To get an 8.5 yr old a happy meal?

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Obviously irrelevant if you don’t eat McDonald’s...

Twice recently I’ve had friends kids out and about and for ease I’ve resorted to McDonald’s. Not the days main meal.

I still buy my 8 yr old a happy meal, even I rarely buy an adult full meal unless I’m starving or I’ve eaten little else. For lunch I’ll happily get a wrap.

Both times his friends have been incredulous at the happy meal, I’ve bought them full meals and their parents have confirmed they always have a full meal. One laughed and said she lets him make it large.

I will always follow rules for other people’s kids, but am I out of step with 8 yr old boy portions? It seems plenty to me for lunch. He doesn’t complain, his 6 yr old sister doesn’t finish them. They are slim but a healthy slim and full of energy. I’m a very normal about 22ish bmi so mid range healthy and I don’t diet.

I wouldn’t have dreamt of buying an 8 year old an adult meal. No wonder we are surrounded by obesity. You were perfectly right to buy a child a child’s meal
My 8 year old DS sometimes eats more than me, sometimes eats an adult meal in a restaurant, (not MacD) and finishes the leftovers from DDs child portion meal (she is 12!). Neither are tall and skinny but both are well within a healthy weight range. DS is a bit feast or famine. He can go all day without eating anything and then have 3 portions of spag bol for tea. He doesn't snack and doesn't like sweets. DD is a grazer but would eat chocolate and biscuits every hour given half the chance!

Never mind the small portions. YABU to feed kids at McDonalds, full stop.

What an unhealthy attitude. Maccas isnt crack. Attitudes like this start kids on path to a dangerous unhealthy attitude towards food, which imo is worse than a happy meal.

While most days a happy meal would fill me, Dd is on that cusp of dropping happy meal at 8 but she likes the toys. Well apart from the current spiderman crap. She gets a 6 nugget happy meal and chips and lemonade.
Everyone has different appetites and thats ok.

My son, who is 9, stopped eating happy meals at about 6 years old. He has chicken selects and fries and a choc shake and finishes the lot. For dinner at home he eats as much as his Dad and I do, always finishes, sometimes asks for more. He is not overweight at all, in fact he is possibly underweight and slightly small for his age. That being said he is never ever still, even if he is watching tv his is still kicking a soft football around the place or jumping all over. I think it totally depends on each child so if a happy meal suits your child then carry on with the happy meal until they ask to have a bigger meal.

I wouldn’t have dreamt of buying an 8 year old an adult meal

But an active 8 year old has the exact same calorie demands as a sedentary adult - so unless you the adult are actually increasing your calorie demands by doing exercise (actual exercise not just "10,000 steps" which add hardly anything in itself) then you'd expect them to eat the same size meals.

Of course an active adult needs a lot more calories, because activity as an adult burns more (running a mile at 60kg burns twice as many as at 30kg, and of course an adult will likely cover it faster so can do more.)

Some typical adult meals are too much for a sedentary adult unless they eat hardly anything for the rest of the day as they could easily be above 1000 calories, or too filling, hence why some eat happy meals, it's not competitive under eating, it's choosing an appropriate sized meal. Even a happy meal can be above 500 calories so about right for a lunch for a sedentary adult.

I'm worried now. DS is 7 and very active but eats very small portions. Where's he getting his energy from?

@Philomena, I wouldn’t worry. I know kids at both ends of the appetite spectrum, and it seems to have no correlation with how active (or otherwise) they are. So long as your son knows he can ask for food if he’s still hungry, then there’s no problem.

Thanks, that's reassuring.

My 8 year old DD still has a happy meal but she has a teeny appetite. My same age nephew would need two happy meals to be full. Both same height and same weight. Having said that, DD will be full from the meal but hungry again in a couple of hours - maybe quick burning? I’d have no problem buying her an adult portion though.

I was in a M&SD café the other day, and two kids, probably no older than 7, each had a large slice of chocolate cake. They could easily have had one between them. Portion sizes are far too big nowadays.

I expect a happy meal is easily up to his RDA's.