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!

Which types of foods does he like and dislike ? This might help specific recommendations.
Also, which cooking equipment do you have, for the same reason ?

I agree with pp in general re proteins and healthy fats, and it being fine for some children to need a lot.

It’s very clear that you are trying your best to feed him a healthy diet, and also open to feedback, so please don’t feel bad. Budget wise there are many things like eggs tuna Greek yoghurt etc, I would not stress that much as you are already buying healthy things so it’s not a case of a huge financial limitation where it harder but not impossible.

@Twelvehaysofmistcats , you're feeding him food that gets burned up quickly. Leafy greens, root veg etc and protein fill you up and take longer to digest, so you feel fuller for longer.

A lot of the food you mentioned is high-GI. A lot of the fruit & veg is fruit, which is sugary.
The 5-a-day is a very low bar, and I'd be aiming for 9 to 11 and those being mainly veg, but not veg that are really fruit (e.g. toms, peppers) or would classify as carbs or protein (e.g. potatoes, lentils).

I'd be hungry all the time on your DSs food because of the false hunger you get from carbs.

Porridge is ok as long as it's not the instant kind, that's dreadful.

My mother always fed my growing brothers a normal largish meal but also had a box of seasonal pears, carrots and apples and a loaf of wholemeal bread that they could spread things on.
After school they were also allowed a bowl of wheatabix.

They had to eat in the kitchen and were not permitted to eat less than an hour and a half before dinner.

They drank mainly water and on weekends they enjoyed eggs for breakfast and Milo after lunch. When they were about 20 they started to eat similar sized meals as my Dad.

I think this height is well within the normal range for a boy? My 7yo is about the same height, eats probably half of that amount of food but definitely has some spare flesh. They are all different.

@Twelvehaysofmistcats

lol no I was thinking more like your clothes and shoes

It does sound like a lot of food. Some of your measurements are subjective though, how many grams of oats is he eating? How much actual cheese? If he's not overweight then he obviously needs it

4 slices of bread if he's just having sandwiches and fruit, no snacks is just a normal lunch? If you said sandwich, crisps and fruit no one would consider that too much, and obviously wholemeal bread is healthier than most packaged snacks and about the same calories as say a packet of crisps of a chocolate bar, or a yoghurt snack

If he is actually having 40g oats for breakfast, some crackers, 2 sandwiches for lunch, no snacks and a biggish tea I don't think that's a massive amount of food for an active, growing child

On the protein note oats actually do contain protein. Porridge made with 40g oats and 300ml milk contains 15g of protein. At 7 he only needs around 20g a day. He's not deficient in protein. I'd probably look to maybe boiling some eggs for snacks but his diet is not low in protein, and children do need complex carbs for energy. Providing he has a functioning pancreas his blood sugar shouldn't be spiking

I guess the only concern would be is he actually digesting all his food. Any evidence of bowel problems or diabetes?

Also my brother used to be a massive eater as a child, was tallish and very skinny. Like would eat whole loaf of French bread if he could or 6 sausages for dinner.

He's still a skinny adult. He still eats like a horse, a slightly less ravenous horse maybe. He's very healthy, and has been able to adjust his eating ro his needs throughout his whole life. Some people just need a lot of food!

Is your son a fidgeter? My brother is one of those people who has just never sat still for a second in his life. If your son is eating to his calorie needs then I wouldn't teach him to restrict or lose that healthy relationship

I recently went on a school trip with yr5 and I was amazed by the amount of food the kids ate especially the boys. Some had a round of sandwiches and pasta, crisps, biscuits probably 3 times the amount of food I took for myself. These kids were a range of heights and weights etc as you would expect but it was the speed they ate it all as well they just hoovered it up!

Porridge is good with peanut butter in it which would add a little bit of protein and fat

Yes that’s an insane amount of food… that’s more than my 6’7 best mate eats and he’s solid muscle.

Id worry that he had a tapeworm or some form of metabolic issue. I’d take him to the doctor.

There’s no evidence that eating more than 9 portions of fruit and veg has any further benefit than the previous 9. He doesn’t need 11.

Oats ARE slow release protein

Pepperoni, ham and Polish sausage are all processed and have nitrates which are associated with an increased risk of cancer. The NHS states to have no more than one portion of processed meat PER WEEK. International advice states there is NO SAFE AMOUNT of these meats.

So no, they are not better sources of protein. He’s eating whole meal bread which has protein, oats which have protein. Nuts and seeds increase the availability of the protein in the bread (by adding lysine which is what wheat protein is limited in).

He needs more things to actually chew. A lot of his diet reads like what I would call "sloppy food". Things that you can just swallow. Porridge, soups, pasta, stews. All things that just glide down the gullet without a lot of effort.
Try swapping out the bread with crusty rolls. Having to chew through the crust on them will slow him down, and it's that chewing that helps the brain realise when it's full. Meals that require a lot of cutting up as you go will also help.

Generally, I'd say more protein, less carbs. Instead of 3 bowls of porridge, try one bowl of porridge, a boiled egg, a banana and a smoothie. Better nutrients, and a slower eat.

@TenGreatFatSquirrels There’s no evidence that eating more than 9 portions of fruit and veg has any further benefit than the previous 9.
I don't understand your point.

He doesn’t need 11. The more the better.
If he was eating a mix of veg, he would not be filling up on bread and crackers.
What is an unit? A banana or apple can vary in size. Two spears of broccoli could be 2 short thin ones or 2 long big ones.

When people guess portions they will tend to guess a lot bigger for some things (e.g, breakfast cereal) and a lot smaller for others (e.g. veg).

Nuts are a magnificently nutritional food. The more the better.

Fats from plant foods are amazingly healthy.

@Naanspiration , peanuts aren't nuts.

PB is often high in sugars though

Nutritional profile of peanut butter
A tablespoon of peanut butter (16g) provides:

• 97kcal/402kj
• 3.6g protein
• 8.3g fat
• 2.0g saturates
• 2.1g carbohydrates
• 1.1g sugars
• 1.1g fibre

Many brands add ingredients such as oil, sugar or xylitol as well as salt, and these will change the nutritional profile. For example, products marketed as 'reduced fat' may have added sugar to enhance their taste. When buying peanut butter check labels carefully and, where possible, choose peanut butter made with as close to 100% peanuts as possible. Is peanut butter good for you? | Good Food Who would think a tablespoon of peanut butter was a portion?

Sounds like a lot of carbs and not much protein.

Could you add some nuts and greek yoghurt to his porridge. Or alternate with some poached/scrambled egg.

Beans on toast/eggs on toast or a cheese toastie with soup for after school snack.

Is he having fish/chicken/meat with his dinner?

Portions of fruit and vegetables have set amounts - 80g generally.

My point is that saying he should have 11 is nonsense because there’s nothing that shows that has any more benefits than 9 and adding more fruits especially is loading him up with more sugar.

My 9th percentile DS is like this and always has been. He doesn’t stop moving or eating.

A typical day of eating at home: He has porridge and a dippy egg with soldiers for breakfast (what he has most days) , rice cakes with banana and peanut butter for a snack, fish and veg and yoghurt at lunch, fruit, crackers, a smoothie in the afternoon and then a “proper tea”… he is small and skinny and eats more than his big brother and sometimes me!

There are so many people on MN that will tell you they live on a slice of rye bread and fresh air and that you are on a one way ticket to childhood obesity, insulin resistance, food addiction.. but only you know your child. If there are no health issues I really wouldn’t worry.

It is a lot! You need to have protein with porridge as it’s a quick release carb. Yoghurt is good with seeds or nuts.
Dors he eat meat? What’s he having in his pasta sauce?
I would say up his protein generally.

@Wheredotheygoohno

beans on toast is a meal not a snack. As is a cheese toastie.

They are complex carbohydrates which are slow release hence why diabetes can have them!