Is it normal for 7 year olds to eat this much?!?

Question

My brother&sister are twins, 7 years old. THEY EAT ALOT.Mind you, these are school-aged kids so they eat breakfast, lunch and dinner EVERYDAY.

Today for dinner they ate 4 tacos a piece...(they wanted more but there were no more)and after that had two medium sized slices of watermelon each , and wanted more watermelon after that!!

Is this normal? because to me its OUTRAGEOUS for two 7 year olds to eat the same amount or more than me and I am a 23 year old adult. I know they're growing but come on, now. Maybe they're just a bit GREEDY??

They can eat about 3 hotdogs a piece with sides such as french fries, they can eat abou 4-5 slices of pizza.

They are not fat or overweight at all. They are very skinney and actually healthy.

Answer 1

If they're not overweight and have plenty of energy for running around playing/sports, then I wouldn't worry about *how much* they're eating.  I'd be more concerned by *what* they're eating - all of your examples (tacos, hotdogs, and pizza) are fine for occasional treats, but not the healthiest choices.

Answer 2

They may be having a growth spurt which makes kids eat constantly.  As long as they are eating healthy food and snacks I would say they are fine.  Also they need to stay active to keep from putting on to much weight.

Answer 3

It sounds normal to me.  As long as they are not overweight, they must be burning it off.  My 7 year old son can usually eat 4-5 tacos.  When we go out to eat, he often has to order off of the adult menus because the kid sized meals don't fill him up.  He is very active and is a normal weight.

Answer 4

Very normal. i have a just turned 7 son and he can easily put down an adult sized portion at a restaurant and then finish off my husbands and my dinners as well.   They are growing , developing muscle tone etc - as long as they are active dont worry about it.  But, too, since they are eating alot make sure they are eating healthy -

Answer 5

I have a 7 year old daughter that can eat more then my husband but I have NO IDEA where it goes. She only weighs about 45 lbs but she can out eat me any day. I think that her metabolism dictates her appetite. She is so active thru the day.  Considering the problem of childhood obesity you should try to limit their intake of sugar but give them as many healthy snacks as they can put away.

Answer 6

LOL my 9 yr old ate 4 tacos (burritos actually) today I to thought that was way to much.  Taco day is her favorite meal at home.  She to is skinny.  I just worry about her when she gets older I mean now she has a high metabolism, but one day it will slow down and if she keeps eating like this she will gain weight.

Answer 7

it sounds like your feeding them c**p but besides that... they're growing.

Answer 8

Yep ditto. If they are active and growing, they're doing good. They do need more variety in their food choices probably, though.

Kids this age are laying the foundation for their health even for their geriatric years. They are building muscle, bone and brain cells at a rapid pace and it is VITAL they be allowed to eat until they are satisfied. Mind you it wouldn't hurt them to cut back a bit, but as long as they are lean and active, really, they are doing well.

Answer 9

I eat a lot more when I was seven than I do now as long their healthy then its fine

Answer 10

kids grow and need a lot of food to sustain them

they also have very fast metabolisms.

as long as they are not overweight it is not a problem at all

it is just natural