Should I be stricter with my son's diet?

Ms. Captain M

Hi just looking for a bit of advice. My son is just gone 13 and I'm a bit worried about his diet. He's very thin and very active. He could do with putting on a bit of weight which is why I'm probably not as strict as I should be when it comes to treats and stuff.

He eats very well in general, loves fish, meat, some vegetables, fruit, cheese etc., but it's the stuff he eats on top of this like crisps, lucozade (he'll always pick a drink, usually an energy one, over sweets in a shop) that I'm a bit worried about.

For example last Friday (school day) he had:

Breakfast: Toast and orange juice in school.
Elevenses: Babybel and a pear which I packed for him.
Lunch: Chicken soup, ham and cheese roll, 3 fish fingers and a carton of juice, all of which he gets in school.
After school: Packet of crisps and a mango
Dinner: Chicken breast roasted with onion & peppers, potatoes, green beans and carrot & parsnip mashed, glass of milk.
After dinner: 2 biscuits
Before bed: Packet of noodles

Any advice appreciated! He always seems to be eating! He always eats his dinner, he wouldn't get anything after it if he didn't. Obviously I know the lucozade and biscuits and stuff are no good for him, how strict should I be about this stuff?

mad m

I'm surprised your getting him to eat fish at 13. Look i think your doing great, but the sugary drink aint good. It will probably do damage to his teeth. My son brings in a bottle of water to school each day. Drinks like coke are a treat rather than a day to day thing.

Your son is probably like those kids than could eat and eat and not put on weight, especially if active like you say. Wait till he takes a stretch. We got a Juicer and couldnt believe my son now has a juice with us in mornings with his breakfast. At least I know he is getting his greens.

I think your worrying over nothing to be honest.

Stuxnet

He's eating well, and he's very active, sounds like the perfect kid !

I wouldn't worry, obviously sugar intake is something to monitor, teeth wise, but your kid sounds very active and healthy to me !
A good metabolism and activity will always lead to a lean child.

I hadn't a pick on me till I hit 20, could eat buckets of anything, my poor mother couldn't keep enough food in the house ! Your kid sounds fine to me,

thegreatiam

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

Breakfast: Toast and orange juice in school.
Elevenses: Babybel and a pear which I packed for him.
Lunch: Chicken soup, ham and cheese roll, 3 fish fingers and a carton of juice, all of which he gets in school.
After school: Packet of crisps and a mango
Dinner: Chicken breast roasted with onion & peppers, potatoes, green beans and carrot & parsnip mashed, glass of milk.
After dinner: 2 biscuits
Before bed: Packet of noodles

its a lot of processed food (In bold) tbh, try to change it for real food where you can. change the babybell for some nuts or a piece of real cheese.
is the chicken soup made fresh or prebought? Can you pack a lunch for him?

If dinner is fresh chicken and real veg then more meals like that will be perfect.

-

There is a lot of sugar in fruit juice, just keep an eye on it.

surgery foods like fruit and fruit juice, chocolate, energy drinks need to be controlled and don't go overboard. No more than one or 2 a day.

Make room for treats in the diet, but again dont overdo it.

Try to get him drinking water instead of energy drinks and juice.

Fruit is almost as bad as chocolate for sugar. A whole mango 45 grams, a pear 17 grams and a portion of juice 30 grams of sugar.
a mars bar is only about 30 grams, so you can see how quick you can overdo the sugar.

While it is slightly better to eat fruit than chocolate it still needs to be done in moderation.

However, sugar isn't necessarily a bad thing, he is active so he will be burning energy all day, but too much sugar will be detrimental, again you can curb it by providing alternatives to snacks.

I would try to get him more real food in the morning, eggs, beans, ham/bacon, cheese, porridge, yoghurt would all be better choices than toast and juice to give him energy for the day.

On the whole its not a bad diet, lots of veg which is good some meats.

I would suggest changing the fruit snacks for something more substantial.
Eggs, cheese, nuts etc

I would also suggest you enter all his food into something like http://www.myfitnesspal.com
that way you can track the breakdown of what he is eating and it will help you make good choices.

Now that you are aware of the amount of sugar you can begin to think where to improve. You dont need to make drastic change as on the whole its ok,
eliminate the junk, limit the sugar and get more real food into him.


edit:
I would like to point out that it is better then my diets at that age (i lived on beans, white bread and nestle crunch bars), and probably better than the majority of diets most kids are eating.

Im just making some suggestions where you might tweak it

wildlifeboy

your son is fine seriously. nothing wrong with his diet. I ate worse than that for years until i copped on. I am 35 and still weigh below 12 stone at 5.11 as a previous poster said i could see my ribs until i was 21. i was a stick insect all though childhood and teens. hes grand.

tony1980

I was a skinny fecker up until 25, I always thought I was too thin in my teens and I ate all around me but you are just so active then and of course the all metabolism works a lot better then. I would love to be that size again, can't shift the all weight since I bought a car at 25, he should enjoy it while it lasts

Ms. Captain M

mad m wrote: »

I'm surprised your getting him to eat fish at 13. Look i think your doing great, but the sugary drink aint good. It will probably do damage to his teeth. My son brings in a bottle of water to school each day. Drinks like coke are a treat rather than a day to day thing.

Your son is probably like those kids than could eat and eat and not put on weight, especially if active like you say. Wait till he takes a stretch. We got a Juicer and couldnt believe my son now has a juice with us in mornings with his breakfast. At least I know he is getting his greens.

I think your worrying over nothing to be honest.

He's always loved fish, salmon, sea bass, tuna, anything. And I hate it! He probably has a better diet than I do overall actually.

thegreatiam wrote: »

its a lot of processed food (In bold) tbh, try to change it for real food where you can. change the babybell for some nuts or a piece of real cheese.
is the chicken soup made fresh or prebought? Can you pack a lunch for him?

If dinner is fresh chicken and real veg then more meals like that will be perfect.

-

There is a lot of sugar in fruit juice, just keep an eye on it.

surgery foods like fruit and fruit juice, chocolate, energy drinks need to be controlled and don't go overboard. No more than one or 2 a day.

Make room for treats in the diet, but again dont overdo it.

Try to get him drinking water instead of energy drinks and juice.

Fruit is almost as bad as chocolate for sugar. A whole mango 45 grams, a pear 17 grams and a portion of juice 30 grams of sugar.
a mars bar is only about 30 grams, so you can see how quick you can overdo the sugar.

While it is slightly better to eat fruit than chocolate it still needs to be done in moderation.

However, sugar isn't necessarily a bad thing, he is active so he will be burning energy all day, but too much sugar will be detrimental, again you can curb it by providing alternatives to snacks.

I would try to get him more real food in the morning, eggs, beans, ham/bacon, cheese, porridge, yoghurt would all be better choices than toast and juice to give him energy for the day.

On the whole its not a bad diet, lots of veg which is good some meats.

I would suggest changing the fruit snacks for something more substantial.
Eggs, cheese, nuts etc

I would also suggest you enter all his food into something like http://www.myfitnesspal.com
that way you can track the breakdown of what he is eating and it will help you make good choices.

Now that you are aware of the amount of sugar you can begin to think where to improve. You dont need to make drastic change as on the whole its ok,
eliminate the junk, limit the sugar and get more real food into him.


edit:
I would like to point out that it is better then my diets at that age (i lived on beans, white bread and nestle crunch bars), and probably better than the majority of diets most kids are eating.

Im just making some suggestions where you might tweak it

Thanks for the detailed reply. He eats cheddar cheese, I didn't realise it would be a better option than the Babybel.

The mornings can be a problem for time, trying to get the two of us ready and out the door, and he likes having breakfast in school with his friends but it's usually only tea/toast/orange juice. He's never been a big breakfast eater, he does love eggs though, I usually make them at the weekends.

I'd safely say the soup in school is from a packet!


Thanks for all the replies I feel a bit reassured, keep an eye on the sugar I suppose. For the sake of his teeth if nothing else!

thegreatiam

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed reply. He eats cheddar cheese, I didn't realise it would be a better option than the Babybel.

Yes, if there is a choice between anything processed or unprocessed then the unprocessed is usually the better option.

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

The mornings can be a problem for time, trying to get the two of us ready and out the door, and he likes having breakfast in school with his friends but it's usually only tea/toast/orange juice. He's never been a big breakfast eater, he does love eggs though, I usually make them at the weekends.

If time is a problem then you should look into what can be prepared earlier. Boiled eggs, nuts, yoghurts can all be pre packed the evening before.

But, as long as he gets his food elsewhere during the day its not a massive deal. Ive rarely eaten breakfast since I was about 10, and I went to a school with a strict outdoor activities schedule, so I would be burning 1000's of calories a day with kayaking and mountaineering lessons.

I suggested a breakfast options because if you are going to get a breakfast then there are better choices than tea and toast.

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

I'd safely say the soup in school is from a packet!

if you are really worried then consider packed lunches.

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies I feel a bit reassured, keep an eye on the sugar I suppose. For the sake of his teeth if nothing else!

actually, food like crisps are more harmful to your teeth than sugar.
The problem is sugar is only energy, it serve no other purpose.
Your body doesnt do anything else with it, so excess sugar is stored as fat.

If he is active then he's burning through the sugar well enough.

Ms. Captain M

thegreatiam wrote: »

Yes, if there is a choice between anything processed or unprocessed then the unprocessed is usually the better option.



If time is a problem then you should look into what can be prepared earlier. Boiled eggs, nuts, yoghurts can all be pre packed the evening before.

But, as long as he gets his food elsewhere during the day its not a massive deal. Ive rarely eaten breakfast since I was about 10, and I went to a school with a strict outdoor activities schedule, so I would be burning 1000's of calories a day with kayaking and mountaineering lessons.

I suggested a breakfast options because if you are going to get a breakfast then there are better choices than tea and toast.



if you are really worried then consider packed lunches.


actually, food like crisps are more harmful to your teeth than sugar.
The problem is sugar is only energy, it serve no other purpose.
Your body doesnt do anything else with it, so excess sugar is stored as fat.

If he is active then he's burning through the sugar well enough.

I actually just didn't realise that Babybels were processed!

I read a lot of the threads on this forum so I suppose I'm a bit worried about the stuff like bread, pasta, noodles etc. too. Should I only be concerned if he starts getting overweight?

El_Dangeroso

I think babybels are fine and I wouldn't consider them to be any different than regular cheese.

Fruit juice is fine for an active lean teenager too I would think. Fair bit of magnesium in orange juice that you don't get too easily from elsewhere.

thegreatiam

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

I actually just didn't realise that Babybels were processed!

I read a lot of the threads on this forum so I suppose I'm a bit worried about the stuff like bread, pasta, noodles etc. too. Should I only be concerned if he starts getting overweight?

I eat babybels, so they arent terrible. Better choice than a lot of other similar products.

I would only really worry if I saw symptoms of poor health and growth, over or under weight, skin conditions etc.

He is a growing boy so will naturally eat a lot. and, as mentioned, I had a bad diet at that age, way worse than your sons, and other people have mentioned they were similar growing up so growing boys can take a lot of abuse and turn out fine. (any health problems I have were caused by excess in my 20's )

Teenage boys are extremely robust, and with the diet you have he'll be fine no doubt.



So yes, if there are no signs of poor health then he's getting enough of what he needs.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

I actually just didn't realise that Babybels were processed!

I read a lot of the threads on this forum so I suppose I'm a bit worried about the stuff like bread, pasta, noodles etc. too. Should I only be concerned if he starts getting overweight?

It depends in the noodles, if they are processed ones like koka or pot noodles then they usually have about 3 times a child's recommended amount of salt in one packet.

siochain

Some saying it's find he's young enough to burn it off. .....


Wouldn't agree that is setting up and encouraging habits for life. OP your doing a great thing by looking for advice as your can set a good foundation for your kids life by encouraging good nutritional habits.

There are several studies now showing arterial damage in the young. This is being attributed to inflammation caused by processed foods.

Good luck.

Greenmachine

His diet is healthier than 90% of peoples to be honest.

Greenmachine

Alani Straight Viper wrote: »

It depends in the noodles, if they are processed ones like koka or pot noodles then they usually have about 3 times a child's recommended amount of salt in one packet.

No true. Recommended salt intake for a child his age is the same as for adult which is 6gr per day. 3 times his daily salt intake would equate to 18gr salt.

Yes they are hig in salt but your claim would put the salt content at over 20%.
85grs content in a packet of koka noodles, less again in the pots. If you are going to make claims, don't make them so ridicolous.

siochain

Greenmachine wrote: »

His diet is healthier than 90% of peoples to be honest.

Doesn't make it good.

Majority in this country are overweight and will develop a mix of these, diabetes, heart disease or cancer and in most cases they will be directly related to our food choices.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Greenmachine wrote: »

No true. Recommended salt intake for a child his age is the same as for adult which is 6gr per day. 3 times his daily salt intake would equate to 18gr salt.

Yes they are hig in salt but your claim would put the salt content at over 20%.
85grs content in a packet of koka noodles, less again in the pots. If you are going to make claims, don't make them so ridicolous.

Sorry 1/3 of a child's rda for salt which is 4g

Greenmachine

siochain wrote: »

Doesn't make it good.

Majority in this country are overweight and will develop a mix of these, diabetes, heart disease or cancer and in most cases they will be directly related to our food choices.

I will agree with you there. My diet is as bad as most. I used to eat much more healthily. A cardiologist will want people to have a heart rate about 60bpm. Mine was never near there. I think I platued at about 72bpm resting or there about. A GP would likely not bat an eyelid at a resting heart rate of 80-85bpm. A few minor changes and his diet would be pretty good.

Greenmachine

Alani Straight Viper wrote: »

It depends in the noodles, if they are processed ones like koka or pot noodles then they usually have about 3 times a child's recommended amount of salt in one packet.

Let me bold what you said

Alani Straight Viper wrote: »

Sorry 1/3 of a child's rda for salt which is 4g

The boy is 13 see here for recommended salt intakes

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1138.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=167

Salt recommendations

Once again six grams


1 to 3 years – 2g of salt a day (0.8g sodium)
4 to 6 years – 3g of salt a day (1.2g sodium)
7 to 10 years – 5g of salt a day (2g sodium)
11 years and over – 6g of salt a day (2.4g sodium)

Ms. Captain M

siochain wrote: »

Some saying it's find he's young enough to burn it off. .....


Wouldn't agree that is setting up and encouraging habits for life. OP your doing a great thing by looking for advice as your can set a good foundation for your kids life by encouraging good nutritional habits.

There are several studies now showing arterial damage in the young. This is being attributed to inflammation caused by processed foods.

Good luck.

Yes I really want to instill good eating habits for later in life.

Alani Straight Viper wrote: »

It depends in the noodles, if they are processed ones like koka or pot noodles then they usually have about 3 times a child's recommended amount of salt in one packet.

Yeh they're usually the Koka ones I'm afraid. He wouldn't be eating them every day though, it was beans on toast tonight. That was about two hours after dinner! I'm aware there's quite a lot of salt even in bread.

I definitely feel better when I hear the way some of his friends eat, but it's him I have to worry about!

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Greenmachine wrote: »

Let me bold what you said



The boy is 13 see here for recommended salt intakes

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1138.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=167

Salt recommendations

Once again six grams


1 to 3 years – 2g of salt a day (0.8g sodium)
4 to 6 years – 3g of salt a day (1.2g sodium)
7 to 10 years – 5g of salt a day (2g sodium)
11 years and over – 6g of salt a day (2.4g sodium)

Jeeez relax will you!
But just so you know they are UK figures, in Ireland it is 4g.