Is too much meat unhealthy for a 11 yo?

[Yummyorange3]

My son is very much a carnivore and wants to eat meat 3 times a day for every meal! I've never known a kid eat so much but be so slim, I'm jealous !
Sausages or bacon are demanded at breakfast, at school he eats chicken and then he wants beef or pork chops for dinner.. often he has seconds too. This has been going on for 2 years but am very worried if all of this meat is bad for him in some way?
He is very slim and active, is this normal?

I would only be worried about the sausage and bacon from a processed point of view and to choose good quality meat.

I wouldn’t allow that ultra processed meat at breakfast every day. No way. It’s 100% proven carcinogenic.

I'd worry about the amount of saturated fat and the processed meat. I've got kids the same age and I've consciously cut down on meat.

I bulk out things like spag bol with lentils and lots of chopped veg. They don't even notice.

I also make 2 nights a week meat free. They have veg soup and a baked spud with tuna mayo, baked beans and grated cheese which they love.

Too much meat is bad for anyone, especially the ultra processed and carcinogenic bacon/sausages. At very least I’d get rid of those and limit them to a treat breakfast at the weekend. Nobody needs that for breakfast on a daily basis

Definitely bad for the planet!

That's going to be a lot of animal fat, not much fibre. And cost a small fortune.

Must be costing you a fortune op. Make him beans on toast once in a while. Nobody needs meat 3 times a day.

It’s not great especially the bacon and sausages. I’d encourage him to try other sorts of protein- eggs, pulses- and include more fish. Chicken is ok but red meat and sausages and bacon not more than once a week. They shouldn’t really be every day.

Yes. No one needs that much meat, bad for the planet and his body.

Unless you're a lion...

As with anything, balance is better. Nothing wrong with meat but eventually that kind of diet will catch up with him. Even if its something basic like not being able to access such a diet when he is older.

Whilst you still have an influence i would try to deal with it or you will be on here in 4 years time with a lad who is considerably bigger, stronger and angrier when you dont want to cook him bacon and sausages every morning.

His metabolism will be dealing with it at the moment, i imagine it will not always be like that. You are laying groundwork for his adult life without you too.

Boya thst age are known for needing a huge amount of protein.

Try also offering nuts, eggs, other high quality protein sources. If it’s always processed sausages/bacon (with nitrates in) then having it every meal does become bad for him unfortunately yes.

My 8 year old lifelong 25th centile super active DS loves protein and veg.

this means, alongside fish/meat for main meals, he has a poached egg after school and is partial to smoked salmon for breakfast.

DS can devour a third of a side of salmon on Sundays no probs. He also demolishes copious amounts of feta, mozarella, parmesan.

he is extremely active and an early bird - but I genuinely dont know where the food goes...

My kids are the same they are very fussy but love meat - I choose grass fed / organic meat for spag bol / lamb steaks / chicken

Would he eat scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast a couple of days a week? You can buy half fat sausages I buy them and like them.

Red meat is a group 1 carcinogen according to the World Health Organisation. For some context, so is smoking. I am not trying to say they are the same before someone jumps on me but that is how WHO classify them. Therefore definitely need to consider the amount that is being eaten and whether any changes can be made to promote a more healthy diet. I understand food is a complex issue though especially with children, my kids are younger and that's bad enough, one of them in particular is a pain with how fussy they are for example.

I'd say it's unhealthy for anyone.

Learn tricks to make things taste meatier

I don’t buy into the whole animal fat is bad, meat is bad nonsense. Animal fat is a stable fat, and has numerous benefits as does the muscle and organ meats. I am of the opinion it is modern processed rubbish that is causing health issues, not meat which has been eaten for hundreds of years - vegetable oil, refined sugar, processed ready meals. meat for breakfast is definitely better than cereal or jam/Nutella spread on toast! (Unless you get a “clean” version of one of these e.g hazelnut/peanut butter with cocoa in!)

only thing I would say is if you can afford it, there is bacon available prepared without nitrates and this would be better for breakfast.

definitely try and get him on eggs too. Full of nutrients and a bit easier on your wallet plus he can easily make it for himself as a snack or for his breakfast.

I make chicken liver pate (chicken liver, butter, tiny bit of cream) and have it on toast for breakfast with some fruit on the side. Liver is nutrient dense but I can’t actually stomach it any other way! Would he eat that? Again, easier to make first thing in the morning and cheaper than muscle meat.

I feel your pain - I am vegan but (or maybe because of this!!) DD (12) has gradually cut more and more plant based protein out of her diet and now, apart from mung bean soup and lentil soup (which she’ll accept sporadically) will only eat animal protein.

she gets bacon once a month as a treat. We’ve recently gone over her likes and dislikes and now her diet looks like this which is a compromise because I don’t think it’s good for her, the planet or my bank balance for her to have meat every meal:

Breakfasts are always vegetarian and things like a banana and almond butter smoothie, boiled egg and soldiers, porridge (which I add flax seeds to and make with oat milk), quesadillas

Lunch she packs for school and often sadly lacking in protein as she’ll only take in tinned tuna (and again I don’t think she should be having that more than twice a week) or a yoghurt so that’s when she loads up on fruit and veg and usually a carb like brown rice. She’ll buy a cheese and tomato panini from school on occasion.

Dinner is very much a meat and two veg affair (she thankfully likes veg and usually raw so at least that’s easy to cook!), she has steak maybe once a fortnight, otherwise it’s chicken drumsticks, salmon, white fish, mussels, clams, sometimes she’ll entertain lamb or pork. She will also eat lasagne and spag bol (which I bulk out with lentils and make the bechamel out of cashews for more protein)

If we go out for Sunday roast she ALWAYS chooses the beef!

hope that helps a bit! I would def see if he’s willing to substitute some meat for fish - still terrible for the planet but at least better for him.

Risk of bowel significantly increases eating processed meat and red meat.
Risk of heart disease too. Of course it's a terrible idea. I honestly don't understand how people don't know this stuff.

Pork, beef & lamb are all group 2 carcinogens, with bacon and sausages being group 1. You can’t argue with science

I’m not arguing with science 😄

@Essexsoup
To quote your own post you have said that that you ‘don’t buy into the whole meat is bad nonsense’. This directly disagrees with the science.

There’s plenty of scientific studies which argue the link between cancer and red meat is weak or non existent and even the WHO labels red meat as a possible carcinogen - meaning there is no evidence red meat causes cancer. So no, I’m not arguing with “the science” I’m arguing one scientific theory against another.
telling someone you “can’t argue with science” is a bit silly as science and the arguments and evidence that make it up is constantly changing. It also matters who’s funding a study 😄
anyway the OP wanted to know if it’s ok her child eats meat often. And as a source of vitamins protein and stable fat I say go for it 😄 certainly better for a growing child than cereal, chips, crisps, biscuits, pizza etc

I wouldn't be giving him so much processed and red meat tbh. It's extremely bad for him. If he's set on eating meat then give him healthier choices.