What do normal sized people eat?

[phonetedt]

Posting for traffic and I'm being deadly serious.

Always had issues with food (abusive childhood and neglect started it I think)

I'm on a weight loss journey, doing well.

What do people normally eat? Those who are average sized and not gaining weight?

I feel like my portion sizes are insanely large but I also don't know what people would eat for lunch and stuff? I feel like porridge, sandwich, crisps, fruit and then tea (dinner) would be a lot of calories for me.

Butterscotch Angel Delight! I thought I was the only adult who still ate this 😋

Yogurt, oats and berries for breakfast, or scrambled eggs followed by a banana.

Lunch and dinner are varied but it’s vegetable heavy. Some meat and dairy. On a day to day basis I generally don’t eat anything that’s UPF - I eat them occasionally but it’s a rare treat. Have a read of Chris van Tulleken’s book “Ultra Processed People”?

My BMI is around 22 and I don't gain weight.
I've always had this huge appetite. I remember that even as a little girl I noticed I could eat more in one sitting than a fully grown man!
Because of this I was prone to putting on weight and yoyo'd for decades.
For the last ten years I've been maintaining. I need to have really big meals to feel satisfied so I've basically cut a meal out. I'll have brunch around 11am, a couple snacks in the day and then a big meal around 6pm. Brunch will be substantial. Today it was an avocado, an orange and a fried egg sandwich with cheese. Dinner is also substantial - today it was a large portion of pasta bake with loads of vegetables, tuna and cheese.
This way of eating suits me because I can feast but because it's only two meals a day, I don't gain weight.
Other people are more suited to eating several small meals throughout the day.
We're all different. Try and find what works for you.

OP is wondering what normal sized people eat, which I think we all know means healthy weight.
People of a healthy weight do not eat too much overall. Maybe now and again, but if they ate too much all the time they would be overweight. "Too much" indicates more than you need.

I eat what I want, but in smaller portions, and I eat slow. I very rarely finish a meal, I usually leave a few mouthfuls because I'm full by that point.

I agree. Sometimes I overeat by having a massive takeaway or pizza or whatever (food that’s generally designed to make you want to keep eating it…) but generally not. I think we’ve often lost sight of what a normal portion size looks like.

Oats and fruit with Greek yoghurt for breakfast
Sandwich or salad or something for lunch depending on what I'm doing.
Something like an omelette or baked potato with cheese and veg for dinner.
Lots of tea and the odd bit of chocolate/nuts/some kind of snack along the way.

I'm 56 , 5 ft 7 and around 9 stone 3. I was 9 stone 2 the day I got married aged 22. I've have four children.

I've pretty much eaten the same foods every day for 40 years.
Boiled egg with a slice of seeded toast for breakfast (real butter), with orange juice.
Salad with cheese , or vegetable soup, or hummus and Ryvitas for lunch, and sometimes a packet of crisps.
Pasta with loads of veg (and cheese) or crusty bread, cheese bake and roasted veg,, or jacket spuds..more cheese.. for dinner. I'm veggie so no meat and rarely eat the meat alternatives.

I drink water, black coffee and too much red wine .

We usually have a pizza or curry once a week.

I do eat sweets (always have mint imperials in my car) but am not really interested in cakes or puddings... much prefer savoury.

I have noticed since hitting 50 that a couple of bags of crisps too many, or a run of takeaways and I do gain weight quickly... but it also comes off again as soon as I rein it in. I have a dog, an allotment, and an active job but don't do gym or a sport.

Am active. Feel like I eat loads. 5ft7 size 12. Run 5k 5 times a week plus weights x2 and lots of walking / moving all day. I eat a big bowl of overnight oats with fruit and nuts; a large lentil & random veg salad at lunch dressed with hummus; toast and peanut butter mid afternoon if hungry and often nothing for dinner (can’t be arsed). Stir fry veggies or similar if I can be. 20g to 40g of dark choc a day; no snacking. Low ish carb, no ready meals, rarely eat out (when I do I have whatever I fancy). No takeaways. No alcohol. Just drink water and tea/coffee. I used to be overweight with food issues; now post meno and find being off the hormone rollercoaster has really helped me find a pattern that works for me. Very occasionally still engage in emotional eating.

I'm about 'average' for my size (size 12) but I exercise a lot - we're talking 4hrs a day roughly. It's hard to know what would be 'too much' for you given you haven't said how much you exercise.

Today I've had:
Two almond croissants and 4 lattes.
200g greek yoghurt, 40G granola, one apple (grated into it), a tablespoon of honey
250oz steak, 100G broccoli, 100g carrots, 1 large jacket potato and a fairly large slab of salted butter and a serving of peppercorn sauce.

Yesterday I had two whole packs of custard creams, a luxury hot chocolate and 20 chicken nuggets. That was it.

Eat what you want. Indulge when you want. Exercise. Don't restrict - it nearly always ends in disaster and tbh it's miserable!

I don't have crisps in the house nor chocolate, snack bars etc. breakfast varies so porridge (plain oats, 40g) plus fruit or toast on work days, scrambled eggs or bacon plus toast on weekends (but later so skip lunch). Weekday lunch is a sandwich and a piece of fruit or a mackerel salad plus fruit. Evening meal varies a lot but get hello fresh 4 x a week which are portion controlled and we make 2 portions stretch to 3 of us as we all are dieting!

But even with this I'm not loosing, probably the beer on a Saturday night

Today:

Breakfast:
few coffees

Lunch:
Bowl of soup
Chicken breast in sauce with potatoes, broccoli, carrots
Banana custard with meringue
Apples and biscuits

Dinner:
Not happened yet but maybe a small steak, mashed potatoes, cabbage, kale and spinach

Male, BMI 20, 53kg, very active

I normally aim for around 2000 to 2500 calories a day, don't pay much attention to macros

Toast with butter and honey or croissant

Sandwich usually tuna or chicken

Massive meal at night

Thanks everyone

Yes by normal I mean healthy weight.

I'm wondering how does anyone eat a takeaway and still not gain weight? Even if I eat healthily all week, a Chinese takeaway is definitely more calories than I need! Do you just eat even better the next week?

I think my portions are definitely the issue too

Qualify normal, size 8-10 athletic- I have around 1900-2200 cals a day / macros 30/30/30

Exercise 2-3 hours daily with a rest day every 10, I am technically an athlete as I compete at sport but have a full time job / kids so not elite - but compete in my age group 40+

This usually looks like

Latte breakfast (I hate eating in the morning)

Lunch
Protein pudding
Protein bar
Sandwich with a chicken breast or prepped cottage pie / other protein rich meal with carbs

Afternoon snack of Blondie / cake

Dinner
Protein bar / crisps or a meal if I fancy it but usually just want to snack as get back 930pm after training

I am normal size but my workout and diet is not normal as I do what works for me etc.

You need to find your perfect macros / cals and food routine and understand your TDEE and output

Get a weighing app - happy scale is good

3 espresso and a kids rice crispy marshmallow bar for breakfast
Steak, grilled veggies and a small piece of bread for lunch
Dinner is homemade (by DH) lamb koftas with a rocket salad, bottle of Chablis to share and tiramisu for pudding because it’s Saturday night !

Track weight over a course of time as so much weight is water / carbs etc

I’m lucky that slim build/fast metabolism seems to run in my family so I don’t have to be too careful with food - I’m 43, 5’8 and about 55kg. Yesterday I had granola with oat milk for breakfast; lunch was one wholemeal roll with quorn ham and cheese, salad bits, crisps and a bit of cake; dinner was homemade tofu Pad Thai (a plateful), with melon for pudding. For snacks I had a couple of biscuits, a chocolate bar and some cups of coffee. Thats a fairly average day. I try to eat 5 portions of veg/fruit every day, and make each meal reasonably balanced between the food groups. I have quite an active job (teacher) but don’t do much exercise otherwise.

It's not so much what as how much. Plus people have different metabolisms.
I went on holiday with a (very slim) friend and I purposefully ate as much as possible the exact same and amount as she did. We did the same activities. I gained two pounds! She stayed the same.
I can eat and eat though, and have a sweet tooth. Currently I'm eating 1300/day - loads of veg. Maintenance will be about 2000 and that's not that much difference - couple slices toast with butter, a piece of fruit and boom I've reached it! Depressing.

I'm 5ft 3 and 9st 12. I put on weight if I go over 1400 cals a day. Age 40, slowing metabolism, size 12.

I walk at least 12k a day, do yoga 3x a week and drink 2 nights a week.

I have to be so careful. A typical day for me is

2x scrambled egg with half an avocado.

Tuna or chicken salad with a pita bread.

A gousto meal under 600 cals.

Unless I reduce to under 1000 cals a day I find it impossible to lose weight. I've had all the blood tests and am in early meno and slightly borderline thyroid.

i’m 5’6, 9 stone 3 pounds, 37 years old, 1 child (10 month old baby). Always been very naturally active, never dieted, weight has been pretty stable (aside from pregnancy) but have been 1/2 stone heavier. Always been a size 8/12.

To counteract this I am a full time secondary school teacher who never sits down, with a baby and a large dog. I regularly walk 15000-20000 steps a day.

Weekday-
Breakfast- supermarket bought sandwich or wrap. Usually chicken or ham

Lunch- chicken salad- leaves, vinaigrette dressing/sour cream, chicken breast, mozzarella, chilli OR
Vegetable/chicken soup

Snacks- satay chicken skewers, dark chocolate and nuts, yogurt (full fat), crisps (salt and vinegar moccoys grab bag) or a graze snack box (0-2 snacks a day, if hungry)

Dinner- large portion of homemade chilli con carne, macaroni cheese, enchiladas, pasta bake, roast dinner, sausage/mash etc. Served with salad, coleslaw, vegetables, garlic bread.

Drinks- lots of water, black coffee, full fat coke (max one a day) white wine (way too much)

Weekend-

Brunch instead of breakfast/lunch- full English or 2 croissants with ham/cheese or smoked salmon

Dinner- similar to weekdays. Once a week a takeaway (12 inch Italian pizza or curry/rice or Chinese/Mexican/Thai)

I don’t really eat pudding or cakes, just not interested. Maximum once a week- chocolate brownie/cake/any crumble and cream.

I love food. It is one of my favourite things.

If sometimes eat significantly more than normal in a day but I have lower intake days too, not exactly deliberately, it just works like that.

It really depends on the caloric need of the day.
If I’ve wfh and then chilled in the evening.. not a lot as I don’t need it.

If I’ve done a good shift in the gym and then spent the rest of the day out and about doing stuff… I probably then would twice as much

If I was trying to lose weight, I'd count calories

I'd probably eat 1200 calories a day plus a 3 mile jog and some dumbbell work each day

A Chinese takeaway wouldn't be able to be fitted into my 1200 cals so I wouldn't eat it

My BMI is currently 20, but I still don't eat takeaways and I still do the jog and weights