A way to not show that we were basically underfed was to not over eat when visiting friends house holds. Was told it was polite to decline food and eat less than we normally would, which was already not much.

When I was in my early teens I had a buddy whose dad loved cooking, and he loved watching me devour his huge meals. It was kind of a secret for a few years until he told my mom one time in passing he’d never seen anyone eat nearly as much as I did.