One more tip. I often serve steamed or roasted veggies as an appetizer so they "fill up" on those while I'm getting the rest of the dinner on the table. . .

I would just explain that protein, good fat and fruits and veggies provide more nutrition. Thus, when she's snacking and deciding what to eat she should look at it as an opportunity to eat food that provide important nutrition. Empty carbs don't do that. I'm working on this with my very thin 12 yr old boy who would like to eat nothing but ramen and potato chips. It's not a weight issue but, he needs to be aware of proper nutrition. I've succeeded in getting him to snack on chips AND an orange . . .

Anonymous wrote:when growing, girls eat a TON, just like boys. When not growing, they cut back, just like boys. The best thing to do is feed them whole foods and teach them to listen to their bodies.

Food like chips, anything with sugar, will mess with the whole "listen to your body" idea, since it's a different kind of craving.

+1. Teach good food choices, don’t worry about quantity; the rest will take care of itself.

when growing, girls eat a TON, just like boys. When not growing, they cut back, just like boys. The best thing to do is feed them whole foods and teach them to listen to their bodies.

Food like chips, anything with sugar, will mess with the whole "listen to your body" idea, since it's a different kind of craving.

Whoa, that's all she eats ALL DAY at school? What does she eat for breakfast? I have to assume her swimming and dance practices are in the evenings after dinner.

My DD only eats a Kind bar with water at school. When she comes home, she eats mostly homemade wholesome meals (soup, stew, mashed potaotes and meatloaf, chicken curry, lasagna) with occasional McDonald's, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-a. She is skinny, swims and dances.

Totally normal for a young teen to have a huge appetite. Restricting her is almost a guarantee of either triggering an eating disorder, or a lifetime of yo-yo dieting leading to ever-increasing weight gain. Offer a wide variety of healthy foods and family meals, but do not try to get her to eat less.

Please serve fewer carbs. Eating habits are SO hard to change later in life. There will come a day - at 25,30,35 - when she won’t be able to carb load without gaining weight. Don’t make a big deal out of it and don’t make her self-conscious about her eating habits, but do help her develop a taste for non-carb foods now before it’s too late.

Anonymous wrote:My 13 year old DD has a little tummy but is otherwise lean. She eats a ton of carbs but mostly home cooked stuff and few sweets. She is not the world’s most athletic girl but she does get adequate exercise. She loves food, and if she likes something, can eat more than me or her Dad at a meal. I have never said anything to her because I don’t want to set up bad relationships with food. But I do sometimes wonder what “normal” looks like. How much and what does your growing teen daughter eat?

Unless your DD has a fast metabolism which it does not seem as though she does, she likely needs to exercise more. If she is sedentary, the weight is not going to disappear after a growth spurt. My DD went through this at age 9 or 10 but she is athletic. Otherwise, she would struggle with her weight. I let her eat what she wants but know she gets plenty of exercise through her sport.

Anonymous wrote:I think she is in the middle of her growth spurt.

I don’t want to be critical of her body at all but I do want to make sure she is learning good eating and self care habits at home. So I wonder whether I should serve fewer carbs at dinner or similar. But I don’t want her to be hungry, self conscious or to lose her love of food. It’s tricky.

It doesn't sound like she is overweight so I think she's fine. It also doesn't sound like she's overeating, really, and it's evening out throughout the week.

If you want to, you can keep healthy snacks around the house and make sure to serve an option of veggies or salad with dinner. Maybe you can tell her you or your husband's new year's resolution is to eat healthier so it really isn't about her, but at the same time you're making those healthy options available.

DD15 is really into apples right now. Both raw, and baked with a little cinnamon on them. She also loves ramen, dim sum, and salads of all kinds.

She and I have sorted out that DD does best to eat four or so small "meals" rather than three full meals. When she tries to eat three full meals she gets too full and feels sick.

I think she is in the middle of her growth spurt.

I don’t want to be critical of her body at all but I do want to make sure she is learning good eating and self care habits at home. So I wonder whether I should serve fewer carbs at dinner or similar. But I don’t want her to be hungry, self conscious or to lose her love of food. It’s tricky.

Has she had her growth spurt yet? It's normal for girls to put on a little weight before they shoot up.

Depending on sports schedules, my 15 year old has a small breakfast, brings a mid morning snack, lunch and after school snack with her to school, and then has a full dinner and dessert. Slender but very active and doesn’t like being over full.

My 13 year old DD has a little tummy but is otherwise lean. She eats a ton of carbs but mostly home cooked stuff and few sweets. She is not the world’s most athletic girl but she does get adequate exercise. She loves food, and if she likes something, can eat more than me or her Dad at a meal. I have never said anything to her because I don’t want to set up bad relationships with food. But I do sometimes wonder what “normal” looks like. How much and what does your growing teen daughter eat?