want food more often when stuffed with fruit, so trying to make that a lesser part of their diet without restricting it too much.

I have also noticed if they have fruit before bed, they take forever to fall asleep, so no more fruit after dinner now.

[Ayla2010]

Dairy is out for them, as its really affecting their digestion, and its not pleasant. Things are much better for them with out it.

Thankfully they were breastfed till 3 and nearly 2 so didn't have any dairy early on, so hopefully not too much damage is done there.

[EmilyB456]

My kids (especially the boys, sorry for stereotyping but it is true in our house) are hungry ALL THE TIME. My four-year-old could live on apples and bananas. He and his two-year-old sister love pistachios, and I try to get them to eat leftover meat, too. They'll eat baby carrots, pounds at a time, and the older kids (8 and 10) will eat egg salad or salmon salad. They'll all eat sardines or liverwurst or headcheese, if I have it in the house. Mine also do better when packed with more protein than fruity carbs, but I'll definitely let them have an apple while they wait on me to get something more substantial in front of them!

[Ayla2010]

Mine are boys too

[Ayla2010]

I gather its just a normal growing thing? And I should let them have as much of the good stuff as they want? But def more proteins and fats before the fruits?

[jeepifer]

Yes, it's normal for them to eat between "meals" -- my kids don't eat a lot at a meal, and that's natural. They'll eat until satisfied. Stuffing yourself is a learned behavior. So I expect the "I'm hungry" every 2-3 hours.

Boiled eggs, cooked bacon, leftover meat, almond butter with apple slices (the fat in the nut butter slows the sugar spike from the fruit), carrots, leftover veggies, squash, etc. I tend to cube up leftovers for easy grab-and-go snacks anyway. What else... oh, those grape tomatoes.

I have one that can have dairy and one that can only have it very occasionally, but I don't keep it in the house.

ETA: Also sardines as Emily mentioned above, or tuna. I'm working on getting them to eat avocado but we're not there yet.

Mine are girls, 7 and almost 9. They eat like they have a hollow leg!

[Ayla2010]

ooh will try almond butter

[MJam]

I have 2 girls...3 and almost 2 and they eat.like.machines. They eat fully paleo and right now Whole30 just because husband and I are eating that way so it's easier. Switching them was actually drama free and they had been eating a lot of carbs previously. I have never ever given them cows milk, even pre-paleo I never thought cows milk was good for them (or anyone). I don't give them tons of fruit, I don't eat a lot of fruit so neither do they but they love medjool dates as a treat.

Breakfast is usually a banana, 2-3 eggs, raw almonds, half an avocado then a massive bowl of veggies, usually broccoli, celery and peppers...and that is each!! No joke, we go through 100 eggs every week in this house of 4.

Lunch is more veggies...they are raw veggie fiends and leftovers. They love burgers with liver so there are always homemade burgers in the fridge....super easy to make ahead and hand them a cold burger when they are hungry. They also love baked cubed sweet potatoes. They eat a whole sweet potato a day. I always have a bowl of sweet potatoes in the fridge and just give them a handful when I hear the "Mama, I hungie". Hard boiled eggs are big favs too. Celery sticks with homemade nut butters (they loooove cashew butter), tuna salad, egg salad, broccoli slaw...the tiny one will eat pate but the big is a little pickier.

Dinner is always whatever we are eating...chili, stirfry steaks....they shared an 8oz bison rib eye the other day and eat ALL the fat and gristle off of it...the baby especially loves the gristle and fat. Yesterday they ate a huge bowl of shrimp and "rice" (riced cauliflower)

Snacks are usually nuts and coconut flakes but they have also devoured a whole romaine heart like chips

Let them have as much of the good stuff as they want, I would never limit fats and proteins to tiny growing bodies but I am careful with the amount of fruit that they get and to a lesser extent nuts. I think getting them used to eating lots of different kinds veggies when they are small is important and remember to lead by good example.

[Noelle]

I have a 5-year-old boy, and he will pack fruit away like crazy! It's a little scary how much fruit he can eat! I'd like to get him snacking on nuts, but he insists he hates all nuts.

I always just feed him whatever I'm eating. He's going through a picky stage right now, but he still eats pretty well. He loves eggs, roasted veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans especially), and he'll pick all the avocado out of a salad which drives my husband insane, but I think is hilarious.

[SpinSpin]

I have a 21 month old toddler and a 19 year old daughter. My daughter is so not Paleo it isn't funny, but she is making her own choices and I hope that she will eventually follow suit, so we shall see.

My son on the other hand has be raised pretty much paleo, although he does get some dairy--he loves full fat unsweetened greek yogurt and can just eat it plain and loves it with banana and applesauce from time to time. He loves eggs with spinach and mushrooms, chili, chicken, roasted veg, sunflower seed butter and almond butter--although he just gets a taste on a spoon. Avocado, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli... about the only thing he has turned his nose up to is raw tomato and green beans. He likes green beans in soup but not just green beans by themselves. He loves chicken, beef, pork, ham.. he has had a few bites of fish, but I have held off as his Papa is allergic to fin fish and I want him to have the words to tell me if he has any issues with fish. Oh... and hard boiled eggs are eh to him right now. Would rather peel them then eat them. Oh and another favorite for him is my homemade mayo. He loves to watch me make it and always has a taste when it is done.