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.

[Laska5772]

Also we eat loads of veg.. all of us.. we grow it and love it. None of us -except DH who struggles to keep weight on-I hate him and DS , (who doesnt eat potatoes ever ) eat much in the way of carbs (DS demolishes salad like theres no tomorrow but doesnt eat cooked veg at all and never has even from a small baby )

[Artandco]

I would also say 1 is enough each. Some people's portions are huge

[Passthecake30]

My mum and mil are total feeders so I don't have this problem fortunately!

If I only ate one thigh of chicken is be starving half an hour later. It's better that I eat a bit more protein to save a binge through the cupboards later (tall, slim, gym-goer). I would go for 2 or a thigh and a drumstick.

[Piscivorus]

Surely it depends on the chicken thigh. I've had some that have been big enough that one was enough but others are more like sparrows than chickens. We would generally have 2 each though

My DM is in her 80s now and eats very little too

[Sweetdisposition91]

I would eat 2 thighs and my dp would eat 3/4

[MagikarpetRide]

As my dgm get older she got worse and worse for this. My dps and sister used to go to the pub leaving me with her where they would fill up on pub snacks. I was very fussy so hardly ate anything on days we visited as I couldn't escape out afterwards either. The rest of them would all be happily stuffed thanks to their pub fare. Bastards

It's literally just dawned on me why 5:2 worked so well for me, I was clearly trained from a young age to skip or occasionally have tiny meals.

[Thefitfatty]

Are we talking the little thighs (smaller than the palm of your hand) or the whole thigh and drumstick? If the little thighs, then no, 1 isn't enough for an active adult? If the big thigh/legs, though....Depends what you've had for lunch and breakfast I suppose and how active you've been, but I would say 1 for the average person is fine.

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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"

[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.

[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.

[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.

[DrScholl]

just the tiny thigh

No drumstick

[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.

[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!)

[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)

[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.

[PollyPerky]

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

[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.

[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!

[allegretto]

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

[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.

[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 😶