To ask if you think 6 fish fingers is too many for a 3 year old boy to have for dinner?

[BasinHaircut]

along with half a 400g run of baked beans and chips.

Need to settle an arguement.

Cheers

I'm really not worrying. Nowhere did I say I restrict what DS eats.

You really are worrying, and I hope DS won't sense that. You have a lot of anxiety not just about the present but about the future. You are afraid your DS will turn out overweight like his dad and relatives.

Children get obese because they eat junk in large quantities daily and get no exercise. Not because they get 6 fish fingers once a week from their granny.

Anxiety on the part of the parent about weight and portions is one sure way to give a child problems with regulating his own intake.

Would you serve him 6 now that you know he can eat that many?
If you would serve him less than 6 now that you know he will eat 6 then you will be restricting his intake, and not because you don't think he is hungry but because you think 6 or more is too much.

McDonald's servings are determined by cost to price. They have no concern whatsoever for portion size or nutrition. They charge what they can get away with selling. They can sell more units if they put three in each one. Four would risk customers buying only one to share evenly.

Incidentally, she is 4foot 11 and 5 and a half stone. Not fat!

Surely this is absolutely massive for a 9 year old? My (admittedly quite skinny but average height) 9 year old is about 4 foot 3 and 3 stone. Prepared to be corrected if I am wrong but it sounds really an awful lot for a nine year old to weigh to me!

Actually, scratch that! I have just checked and apparently it's fine! Maybe mine is skinnier than I thought!

My gc age 5 eats 4 fish fingers bit of mash & beans. She is constantly moving & like a rake! This would only be once a week if that though. No context to how often this kid is fed freezer surprise but I would agree 6 is too many for a 3 yr old

On a play date ( at mine ) My dd aged 6 can eat 6 fish fingers her friend will eat 7 and his 5 yr old sister will eat 5 plus waffles and peas but thats usually after a day of school and 2 hours tearing round outside. On a usual day she eats 3-4. She is in no way fat !

Indeed, I have just looked at a chart don't generally like charts) but this does states average height for a 9 year old girl is 4 ft 4 and the average weight is 4 and a half stone. But the thing with averages is that about 50% are above and 50% below. Average is not necessarily right but does provide a measure for comparison.
Daughter is eight inches taller than yours (circa 15%). Although I don't like to think of her as average in anyway, this is the average height of a 12 year old, the average weight of which is 6 and a half stone. Maybe she should eat more.

Not sure about fish fingers, but my two year old has been known to eat six Weetabix for breakfast. And 12 mini scotch eggs on the trot (left alone with the packet ). He is healthy, active and on the skinny side. I think young children know when they're hungry and stop when they've had enough, surely?

My 3 1/2 year old son would eat 4 if he was hungry, with 1/3 tin of beans and chips.
Healthier meals the rest of the week, but something like this once or twice a week is fine in my opinion.

I think he could do 5 if he'd had a tiny lunch and was going through a growth spurt. Definitely not what you suggest as a daily occurrence though.
He's a slim child, but probably wouldn't stay that way on a diet like that.

Is the child in question extremely active? What is his weight like? Does he have this meal regularly, or healthier meals for the rest of the week?

I think it's better to give a standard portion size, then load up with fruit/veg if they need filling!

Yes!! Way too much

One or two, quarter of the tin of beans and a few chips.

Haven't read everything but my nine year olds have 3-4 fish fingers max

As a one off ,probably fine! But if those are the portion sizes for every meal day in day out then no

I'm really surprised that people would only give 2 fishfingers to a 3yo. I have a 3yo and a 6yo and they would eat 6 fishfingers if they were served them (I normally do them 4 or 5 each) and a big tin of beans between them, but they would leave the chips - neither of them like chips much. If I did fishfingers for tea they would probably have the fishfingers, beans and a slice of toast each rather than chips.
I could eat 6 fishfingers easily. I am not overweight. I would probably skip the chips too.

"Not sure about fish fingers, but my two year old has been known to eat six Weetabix for breakfast. "

My 3yo would eat 3 weetabix and 2 slices of toast as a matter of course. But she barely eats any lunch and tends to have a smallish dinner too. Both DDs like a big breakfast - DD1 is 6yo and could eat a huge bowl of porridge, a poached egg on toast and a banana easily. But again, would probably then eat very little for lunch and a smallish tea.

Depends on the day! I have a skinny 3 year old fussy girl who most days barely eats and then every blue moon - bam! She eats more
Than a grown man! So if It was a once off it was likely a growth spurt day.

dont flap over that.golly really breathe and think is there an issue here.no.
ok yes yes yes if every day and there is no balance to the rest of your meals.if this is all he eats.and no healthier stuff.but...as a one off or every now and then because life happens,then no its not going to come and bite him when hes 6!! its happened your ok hes ok alls good.plus when you love fish fingers like some of my family do this would be a right bloody feast treat wise :D
obviously at 3 I also think it wont be an ingrained thing in them to thin this CAN hsppen all the time. if they were older and thinking this is the norm and ok to do all the time then maybe.but for now its all ok.
did they enjoy it,smile,feel loved and have a lovely time,what more important.will tomorrow you have a nice pie or sausage with veg and he will see the blance then ok.alls good.

My daughter is 6,and very active does Judo, swimming and tap and Jazz dancing all after school and has been known to eat 5 fab loli ices in one day at the weekend( it was a hot day).
So No 6 Fish fingers is not too much with beans and chips for dinner once or twice a week .
I treat my little one to Mcdonalds after dance class once a week and a krispy Creme donought on another day after her swimming class.
Everything in moderation.

My now 4yo would have eaten 6 fish fingers at that age. But he did eat chips not baked beans so 6 fish fingers alongside his veg and Tom sauce seemed OK to me!!

Incidentally, she is 4foot 11 and 5 and a half stone. Not fat!
Surely this is absolutely massive for a 9 year old?

It is a BMI of 15.6, which is actually worryingly underweight.

My (admittedly quite skinny but average height) 9 year old is about 4 foot 3 and 3 stone.
That is a BMI of 11.4.
That is significantly underweight and you should be very concerned.

My 6 year old would have eaten this and still does but she doesn't really like chips so would probably on eat one or 2 of those and about a 3rd of beans.

BMI is a flawed measurement and inappropriate for children.
Yes she is very tall, some people are. But she is not fat nor too thin. She is just taller than average. But she is proportionately smaller than my 11 year old ( ie couldn't wear hand me down uniform)
All of my children are v tall and slim, robust and healthy.
They eat a decent diet, big quantities if necessary; not too much processed food, refined sugar etc. very rarely is snacking allowed... I am convinced"that is the cause of the obesity "epidemic" but I have no proof.
So back to pp, I don't think 6 fish fingers etc is too much!

Yes way too much!

I can't believe this is still rolling in. I'm bowing out now because you've all got a bit hysterical talking about 'nutrition' and practically accusing me of having an eating disorder or giving DS one. I'm not going to bother trying to respond anymore because it's just feeding the fire.

Before it got mad though it was good to know that yes, in general, 6 seems to be too many for a 3 yo. Cheers

I've not read all replies. But my husband only has 5 on the odd occasion we have them. My 7 year old has 2. He doesn't like chips so would have one slice of bread and butter with tinned spaghetti.