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

[DrScholl]

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.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"the rice had been weighed as per Hairy Dieter's book so a normal portion"

The Hairy Bikers are big men, even after dieting so if the portions are meant for them, they would be too big for women.

[SallyR0se]

My mother weighs the same as the day she got married at age 20, more than 40 years ago. She eats far less than I do & very healthily. Her meals are never actual popular dishes, but a random collection of whatever veg etc is in the fridge. She can match anything, as long as it's veggie / sugar free. My husband marvels at the rare time he's given anything tasty! And Dad supplements his healthy lunches & dinners with plenty of biscuits & sweets. But she does tut loudly if I reach for the chocolate...

[FannyWincham]

Janey it's a control thing. Horrible.

[Bejazzled]

Janey50 yes, very rude!

[Janey50]

My DD bought herself a bacon and egg baguette (about 6 inches long,filled with 2 rashers of bacon and 1 egg) from a burger van at a car boot sale. Her MIL was scandalised,saying it was 'enough to feed a family of 4 for a week'. Consequently,DD didn't get offered any lunch when they got back to MIL's house,as apparently she had 'eaten quite enough for that day'. DD says that she always feels like she has been put on an instant diet every time she goes to MIL's house. I think treating guests like this is rude,even if you are related.

[LadyMetroland]

My mum is terrible with portions too. The worst is pasta, where she'll serve up plates with around half the portion size we'd serve ourselves. DH is incredulous at how little he's given but is too polite to say anything. However when we visit she always makes a proper pudding so he invariably fills up with that. So we can't complain really.

We are a slim family so I don't think she does small portions for weight reasons - I think it's more an age thing.

[JamieVardysParty]

I'd have one chicken thigh, with half a plate of green salad, half an avocado and some form of carb - usually 30g of pasta or half a sweet potato. DH would have 2-3 with the same sides.

We are both tall, slim (ish) with fairly active jobs and go to the gym 4 times a week.

I burn around 1800 calories per day and the above meal would be about 450-550 calories. Seems about right to me.

[Bejazzled]

One boneless, skinless chicken thigh would be laughed at here. And no we don't eat huge portions and are healthy. Depending on the size 2 or 3. In saying that we all prefer breasts anyway.
I suppose this thread can be added to the other competitive 'how far does bolognese or roast chicken' go. 🙂The bolognese one in particular got hilarious - some people were basically making tomato and veg soup with a granule of minced beef and calling it ragu 😶

[Out2pasture]

Surely it depends on the size of the thighs. The boneless skinless ones I now purchase may be 1oz each. I estimate 3 oz of meat per person.

[allegretto]

I only give one thigh per person too! Maybe everyone hates me.... (lots of veg though!)

[SnugglySnerd]

My mum looks after DD at our house once a week. She will leave ridiculous amounts of leftovers in the fridge e.g. Half a potato, tablespoon of soup, 4 pasta shapes. I don't know what she thinks we'll do with them or why she can't just eat it!

[Love51]

I still remember catering my cousins hen do, and her future mother in law commenting that I should be careful what I ate as I needed to fit in the bridesmaids dress. I hadn't actually eaten anything at that point. At that point I had never dieted in my life, cycled everywhere and played sport 3 times a week, weight issues were not on my radar. I probably over ate that day just to show off that I could!

I think snacks make a huge difference. If I need to lose weight (since that time I've been on meds with a weight gain side effect, got a car and had babies, so it happened) I still eat proper meals, just cut out snacks. Luckily all the women in dhs family (yes, the men eat, they don't cook!) are feeders even if they don't eat themselves.

[PollyPerky]

One thigh is enough for me if it's a large one and there is plenty of veg.

[jennymac]

My dm hardly seems to eat at all. I always feel like I am trying to force food on her when she stays with me and I wouldn't be a big eater. She says that as she gets older she doesn't have the same appetite. Weight wise she is fine (about a size 10) but it does concern me a bit.

[ShutTheFuckUpBarbara]

I'm not sure it is just an age thing. My DM only eats tiny amounts, and makes a big show of saying "oh this is too much for me" when someone puts a portion of food on her plate. She also repeats ad nauseam that she never snacks and constantly wants confirmation that she is indeed slim (I think she's underweight but that's a whole different thread).
Whenever I eat anything it's "are you really eating again?", "surely this isn't all for you ", " watch out for love handles", all disguised as "jokes".
For the record, I have never been overweight, I eat a healthy diet and I do strenuous exercise several times a week.

So in the particular case of my DM, it's not so much age as a control issue (and yes I am aware she might be borderline anorexic)

[Dowser]

One chicken thigh per person!
That's why I'm chubby.

We have 3-4 each..well usually 3 big ones.
Does she have one egg omelettes as well ( always have two eggs, unless they are very small and then it's three!)

[Liiinoo]

I have found I eat much smaller portions as I get older. (I am mid 50s.) I went out to dinner yesterday (after exercising in the morning). I ordered a chicken thigh burger and was presented with two biggish chicken thighs. It was delicious but I left more than half. It was just too much for me. However I am aware that I have a small appetite and would probably offer other people bigger portions or second helpings. And if it's my DDs boyfriends I would probably give them three thighs just as a starter.

[DrScholl]

just the tiny thigh

No drumstick

[samecardoverandover]

I need to be careful of this, I eat a LOT less than I used to, 1 chicken thigh would be fine for me...OTOH one of DH's dinners would keep me going for a few days.

[misson]

Yes, I agree chicken thighs vary in size. As do appetites. The pack of cards thing is a guide, not 'one size fits all'. It is very true though that in general we eat far more animal protein than our bodies need.

[Featherstep]

Oh yes yes and it drives me a bit nuts. I dread it when MIL (75) takes charge of meals. She thinks a (large) chicken breast can be shared among 3 adults. She also skips lunch often and thinks other people are like her. Once, when I was ebf-ing my baby and said I haven't had lunch and was hungry (as I always was then), she suggested I eat some yoghurt Yogurt is not lunch in my book!

She also likes to suggest recipes from her healthy eating magazines, such as a dubious-looking courgette gratin for a main. I said that's not enough as politely as I could.

[DoYouRememberJustinBobby]

My MIL (70) thinks adults can get by on 1 slice of toast for breakfast, and a light salad or sandwich for either lunch or dinner. One does not need both lunch and dinner.
Up until 5 years ago she understood that busy, active people need food but alas, no more.
Last Christmas she dished up one small child's palm sized slice of turkey, 2 sprouts, 1 roast potato, 1 tiny pig in blanket and 2 baby carrots. This was at 1pm. When the children required food at 6pm she called them "over fed and greedy"

[FuckThatToOneSide]

Was going to say the same as pisc. It surely depends on the size of the thigh? Sometimes DH and I would eat one each, if they're on the larger side (especially when we had just graduated and had very little money), but usually we eat two. Weirdly, we'd never eat more than one chicken breast in a sitting I don't think, but they're usually quite large.

My late mum used to give our giant portions and my grandma still does. I've never been to a house and got too little to eat as far as I remember, except when I've been trying to look polite by refusing their offers of more food, but that's my fault. I don't look forward to it happening!

[PlumsGalore]

One chicken breast each, maybe, but one thigh? A boneless chicken thigh is only about half the size of a pack of cards. I will put a pack of 5-6 in a curry with veg to serve 3 people.

Whilst it may be enough protein I would expect that the a dinner size plate was then filled with a third of carbs and the rest vegetables. I suspect the OP mum served a side plate size portion in total.

Reminds me of the Peter Kay live show where he said mum's don't eat.

[IDismyname]

Hmm. Chicken thighs come in all sorts of sizes, so I could eat one... Or two.

DM is starting to eat like a bird, but regularly snacks especially in the afternoons. There is always tea and cake. There is something about getting older than diminishes your appetite. Shame I can't apply it to me at my age!

DS - aged 18 - eats a humongous amount of meat. I always cook extra for him to take to work the next day, and have to fight him off the left overs after the meal or he'd be back to ham sandwiches. I would consider that he eats meat for 3. He is, though, incredibly active.