Would you cut him off? Will this become the new norm?

[Anonymous]

So background info: my son is 9 (almost 10), normal weight and height, active and HUNGRY. This is what he had for after school/dinner/constant stream of eating last evening and was wondering if this is normal/should I "stop" him at some point? Perhaps this is just a peak into the teen years?

2 apples and 2 string cheeses afters school, had 2 roast beef and avocado painni's with a baked sweet potato for dinner, after dinner had 2 bowls of oatmeal, a banana, and another string cheese. before bed he had strawberries and whip cream, some goldfish and a hard boiled egg. He also prob drank 1.5 glasses of milk between this time. Is this just what the teen years will look like?

[Anonymous]

Is he fat? Is he active? Is he focused on food when he's not hungry? If he's an okay weight, not slumped in front of screens and eating because he's genuinely hungry then I wouldn't have a problem.

[Anonymous]

My son will eat like this just before a massive growth spurt. It's not his typical eating pattern.

Front end protein since that's what his body is looking for, based on your description on his latest meal.

[Anonymous]

Pre-teens and teens can eat astonishing amounts of food. I agree with 11:40: if his weight is in the normal range (although watch out, because kids this age can get chubby right before they shoot up, so short-term weight gain can just mean he's about to hit a growth spurt), he's active, and he's genuinely hungry, I'd let him eat and just try to keep the really junky stuff to a minimum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pre-teens and teens can eat astonishing amounts of food. I agree with 11:40: if his weight is in the normal range (although watch out, because kids this age can get chubby right before they shoot up, so short-term weight gain can just mean he's about to hit a growth spurt), he's active, and he's genuinely hungry, I'd let him eat and just try to keep the really junky stuff to a minimum.

+1

[Anonymous]

How much is he eating earlier in the day?

This doesn't sound like that much to me, unless it's persisting at that rate all day. My 6 yo DD eats about this much after school and before bed, and she's rail thin. But she tends to eat less earlier in the day to compensate.

[Anonymous]

I will also say: everything he is eating is pretty healthy. What would you withhold? That would seem like dieting rather than cutting back on unhealthy eating.

[Anonymous]

No, don't cut him off. Keep the food healthy. He will eat what he needs to eat. My kid does this once a year like clockwork. Massive voumes of food and then back down to normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much is he eating earlier in the day?

This doesn't sound like that much to me, unless it's persisting at that rate all day. My 6 yo DD eats about this much after school and before bed, and she's rail thin. But she tends to eat less earlier in the day to compensate.

are you sure?

- 2 apples
- 2 string cheeses
- 2 roast beef and avocado painnis
- a baked sweet potato
- 2 bowls of oatmeal
- a banana,
- another string cheese
- strawberries and whip cream
- some goldfish
- a hard boiled egg
- 1.5 glasses of milk

this is not much???

[Anonymous]

cut the goldfish and the whip cream

[Anonymous]

I think it's normal, but maybe you should focus on making it one snack (after school) and dinner. Not the constant eating. I don't think the quantity is as much of a problem as the constant eating, which can be a bad habit to develop.

I'd let him have a bigger snack right after school. (2 apples and 2 string cheeses isn't much.) I'd make sure that the snack includes fruit and a protein, though, as yours does. Then I'd see that there are at least 2 snack-free hours before dinner, and that he eats a good dinner. I think letting him have 3 paninis is better than following dinner with oatmeal and hardboiled eggs, etc.

Actually, I'd also make sure that he eats a real serving of vegetables between each serving of the main entree (ie, you can have seconds after you finish your broccoli. You can have thirds if you eat some more broccoli.) Vegetables are filling.
If the kids are really resistant to veggies, i serve them raw veggies right before dinner, when they are really hungry. They always disappear.

[Anonymous]

How much does he eat earlier in the day?

[Anonymous]

He will end up fat eventually. I would allow no eating after 7pm.

[Anonymous]

My 10yo eats like this before a growth spurt. Unfortunately, that period can last months at a time. Not cheap. He's a beanpole, though -- 5'4" and 90something lbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 10yo eats like this before a growth spurt. Unfortunately, that period can last months at a time. Not cheap. He's a beanpole, though -- 5'4" and 90something lbs.

Our son is almost 17. We buy gallons of milk by the gross.