op reminds me of a relative who recently served a meal of 250 calories per person! Not exaggerating, I counted.

You are not spending enough on food. Here is the USDA food budget. Compare your budget to what is average. It appears you spend less than the Thrifty Plan for your family, and that should be the minimum to get good nutrition.
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/CostofFoodMar2015.pdf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The poster who said this is why we're fat is right. I was cooking awesome filling meals to my kids every night. Grilled salmon, Steamed veg, brown rice (small portion)--well--not every kid can control his appetite. My kids walk to school and they go to Wisconsin Avenue and by JUNK to eat. I've never bought junk food in the house. So. What do I do? I cook more healthy food. But then, even if food is healthy, portion control has to be regulated. My sporty kids are fine. But my one kid who isn't starts to get fat--so you see--it just isn't as easy as you might think. I try--but once the kids are in middle school--they start to make their own choices and parents who have never allowed a transfat to cross the threshold are no longer in the driver's seat.

And this is why moderation is important. My kids eat salmon and brown rice and broccoli for dinner, and 1-2 a month we go out for frozen yogurt, or order a pizza once a month. They get treats in their lunchbox not every day, but once a week. They have good eating habits, and are healthy. Going too far extreme healthy can make a kid rebel when they do have a chance to make choices. But providing them with a palate of healthy foods from an early age will help them enjoy them as adults.

How old are your kids? That's awesome that they willingly eat so healthy.

5 and 7. They both went through picky stages between 2 and 4, which was frustrating, but I think we worked hard to stay the course and still serve them healthy foods (never sent them to bed hungry, I couldn't do that for some reason) and of course got lucky that we didn't get kids with texture or gagging issues. Also thankfully no food allergies.

lol. Check back with us when they're 13 and 16. It was all kale and broiled salmon until they start A. Walking across Wisconsin ave to by junk food at local establishments B. Refusing to take packed lunch from home. I did everything in moderation and still one of my kids has a paunch. He plays rec soccer too! This business of feeding children healthfully is not maddening.

Oh I totally know that when they get older it'll be out of my hands! I figure that at least getting them used to the tastes of healthy foods and not giving them a cookie in their lunch every single day they'll hopefully know they can survive without always needing a treat, BUT they do get treats so they hopefully won't go crazy when they have the autonomy. Perhaps I'm delusional, but i can at least pretend that my efforts will be productive in the future

Anonymous wrote:*that's cooking not coking. lol.

If you were coking them, they'd be eating a lot less, but I bet it wouldn't be any cheaper.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The poster who said this is why we're fat is right. I was cooking awesome filling meals to my kids every night. Grilled salmon, Steamed veg, brown rice (small portion)--well--not every kid can control his appetite. My kids walk to school and they go to Wisconsin Avenue and by JUNK to eat. I've never bought junk food in the house. So. What do I do? I cook more healthy food. But then, even if food is healthy, portion control has to be regulated. My sporty kids are fine. But my one kid who isn't starts to get fat--so you see--it just isn't as easy as you might think. I try--but once the kids are in middle school--they start to make their own choices and parents who have never allowed a transfat to cross the threshold are no longer in the driver's seat.

And this is why moderation is important. My kids eat salmon and brown rice and broccoli for dinner, and 1-2 a month we go out for frozen yogurt, or order a pizza once a month. They get treats in their lunchbox not every day, but once a week. They have good eating habits, and are healthy. Going too far extreme healthy can make a kid rebel when they do have a chance to make choices. But providing them with a palate of healthy foods from an early age will help them enjoy them as adults.

How old are your kids? That's awesome that they willingly eat so healthy.

5 and 7. They both went through picky stages between 2 and 4, which was frustrating, but I think we worked hard to stay the course and still serve them healthy foods (never sent them to bed hungry, I couldn't do that for some reason) and of course got lucky that we didn't get kids with texture or gagging issues. Also thankfully no food allergies.

lol. Check back with us when they're 13 and 16. It was all kale and broiled salmon until they start A. Walking across Wisconsin ave to by junk food at local establishments B. Refusing to take packed lunch from home. I did everything in moderation and still one of my kids has a paunch. He plays rec soccer too! This business of feeding children healthfully is not maddening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The poster who said this is why we're fat is right. I was cooking awesome filling meals to my kids every night. Grilled salmon, Steamed veg, brown rice (small portion)--well--not every kid can control his appetite. My kids walk to school and they go to Wisconsin Avenue and by JUNK to eat. I've never bought junk food in the house. So. What do I do? I cook more healthy food. But then, even if food is healthy, portion control has to be regulated. My sporty kids are fine. But my one kid who isn't starts to get fat--so you see--it just isn't as easy as you might think. I try--but once the kids are in middle school--they start to make their own choices and parents who have never allowed a transfat to cross the threshold are no longer in the driver's seat.

And this is why moderation is important. My kids eat salmon and brown rice and broccoli for dinner, and 1-2 a month we go out for frozen yogurt, or order a pizza once a month. They get treats in their lunchbox not every day, but once a week. They have good eating habits, and are healthy. Going too far extreme healthy can make a kid rebel when they do have a chance to make choices. But providing them with a palate of healthy foods from an early age will help them enjoy them as adults.

How old are your kids? That's awesome that they willingly eat so healthy.

5 and 7. They both went through picky stages between 2 and 4, which was frustrating, but I think we worked hard to stay the course and still serve them healthy foods (never sent them to bed hungry, I couldn't do that for some reason) and of course got lucky that we didn't get kids with texture or gagging issues. Also thankfully no food allergies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The poster who said this is why we're fat is right. I was cooking awesome filling meals to my kids every night. Grilled salmon, Steamed veg, brown rice (small portion)--well--not every kid can control his appetite. My kids walk to school and they go to Wisconsin Avenue and by JUNK to eat. I've never bought junk food in the house. So. What do I do? I cook more healthy food. But then, even if food is healthy, portion control has to be regulated. My sporty kids are fine. But my one kid who isn't starts to get fat--so you see--it just isn't as easy as you might think. I try--but once the kids are in middle school--they start to make their own choices and parents who have never allowed a transfat to cross the threshold are no longer in the driver's seat.

And this is why moderation is important. My kids eat salmon and brown rice and broccoli for dinner, and 1-2 a month we go out for frozen yogurt, or order a pizza once a month. They get treats in their lunchbox not every day, but once a week. They have good eating habits, and are healthy. Going too far extreme healthy can make a kid rebel when they do have a chance to make choices. But providing them with a palate of healthy foods from an early age will help them enjoy them as adults.

How old are your kids? That's awesome that they willingly eat so healthy.

Anonymous wrote:The poster who said this is why we're fat is right. I was cooking awesome filling meals to my kids every night. Grilled salmon, Steamed veg, brown rice (small portion)--well--not every kid can control his appetite. My kids walk to school and they go to Wisconsin Avenue and by JUNK to eat. I've never bought junk food in the house. So. What do I do? I cook more healthy food. But then, even if food is healthy, portion control has to be regulated. My sporty kids are fine. But my one kid who isn't starts to get fat--so you see--it just isn't as easy as you might think. I try--but once the kids are in middle school--they start to make their own choices and parents who have never allowed a transfat to cross the threshold are no longer in the driver's seat.

I hear you. Heck, my own mom cooked pretty healthy, but still allowed us occasional treats, and I still had days in middle school where I spent lunch money on junk food rather than real lunch. i have no doubt my kids will do the same one day. And you bring up a good point- every kid is different- different activity levels, different metabolisms, different abilities to control appetites. There's no one size fits all approach, so si ply letting kids eat as much as they want for dinner doesn't always work either. My SIL is struggling with that right now- my nephew is growing ,crazy active, and a picky eater, so getting him enough healthy calories is a challenge, whereas niece is not as active but always wants what her older brother gets, and is getting chubby.

Anonymous wrote:The poster who said this is why we're fat is right. I was cooking awesome filling meals to my kids every night. Grilled salmon, Steamed veg, brown rice (small portion)--well--not every kid can control his appetite. My kids walk to school and they go to Wisconsin Avenue and by JUNK to eat. I've never bought junk food in the house. So. What do I do? I cook more healthy food. But then, even if food is healthy, portion control has to be regulated. My sporty kids are fine. But my one kid who isn't starts to get fat--so you see--it just isn't as easy as you might think. I try--but once the kids are in middle school--they start to make their own choices and parents who have never allowed a transfat to cross the threshold are no longer in the driver's seat.

And this is why moderation is important. My kids eat salmon and brown rice and broccoli for dinner, and 1-2 a month we go out for frozen yogurt, or order a pizza once a month. They get treats in their lunchbox not every day, but once a week. They have good eating habits, and are healthy. Going too far extreme healthy can make a kid rebel when they do have a chance to make choices. But providing them with a palate of healthy foods from an early age will help them enjoy them as adults.

The poster who said this is why we're fat is right. I was cooking awesome filling meals to my kids every night. Grilled salmon, Steamed veg, brown rice (small portion)--well--not every kid can control his appetite. My kids walk to school and they go to Wisconsin Avenue and by JUNK to eat. I've never bought junk food in the house. So. What do I do? I cook more healthy food. But then, even if food is healthy, portion control has to be regulated. My sporty kids are fine. But my one kid who isn't starts to get fat--so you see--it just isn't as easy as you might think. I try--but once the kids are in middle school--they start to make their own choices and parents who have never allowed a transfat to cross the threshold are no longer in the driver's seat.

*that's cooking not coking. lol.

Anonymous wrote:Op here.

Tonight was fried chicken. With pasta and a homemade Alfredo sauce. Two loaves of garlic bread. Salad on the side. Still no leftovers. Two boxes of penne and I used 2 chickens to make the fried chicken.

Starting to think that I could cook the whole kitchen worth of food and they would eat it all lol.

I hear you OP. Ignore these people who are calling you a troll. I grew up in the 60's with one brother and my mother and father. Nothing prepared me for the magnitude of coking for 4 kids--3 of them teens. Every day I am astonished by how much they eat. I guess I am a good cook too--which helps--but there are rarely any left overs. I don't care what anyone says. It's shocking.

Anonymous wrote:There no earthly need for kids to eat like that. Honestly: this is why people are fat. We're no longer doing hard labour

Honestly, feeding teenage boys is not why people are fat. Overeating, and restricting food unnecessarily, is why people are fat.

There no earthly need for kids to eat like that. Honestly: this is why people are fat. We're no longer doing hard labour

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks pps. No the food won't stop. I'll just cook more until we get leftovers. Tonight's dinner is kale, pork, and sweet potato stir fry. I'll make rice and salad as well.

Cooking enough until you get leftovers is a good strategy. Then it definitely means everyone has had their fill. Or you could be like my MIL who comments that she made the perfect amount since there was none left and I look at my DH and BIL and feel bad since I know I'm still hungry so he has to be since one egg and a tiny muffin per person just isn't cutting it for brunch. MIL has forgotten what it's like to cook for more than two so she makes her portions of things for everyone. Good luck, OP!

My mom is getting that way- she wanted to make a measly box of couscous mix as the main dish last time I was visiting! And will tell me that she ate a baked sweet potato for dinner. I don't think she eats enough.