To get an 8.5 yr old a happy meal?

[QuickSloeGo]

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 have a Happy Meal for lunch sometimes, and I'm nearer 60 than 50.

If kids are allowed a large adult meal at the age of 8 or 9, what are they going to be wanting when they're 15? Supersize, probably. And so they will be.

DS1 is 6.3 and eats a plain burger happy meal and an extra plain burger on the side. He also eats 3 starters of dough balls and the whole childs pizza from the pizza express kids menu (no pudding and he only drinks water).

He has a huge appetite but a limited diet. He is on the 76centile for weight and 99th for height.

My 2.2 year old eats a whole fishfinger happy meal to herself. As does my 4.4 year old. But they have milkshakes and coke too.

A happy meal is more than my 9yo can eat in one sitting, but my younger niece can easily eat a large adult meal. Both girls are stick thin. They just have different food needs.

I think it all depends on appetite tbh, I'm 23, a size 6-8 and can easily polish off a large meal plus extras like a side of nuggets 🤷‍♀️ not that I do very often.
There's nothing wrong with having a large meal if it's only once in a while.

I find it quite odd that so many women are happy with a child portion on MN. Each to their own but it smacks of virtue signalling.

I do love a competitive small portions post.

I think its worth people KNOWING what they are eating in terms of calories. It doesn't compel people to stick to that, but we DO have a national problem of people not knowing what a healthy portion size is.

There are days I'd happily scoff a Macca's Special, but realistically a small choice is much more appropriate for me.

I don't see how thats competitive. Its just pointing out that even some adults really shouldn't be eating a whole lot more than a Happy Meal. And its Okay to eat small portions. I personally have got lots of shit in the past from people over it, and frankly that not okay either.

Being aware isn't being competitive. Its just being informed.

DSS 11 gets the option. He can choose what he wants. Sometimes he gets a happy meal sometimes he gets a quarter pounder with cheese meal. Either way it's up to him not me.

Meant to say DS1 never snacks and hardly touches breakfast. So has huge lunches and dinners. It depends on what other food the kids eat throughout the day.

DS is 10 and a half, it's only been in the last few months he's been having a regular meal.

My 9 year old has a happy meal. It’s a decent sized burger and chips, I don’t understand how it’s not enough! He gets a fruit bag with it if he’s really hungry.

Mine have had adults meals since they were 8 or 9. They're all skinny. They all eat a good range of foods so I'm not going to get wound up about them becoming obese by having the occasional meal from McDonalds.

Sometimes they choose big meals, sometimes small, and so do I.

god no happy meal is fine op

i get them for me occasionally. thats why were all becoming porkers - i dont think there is anything wrong with a small fast food meal once in while.
a large one a lot id take issue with.

I still get myself a happy meal . I think it's good to teach children that some kinds of food should be consumed in moderation.

YANBU.

McDonalds isn't really food that fills you up though is it? I guess children just get a bit excited and want big portions.

One DC is still eating a Happy Meal at 9 and is fine with it

I stopped buying Happy Meals for the other DC at 6 because I was fed up of having to buy extra food to supplement it as he was still hungry afterwards

Almost 8 year old DD has a Happy Meal. From memory, her older brothers were about 11 or 12 before they stopped having them.

Woah, already 64 posts- I thought it a relatively boring OP!

Seems the main eat similar to my ds. I reckon he’d possibly stuff an adult meal down, but I’d have an hour of floor rolling and overly full sad sounds to annoy me after.

And no, I’m not a small portions competitive person. My delayed response was because I was eating a massive bowl of dumplings happily...

My 8.5 dd has a happy meal. I wouldnt let her order off the main menu or any of her friends. Very young children shouldnt be ordering large meals its just greed. YANBU

Both mine definitely liked Happy Meals at the age of 8, in fact they had them up until around the age of 10 or 11 and it was more than enough for them!

OP its a McDonalds Thread.

McDonalds Threads always get lots of posts. I like McDonalds Threads.

I am very odd.

Oh looking at other posts, this is mean, whilst I let them I do sigh inside when his friends want big meals and special drinks because the cost double or even more. I know that makes me a bad host!

I tend to have a chicken mayo burger, a cheese burger and small fries myself...

Smaller portion overall than a regular adult meal and alot cheaper!

With children, I think it's just about thinking about what else they are having that day.
And what the kids personalities are like.

Some kids will seem like bottomless pits if you put their favourite foods/fast foods infront of them, but wouldn't eat sandwiches endlessly at home if you made them

Others really do seem to have hollow legs and just eat and eat everything infront of them whilst staying relatively slim.

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

YABU unreasonable to go to McDonalds at all. Happy Meal is in any case a misnomer.

My 6 year old is still hungry after a happy meal but this...

I reckon he’d possibly stuff an adult meal down, but I’d have an hour of floor rolling and overly full sad sounds to annoy me after.

...would not happen as he would never eat more than he could manage just because it's there, so I don't feel the need to regulate his intake as much as I would if he was prone to trying to 'finish' a mean rather than eat till he's full.

I think it depends if they have a burger or nuggets. My DS 7.5 has just started to want extea nuggets with his happy meal. I’m sure if he had a burger he’d be full.