Is this too much food??

[Nightgardenisodd]

Toddler Dd, 3, her dinner today. Very hot where we are, lots of salads etc. We made bread today, so possibly a bit more than normal here, with the bread included.
My mum says I feed her too much food and no wonder she doesn’t eat it all. I don’t expect her to eat it all, but like to give her a varied choice in the hope she chooses parts and eats something, which she does.
Dd is a normal weight etc.
Aibu or is this an okay amount of food for her for dinner?

What's the brown stuff on the right of the plate?

@FlorrieLindley

What's the brown stuff on the right of the plate?

It's brown bread isn't it?

@FlorrieLindley

What's the brown stuff on the right of the plate?

It's called bread.

I have no opinion on the food but I do love her wooden bunny plate!

A child needs better food than bloody rabbit food salad.

Ignore

[quote Nightgardenisodd]@Anonymous48 🤣 Was very rushed and Dd asked for a bit to dip her veg into, isn’t ideal I know, but I love mayo with my salad too, otherwise it’s not the most exciting.[/quote]
I thought the mayo was on the cheese.

My one year old gets about that at each meal. Sometimes he eats all of it, sometimes leaves some, usually always drops or lobs at least 20%!

My mother thinks he eats way too much. I give him a whole ‘small’ banana after his porridge most mornings, and she goes on and on about how she couldn’t possible eat a crumb after some porridge..

Ds is about 50% weight, 75% height

What the heck is Portuguese cheese? And why does the bread look like dried-up tuna?

It looks like a good variety OP.
It would be too much if you expected her to eat it all, but it sounds great that you are giving her options to have a variety of tastes.
How do you feel about it?

why is this any business of your mother's? Did someone make her the food police?

Your DM would be appalled at the quantities my two year old can eat. He will quite often have two or three breakfasts, he has four courses at nursery for lunch, a light tea at nursery and then a proper tea when he gets home. He's bang in average height and weight!

Looks great to me. That’s the kind of food I like to eat. If she doesn’t eat it all it doesn’t matter.

From what you’ve described your mum’s attitude to food & drink sounds quite annoying and random. It’s like she doesn’t want her to eat much at normal meals but wants her to drink fruit juices and have sugary snacks. Odd! I wonder if she’d feel differently about portion sizes if you had a son instead of a daughter.

On a side note, my 19-month-old has one weetabix and she’s pretty small, so I hope she’ll be having two by the time she’s three years old too.

This is a stealth boast to be honest OP.....

The older generation ate less and insisted on finishing it all. Rationing wasnt that long ago and its an effect from that. Wasting food hits them as a core immorality.
Your meal looks perfect.

I do similar portions for my 3 year old. For example today she had one slice of toast cut up with butter. 2 eggs, a few slices of cucumber and 5 cherry tomatoes.

She ate all the yolks, half the egg whites, all the toast and half the veg. She does get fed a pretty substantial tea at nursery too around 3pm though.

@Ghosttile

Your mother is looking for (I assume) a clean plate and you’re looking for your DD to have choices, try different foods and learn to eat until she’s full. Your mother’s view isn’t relevant because you don’t care about a clean plate. Your DD is a healthy weight so your approach is working.

Spot on! And again... I will take a plate of that please, looks delicious!

I will probably be criticised by my comment but I am in agreement with your DM - I think it is too much.

I would give one protein choice, I think three protein choices is excessive not from a health perspective but from an entitlement- picking and choosing seems wrong to me when there are so many children without food (thinking of the Rashford campaign here).

Maybe your DM probably remembers family members talking of rationing, and with my family emigrating to avoid death camps I’m afraid I can’t tolerate children thinking waste is ok. I don’t mind children not eating everything but I don’t agree with picking and choosing.

I also don’t agree with the argument the parents will nibble afterwards as that then creates a hierarchy of food. Food should be shared.

Anyway I’m sure I will face a lot of abuse but think worth having another point of view!

@minty133

What the heck is Portuguese cheese? And why does the bread look like dried-up tuna?

OP has already said it's hot where she is. I'm guessing she's in Portugal. The place where you get Portuguese cheese

She also said she made bread. What looks like really lovely bread, which she has torn and put on the plate

What a bizarre and blinkered comment.

My scrawny DS aged 3 would eat that & more! I offer a large-ish selection of foods & hope that they eat it. 🤷‍♀️ We don't typically offer snacks throughout the day so they only really eat at meal times unless dinner is going to be late or whatever then they might have a hobnob or a small bag of animal biscuits or something.

Looks fine to me.

DS used to eat 2 or 3 weetabix for breakfast and scoff big portions of food as a 3 yr old then around the time he started school, he started becoming a fussy eater and now won’t touch cereals, eggs or milk. The stuff he does eat, he’ll eat what he wants and then says “I’m full” and leaves a bit.

Whilst I thought I’d cracked weaning, DS made a fool out of me. 😂

Looks lovely.

I also would love to know where the bunny plate came from. I collect rabbit things!

Children's tastes change between 2 and 4. Were always reading how they ate x y and z and now will only eat pasta and bread as they go though pre school era.

Which is why I always think giving them choice and autonomy is so important.

My da hates things like bread. He use to take pepper, cucumber and carrot sticks with soft cheese dip and a baby bel for his mains in packed lunch and grapes and flap Jack or something.

I think I was the only parent who's schools lunch box police tried to suggest I gave him wraps or sandwiches - I have no idea why people are obsessed with judging what others choose to eat.

This is my approach. I always offer plenty, and let them eat to appetite. They’re teens now, healthy weight, and often leave food if they aren’t hungry.

Whereas I am of the “must clear your plate” generation. I remember packed lunches and dinners as a kid where I left the table still fairly hungry, and now I really struggle to stop eating when I’m full, and consequently am overweight.

My DS, 2 would eat double that. My nephew aged 4 would probably leave a little bit. It depends entirely on the individual child. If she nearly manages to finish it, then I'd say it's perfect for her.

@Anonymous48 It was, I was rushing and just squirted, she dipped her veg in then ate the cheese