Managing food demands

Hunger is a normal feeling that tells us when our body is running out of energy and needs more fuel. Once we have eaten enough our body tells us to stop eating.

Some people do not have these body signals. They may feel hungry soon after eating, or all the time, or they may not get a feeling of fullness when eating. Sometimes they may know they are not hungry but still want to eat.

There are many reasons for feeling more hungry, or for seeking more food than your body needs, including:

• boredom
• thirst
• feeling stressed, anxious or upset
• poor quality diet
• too little or poor quality sleep
• lack of, or inconsistent, routine and boundaries
• sensory processing difficulties

Boredom

Being bored can lead to cravings, and seeking out foods that trigger our brain’s reward centre. These foods tend to be in high in fat, salt and sugar. If you think your child is seeking food because they are bored, try to distract them with an activity such as going for a walk or reading a book together. Teaching them to recognise true sensations of hunger can help them to learn for themselves whether they are hungry or not.

Thirst

It is easy to mistake thirst for hunger. If your child is hungry, give them a drink of water and encourage them to drink more throughout the day. Check the colour of their pee. If it is dark, this is a sign of dehydration, and they need to drink more.

Feeling stressed, anxious or upset

As with boredom, people seek out foods to help cope with negative or overwhelming emotions. If you think this is a problem for your child please speak to a member of the team who can signpost you to support.

Poor quality diet

Well-balanced and nutritious meals can help your child to feel more full. Processed, high fat, high salt and high sugar foods, plus refined carbohydrates, may make your child more hungry. Please see our resource on Ideas to help you feel full for more advice about foods and eating habits to help you feel full.

Too little or poor quality sleep

Having too little or poor quality sleep can change the hormones in your body. This can lead to wanting to eat more, a desire for high energy and sugary foods, lower mood which can in turn lead to seeking more food, and being less active.

Lack of, or inconsistent, routine and boundaries

Consistency helps a child to feel secure and in control. If they know when their next meal is, because it is usually about the same time each day, they may feel less anxious and be less likely to seek out food. It will reduce any confusion or stress they feel around food, and set them clear expectations.

Parents and carers can feel guilty if their child asks for something and they are told “no”. Even though a child may say they are hungry they may not physically be in need of food, especially if they have recently eaten. They are simply mistaking other feelings for hunger. If they are truly hungry then offer their next planned meal or snack if it is time.

If they refused their last meal or snack they may be hungry but giving in to demands will not help establish a routine in the long-term and may teach them if they refuse foods they get something they prefer, such as sweet foods.

It can be upsetting if a child reacts negatively to being told no, but with repeated and consistent routine and boundaries they will learn that this is normal and will accept this. In the longer term this will be less stressful for your child and for you.

Sensory processing difficulties

Sensory processing difficulties may include autism, AHDH, and others.

Interoception is the term used for the feelings and senses within your body. It can help you know when you are thirsty or hungry, if you are too hot or if you need to use a toilet. People with sensory processing difficulties may not recognise these feelings or may ignore them. It may also be that the food is serving another function, such as the enjoyment of chewing. Routine and boundaries are extremely important for managing this. Please see tips further down for more ideas for helping with this.

Top tips to cope with food demands

1. Use visual timetables and planners to allow your child to see when their next meal or snack is due
2. Communicate in a calm, clear and consistent way
3. Avoid buying foods that your child may seek. If you do have these in the house, keep them out of sight and out of reach
4. Use locks on cupboards and fridges
5. Set a ground rule that your child has to ask you for food rather than helping themselves
6. Offer foods that take time to eat so they eat more slowly. For example, French stick, bagel, jerky, dried fruit (limit to 1 tablespoon as this is one portion of fruit), frozen grapes and berries, frozen peas and beans (especially those that come in a pod and need to be peeled), muesli bar with less than 100 calories per serving (limit to one a day), ice cubes (flavour these with no-added-sugar squash), ice pops, carrot sticks, apple, roasted chickpeas
7. Use the same routine at the weekend and during school holidays as during the week at school
8. Model the behaviour you want your child to follow. Follow the routine and food choices yourself and do this together as a whole family
9. Avoid using food as a reward, but consider using a tick sheet or reward chart for following a routine and planned meals. See this resource on Easy rewards and motivation without food for ideas for rewards
10. If eating is sensory driven, try to establish what sensory need eating is fulfilling and find an alternative

Remember: As an adult you decide what food is offered, at what time and where this is eaten. The child decides how much of it they eat, with no alternatives offered if it is refused.