My grandson is 8 & going through a "growing spurt" according to his Dr. He gets up at 6:00am & is at school by 7:00. He has lunch around 11:00am. School is out at 2:10. I pick him up & we get home about 2:30. His family doesn't eat until late (7-8 pm). Around 3:00 he gets hungry. I don't have alot of junk in my house, so I fix him a small lunch. Here is my question, He has been gaining weight around his middle. I am not worried, neither is his Dr. or his mom. His dad is a different story. When it is dad's week-end, he tells me on the following Mon. that he has to lose weight & that he is fat. No, dad is not thin. He doesn't like fruits & veggies, but I fix chicken nuggets (4-6) & applesauce with milk - things like that. Any ideas ??
The child's weight gain is likely more related to eating right before bed, not the snack you're giving him.
Get him outside to play more. That will certainly help. He's 8....should be riding his bike all over and climbing trees.
If he is going through a growing spurt you are correct, they get a bit pudgy and the next thing you know they are 2 inches taller. Especially around spring break when they get more rest, and more time to run around.. Measure him this afternoon and after spring break measure him again.. Same thing on the last day of school. and the night before his new school year in the fall..
I would make him a sandwich and some fresh fruit. He does not like even raw carrots? Cucumbers? Cherry tomatoes?
Make sure he gets a few hours to ride his bike, skateboard.. or something really active before dinner.
Then for dinner he is less likely to gorge on his dinner.
They eat dinner so very late.. he is starving! Not only that it sounds like he must not go to bed till late. Maybe you all can work out a way for him to eat his dinner at 6:00
Someone needs to speak with dad about how he speaks to his son about weight. He could turn this into a big mess. That is dangerous language to tell a child that.
First, I think his father's comments are uncalled for. I would talk to your daughter about addressing this with the father, explaining to him that an eight year old child doesn't need that sort of emotional baggage. If dad isn't thin, then he needs to do something about himself instead of picking on his kid.
That said, you could make some small substitutions. For example, a couple of hard boiled eggs or a baked chicken breast is a great substitute for nuggets. You could bake off a couple chicken breasts and have portions for three or four snacktimes. I suggest this because processed meats have a lot of other stuff in them which isn't helpful. The amount of sodium in the veggie-type nuggets I bought from the store was alarming. If he's dipping them in ketchup, you can buy ketchup which has just regular sugar (Trader Joe's has a nice one) instead of high fructose corn syrup.
I would also try apple slices with some cinnamon. My son loves carrots paired with a nut or seed butter. (pb, almond butter, sun butter) A banana with peanut butter is also a great carb/protein combo which does fill them up pretty well.
Would he drink a vegetable juice instead of having milk? There are some brands of juices which taste good and have both fruits and veggies in them. No need to explain it, just 'here's some juice' and he'll be fine with it.
If he's getting enough exercise, I'd tweak the diet mildly and really-- he'll likely be okay. I agree with the 'growth spurt body'.. mine never really looks 'pudgy' but I have seen how he'll have a little belly for a while then shoot right up and be a skinny little guy again. But dad really needs to shut it.
We always had an after school snack growing up. I still have a handful of something at 3ish. Everyone at the office tends to grab a small bite at 2-3ish to combat the afternoon slump. My MIL fed her boys what she called "vulture food." A small afternoon snack that they would descend on like ravenous vultures.
eating at that hour strikes me as perfectly sound.
Dad's attitude could stand to change, but there is little you can do what comes out of dad's mouth.
if GS's palate is really limited, and you are intent on cutting the calories in this afternoon snack, try having him drink a cup of water or two before his meal. Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. Sometimes a bit of water in the belly can keep you from gorging yourself too quickly.
good luck to you and yours,
F. B.
Kids need an afternoon snack. It should be high in protein like nuggets are. Then being active he'll use it up before dinner.
He could be having a growth spurt.
It goes like this.
Kids eat and eat and eat and eat. Then they stop eating. They shoot up overnight and almost have a gaunt look to their faces because the skin is stretched over the new bone growth.
They they don't eat for a few days to a couple of weeks then go back to normal meals.
So when a kid is starting to pudge out it's likely they are about to shoot up.
There is no reason why he can't have another meal in the day. Espcieally at that time. If he is getting a bit "round in the middle" it is more likely from eating dinner so late. I would actually feed him MORE at 3 so he can eat less at 7. It is better for his metabolism.
I will send you a PM with some links to some of my favourite after school snacks.
B.
I would suggest that 1. his father discuss the concern with the pediatrician and 2. that you give him not a full lunch per se but a healthy snack. I don't think 6 nuggets and applesauce is a bad snack, but what about lean turkey instead? But I also agree that kids get wider before the get taller, something his dad my need the doc's POV on. He may be overly sensitive because he is not a small man.
While chicken nuggets may not be the healthiest food, eating only 4-6 of them for an 8 year old is not a lot of food. He just needs to be more active, what physical activities does he like to do? Can he get outside to play?
Chicken nuggets tend to have a high amount of fat, and not much nutrition. While I agree that he needs a hearty snack, maybe you would consider options like yogurt and applesauce, a peanut butter or turkey sandwich or some soup. While he may not like fruit and vegetables, he needs them in his diet. He can't hate all of them. Even if he likes one fruit, one green and one yellow/orange veggie, that's fine. His parents need to find the one that he'll eat. He doesn't need that much variety. It might make us crazy to only eat pears, raw bell peppers and green beans, but for kids, that is okay!
Forget his weight and just serve him whole foods instead of processed.
Chicken breast instead of nuggets, apple slices instead of sauce and water instead of milk.
Chicken nuggets are full of chemicals, preservatives and parts of the chicken not meant for human consumption. Help your grandson develop a taste for real, whole, healthy food. Dad should be far more concerned that his boy "doesn't like fruits and veggies" then about his chubby middle. Focus on health and his weight will follow.
