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.

Sounds very similar to what my 6 year old DD has taken to her holiday camp today, and it probably won't all get eaten, she doesn't have a huge appetite.

You know best how much food your child needs, surely?

I’m surprised people can come t that it’s enough or it isn’t without knowing portion sizes! One pp even says the portion sizes sound ok, but you haven’t said what they are.
How big is the porridge portion? Small bowl? Massive bowl?
Is the sandwich thin sliced bread or big chunks cut from a loaf? Is it one or two slices of bread (I’ve seen long discussions on here about whether a round of sandwich is one or wo slices of bread)?
How big is the portion of cottage pie? Is it mostly potato or does it have lots of meat filling? Whcih veg and how much?
Impossible to comment at all without this info - no idea how anyone else has!

To be honest I read and and thought that isn't loads (compared to what i usually read on here) but actually that is about what I eat in a day so no reason why that's not enough for a 6 year old.

These threads are so familiar. I can't imagine any of my friends being so outspoken.

Over 5s don't need full fat milk semi skimmed is fine.

It doesn't seem a huge amount if he's going to be running around all day but you know him best and if he's not complaining about being hungry he's probably fine!

Also sometimes it can be down to little things eg I have warburtons bread the small one in orange which is 70 cal a slice. My mum has the seeded batch which is 134 cal a slice. So if u r making a sandwich, my bread is 140 whereas hers is pretty much 280. Very different... especially if you're having this e.g. each day for breakfast - and you don't get that kind of info just from 'sandwich' etc.

The guidelines dd1s nursery face for packed lunches were a sandwich/pasta/main part a yoghurt some fruit and a treat and that's for a 3/4 year old. If your DS isn't hungry, it's probably fine though.

its not just about whether he seems hungry as his body might get used to certain amounts but need more. so it would have to go on his energy levels.can he concentrate.run around hold good convos and looks happy.if yes then its fine.
I no mine would need and have more but we are all different.
sandwhich small twix or few pringles.little tomatos and cucumber or carrot sticks.little yog and drink.if anythings left snakc for the afternoon.

That sounds fine to me, if he is healthy and not asking for food it's fine. My 7 yesr old probably eats about the same on average, he is skinny but growimg and when he having a growth spurt will tell me he is hungry!

OK - BMI is 8th centile (so weight and height combined). That's the skinny end of normal. The clinical definition of underweight and point at which health professionals start getting worried is when a child's below the 2nd centile. If he's dropping right down the centiles that might be a concern but if he's always sat around there he's probably just naturally on the skinny side.

The amount of food you describe would have been small for my two at 6, but I'd be led by your DS. Is there more food on offer if he wants it, and does he ask/ complain of being hungry? If the answers are yes and no then I wouldn't worry :)

It seems far from enough. Mine always had a wrap, two lots of fruit, cheese, olives, crackers and on a Friday crisps in their PL. All tall and perfectly proportioned.

Him not saying he's hungry means nothing . He may have just got used to that amount of food or not feel he can ask for more to eat.

The 8th centile is not normal at all

Do you even know how centiles work? Someone has to be on the 8th, same as my DS is on the 0.4th. It just means that 92% of children will be heavier (or in my DS case, 99.6% are heavier).

We need to stop encouraging kids to eat and eat to try to get them above average. That will just push the average higher and is why we have a burgeoning childhood obesity problem. Children are meant to be slim and active.

If the child is happy, alert, growing, etc, then there is no need to adjust food intake just to keep some sticky beak happy.

One or two slices of bread? Mibe would have the lunch and both snacks just for lunch, but inly one slice of bread. Probably fine if it's two slices.

Is the sandwich just one slice of bread? Then just give him two slices and see whether they are both eaten. After a few days go back down to one if only one is eaten.

My eldest is a skinny lad, with a 6 pack and energy to burn.

Lunch for him is pasta salad (6 in round cliplock pot) or two ham salad wraps, hummus and bread sticks/veg dippers, fruit, a yoghurt and a bag of popcorn. I'd give him maybe a cereal bar or cheese scone for a snack.

He's 8 and eats a huge amount. Cereal, fruit and toast for breakfast, and decent dinner too. But he's 25th ventilation for weight and 95th for height....so obviously using all the good up.

If he's hungry he'd tell you but maybe add an extra something in there and see if it gets eaten? Home made scones are always a hit with my troop. Quick to make, and better than many snacks.

I agree, that sounds fine. I think portion sizes have gone out of control, with little ones eating adult portions, the rise of obesity.

Centile. Autocorrect nonsense!

its not just about whether he seems hungry as his body might get used to certain amounts but need more.

Eh? Have you any idea how illogical that is?

Your body needs X amount. Too litle= weight loss. Too much= fatty.

Kids do not need kitkats, sweets, crisps, quavers and other rubbish in the LBs.

They also do not need tonnes of fruit which is what some parents here think is highly nutritious. Fruit is actually high in sugar and although fruit also has vitamins , it's not the be all and end all of a healthy diet. Those parents who are packing LBs with fruit and carrot sticks are adding fibre and water- not protein- so your child won't be any more 'full'.

Ask him when he gets home if he had enough for lunch. Maybe add a babybell or some cut up fruit for the lunch.

Sounds fine to me. I am always amazed at how much some say they feed their kids here. But then I remember a lot of kids are overweight.

Depends on the child I think. Everyone’s appetite is different. If DS isn’t saying he’s hungry or asking for more and he is healthy and energetic, that’s fine. Two year old DGD has a tiny appetite that a lot of children the same age would find insufficient. If DS is underweight though maybe get some input from GP to put your mind at rest.

Sounds ok to me, that’s about what my 9 year olds eat in a day. Minus the fruit .

I would have put something else in to bulk out the lunch especially if it was a day full of activities.