Where Does All The Food Go?

This is a guest post from awarding winning bloggers Kelly and Zoey from Our Transitional Life for my Big Parenting Questions Series.

I don't know about you, but our children can eat through the house in a day. We often wonder, 'Where does all the food go?' as we see them hoover up their main meals followed by other foodie bits they find hidden in the depths of the fridge or store cupboard. We often stock up on punnets and punnets of berries to last the week and within an hour or two of them being in the fridge find the empty punnets scattered across the room or in the recycling bin! 

2 children in the street wearing hats and looking at the camera. Image from Our Transitional Life


Hollow Legs


When we were kids and in need of food, there used to be a saying that we all had 'hollow legs'! Do you remember that saying?! I personally got told that every day, constantly being hungry and eating everything in my family's cupboards! In fact, we still use it when our children eat all the fruit and more, and they're still hungry!

Making sure the healthy snacks are stocked up is essential, but it can be super expensive...

Tips for cheap/affordable/easy snacks:


  • Homemade fruit pots
  • Nuts
  • Homemade muffins (packed with carrots/courgettes)
  • Healthy crisps
  • Yogurt pots
  • Crackers/Breadsticks

The Hungry Caterpillar Concept


We've noticed there seems to be a pattern to the never ending eating, much like the Hungry Caterpillar! The Hungry Caterpillar eats through apples, pears, cake, cheese, and more! And so do our kids sometimes, right?! As he eats and grows, and eats and grows, so do our children. They go through spurts of growth, and before this they seem to eat the world, and our snacks in the process!) 

Could it be a growth spurt? 


Each time a 'food-a-thon' occurs, there's definitely a change in terms of clothing and shoes! We end up having to go shopping soon after these spurts, to replace shoes and ankle-kicker trousers much to the dismay of our bank account... 

Here are some signs your child might be experiencing a growth spurt:
  • Eating and still hungry (get the fruit and veg in!)
  • Clothing is too short (3/4 length trousers are harder to hide in winter!)
  • Shoes getting snug (I think they'll be in mine soon!)
  • Sleeping more, and more, and more...
  • Growing pains (screams in the night that take an age to calm!)
  • Skin changes (pimples etcs)

*Obviously these could also relate to other issues, so always consult your GP if you're concerned. 

I think hormonal and growth changes are completely normal, despite our ever-empty fridge! Despite figuring out the link, I still can't figure out where all the food actually goes... 

They really must have hollow legs ;)

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You can find Kelly and Zoey Allen at Our Transitional Life, a LGBTQ+ Family blog and on their social media: InstagramFacebookTwitter and Youtube

1 comment

  1. Both me and my Older Brother used to hear that term a lot when we were kids. Same with my older daughters at the moment. A full fruit bowl lasts a day or 2 in our house at the best of times. My eldest step daughter can on occasion eat more than myself and partner. Some good tips for the affordable/easy snacks too.

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