To think this is too much food for an 8yo?

[Twelvehaysofmistcats]

Not sure what im asking here exactly, maybe just a bit of perspective, but DS is 7 (sorry put 8 in title, hes not 8 it was a typo). Each day he eats

2 or 3 full bowls of porridge with fruit
3 or 4 big wholewheat crackers or fruit as morning snack
Lunch at home would be maybe 4 slices of wholemeal bread, loads of cheese or anything else protein-y, veg/salad, then if there was any bread left on the table he'd just finish it. At school he has school dinners but says they're not enough and he's hungry
After school 4 or 5 big wholewheat crackers with peanut butter, fruit, probably more crackers
Dinner is e.g pasta and sauce or whatever - its healthy but he'll have a full adult portion, then seconds, eats far more than even his dad. He'll pretty much cry unless dinner is something solid/filling - e.g. stew or soup has to have masses of bread or potatoes with it
Drinks water

He's on the tall side, solid but absolutely no spare flesh and you can see his ribs. Does a fair bit of sport. I'm not worried he's overweight at the moment, just that this is an insane amount for a kid that age to eat! I guess I worry that I should try to encourage him not to always have seconds/thirds as he's storing up problems for the future. Anyone have any experience of a kid like this?

YANBU - don't feed him so much, he needs to learn to stop (and youll go bankrupt when he's a teenager)

YABU - leave him alone, its totally fine for a 7yo to eat more than the rest of the family put together

Tank you!

You're obsessed, @Naanspiration . Do you have it on naan bread too?

So you are suggesting a 7 year old spreads fish paste or cottage cheese on something.

Right. Loon.

Do you know what kids eat for breakfast? They eat Coco pops, white toast and jam, chocolate Weetabix etc. So if a child is having seeded wholemeal bread with peanut butter and the honey makes it all the more delicious - good for them.

Apparently fish paste is better.

I know you've said you avoid meat because of the cost but I was veggie at that age due to parents choice and really struggled to feel full.

Once I was allowed to meat there was a noticeable difference in how much of a meal I'd eat. Could you not add some chicken or oily fish into his meals for him?

Protein is actually recommended at every meal, because eating it in smaller portions throughout the day helps your body use it more efficiently. I have two hungry boys one of whom is a vegetarian and always make sure they get protein in their dinner. Lentils and beans are a good source, but they are rarely an ingredient in pasta sauce served to kids in my experience. That tends to a basic tomato and mixed veg affair that is not a great dinner in my opinion.

Okay so only your suggestions are good then?

I haven't suggested anything, just commended and encouraged the inclusion of peanut butter in OP's sons diet.

Well if your suggestion is fish paste on crackers or toast - then yes my suggestions are better than yours.

I agree. Fish paste is gross.

I never mentioned fish paste. And you have been suggesting stuff? You literally suggested a great breakfast for a 7 year old.

Oof my kids wouldn’t touch cottage cheese, let alone fish paste lol

@Naanspiration So you are suggesting a 7 year old spreads fish paste or cottage cheese on something.
Not particularly.
Right. Loon. Not a loon, but I wouldn't recommend combining peanut butter and honey. Unlike you*

Do you know what kids eat for breakfast? They eat Coco pops, white toast and jam, chocolate Weetabix etc.
They wouldn't if it wasn't there.

@HFR

Eww, no you can’t eat the fat on meat…rank in both taste and texture 🤢

@Cherrytree86 yes because no one likes crispy bacon 🤣
Joking apart most fat melts into the dish when cooked.

Woah, have to intervene here. I listed where he gets protein from. If you could point me towards where i said i would be surprised if he didnt get enough protein from eating peanut butter, that'd be useful... because right from the first few replies to this post I've seen (and replied) that its likely he's not getting enough protein for his needs, and have taken on board all suggestions of how to increase his protein intake from other sources. And after a few adjustments to his meals/snacks this weekend, we're definitely at a position where his actual intake has gone down (the crackers are no longer trembling) and he's feeling fuller quicker.

I wouldn't have posted for advice if I was just here to defend what I already feed him!

Edited to say - I think you misinterpreted me saying 'he gets a lot of veg/protein from peanut butter and carrots' as me saying 'he gets enough protein/veg from peanut butter and carrots', which is fine, but not what I was actually saying

My god, what is it with everyone’s lack of comprehension in this place?

Yes, gladly: you said "He does have a lot of veg/protein (peanut butter goes on in a carpet, i do the enforced carrot sticks etc to fill him up)" and then didn't list any more protein sources other than that, in that post that I responded to anyway.

I’m not criticising what you feed him at all, when everyone was talking about making sure he had enough protein you said he has a lot of PB. I just simply pointed out that PB doesn't have "a lot" of protein, (because it’s a commonly held misconception that it does; yes it has protein in it but to get enough protein from PB on a daily basis you'd have to eat about half a tub of it), before the bloody Sun Pat Marketing Board decided to chime in and derail everything.

Edit, because you edited while I was posting: I was responding to you saying "he gets a lot of veg/protein" by pointing out that PB isn't "a lot" of protein.

The pb/carrots were examples, because if I listed every protein source and every vegetable he ate the post would be long and full of really unnecessary detail. I kind of assumed (wrongly obviously) that nobody would actually read into that that his only source of protein was peanut butter, just that there was some along with the carbs

Please don't get tetchy and rude. Its very obvious from this thread that nobody - actually nobody - knows the full and whole truth about nutrition, because science hasn't got there yet and theres a lot of vested interests 'proving' different stuff. I posted for advice about my hungry child, I got some good advice.

For cheaper protein OP, my 4 and 2 year old love tinned mackerel in oil. My 4 year old will eat it straight from the can as a snack 🥴 but it’s a really good protein source and seems to be the go to snack after high energy activities at the weekend.

I'm not getting tetchy and rude. People pointed out that he was probably hungry because he wasn't getting enough protein; you responded by saying he gets a lot of protein then listed peanut butter and that was the only protein source you listed in that response. I responded to the words you used, and pointed out that PB wasn't "a lot of" protein. Because that was literally the only protein source you listed. If you want people to comment on the actual picture you need to use your words and not assume that people can read your mind.

Oh for goodness sake. What are you trying to prove? I absolutely never said I'd be surprised if he wasn't getting enough protein. I've taken massive amounts of advice ftom this thread and youre turning it into a bunfight over peanut butter. I get it - you don't think peanut butter is a good source of protein. On many nutritional guides it is down as a good source of protein. You disagree. I'll consider myself schooled and go back to the actual relevant and helpful things here

Just remembered something else I do to add extra protein to porridge. I stir in a big spoon of ground almonds after cooking it. My very picky DC don’t seem to notice any difference in texture, and it makes the protein source “complete” since I believe you need to add nuts/seeds to grains to get a complete protein source.

If you’re interested in nutrition I recommend reading sally fallons book called nourishing traditions and childcare. It looks at what people ate pre industrialisation and they were a lot healthier. It’s difficult for children and even adults to absorb the nutrients in nuts unless they are soaked, but there is a good peanut butter recipe in there I think your son would like.

Nice tip - I might try it.

I’d do eggs in the morning rather than huge amounts of porridge,

Whilst I agree your son needs more protein, just to reassure you @Twelvehaysofmistcats one of my Dds ate like this, non stop food all day long. She was eating adult portions from about aged 9 however she was always on the skinny size. I actually took her to the Drs aged 15 as was worried she was underweight after a growth spurt, dr said dd and her diet were healthy and just carry as she was.
She’s now 35, 5ft 8 a size 8 and has a 5 year old who eats exactly the same way as her mum!

We have full fat plain Greek yoghurt for a snack for our two, they sometimes have this and some fruit for breakfast, and often have as an after school snack. It's quite a good protein hit. We like the Lidl Malbona one but most shops have an own brand. It's also nice with some smooth peanut butter stirred in, or a drizzle or honey. If he likes this, it's easy to decant into a tupperware or but individual tubs for after sports?