Wtf do kids eat this much?

[Esmeismyhero]

Ds is 5 and 3 months (I don't know if that is relevant)

He goes to school, he does karate one day a week and the weekend he is usually running around out etc. After school he watches his iPad, does homework, runs around the house, plays toys etc.

He is very slim but very tall for his age. Lately he has been eating me out of house and home.

Today for example he ate

A bowl of cherrios
An apple
A school dinner
1/2 punnet of grapes
5 strawberries
2 x chicken dinosaurs
Beans

He is apparently still hungry????

Hasn't he had enough? Or Aibu?

He will have milk before bed and I'll ask dh to give him a carrot if he is still hungry while I'm at work tonight. He likes eating whole carrots on his own, I keep finding the carrot stalks hidden :/

Thank you everyone, I have porridge but he always says yes yes then when I make it he decides something is wrong with it lol, like a lump in it or a weird colour etc etc he can be fussy.

I do usually give him bran flakes he loves them but...... I ran out so more are coming in the online shop.

I guess I just get worried, I'm overweight for various reasons that I don't particularly want to go into, so I'm always careful with Dc.

I always try the healthy option but I don't deprive them of the less unhealthy, everything's in balance.

When ds just started asking for more and more literally he will eat and eat then say I'm still hungry I'm a bit but I can see where I'm going wrong now. Instead of a bowl of grapes I'll give him a jacket spud etc, slice of toast.

I'm not a nutritionist but thank you to everyone that did give advice.

Mine have two -three cooked meals a day usually. The have school dinner which is cooked but as i have no idea of what they actually eat, we give them whatever we are having for dinner in the evening. Breakfast is usually porridge or eggs so cooked most days also.

I always feel better sending them out and heading out myself in winter especially having had a warm breakfast and drink beforehand. That's probably just me being fussy though

matt I'm here

Sorry OP! Cross posted!

I see you've taken on board all the sensible comments...it is hard when you've had problems with your own diet I know from experience.

Me too gBean. It's a very important bit of information you understand.

Esme - for the porridge, what I do with my dd2, is to give her porridge and Cheerios all mixed in together. Works for us.

Esme - you can still give him healthy options but maybe try adding protein or carbs with it

Carrot snack, add houmous or philidephia dip

Sliced Apples, add cashew butter

Grapes, add few cubes of cheese

Etc etc

My 2.5 year old DD eats more than this most days?!

Esme I think it can be hard to switch from the mindset of an overweight person "I'm hungry, oh no what can I have that's low calorie, ok yes have some grapes and hopefully I'll forget about food" . Almost like choosing what fills you up least calories.

To

"Child is hungry, he's growing and needs fuel" The best choice here is the one which gives the best nutrition per bite. Not calories per se, but a good balance of carbs proteins etc

I haven't posted on here, didn't see the need to add to hundreds of posts saying pretty much the same thing
Just had to come on and say kudos to Esme for your responses, you could've been really defensive and shitty after some of these posts but you've been really calm and measured and very gracious
for you

gBean I agree.

I spotted 'hm biscuit' upthread. Like a home-made biscuit is any different to a ruddy hobnob

OP good on you for taking the rather hysterical reaction to your question on the chin. I don't think you're neglectful at all. In fact, I think it's really difficult for parents to get the balance right these days. We're constantly being told by health professionals what we should and shouldn't feed our kids and it's so hard to get it right. I have three little boys and they are vastly different in terms of appetite. One eats hardly anything, one eats shitloads and one is in the middle. I have to practically shovel food down the eldest one's throat and yet with the youngest I have to literally hide the biscuit barrel or he's straight in it.

art to be fair he does eat cheese and apples a lot, I've only listed today's intake. We'd be here all day if I were to list everything

I've had a chat with dh and we're going to add in more carbs, fill him up a bit more.

I'll have a Google, speak to my HV (she's lovely and I see her regularly with my dd) etc

Also thank you to everyone saying kudos here's some for you x

Pasta is great - would he eat peanut butter? I have a load of muffins (the English sort) all sliced in the freezer. One of these gets put in the toaster and peanut butter on it for a snack for my dcs.

We have five sons OP and this doesn't seem a huge amount to me! Sorry, but feeding children will bankrupt you. I see you're going to add carbs-if you can get him to have sweet potato this seems to fill mine up more than white ones? Dr. Google says its low glycemic index. I have no idea what that means I'll be honest but apparently a good thing! Bananas possibly better than grapes for being filling? Others have made loads of suggestions but I guarantee he will never stop amazing you with his hollow legs!

along with DeVere

I ate two cooked meals a day everyday except on weekend when I sometimes lucked into three
my squids have two cooked meals a day except at weekends

OP you've had some really critical stuff said to you on here, just want to say big respect to you for not getting defensive and instead choosing to take the positive helpful advise on board. Thumbs up to you and good luck! :-) x

Oh also, I quite often roast a couple of chickens or cook a ham and have it in the fridge for 'picking' so that there's always grazing fodder.

And to clarify the 'hidden' carrot stalks is most likely because he couldn't be bothered to go to the food waste or bin but seriously I'm a bit :( at some comments, I didn't paint it in the best light tbh and it's good that people are so onboard with safeguarding children etc. It's good to know that people wouldn't turn a blind eye and would speak out and try and help (not too fond of the mean comments but it was done with their hearts in the right place).

I promise you all though DS is not starved, withheld food, abused, neglected etc. We have a lot of health professionals in our lives (dd is complex) and HV, gp, school etc etc are all very much intertwined in our lives and have no concerns.

It just didn't occur to me where I was going wrong but now I know! More carbs has been shouted from the roof tops so I will make sure I add more and see if ds feels fuller.

gBean I'm guilty of doing that often but in my defence, MNers are very quick to point out that shop-bought chicken nuggets are processed, full of salt, etc. Just heading off the criticism that many here are too free with

Good for you for coming back OP, most people wouldn't have!

Is that all?????

the neglect comments were ridiculous amd dramatic.

glad you came back

good luck op I'm. Sure you will be fine though