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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this is a perfectly fine evening meal?

335 replies

IroningThrone · 14/04/2024 17:46

Had porridge at about 7am this morning and have been busy all day. Have just made myself tea (see pic) and my aunt (who is staying with me for a few days) has made me feel really bad about it - apparently it's too much food and a "greedy meal"

Aibu to think it's fine as an evening meal?

It's four new potatoes, boiled and crisped in the pan with a little olive oil (not how I'd usually have them with a salad type tea, but they were still a bit hard!), two slices of cheese, a tablespoon of fat free cottage cheese/coleslaw, two slices of ham, and a bit of salad cream (plus the salad leaves)

To think this is a perfectly fine evening meal?
OP posts:
MsLuxLisbon · 15/04/2024 09:45

VestibuleVirgin · 15/04/2024 06:28

That's a massive plate of food! Two meals worth for me

Oh good grief. These threads set off a klaxon for the competitive undereaters and it is SO BORING. You won't win a prize for having the smallest appetite.

MsLuxLisbon · 15/04/2024 09:42

PyongyangKipperbang · 15/04/2024 00:36

I should add that a lot of people I know think that having bellyache after a big dinner is a good thing, but are always hungry becausetheir stomach rarelyfeels full. I think feeling pain or discomfort should be avoided but maybe that's the ED talking.

I think it is. I am a size 8 and I eat like a horse, not every day, but I love a meal so full that I groan afterwards. If it scares you to feel that way ever, I think that is slightly disordered.

MsLuxLisbon · 15/04/2024 09:39

Lianna077 · 14/04/2024 23:14

You are right! I am older and definitely eat far less than I did. But I hope I never turn into one of those parents who forget how much younger people like to eat. When the family visit I always make sure we have plenty of food with lots of snacks such as tea cakes, scones, yoghurts and fruit etc for people to help themselves to in between meals. I love to watch everyone eating and would hate the thought that anyone was left feeling hungry.

Aww, you sound lovely!!

inamarina · 15/04/2024 09:31

Billben · 15/04/2024 09:13

Wow, talk about sweeping generalisation and assumptions 😂
There is no way on earth you can tell whether that meal would be fine for your friends and colleagues unless you live with them and cook for them yourself. What people eat in your presence isn’t the same they eat behind closed doors when they can’t be bothered to cook 🙄

Yes, I was wondering about that comment too - how can one possibly know what all the friends and colleagues eat? 😵‍💫
Personally, I love buffet style meals, and I’m definitely not a picky eater.
And what’s wrong with using up fridge leftovers anyway?

inamarina · 15/04/2024 09:20

VestibuleVirgin · 15/04/2024 06:28

That's a massive plate of food! Two meals worth for me

Well, it is two meals in OP’s case, she had skipped lunch.

abricotine · 15/04/2024 09:20

It’s fine but not enough considering you skipped lunch.

Blondiebeachbabe · 15/04/2024 09:19

I also think it looks like a light lunch. Dinner should be more substantial.

inamarina · 15/04/2024 09:18

It looks lovely! It’s not even that much, the salad and the fat free cottage cheese take up quite a bit of the space on that plate. Your aunt is being ridiculous.

Billben · 15/04/2024 09:13

CurlsnSunshinetime4tea · 15/04/2024 03:48

not perfectly fine for me, any of my family members or my friends and colleagues but if you are pleased with this that's all that matters.
it's a bit fussy eater lunch buffet, toddler picky eater, cleaning out the fridge of left overs.

Wow, talk about sweeping generalisation and assumptions 😂
There is no way on earth you can tell whether that meal would be fine for your friends and colleagues unless you live with them and cook for them yourself. What people eat in your presence isn’t the same they eat behind closed doors when they can’t be bothered to cook 🙄

VestibuleVirgin · 15/04/2024 09:02

People should stop being obsessed with calories. Porridge is a slow-release complex carbohydrate that will give nutritional requirements for many hours
You could eat a small calorie-stuffed meal and not feel full, similarly, a non-highly calorific meal can be filling

CharlotteBog · 15/04/2024 08:59

soupfiend · 15/04/2024 07:10

Stomachs are not stretchy, this is a myth!!!

I thought the stomach had huge capacity to stretch.
It's empty size is about the size of a fist and if you carry on eating and eating it will stretch, won't it?

I admit that I don't know what ED would result in a very small stomach w/o the capacity to stretch.

CharlotteBog · 15/04/2024 08:57

imisscashmere · 15/04/2024 08:54

How can it be THAT different
though?

We’re just mammals after all. I don’t think there’s such a huge variation in intakes in other species?

If it IS that different, then any guidance on ideal nutritional intake is basically bogus?

Dunno. I'm just going on what that poster said. She is obviously eating what she needs as she has maintained a healthy weight all her adult life.
There are always outliers.

imisscashmere · 15/04/2024 08:54

CharlotteBog · 15/04/2024 08:26

It's not confusing. You are eating what you need.
People have very different bodies.

How can it be THAT different
though?

We’re just mammals after all. I don’t think there’s such a huge variation in intakes in other species?

If it IS that different, then any guidance on ideal nutritional intake is basically bogus?

VestibuleVirgin · 15/04/2024 08:53

CharlotteBog · 15/04/2024 08:29

Even if you'd only had a bowl of porridge at 7am?
You maybe have unusually low calorific needs.

Yes! I am a bit weird; don't like being, what my grandmother called, 'over-faced' with food. Too much on a plate puts me right off!

Mummyofbananas · 15/04/2024 08:50

That's not much at all- if you've only had that and porridge your calories will be low for the day I'd think.

MorningSunshineSparkles · 15/04/2024 08:39

I wouldn’t have the cottage cheese if I was having hard cheese too but that’s my personal preference and not because I think it’s too much food. It looks delicious, hope it was enjoyed

CharlotteBog · 15/04/2024 08:29

VestibuleVirgin · 15/04/2024 06:28

That's a massive plate of food! Two meals worth for me

Even if you'd only had a bowl of porridge at 7am?
You maybe have unusually low calorific needs.

CharlotteBog · 15/04/2024 08:26

imisscashmere · 15/04/2024 07:57

I’ve read quite a lot of this thread and find it so confusing. Apparently I have a massive appetite and each MUCH more than most people. But I’m a size 6/8 and always have been!

I guess I don’t snack, and I have a very active life running around after my kids. But even when I had a sedentary office job I ate the same portions and remained the same size (skinnier than I am now, if anything).

I also eat a healthy, home cooked and 90 percent vegetarian diet - no alcohol - but again this wasn’t the case 10
years ago.

It's not confusing. You are eating what you need.
People have very different bodies.

Emotionalsupportviper · 15/04/2024 08:22

IroningThrone · 14/04/2024 17:46

Had porridge at about 7am this morning and have been busy all day. Have just made myself tea (see pic) and my aunt (who is staying with me for a few days) has made me feel really bad about it - apparently it's too much food and a "greedy meal"

Aibu to think it's fine as an evening meal?

It's four new potatoes, boiled and crisped in the pan with a little olive oil (not how I'd usually have them with a salad type tea, but they were still a bit hard!), two slices of cheese, a tablespoon of fat free cottage cheese/coleslaw, two slices of ham, and a bit of salad cream (plus the salad leaves)

On the (increasingly rare) occasions that anyone says things like that to me, Just pat my stomach and say "This wobbly-wobbly won't feed itself, you know." and get stuck in.

I don't police there people's food. I don't expect them to police mine.

You aunt is cheeky!

Love the sound of the potatoes - I may try doing some like this later this week

Fried boiled potatoes. - especially those little baby potatoes - are beyond delicious, aren't they @HideTheCroissants ?

Here at Chateau Viper I often deliberately cook extra so that I can slice and fry them a day or so later. Nomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom!

margolyes · 15/04/2024 08:14

Feeding my family of 6 on that! ( you know someone had to say it). I do my potatoes like that regularly. Yum. Not a fan of cottage cheese and would like proper off the bone ham. But I am being hugely picky. We all like what we like. I hope you enjoyed your not greedt dinner OP

ArchesOfsunflowers · 15/04/2024 08:08

I’ll be honest- it’s a small dinner for me 😆
It would be a fairly light lunch
(I’m not overweight by the way, bmi 24 and healthy. I enjoy my food, no issues)

imisscashmere · 15/04/2024 07:57

I’ve read quite a lot of this thread and find it so confusing. Apparently I have a massive appetite and each MUCH more than most people. But I’m a size 6/8 and always have been!

I guess I don’t snack, and I have a very active life running around after my kids. But even when I had a sedentary office job I ate the same portions and remained the same size (skinnier than I am now, if anything).

I also eat a healthy, home cooked and 90 percent vegetarian diet - no alcohol - but again this wasn’t the case 10
years ago.

soupfiend · 15/04/2024 07:10

theduchessofspork · 15/04/2024 00:15

How does having an eating disorder give you a small stomach capacity? Stomachs are stretchy. I’m not being rude, just curious

Stomachs are not stretchy, this is a myth!!!

IroningThrone · 15/04/2024 07:07

CurlsnSunshinetime4tea · 15/04/2024 03:48

not perfectly fine for me, any of my family members or my friends and colleagues but if you are pleased with this that's all that matters.
it's a bit fussy eater lunch buffet, toddler picky eater, cleaning out the fridge of left overs.

Curious why you think it's not fine?

OP posts:
soupfiend · 15/04/2024 07:03

IroningThrone · 14/04/2024 21:21

I know! I usually get the dark blue Longley Farm cottage cheese but it was substituted for the low fat stuff!

Well. Completely unreasonable!!!!

The stuff is like gold dust, why its so hard to find I do not know.