Apparently this “isn’t enough food”

[foodFood]

Dd is 8
Height and weight fine

I’ve just been told by a visiting friend I’m basically starving her when she saw her lunch !
1 mini pitta
6 mini breadsticks
Dessert spoon of houmous
Dessert spoon of guacamole
Bowl of strawberries cut up (6 big ones)
A frube

That’s fine isn’t it??
For breakfast she had a bowl of plain yogurt and loads of berries
She will most likely have an afternoon snack usually cheese or a piece of fruit and dinner is normally casserole/fish pie/jacket potato and soup or similar
She has milk before bed
She’s fine !! Always has small snacks lunches and doesn’t complain of hunger
Friend was aghast and said her kids at 18 m old ate more than that

As others have said my children would be starving after that. I think the main issue is the lack of protein - I get there is some in houmous, but not in a tablespoonful! My 12 month old would easily demolish that and want more!

That’s the sort of food my toddler would have but I think she would have been hungry. An equivalent lunch for us would be 1/2-3/4 of a normal Pitta, a similar amount of hummus (although she’d wolf the pot if given the chance), some roasted chicken and then 2-3 portions of fruit and veg. It seems like a small portion for an 8 year old but if she’s happy, healthy and not complaining then maybe she just doesn’t have a big appetite.

I would worry much more about instilling an attitude that eating even when you are full up is a good thing.

Why does it bother you? If her height and weight are fine then you don't need to worry? People say all sorts of things. It's not the kind of lunch I'd feed my kids but they're toddlers and aren't choosing themselves yet so I might if they were 8 and fancied that then why not. I could pick holes in the nutritional value of everything and tell you it's not perfectly balanced blah blah but tbh it doesn't matter for every meal anyway. I don't give my kids perfectly balanced plates, I just watch what they have over a day or a few days.

My five year old would starve on that. He can eat a cheese sandwich, 1/3 of a large tub of houmpus with crackers, veg on the side plus a yoghurt and fruit. Normal weight and height. That portion does seem like diet food for an 8yo

So much depends on their activity levels as well. My daughter is 7.5 and hugely active. Spends two whole days a week at the stables riding and helping, does gymnastics at a reasonable level, swims a few times a week, skateboarding etc on top of normal 'doesnt stop moving'. So that would probably keep one of her muscles going for about an hour. 😂

My son has hollow legs and could eat all day long. Isn't as active as she is, but is like a rake.

They're all different!

One of my DC friends at infant school had strawberry flavoured shoelaces every day after school on way from classroom door to car in the car park cos the mum thought they were counting towards portion of fruit

So some parents do have weird ideas on "correct foods" to feed their children

There’s some real hysteria on this thread... that’s less than any of my children (other than the baby) would eat but it’s not ridiculous, and mine are all very sporty. If she’s happy with it she’s old enough to know whether or not she’s hungry.

And mine all have yoghurt and berries for breakfast too! We also have quite a thick smoothie with it, which is quite good for reluctant eaters if you do think she needs a bit more.

Sounds fine. Although, I'd be cautious about the amount of dairy she's having.
The whole "dairy is necessary" is a myth and has been debunked many times.
A study actually showed that women who consumed large quantities of milk suffered from more bone fractures than women consuming little to no milk.
It's also full of cholesterol.
I don't want to sound annoying or patronising-just a warning :).

My five year old would starve on that

He really wouldn't starve. He may feel a bit hungry though 😒

I think you should quietly add up what her calorie intake is over a few days and then compare it to the published calorific requirements for her age.
I don't think hunger is a guide really to food sufficiency.People who are used to eating too little or have certain nutrient deficiencies don't necessarily feel hungry.
Is she active enough?

But if she isn’t underweight, why does her calorie intake matter?

The last plate was 9 years ago but look how portion sizes have changed! Think your feeding your daughter fine.

Sounds fine to me! They are all different. I think alot of people eat out of habit or boredom, I know I do and try and discourage my children from it as it's a terrible habit.

I'm shocked at what some children on this thread eat. I thought my dds had large appetites but not compared to some on here! I thought i had overfed dd1 this morning at breakfast with 2 weetabix and a crumpet with cheese.... according to some I was pretty much starving her 😂

Her weights fine for her height she looks totally ‘average’ to me but I have no idea where she would be on a centile line when she was a baby but her dr said height and weight is absolutely fine, always has been

Your 'friend' needs to wind their neck in...

I always find the kids eat more when they are off school. It seems they are hungry every 30 mins.
As for the 6 year old and 4 weetabix, I can eat 3 at a push. I envy those who eat and eat and eat and never put on weight. It seems all I have to do is eat a crumb and bang weight gained 😕 most days I only have 2 meals. I guess I have my health issues and medication to thank fo4 unwanted weight gain.

Lol at all the “too much sugar” comments.
A small bowl of full-fat Greek yoghurt with a handful of blueberries contains about 10g carbs. The equivalent calories from a bowl of porridge made with full-fat milk would have about 20g carbs. Or my son’s preference of 2 weetabix with milk is also about the same calories but 35g carbs. All the carbs land in your bloodstream as glucose by an hour or so later. All 3 breakfasts have about the same protein. The yoghurt breakfast has the highest fat (choose your poison - carbs or fat?).

Actually, loving the way so many posters have their own personal food fads. Too much sugar, not enough protein, too much dairy. Someone’s going to say lunch should have been a proper hot meal soon ...

Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

You’re doing great op.

There's nothing like the mumsnet food police for picking apart a perfectly decent meal.

But if she isn’t underweight, why does her calorie intake matter?

Because she may not have the energy she needs. She may feel tired or lethargic and not achieving the levels of physical activity she needs for health, and it may also affect her mood and concentration

My ds at a similar age always ate a very big tea, plus wanted lots of afternoon snacks but ate a relatively small lunch (probably similar to the OP's description) and virtually no breakfast. I remember having tea with my sister and her two children and thinking they ate hardly anything, but then I stayed with her for a holiday and she asked me to get breakfast and was then annoyed that I didn't buy enough as her two ate two or three bowlfuls each where mine would be unlikely to go through one between them. Different children different appetites.

I haven't read the full thread, but I admit to being a bit about these friends of MNetters who pop up regularly to critique children's meals.
Luckily, the meal is always very healthy and contains several types of fruit and veg, so posters can congratulate the op on her child's varied diet .

By far and away, the most important thing for growing children is sufficient calories. The whole issue of healthy balanced diet is secondary to ensuring a child has sufficient intake, from whatever source. I don't have 8 year olds but it sounds like a very small meal in my inexperienced opinion.

If she has grown up in a house where strawberries are counted out, and examined for whether they are large or small, she may well not feel like she can ask for more food. You haven't answered the questions about whether she is energetic, sporty, concentrates well at school, etc. Why not increase her portion sizes consistently for a month or so and see if you notice any change in her energy level or concentration.

Haven't read all the replies, but in general if you look at the overall statistics a great many people are eating too much and over feeding their children. We really have lost what normal portions look like and what a healthy weight looks like in children. I have a similar aged dd and since I days she would eat that for lunch and be fine, some days more (like plus an apple)

I would say that is about average for 8. Are the comparisons to toddlers' and preschoolers' relevant. I found my nearly 11 year old and 7 year old to have massive appetites but not when they were 4-9 with my eldest. As a preteen he eats loads and is very skinny. My 7 year old Dd would not finish your pitta. Even treat meals she often leaves half. Today we went to a restaurant and she left most of her meal. She has a very small appetite and is quite small, people think she is 5/6. I didn't know it has a negative impact on fitness as she is constantly on the move. Equally, how are you supposed to physically up the food intake. As I say she will leave desserts as well so it's not about leaving the boring stuff.