Just got RL flamed for the packed lunch I did for DS

[AClearShotOfTheStreet]

Lovely friend is here. Didn't know how but got on to the packed lunch I did for DS, who is 6, today for a holiday camp.

Apparently it's not enough, no wonder he is skinny and I am starving him (mostly lighthearted but kernel of truth?)

He had porridge for breakfast with a cup of milk, semi skimmed. I have given him an apple for morning snack, a ham and cucumber sandwich on seedy bread for lunch with a yoghurt, and a small bag of hula hoops for afternoon snack. He will have cottage pie with veg for dinner and a tangerine for afters, possibly a bit of Easter egg with a cup of milk just before bed.

This is OK right? Hula hoops are a bit of an anomaly as we are having the kitchen knocked down and It's what I could find. But this IS a reasonable amount of food for a 6 year old? He's very sporty and slim but I don't think I need to feed him any more? He rarely complains of hunger and if he does is directed to fruit bowl or slice of toast with peanut butter etc.

My 12yo eats about that amount in a day (his choice - he’s not got a big appetite). Until he started secondary school last September, he used to take packed lunch, which always consisted of 2 slices of bread, or a sandwich thin, with cheese or ham, an apple or some grapes, a carton of juice and a bag of hula hoops or French fries. 90% of the time, the sandwich would come back uneaten, and the apple would have a bite or two gone. Now he’s at secondary he has school lunches, but some days he’ll just choose a plate of wedges or a sausage roll; other times he’ll have a full roast dinner. I have to practically force a bowl of cereals down him in the morning, and he doesn’t snack in between meals, but always eats a decent dinner in the evening. He’s fairly slim in comparison with his classmates, but he’s obviously getting what he needs otherwise I guess he’d eat more!

I honestly think a lot of people’s ideas about how much food a child needs is a little skewed nowadays as I don’t remember me or any of my friend bringing massive, varied lunches to school, or needing a snack every hour when we were young. We ate 3 meals a day and I can’t remember ever being hungry.

People keep comparing a child’s intake to what they eat as an adult it’s completely irrelevant, children need considerably more fat and calories in relation to their size than adults because they are a lot more active and are growing physically and mentally. It doesn’t sound much to me I have to say. I have a small 7 year old and he would have a sandwich, pack of healthy crisps type thing, yoghurt, babybel, fruit and a little something sweet (he doesn’t have a packed lunch that regularly otherwise I’d be more creative!) that said some children just don’t eat a lot

And what is an adult portion? I’m saying the comparisons are not relevant. A six year old won’t be having a couple of lattes etc during the day as well. Plus an adult would have a much bigger dinner portion. Saying that a grown adult (who probably sits behind a desk all day in most cases whilst sipping coffee) has a sandwich and yoghurt for lunch in no way means therefore that it’s ok for a child

Sounds perfectly fine to me.

The 8th centile is not normal at all. Your dd should be having full fat milk not semi.

I don't think you understand how centiles work. Of course it's normal.

My son is on the 50th for height and 25th for weight, he's slim but so are me and my husband, I was 7 stone until I was in my 20s (and I'm well over average height).

I'm not concerned about semi skimmed either, we have it as DH prefers it but we eat fats in lots of other foods.

Some serious over feeders on this thread! What he had to eat was fine, some children know when to stop.

This article would suggest that c1500 calories/day (which is what someone else calculated is roughly what the food the OP described would have) is fine for a 6 year old

https://www.livestrong.com/article/284361-how-many-calories-should-a-6-year-old-boy-have/

Although as many other posters gave said, if the OP's ds is happy, healthy and active, then that's all that really matters.

Ds, who was born on the c91st centile, actually dropped under the centile growth curves for a while when he was a baby. Fortunately, the consultant paediatrician who saw him (the midwives/breast feeding counsellors referred him to cover themselves) took one look at the happy, alert baby in front of him asked how my dad, who used to work with him, was and said to continue the breastfeeding, stop the faff of expressing (I was supplementing feeds with EBM) (I didn't follow his advice on that as I was going to be going back to work while still BF and it was useful to be in the habit of expressing) and that ds would eventually move back up the curves and settle on "his" centile.

That's exactly what he did: I think he ended up following roughly the 25th centile, but don't really know as I stopped bothering getting him weighed (especially once I was back at work) and just went by his appearance and activity: which was that of a slim, happy, healthy, very active boy. And even though he is now 17, I can still see his ribs

I don’t think there are over feeders. Clearly some children have higher metabolisms than others which causes them to need more food and feel more hungry but I’d be surprised if the smaller eaters manage correct RDA of certain vitamins. We always had plenty to eat as children but unlike a pp I remember frequently feeling ravenously hungry between meals. I’m glad mine have good appetites even if it does feel like I’m forever feeding them and buying more food

What's with the latest MN buzzword "offered food" what happened to I made sausages for supper. I offered sausages for supper. I think when you offer, or count other people's calories, it's time to go back to work

I would ignore what your friend was saying and listen to your child, ask them if they want anything extra and see if it comes back. As a child at that age I would run around all day and not eat, then come home and eat half the house( I know, not ideal ) I was more busy playing than thinking of eating ( I would be about 100 metres from the house and parents would try to feed me )
Long and the short of it, if they are hungry, they will tell you.

I don’t know why all these adults are on here comparing what they eat to what children eat. Children have different metabolisms and dietary needs to adults. A sedentary adult who is in an office sitting at a desk all day, driving to and from work, is different to an active growing child who is racing around, doing sports, on climbing frames etc. When I take my DS to the park he is on the go all the time, doesn’t sit for a minute. You need to take it on an individual basis. Also I think children eat differently to adults - they have smaller stomachs and only eat enough to stop feeling hungry, as they would much rather be off playing than eating, hence needing a snack like a piece of fruit or a cracker in the afternoon. I have also noticed that my DCs go through phases of being more hungry, usually when they are due a growth spurt. I think it’s important to teach them to listen to their own bodies hunger signals.

Is your child hungry when you go to collect him? Have you asked him if he has enough to eat? If he’d like more you could try adding in a piece of cheese or a cheese oatcake or some raisins and see if it gets eaten.

I do think children are getting fatter nowadays but I think it’s due to fizzy drinks, sweets, convenience foods etc. I’ve been on school trips where kids have in their packed lunches big bags of skittles, fizzy drinks, huge sugared donuts, chocolate spread sandwiches, with no protein or vegetables - this is what’s to blame, not a babybel or a packet of grapes!

One thing some posters are not taking into account is that children are actually growing taller all the time whereas adults are not (only outwards ). And they're also much more active, I can speak for my DDs, they love doing gymnastics, jumping on our trampoline, going to playgrounds etc. My DDs regularly want snacks but don't normally eat much at mealtimes. They're slim and healthy so we must be doing something right.

I'm not convinced that children do that much more activity than an adult, and think people tend to overestimate how many calories are burned by exercise. I'm walk 14000 steps during the day - this works out at 330 calories. I cycle for half an hour and this burns 109 calories - it's really not a great amount and for a child it'd be less as they are smaller.

I've just been looking at family photos from the 70s and it is striking how skinny me and my sister look. We were just normal though at the time

I'm not convinced that children do that much more activity than an adult, and think people tend to overestimate how many calories are burned by exercise.

It's not just about activity, it's about energy for growth!That's why children's calorie needs are not much less than adults.
The kid's calorie intake is nowhere near 1500 calories!

Children have different metabolisms and dietary needs to adults. A sedentary adult who is in an office sitting at a desk all day, driving to and from work, is different to an active growing child

They are different. An adult woman needs around 2000 calories and a man needs 2500 calories. A 6 year old only needs about 1500 calories. No way should a 6 year old be eating more than an adult!

My DD is 7 and that is about a 3rd of what she would have for pack lunch lol

Honestly? I don’t think it’s enough.

Give full fat milk with the porridge, add a banana or some other fruit if you can.

Could you add a hard boiled egg, or some grapes and cheese to his lunch? My son sometimes takes a cooked chicken leg in his pack up.

Tea sounds great, I don’t know if you’re just giving snacks because he’s at camp but you really don’t need to have him snacking day to day, his meals should be sufficient.

Not RTFT but that wouldn't fill up my 6yo at camp. He'd be starving. However my 9yo wouldn't need much more. Depends on child. Perhaps you should offer a little more if he's too skinny?

I haven't read the whole thread but I can't believe so many people buy BabyBels.

What a colossal waste of money- £18/kg...and lots of silly packaging. And don't get me started on cheese strings.

It's interesting that no one thinks they're over feeding their dcs even though we know a large percentage are obese.

I think a sandwich and some veg bits is adequate for a teen let alone a little dc.

My answer is based on their being very little protein in breakfast or lunch, it’s not a balanced diet.

BifsWif, humans don’t actually need that much protein.

I think if kids keep eating adults will keep giving them food without really thinking whether they actually need it or not. Especially if the food is considered healthy and the child is slim.

I don't think there are over feeders
There obviously are though, or there wouldn't be so many overweight and obese children.

ParisUSM I have my class photo from year 6 (1970), every single child would be described as 'skinny' today. Just totally normal then.

There were overweight children back then, I was overweight (not obese) in the 1970s. The difference was that it was much less common. Those of us with weight issues were bullied and constantly called 'Fatty'. Obviously we wouldn't want to go back to that but it does indicate that it wasn't as common as today.