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AIBU?

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Original poster

Wtf do kids eat this much?

444 replies

Esmeismyhero · 01/03/2016 16:35

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 :/

OP posts:
pennyrino · 01/03/2016 18:53

I would agree it's not that much.
My boy is five and has just informed me he's hungry 20 minutes after eating dinner.
Often he will eat as much as me and have snacks between meals.
(He's having a crumpet with honey and half a banana as his 'snack').
He's slim as anything, I have no idea where he puts it but I'm actually pleased he eats so much because he used to eat barely anything and I worried about that. When his appetite first increased it did take a bit of adjusting to and I felt abit narked overwhelmed with the constant trips to the kitchen.
My DD (2) has eaten about the same today.

notgoingabroad · 01/03/2016 18:54

But Olivia I think that's the lexis. If op had said she was struggling financially that's one thing but she seems to think k her five year old is eating her out of house and home. Even those supporting her must agree he is not.

I would have no problem with someone saying 'my 5 yo ate this today' with the OPs diet, it's not great but it's adequate for a day. But long term, it's just not. I sympathise with OP but that doesn't mean I agree with her!

Gileswithachainsaw · 01/03/2016 18:54

we also don't know the school dinner set up.

the menu could wax lyrical about salad bars and rolls and roast dinners and shepherds pies and apple crumble with custard - if I read that I'd not expect to have to feed that much in the evening.

she may have no idea that her kids actually on he last sitting and gets a few scraps and a slice of tomato and the pudding is then to dry to he edible.

Inneedofadvice553 · 01/03/2016 18:56

jesus that's nothing you are starving the poor kid!

Cheerios are just sugar-can't you feed him something nutritious: porridge, toast, eggs and fruit for breakfast

Chicken dinosaurs are just processed shit. My five year old ds will eat a humous sandwich after school, sometimes two pieces of bread.

Then for supper he will eat a big pasta meal with three or four veg and protein. Glass of milk and sometimes toast before bed.

Why are you feeding him such nutritionally deficient foods?

Tiggeryoubastard · 01/03/2016 18:58

If you're struggling to put food on the table you wouldn't be spending so much on the fruit, or on crap like chicken dinosaurs, you'd spend it on food.
So I doubt that is the issue here.
And I stick by what I said - this is negligent. Doesn't mean it's on purpose, but its negligent.
As I said, the concerning thing is not just the inadequate food, but the fact the op thinks its excessive. And he's eating carrots to fill up. If what he's eaten today is a lot to the op, what does he eat on other days? I really am concerned about this poor child.

PaulAnkaTheDog · 01/03/2016 18:58

There we go people inneed putting us all to shame. She gives her kid hummus. Seriously get a grip. The child isn't being starved. I honestly wonder how people on here deal with really serious issues.

paxillin · 01/03/2016 18:58

School dinner is around 500kcal. 5yo needs about 1400, so you need to give him 900. His diet sounds fine, OP. Throw in a slice of bread or some pasta.

OliviaDunham · 01/03/2016 18:59

Bogey chicken dinosaurs are cheap and I'm guessing the kid likes them, he could be seriously fussy for all we know.

Not maybe she would have said if the post had not gone so bad, not everyone wants to shout about being skint.

Quietlifenotonyournelly · 01/03/2016 18:59

I think I read somewhere (correct me if I'm wrong) that a young child needs around 30-55 calories per kg of weight. And of course a balanced diet.

OliviaDunham · 01/03/2016 19:01

Paul I was just about to say about the hummus sandwich - people seriously eat that?!??

PassTheMead · 01/03/2016 19:01

cereal or fruit and pastries for breakfast
small pack of biscuits (little bags) for snack
sandwich, crisps, carrot sticks for lunch for 5 year old(school lunch for older dc)
yoghurt/fruit for after lunch
small snack after school
meal usually consisting of meat, carbs and 1 or 2 veg for dinner
biscuit/cake/fruit pudding

water, milk or fruit juice to drink. This is the minimum my 2 get (7 and 5)

DixieNormas · 01/03/2016 19:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElderlyKoreanLady · 01/03/2016 19:04

Olivia my DD eats hummous and grated carrot sandwiches...it's the only way I'll get carrot down her! Grin

Reapwhatyousow · 01/03/2016 19:05

Well if she ends up better informed, job well done imo. At least she was checking.

FindoGask · 01/03/2016 19:08

Inneed! Lolol at the idea of a hummus sandwich representing the pinnacle of nutritional greatness. Especially if it's supermarket hummus. (though I doubt it will be, Inneed no doubt gets up at the crack of dawn to milk the chickpeas herself)

TheDowagerCuntess · 01/03/2016 19:08

You know someone's new to MN when they post their DC's food diary on here. Grin

DixieNormas · 01/03/2016 19:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BrownAjah · 01/03/2016 19:09

My 5yr old today has had:

Breakfast: 2 x weetabix, piece of fruit
School snack: Fruit & milk
Lunch: Spag bol with veg and a biscuit
After school: Fruit
Dinner: Stir-fry wholewheat noodles with chicken and mixed veg, fruit

No complaints of hunger today but he is capable of eating like a horse and his brother was the same at that age

OliviaDunham · 01/03/2016 19:11

Elderly just the thought of it is enough! Think my DSs would be horrified if I offered them that, though a BLT they'd rip your hand off for.

whattimewillyoubeback · 01/03/2016 19:11

DS is 19 and 2 months.

He goes to college (I think). He spends a lot of time in bed with his girlfriend and a lot of time on the X Box.
He is 6 feet 2 and slim. To be honest he looks really good although he doesn't deserve to.

Today to my knowledge he has had:
half a box of Coco Pops
4 pints blue milk (some with the CocoPops, some on its own)
The packed lunch I made him which was quite balanced nutritionally.
A McDonalds or a SubWay as they are near his college.
2 Cadburys Little Bars
A Pot Noodle thing (although it looked posher than that)
More CocoPops ( abox of cereal a day is normal)
4 chicken and stuffing sandwiches as he turned up his nose at the roast chicken dinner with veg I made

It's only 7 o'clock so he'll fit in a bit more before he finally goes to bed. He seems to like minestrone soup as a late night snack.

I thought he ate a lot when he was 5 but I knew nothing..................

ElderlyKoreanLady · 01/03/2016 19:14

She's not quite 2 Olivia...If it tastes good on first inspection then she's not fussy Grin and she loves hummous.

Had a bite myself once. I'd much prefer a BLT too!

rainbowunicorn · 01/03/2016 19:14

That really is not a great deal of food to be honest. The cheerios are not the worst cereal that you could give but something like porridge will be cheaper, more filling and better nutritionally.

The school lunch - having worked in schools for a long time I would say that the idea of what your child is getting is usually very different from the reality. The dinners are very small and in most schools not very tasty, lots does not get eaten. I would never rely on a school dinner to be the main meal of the day.

The chicken dinosaurs are not great as they are processed and will be digested far quicker than a piece of actual chicken. Beans are alright but there is still the need for something else carb wise at dinner.

The fruit as snacks again not a great choice for filling him up. The recommendations are that out of a minimum of 5 pieces of fruit and veg a day only 1-2 be fruit the majority should come from veg.

I think you really need to look at what he is eating and make some changes as there really is not much that is health in his diet.

MadSprocker · 01/03/2016 19:16

The three members of my family had pork fillet with rice sweet corn and pakchoi. My youngest ds aged 9 doesn't like rice, so had his pork and sweet corn in two slices of white bread, as I refuse to cook both pasta and rice, so gave him the choice. Not one of his best dinners, but he does eat worse Wednesday is Birds eye fish finger wrap night in our house

Only1scoop · 01/03/2016 19:17

Dd same age tall slim

2 weetabix and a satsuma

School snack fruit

School lunch chicken rice and med veg

A jelly

School snack

Banana and brunch bar when she got home.

Home made Cottage pie.... smallish helping with extra carrots and peas.

Yoghurt and Apple.

Drinks water

Spandexpants007 · 01/03/2016 19:19

Today my 5 year old had a similar amount I think

Scrambled egg with grilled tomato

Apple at school break

Packed lunch. Cheese in wholegrain bread, nuts, cucumber and carrot sticks, homous dip, a lump of dark chocolate

Tea - lasagne with salad. Greek yogurt and strawberries

Before bed. Peanut butter on an oatcake