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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Apparently this “isn’t enough food”

472 replies

foodFood · 04/04/2018 13:19

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

OP posts:
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OohMavis · 04/04/2018 14:39

That's absolutely fine.

titchy · 04/04/2018 14:39

Is she active? Assuming she is then I'm sure the amount of calories is fine. Berries are NOT low sugar though - they're basically nothing but sugar! I'd add some slow-release carb rather than all that sugar - it is a lot, porridge or granola at breakfast, whole wheat pitta at lunch. Adn carrot sticks rather than strawberries.

BMW6 · 04/04/2018 14:40

If she is not hungry after eating that then surely it is fine?

kaytee87 · 04/04/2018 14:40

Berries are low in sugar

BitOutOfPractice · 04/04/2018 14:40

MightyMucks neither of my kids would even eat a slice of toast for breakfast, let alone toast, banana, yogurt and berries. It would just never happen. Even now at 18 and 15 they aren't big breakfast eaters and wouldn't eat all that.

So there's no "you need to add" like it's the law of something because everyone is different!

Also, 50% of an 8yo's food doesn't end up on the floor! What an odd idea!

kaytee87 · 04/04/2018 14:41

Granola on the other hand is full of sugar

OohMavis · 04/04/2018 14:41

That sounds like embryonic disordered eating to me.

Are you being serious?

TulipFromAmsterdam · 04/04/2018 14:42

Granola is also full of fat - this is what makes it stick together

BitOutOfPractice · 04/04/2018 14:42

And an 8yo is perfectly capabble of "adequately communicating" Confused

PussCatTheGoldfish · 04/04/2018 14:42

That's fine OP.

My slim, healthy, active 8yo has a small appetite and that would be fine for her too, her little sister eats slightly more.

OohMavis · 04/04/2018 14:43

Bloody hell, I'd probably get a referral to SS if I posted what my 7yo eats in a typical day.

Some kids don't eat much. Many kids eat too much.

Original poster
foodFood · 04/04/2018 14:46

No I’ve never dieted. I thought she ate ok I’ll try and remeber what she’s had this week for context
Breakfast is always full fat yougurt berries and sometimes granola
Lunch is snacky like today yesterday’s lunch was a whole meal roll, olives, cubes of cheese and an apple and a yogurt drink
Dinner was bolognese
Snacks were a mini banana and a babybel
The day before lunch was soup and a roll and a yogurt and dinner was chicken casserole
Snacks that day (I think!) were also a mini banana and a kiwi fruit
Every night she has a big mug of milk too

She had chocolate on Sunday and a bit today as got Easter eggs. We do always have snacks in and my son eats a lot but she’s not that interested in them whereas he loves biscuits

OP posts:
bridgetreilly · 04/04/2018 14:47

I think it's fine. If you wanted to increase it a bit, I'd add in more of the hummus and/or guacamole, together with some carrot sticks, or other veg. But I wouldn't worry about it. Also, full fat yoghurt with berries is a great breakfast. Ignore your friend!

INeedNewShoes · 04/04/2018 14:49

sirfredfredgeorge: What do you make your guacomole out of?

Fair point; I have now educated myself on the protein content (or lack thereof) of avocado.

RatherBeRiding · 04/04/2018 14:49

The near hysteria in some posts about an 8 year old (a healthy 8 year old who isn't underweight) regulating her own appetite and choosing her own portions is ridiculous.

Some children eat everything in front of them. Others eat like birds.

She gets a substantial meal at the end of the day - as the OP clearly said in her original post - of casserole/fish pie/jacket potato & soup etc.

She is NOT starving! I'll bet you can see her ribs too. Which you should be able to do with children - doesn't mean it's time to call social services FFS Hmm

As a child I ate as little as I could get away with because my mother believed in "proper food" which was all home cooked and totally unpalatable to me. I was slight, skinny, had boundless energy and was rarely ill but a very, very, very picky eater with a naturally small appetite. No doubt the average MNetter would be appalled at how little I ate.

Maybe OP's child also has a naturally small appetite rather than the OP having "food issues".

OliviaStabler · 04/04/2018 14:50

Surely the humous and guacamole provide protein?

It will provide some protein but for a rounded meal, I'd have some chicken and salad in the pitta with the hummus and guacamole used instead of a dressing.

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/04/2018 14:52

It honestly sounds fine.

I do think that breakfast is a bit high in sugar but full fat thick yogurt is very filling and a simple swap to some toasted nuts would sort the sugar out.

It all sounds pretty sensible honestly eating seems to be a competition these days . There is nothing "healthy apppetite" abkut all these kids who are eating adult portions at 8 or sat infront of a huge stack of pancakes or sundae in a photo on face book.

My 7 year old would have say half a sandwich with some tuna a small handful of plain popcorn and some veg sticks followed by a yogurt and a few grapes or just an apple.

She's not dropped dead yet

onemorecakeplease · 04/04/2018 14:56

My 8 yo had a tuna wrap (half a tin of tuna)
Grapes
Sugar snap peas
Frube

And that’s normal. I don’t think he eats a lot really

DisturblinglyOrangeScrambleEgg · 04/04/2018 14:57

Both of mine would be fine with that - in fact, I'd expect the 4 year old to leave a bit, and wouldn't be surprised if the 7 year old did too - but they have a bigger dinner, a breakfast, and a mid-morning snack rather than an afternoon snack (in the holidays).

I don't think there's a set size meal, just let them eat what they need - seems to be working for my two.

bingoLounge · 04/04/2018 15:00

Surely the humous and guacamole provide protein?

Humous, yes. Barely any in the guacamole.

People need more protein in the mornings. When we cram it in the afternoons it builds fat, not muscle.

There's a huge amount of truth in the saying about breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.

SubtitlesOn · 04/04/2018 15:01

What is she drinking thru the day?

Milk or water or squash or juice or something else?

I know you said she has large milk drink at end of day and yoghurt drink sometimes for brekkie but what else during day or at lunchtimes?

SubtitlesOn · 04/04/2018 15:03

Sorry through

Mintychoc1 · 04/04/2018 15:04

If her height is normal for her age, and her BMI is normal, and she's not hungry, and she's active and able to function at school etc, then I guess it's fine. But it sounds like a teeny tiny amount of food to me.

EasterBunBun · 04/04/2018 15:05

I misread that at first and thought it was what you were offering your visiting friend.

That looks fine for an 8 year old, especially as there is a substantial evening meal planned and an afternoon snack.

kimanda · 04/04/2018 15:06

People are saying it's only enough for a toddler. What utter crap. That amount of food is FINE for an 8 year old for lunch. No wonder so many kids are chubby/obese if some people here don't think this is anywhere near enough for an 8 year old for lunch. Good grief!

That amount of food for an 8 y.o. (for lunch) is FINE @foodFood!

I ate no more than that as a kid (in the 1980's,) and managed to survive.

As a few pp's have said, the hysteria on here about the OP not feeding her child enough is pathetic.