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Original poster

Mothers and portion sizes as they get older - is it just mine?

57 replies

DrScholl · 24/10/2016 16:43

My mother SERIOUSLY maintains that 1 chicken thigh per person is enough.
Today at lunch, - soup ( barely covered bottom of bowl) then one baguette for five of us.

OP posts:
crayfish · 24/10/2016 16:50

I know what you mean, MIL gives me 'woman portions' as well which are even tinier despite me being taller than half the men in her family. I think the idea is that when a person ages their appetite gets smaller, so a tiny bowl of soup might be fine for her but she has forgotten that other people eat more.

EwanWhosearmy · 24/10/2016 16:55

Why is this in S&B?

My DM does exactly the same. She claims she isn't used to cooking for multiples now, but surely she knows how much she eats, just multiply by the number of people.

My grandma used to cut food into the number of people + one. The men got huge pieces and the women smaller bits, then grandad got the extra piece when he struggled with the first piece.That's fine when the men are down the mines but when everyone is either retired or in an office the portions don't need to be so different.

Original poster
DrScholl · 24/10/2016 16:56

lol
SORRY about wrong topic! haha
My mum geting worse as she gets older

OP posts:
haggisaggis · 24/10/2016 16:59

Mine was staying with us last weekend - when I started putting the(Hairy Dieter's recommended portion sizes) food on the plate she started making all sorts of shocked noises. I explained the rice had been weighed as per Hairy Dieter's book so a normal portion but she didn't believe me. She ate less than a toddler - a tablespoon (if that) of rice, dessertspoon size of stew. She is extremely thin (below 8 stone) and likes to go on about how difficult it is to keep weight on and it's so much easier to lose it...

RiverTam · 24/10/2016 17:01

MIL does this, though apparently she's never made enough food for her family which is why her children are all so slim Grin. Seriously, DH says she cooked for 4 rather than 6. She's a crap cook too, something she will never admit to! She's a lovely woman though so I can take short measures.

Original poster
DrScholl · 24/10/2016 17:02

my mum is normal weight etc, I accept that with three hulking sons ( 2 roast chickens is standard) my food ideas are skewed but ONE thigh?

OP posts:
blueistheonlycolourwefeel · 24/10/2016 17:04

Yes!! My mum will have one potato and a tiny piece of broccoli left from a meal and think it's another portion!! I used to dread taking my now exH for dinner as he'd always STOP off for more food on the way home!!!!

TinklyLittleLaugh · 24/10/2016 17:10

To look at it from the other side, BiL always makes slightly passive aggressive remarks about the portion size.

He is obese and we are all pretty slim. (I do give him free access to second (and third) helpings; I'm not trying to be the food police or anything.)

burnishedsilver · 24/10/2016 18:17

1 chicken thigh per person probably is enough. We all eat too much

danTDM · 24/10/2016 18:24

1 chicken thigh is normal per person isn't it?

MoreGilmoreGirls · 24/10/2016 18:25

DH is over 6' he is a normal healthy weight and easily has 4 chicken thighs with rice and piles of veg.

Thecontentedcat · 24/10/2016 18:27

1 chicken thigh is plenty!

BabyGanoush · 24/10/2016 19:00

We have 1 or 2 each

Doobigetta · 24/10/2016 19:01

OMG we've been known to eat three chicken thighs each.... and I was going to complain that my mum does the same thing, and serves fewer potatoes for four than we'd have for two of us, but maybe we're greedy bastards ☺️
And if my brother is around, he'll shamelessly help himself to a normal adult sized portion and leave the rest of us with one potato each.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 24/10/2016 19:08

My mum eats fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch and a normal dinner. She struggles to lose weight sometimes.

But when she's cooking for us she goes overboard! Just in case of course.

Original poster
DrScholl · 24/10/2016 19:16

2/ 3 each
mind you we all exercise

OP posts:
Janey50 · 24/10/2016 19:31

My DM was the same. I think it's an age thing,as I don't recall her stinting on portion sizes for us when we were growing up. I remember when my DD was about 16,quite a few years ago,and we were at my DM's house. I had cooked myself a pizza,a very small one (think young child sized one,about ,4 inches across)to top up a couple of veggie spring rolls I had cooked. My DM saw me taking it out of the oven,and said 'You and JaneyJunior are sharing that for your dinner?' . Thinking she was going to say it didn't seem enough if we were,I said we weren't. She then proceeded to make derogatory remarks about me being greedy when I said I was having the whole thing myself,PLUS 2 spring rolls! Shock. On another occasion with her in a cafe,I ordered a fried egg sandwich and 2 hash browns on the side. When it arrived she said 'Are you really going to eat all that?'.

FannyWincham · 24/10/2016 19:38

Certainly in my mum's case she has no experience of cooking for boys or young men as I have sisters and Dad would always just top up with bread. When DSis and I first brought DH and BIL home she couldn't get over the amount of extra food that she needed to plan for. They don't bother being polite any more and bring their own snacks to top up. BIL has been known to stop for a McDonald's on the way over to Mum's - and he is very fit and athletic.

She also has to be reminded that we will need lunch, as she often doesn't bother for herself any more.

misson · 24/10/2016 19:45

A portion of protein is a pack of cards sized. So yes, for an average adult one chicken thigh is enough.

We eat more protein than our bodies need.

My mil is the opposite. She fills (overfills) the plate for me. My mum on the other hand serves us all enough for a 70 year old.

Sweetdreamsaremadeofthis · 24/10/2016 19:46

Think this is an age this as my mum does the same thing

Laska5772 · 24/10/2016 20:05

My mum (91 now) may probably only eat one chicken thigh , but she is now birdlike,(tiny less than 7.5 stone) with a very small appetite.. but then sometimes at a bbq (last summer) ive seen her eat 3 drumsticks and a couple of sausages! along with her bodyweight in spuds

We'd have 2-4 thighs each depending (and DS (26) would have more if there is enough) .. but we are all cyclists , outdoors walkers / allotment gardeners/ sea swimmers total pigs etc . None of us are overweight (well, e I am a little, but only 1/2 stone)

YokoUhOh · 24/10/2016 20:06

MIL gave me daggers once and told me I needed to control DH's portions!

sofatrainer · 24/10/2016 20:10

1 thigh is normal no? DH may eat 2 if he's hungry but the rest of us have 1. I make about 8 for 5 people and always have spares for the next day

Original poster
DrScholl · 24/10/2016 20:13

this is solving the mystery of the Mumsnet Chicken, isnt it?

OP posts:
ipswichwitch · 24/10/2016 20:14

This thread reminds me of the time we had to travel back to my family for a funeral. Was a 6 hour drive (yes we got up very early), funeral at 1. Went back to DM's house afterwards and she announced that she wasn't making anything for tea as we'd all eaten so much at the funeral. We all managed to get a sandwich, 4 crisps and a very small piece of cake! DH and I were so hungry we decided to go to the local pub for tea, and DM was horrified by how greedy we were! Still goes on about it now Hmm