I couldn’t help but ask my son the other morning after he had cooked himself 6 fried eggs, sliced up a large apple, and was having a big bowl of cereal–all for breakfast–if he was really THAT hungry, or if he was eating for other reasons. He looked at me, perplexed, through his nearly 16-year-old eyes and answered, “I certainly FEEL hungry.” He went on to explain that he was hoping if he ate enough for breakfast, it would hold him over until lunch without feeling like he needed to have a snack. This is the kid who does tend to focus on trying to be healthy so he informed me he was trying to cut back on snacking–even though he just couldn’t ever feel quite full!
My daughters confess to some “emotional eating” but I definitely don’t make a big deal out of it, I think that is completely normal–my son, on the other hand, seems to be eating purely to fill his tank. And it seems to be the unfillable tank at this point in his development. He is not reaching for the cake and cookies and ice cream, but instead wants to eat 3 grilled steaks and a huge salad, or those 6 eggs and two bowls of oatmeal.
It is an amazing thing to watch this lanky, thin teenage boy cook himself a huge plate of food, sit down and eat it with relish, only to return to the kitchen–on the prowl–an hour later. I have no idea where it is all going and my theories that men can eat far more than women without suffering the adverse affects are reinforced! It has also been fun to watch as his teenage hunger has fueled his interest in cooking and food on a deeper level. Since mom isn’t always around to do the cooking when he’s hungry, he has been learning to cook and make some of his favorite dishes on his own. Not to mention, adding items to the grocery list and even offering to help with the shopping.
So, I’m not going to worry–obviously his constant eating is really about food, growth, and hormones–and absolutely typical of the age and the stage.
Also: Getting Your Child to Eat
10 Ways to Prevent Aggression in Toddlers
The FOOD Blog