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!

He’s fine. He’s just growing boy

When I had gestational diabetes shredded wheat or porridge was the breakfast advised! It’s not the porridge that’s a bad carb. Maybe add some nuts/seeds to it?

I would let him have what he wants/ needs, however being normal weight or underweight and eating all of that, I would see a Dr. Just to rule out worms, diabetes etc…

Mixing yoghurt (full fat) into his porridge may help. Research suggests that it helps to slow down the release of energy, so he will remain fuller for longer.

Simple he needs more protein.

Eggs are the answer. See if you can find somewhere that sells them in larger quantities than the supermarket so they are cheaper.

Does his poo look normal, i.e. is the food being fully digested and not just passing through and not being absorbed properly?

How much protein would you say he eats daily?

Would he feel less hungry in the evening if he had something like a full English for breakfast and a solid packed lunch instead of the inadequate school lunch?

I don't find porridge filling at all. Would he have say, beans on toast with an egg and sse how he goes with that? It sounds like he needs more protein.

As long as he's a healthy wait, quantity isn't the issue. But that a hell of a lot of carbs!

It's normal for children to eat more carbs than adults, but I would assume he isn't eating enough protein and fibre and therefore compensating on carbs.

Perhaps give him snacks with more protein if you can?
School dinners are actually quite tiny - I've worked in lots of primary schools - so I can see he'd need more if he has a good appetite.

He’s growing, he isn’t overweight. I’d reduce the cheese intake, incorporate fruit, veg, lentils, chickpeas. Adult size portions are fine. Heck of a lot of porridge lol what about scrambled eggs on sourdough toast? Agree with pp about Dahl he can help himself too. Or salad? Does he eat really quick or watch tv when he’s eating? That can make you eat more..

I'd give him more protein especially as you say he likes sports. Cook a chicken breast and slice up for him I to a sandwich. Give him a pork chop with baked beans for lunch. If he's not overweight he obviously needs the calories but I'd be offering more protein a hard boiled egg etc and less crackers.

I think you need to reflect on your need to control his intake.

It sounds unhealthy to be thinking about trying to reduce the food a child eats when there is no weight problem.

Remember he is growing, your DH is not.

Your job is to offer healthy food, no one is suggesting open access to the biscuit tin.

Agree about increasing his protein. But some people (ime, usually boys and men) simply have a massively fast metabolism. I work with some men in their 40s/50s who put away VAST quantities of food and remain slim. If I ate that much, I’d be 30 stone!

Really needs more protein OP like a lot more protein. What about Greek yogurt, cottage cheese? but meat he needs chicken, tuna…eggs

My eldest was like that. He's always been tall and just has a really fast metabolism. If his weight is fine I would say he really does need all that food. Unfortunately it's really expensive to feed them though.

Give him a dost of otex worm treatment and see if it makes a difference

My 8.5yo DS eats more than that, but he’s 148cm tall with size 4.5 feet already so I figure there’s no point fretting about it and he’s just destined to be the height of a basketball player. 🤷‍♀️

Protein will fill him up more than carbs.

If he isnt over weight keep going. Growing and burning fat. Dont make him worry about eating.

It’s is tall. It’s over 91st centile so that is tall. For a 6 year old it would be over 99th centile.

My nephew sounds similar to your DS and my sister has found that increasing protein is key. She uses chicken and steak, bought in bulk and frozen and then grilled, sliced and added to his lunch and any snacks he eats. She also gives scrambled eggs with butter on wholewheat toast, full fat Greek yogurt with bananas, porridge with seeds and blueberries, avocados mushed on toast…

Without wanting to be rude, do you have an issue with weight and/ or food yourself?

From what you have written it gives me the impression you do.

If he isn’t overweight he needs the food

make sure he has enough protein but this isn’t a fill him up to stop him eating situation- he isn’t overweight so NEEDS calories
and then let him fill up on cheap carbs - no need to bankrupt yourself.

switch the crackers for wholewheat bread

if it persists past Christmas see the doctor