9 yr old is putting on weight. Help me tweak his diet?

[4PawsGood]

Want to nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger issue, he has a bigger tummy than he should and very small boobs. We’re trying to up his activity levels but I feel a bit stuck on food. Current average day is below. I’d be keen to add lower GI food (slower release energy). I just don’t know what he’d eat instead of toast for example.

Two pieces toast, butter, marmite,
Glass of milk

Snack at school, crisps or Stoats cereal bar

Packed lunch
Mini wrap, two slices ham
Chunk cucumber
Frube
Grapes
Chocolate bar

After school Soreen bar

Dinner
Normal dinner, eg stir fry, spaghetti bol etc not a massive amount

Apple and two fromage frais before bed. Two slices toast on his request if he didn’t eat enough dinner.

So any swaps you can think of? I’m expecting comments of ‘too much sugar’, ‘too many carbs’
But I don’t want to restrict food and make an issue of it and I don’t want to make too may changes at once, for the same reason.

Any thoughts very much appreciated.

It's worth thinking about whether you do or would eat crisps / chocolate / cereal bar / soreen as an adult? I know I wouldn't!

The things he does now are the habits he'll probably take into adulthood.

What time is dinner? Unless it’s very early I would also not have anything else before bed.

I agree about more substantial breakfast. Porridge or eggs.

Can he have school dinners? Might fill him up more and he won't be as hangry for a snack after school?

What about a banana "milkshake" before bed rather than the toast etc (just a banana blended with milk) - meant to be good for sleep too.

It seems like a lot - especially of processed foods. My 9 year old (very active / sporty) has:

Breakfast: bowl of cereal (bran flakes and oats) or porridge. Small piece of toast and butter.

Snack: An apple or small bunch of grapes, although often doesn't bother as would rather use the time to play football than eat!

Lunch: Wrap with a protein filling (ham, chicken) and salad, some veg sticks (cucumber, pepper, carrot), small pot of plain Greek yogurt with either honey (1tsp) or fruit (raspberries / blueberries), small piece of homemade flapjack or a mini muffin.

After school snack: Either a small, plain biscuit (e.g rich tea) with a drink of water / milk or a milkshake made with 1/2 banana and a glass of milk.

Dinner: Small portion of e.g cottage pie, sausage and veg, spaghetti Bolognese. Fruit for pudding.

Nothing after dinner unless playing sport in the evening (in which case he might have a mug of hot chocolate / a small bowl of porridge / piece of fruit) afterwards.

You’ve had some really good suggestions on this thread OP!

Just to re-iterate the point about Ham above though, nobody should eat ham everyday. It’s a known carcinogen.

50g of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34615621

Sorry haven’t read it all, but x2 toast is an adult portion. Try the smaller slices, just 1 slinger with egg

No to worry you - but please keep an eye on this. My DS was 9 when he started putting on a bit of weight. Then he stopped growing height wise. Then he started wearing lots and lots of clothes (he was cold). Which hid his neck....he had an underactive thyroid - finally diagnosed just before his 11th birthday.

If it just weight then yes, diet/exercise will sort it.

Just keep an eye one other things (no height, tired, cold, constipated) just in case.

I am surprised a 9 yo is still having a morning snack, round here that stops as they go into year 3. He is basically eating every 2-3 hours (8,10,12,3,5&7) so his insulin levels never get the chance to fall , this is terrible for his metabolism.
Either morning snack (if b'fast is 7 and lunch not till 1) or afterschool snack (if lunch is 12 and dinner after 6) or evening snack (if evening meal is closer to 5). At other times if he is hungrey it's an apple or a carrot. Another tip I got here years ago is serving a raw veg/salad starter before the evening meal, they do this a lot on continental europe, IME it's nearly always eaten.

Fromage Frais are loaded with sugar. He doesn’t / shouldn’t need a bedtime snack at his age and if he does give him a piece of fruit. Look carefully at what he is drinking. Fruit shoots are full of sugar switch to zero sugar cordials and be careful with how much is being used .and ensure that he isn’t just saying he’s hungry when he is in fact thirsty. Cut the crisps out ? Also look at how much sugar is in each pre packaged item you feed him. I promise you will be shocked .

[quote PinkPlantCase]You’ve had some really good suggestions on this thread OP!

Just to re-iterate the point about Ham above though, nobody should eat ham everyday. It’s a known carcinogen.

50g of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34615621[/quote]
Isn’t that the nitrates that are the problem in ham? We get nitrate free, but I should probably give him chicken sometimes too.

@traumatisednoodle

I am surprised a 9 yo is still having a morning snack, round here that stops as they go into year 3. He is basically eating every 2-3 hours (8,10,12,3,5&7) so his insulin levels never get the chance to fall , this is terrible for his metabolism. Either morning snack (if b'fast is 7 and lunch not till 1) or afterschool snack (if lunch is 12 and dinner after 6) or evening snack (if evening meal is closer to 5). At other times if he is hungrey it's an apple or a carrot. Another tip I got here years ago is serving a raw veg/salad starter before the evening meal, they do this a lot on continental europe, IME it's nearly always eaten.

Even my 12 yr old still has a snack at break. They all do. He doesn’t have one on non school days.

I could definitely make it smaller/healthier though.

@HerkyBaby

Fromage Frais are loaded with sugar. He doesn’t / shouldn’t need a bedtime snack at his age and if he does give him a piece of fruit. Look carefully at what he is drinking. Fruit shoots are full of sugar switch to zero sugar cordials and be careful with how much is being used .and ensure that he isn’t just saying he’s hungry when he is in fact thirsty. Cut the crisps out ? Also look at how much sugar is in each pre packaged item you feed him. I promise you will be shocked .

He only drinks water or milk, so that’s something.

I will have a better look at the labels.

I think everything has just crept a bit.

Thank you everyone, I have a lot to think about.

I really appreciate all the suggestions.

Actually my secondary school DC do but they leave the house @7 and have lunch at one. But no afterschool snack

Hi OP,

I have no further advice that what’s already been said, but just wanted to say my DS also went through a bit of a chubby phase from around age 9 and now at nearly 11 he’s started to come out of tbt other end.We tried to make small
adjustments to diet along the way as was appropriate, some days we were successful, some days less so, we’re all human after all so I just wanted to say good luck and also don’t be too hard on yourself.

I am surprised a 9 yo is still having a morning snack, round here that stops as they go into year 3.

Free fruit stops in year three but I would say most schools still give you the option to take in a snack. I work in a junior school they still all bring in a snack for break - including me

At that age, he's probably about to grow in height by a few inches. His diet isn't bad.

As others have said, perhaps more protein and good fats to ensure he's full. Greek yoghurt has a high protein content, would he swap that for the more sugary fromage frais?
Sugar is what you need to watch. Don't buy anything 'low fat'.

Personally I would try and encourage more activity/exercise rather than restricting food intake.

DS was like this, he'd get chubby then grow 6 inches in a month, he's now 16, over 6 foot and skinny as a rake.

Up your child's protein intake, he should have 3 lots of handful (his handful) a day and give him healthier snacks, swap out the crisps and chocolate bars for healthier alternatives or fruit.

I think his diet isn't a problem overall for a 9 yr old, I think it comes down to exercise at the end of the day which he needs more of (I know, it's so hard to do this!). (I say this as someone who works in fitness)

@tiredanddangerous I'd argue that's a matter of opinion.
IMO they are all completely utterly normal kid foods, that all the kids I know eat daily.

@4PawsGood ham and all deli meats should not be considered an everyday food but rather a very occasional treat, even if labelled nitrate free. This type of processed meant is linked to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Eating ham should be like eating cake - occasionally if fine but not everyday.

According to the World Health Organization—choosing “no nitrite” (also labeled uncured) meats isn’t better.Be aware "no nitrate" doesn't mean "no nitrate", instead refers to no synthetic nitrates. Natural nitrates in processed meats are just as damaging.

There are so many different wrap combinations you can do which will be more filling and increase your sons veggie and protein intake. But please step away from the ham!