Portion Sizes for Children

imogen-p

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

My DS is on the 26th percentile for his hight/weight ratio which is the lower end of normal, i use this NHS Calculator. he is healthy and active!

That's a handy calculator. Worked out for my DS that he's 33rd percentile for weight/height ratio. (Have the red baby book thing given by midwife, and that says he's about 50th centile weight and a tiny bit under the 95th for height.

(Worked it out for myself as well on the adult BMI and got 21.48 so not too bad as it's middle of the healthy range. Husband got a BMI of nearly 30. Don't know how, most days he eats less than I do - I don't know how a guy of 6'2" manages on no breakfast, a couple of sandwiches for lunch, the same size evening meal as I have, and maybe a few biscuits later in the evening. And I only do a desk job and he's at home running round after DS.)

JulieGeorgiana

imogen-p wrote: »

That's a handy calculator. Worked out for my DS that he's 33rd percentile for weight/height ratio. (Have the red baby book thing given by midwife, and that says he's about 50th centile weight and a tiny bit under the 95th for height.

My DS was always on the 110th percentil for height and 50th for weight... those books never made any sense to me, and it's height/weight ratio which counts!! I used to worry about DS being to thin until I found this application... and as you punch in their age, you know it's good and accurate

valk_scot

ragz wrote: »

This all sounds right in principle but... How do you get those proportions in a sandwich or for something like bolognese? If I served veg on the side DH would think I was crazy!

Well, for the sandwich add some lettuce and tomato if the main filling is appropriate and serve with some fruit juice, plus fruit and yoghurt for pud.

For bolognaise remember there's likely to be tomato and onion in the sauce, plus serve with side salad. Follow up with a fruit based pudding...you can't really go wrong with something like fruit salad (home made or tinned in fruit juice) and a scoop of dairy based ice cream.

And tbh, if serving veg with a main course makes your DH call you crazy..time to start waving the wooden spoon at him, I think. What's more important...healthy eating for the whole family, or a misguided opinion from someone who should be on your side as to how to bring your kids up as well as you can?

JulieGeorgiana

valk_scot wrote: »

And tbh, if serving veg with a main course makes your DH call you crazy..time to start waving the wooden spoon at him, I think. What's more important...healthy eating for the whole family, or a misguided opinion from someone who should be on your side as to how to bring your kids up as well as you can?

I had this problem with my DH, he wouldn't eat veg (but peas), salad or tomatoes (even pureed in a sauce)! His mum used to cook him seperate meals until he was 25!!!!

People think i am hard handed, but I treated him like my DS and I told him he ate it, or he went hungry! And he wasn't getting anything else! We didn't have the money for him to eat anything else! Do you know, after 5 years he now LIKES onions, peppers and mushrooms and actually asks me to add them into food. Tomatoes he will eat and will eat most salads too! He got fed up picking out the veg you see and figured he might as well just eat it.

Plus he noticed that he was effecting how DS ate, he was teaching DS how to be a fussy eater. I would talk to him about this and he actively tried to not let his hang-ups show.

I have found that there is a difference between 'dislike' and 'hate'... DS dislikes swede, but will eat it... he hates sprouts, and he will 'try' it, but he hates it and won't eat it!

I also don't puree veg to hide it because it releases the natural sugars and speeds up digestion (my health condition means I need to eat my veg whole and the harder the better to slow digestion).

I often throw mixed veg into curries and spag bol because if you cook them long enough they take on the flavour and you hardly notice!

converted-lurker

Agree about the trolleys full of junk thing. But what gets me even angrier is when parents of really big children talk about it as though there is nothing they can do about it eg 'she will always be a big girl because of her metabolism'.

I agree that metabolism plays a part but there are lots of things you can do to make kids healthier.

When i was 12 years old I was a size 14-16 dress size. Now as an adult I am a size 10 and never diet I just eat a balanced diet - this is just my natural size. BUT when I was a kid my parents used to say its just her metabolism and she will always be big because its in the family genes (mum is size 22 gran was size 24).

So it was not genes or metabolism I was just fed too much junk!! Not that I am saying everyone should be a size 10, we are all different and have different natural body sizes - but I do think size 22 is not natural or healthy for anyone.

(Sorry for rant, its a bugbear of mine )

Also well done to OP, great progress :j

wannabee_in_credit

Day 3 and another successful dinner I'm pleased to say.
She ate everything she was given and I let her have some ice cream afterwards.
I was just telling my mother on the phone and she said that my dad used to be like that - daunted by a full plate of food. Wish I'd known that 7 years ago. I'm obviously far more like my mum than my dad, which is why I'm a big fatty who is totally obsessed with food, and dd is lovely and long and lean.

JulieGeorgiana

wannabee_in_credit wrote: »

Day 3 and another successful dinner I'm pleased to say.
She ate everything she was given and I let her have some ice cream afterwards.
I was just telling my mother on the phone and she said that my dad used to be like that - daunted by a full plate of food. Wish I'd known that 7 years ago. I'm obviously far more like my mum than my dad, which is why I'm a big fatty who is totally obsessed with food, and dd is lovely and long and lean.

:j:T:j:T:j:T:j:T:j:T:j:T:j:T:j:T

Don;t be so hard on yourself... plus my DH says I was never fat... he said I should be proud to be 'big and volumptuous'

Diflower

wannabee_in_credit wrote: »

Day 3 and another successful dinner I'm pleased to say.
She ate everything she was given and I let her have some ice cream afterwards.
I was just telling my mother on the phone and she said that my dad used to be like that - daunted by a full plate of food. Wish I'd known that 7 years ago. I'm obviously far more like my mum than my dad, which is why I'm a big fatty who is totally obsessed with food, and dd is lovely and long and lean.

Well done, what a breakthrough:T
Btw, in case it helps anyone, one of our breakthroughs with OH's eldest was a silly little thing with vegetables. One day I said to him, you know you don't need to think they're the best bit of the meal, you just have to decide which ones you don't mind eating.

That one comment was all it took, something 'clicked' with him and from then on he was willing to try anything, then rate it 1-5.
He agreed anything from 3 upwards was then ok to add to his plate. The 1's and 2's he had to try again at least twice before re-rating them. I know you have to try things about 11 times to get used to them but he was only 7 at the time and he built up enough 3+ ratings for it to not matter.
I think it's only peas (of all things!) now that he really doesn't like, but even those he doesn't mind if they're in a mixture in rice.

VJsmum

My DS (now 12) was a really fussy eater with regards to veg, but did eat a lot of fruit. At one point he would eat peas, corn, baked beans, cucumber and tomato - so every day he had a combination of the above. I got bored, but he didn't

When we had a roast with lots of veg I put some on his plate and he left it. When he asked for seconds of meat or potato then he could have some, if he tried the other veg first. Gradually he ate a bit here and there and will now eat a bit more (brocolli and carrots). What he doesn't know is that i chop up onions, peppers and mushrooms in my mini chopper and add that to chilli or bolognaise. He and DD (15) are allowed crisps when they get in from school (I buy 12 bags a week and between DS, DD and OH they all go) although I don't think DD eats them. I know 12 bags sounds a lot but he is an active boy who walks a mile to and from school every day, plays football, tennis and rugby every week. They rarely eat sweets or chocolate, I don't have much of it in the house (just one big bar of 85% cocoa for me ). If they want other chocolate, or sweets, they can have it but have to walk round the shop to get it - they don't usually bother I don't like to ban anything as is just sets up a "want". Other kids of my aquaintance whose mums banned coke, crisps and sweets go mad for it when mum isn't around. My niece and nephew (now grown) used to have a sandwich, crisps, chocolate bar and drink every day in their packed lunches. Neither is overweight and neither has a filling. Other niece and nephew (still under 10) are not allowed any of that but the niece had to have all her baby teeth removed at 6 years old as they were rotten.

I remember saying to my hairdresser that I worried about the amount of crisps the kids ate and she said "Oh me too, 4 packs is too much" and I said "Yeah mine probably have 4 packs a week too". "No" she said, "Mine have four packs A DAY" :eek:

DD has always been a big girl (she takes after her dad), but is now starting to eat less, she doesn't have pudding, rarely has sweets or crisps and her weight is coming down gradually. She had a fit of crying last week because something didn't fit her but I said that she is going about it the right way, eating at every meal but less cr*p and walking a bit more and that way it will go forever. She has a cracking pair of legs - and great boobs. But does still have a bit of a tum. I haven't really commented too much on her weight because she is quite body confident (last week's panic is a rare event) and I don't think she is more hung up than any other 15 year old - and less then some I think.

It is so hard bringing up kids - isn't it?

babyboysmommy

I've found this thread really interesting. I've a DS age 5 & whilst I've always told him he doesn't have to eat everything he often keeps asking how much he needs to eat to get pudding. I've no idea why because I've never said he has to eat anything to get it as pudding is nearly always something healthy so he can always have it. Anyway, last night I was in Sainsburys & they had some small dinner/large side plates for sale. I bought one thinking I could use that for DS so I could give him less without him feeling like he had a half empty plate. He saw it this morning & really liked that he gets a DS size plate I said I would put less on it but if he finished it all & wanted more he just had to ask. He has a healthy BMI so it's not a weight related thing but he clearly feels he needs to finish everything on his plate no matter what I say but he also doesn't like having a half empty plate so hopefully this will work.

I've already cut back on what goes in his lunch box at school as the dinner lady insists they eat everything before they can go out & play, I'd rather he had a less at school as we can add snacks at home if necessary than felt he was over stuffed because of the dinner ladys 'rules'.