---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a kid, my mother used to feed…"
description: "\"When I was a kid, my mother used to feed me mashed-potato sandwiches, brussel sprout sandwiches; my brain cells were starving from lack of food. I'll e..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/sylvester-stallone-966_brain_when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed_1739072.jpg"
---

#  When I was a kid, my mother used to feed me mashed-potato…

![“When I was a kid, my mother used to feed me mashed-potato sandwiches, brussel sprout sandwiches; my brain cells were starving from lack of food. I'll eat anything. I'll eat dirt.” quote by Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/sylvester-stallone-966_brain_when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed_1739072.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/sylvester-stallone-966_brain_when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed_1739072.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/sylvester-stallone-966_brain_when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed_1739072.jpg)

> “When I was a kid, my mother used to feed me mashed-potato sandwiches, brussel sprout sandwiches; my brain cells were starving from lack of food. I'll eat anything. I'll eat dirt.”

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The anecdote highlights childhood hunger and a willingness to eat anything, illustrating extreme desperation and survival instinct.

**In simple terms:** Childhood hunger led to eating anything, showing survival drive.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address basic needs early.

Themes

survival hunger resilience childhood nutrition

Mood

somber determined

Type

social reflective

When to use this quote

- emergency aid
- food security programs
- personal health
- community support

Key Concepts

psychology social welfare

Questions to Reflect On

- How did early scarcity shape your choices?
- What can be done to prevent such deprivation today?

A Different Perspective

Overcoming trauma requires more than food.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brussel sprouts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brussel-sprouts/) [Dirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirt/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/)

## Related quotes

> [I love all the mashed potatoes, the mushy peas and brussel sprouts. And oh my god, Cadbury's chocolate! It is so much better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mischa-barton/i-love-all-the-mashed-potatoes-the-mushy-peas-and-brussel-sprouts-and/)

[Mischa Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mischa-barton/)

> [The body doesn't accept the lack of food, and it suffers from the temptation of food and from other aspects which gnaw at it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-sands/the-body-doesn-t-accept-the-lack-of-food-and-it-suffers-from-the/)

[Bobby Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-sands/)

> [When someone is bothered by someone claiming lack of drinking water, lack of medicine for the sick, and lack of food for the hungry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-yulin-cruz/when-someone-is-bothered-by-someone-claiming-lack-of-drinking-water/)

[Carmen Yulin Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-yulin-cruz/)

> [I thought it was crazy for people to eat dirt until I actually tasted it. I really liked it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-bailey/i-thought-it-was-crazy-for-people-to-eat-dirt-until-i-actually-tasted/)

[Cynthia Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-bailey/)

> [People did not even then like to eat dirt, if they could see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-evans/people-did-not-even-then-like-to-eat-dirt-if-they-could-see-it/)

Oliver Evans

> [“When my daughter was a toddler, I used to take her to a park not far from our apartment. One day as she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/when-my-daughter-was-a-toddler-i-used-to-take-her-to-a-park-not-far/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [“It was like a sickness. It was like the uncontrollable urge to eat dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-lowen/it-was-like-a-sickness-it-was-like-the-uncontrollable-urge-to-eat-dirt/)

Cynthia Lowen

> [“Tomorrow I’ll take you out to see the gold beetles. They’re amazing: they eat dirt and poop out gold ore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/tomorrow-i-ll-take-you-out-to-see-the-gold-beetles-they-re-amazing/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [I always believe in living in the country, because that's where what I eat is what I can put back in the dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-always-believe-in-living-in-the-country-because-that-s-where-what-i/)

[Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/)

> [“We ingest probiotics because we don’t eat enough “dirt” anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-ingest-probiotics-because-we-don-t-eat-enough-dirt-anymore/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [I wanted to find a cave and hang out there for the rest of my life and be a cave painter and eat dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/i-wanted-to-find-a-cave-and-hang-out-there-for-the-rest-of-my-life/)

[Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/)

> [I make niggas eat dirt and fart dust, Then give you a $80 gift certificate to Pussies "Я" Us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludacris/i-make-niggas-eat-dirt-and-fart-dust-then-give-you-a-80-gift/)

[Ludacris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludacris/)

> [“If I wanted to consume something that looks and tastes like dirt, I’d eat dirt,” I said, “at least dirt isn’t overpriced." ~Beans~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-kelly/if-i-wanted-to-consume-something-that-looks-and-tastes-like-dirt-i-d/)

Garrison Kelly

> [Parents have got to chill out. Let your kid eat dirt - they're gonna be fine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-garlin/parents-have-got-to-chill-out-let-your-kid-eat-dirt-they-re-gonna-be/)

[Jeff Garlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-garlin/)

> [“Awakening your spiritual self is like having a second childhood with faulty parents, broken bones and proverbial brussel sprouts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hawke/awakening-your-spiritual-self-is-like-having-a-second-childhood-with/)

[Christopher Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hawke/)

## More by Sylvester Stallone

> [I think kids growing up, if they were picked on and feeling inferior at 12, they're going to feel that way at 72. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-kids-growing-up-if-they-were-picked-on-and-feeling-inferior/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [I just like stories about redemption about getting a second chance at life, I think everyone in the world has a few major mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-just-like-stories-about-redemption-about-getting-a-second-chance-at/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-am-not-the-richest-smartest-or-most-talented-person-in-the-world/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/every-champion-was-once-a-contender-that-refused-to-give-up/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [Plan B. You've always got to have a Plan B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/plan-b-you-ve-always-got-to-have-a-plan-b/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [“It ain't over till its over”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/it-ain-t-over-till-its-over/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [On the sequel, you've lost the element of surprise. Usually, on the first one you may not go very, very deep into character; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/on-the-sequel-you-ve-lost-the-element-of-surprise-usually-on-the/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [In this day and age, if you're aspiring to be an actor, and you're putting all your eggs in one basket, you could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/in-this-day-and-age-if-you-re-aspiring-to-be-an-actor-and-you-re/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [People asked if I could have played the Terminator. Are you kidding? Not a chance, I never could have played the Terminator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/people-asked-if-i-could-have-played-the-terminator-are-you-kidding/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [Sometimes worst enemies like a Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier that's what makes you fight so hard. Without them they never would have achieved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/sometimes-worst-enemies-like-a-mohammed-ali-and-joe-frazier-that-s/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [A lot of guys have muscles. A lot of strong men in this world. I think it's important to show that even under all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/a-lot-of-guys-have-muscles-a-lot-of-strong-men-in-this-world-i-think/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [That's the hardest thing about doing sequels - you've lost the element of surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/that-s-the-hardest-thing-about-doing-sequels-you-ve-lost-the-element/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [I tend to think of action movies as exuberant morality plays in which good triumphs over evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-tend-to-think-of-action-movies-as-exuberant-morality-plays-in-which/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [Adrian: It was Thanksgiving. Rocky: Yeah, to you, but to me it's Thursday, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/adrian-it-was-thanksgiving-rocky-yeah-to-you-but-to-me-it-s-thursday/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [I think everyone has questions in their mind. Did they do their very best?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-everyone-has-questions-in-their-mind-did-they-do-their-very/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

[Explore all 318 Sylvester Stallone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

## More Brain quotes

> [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/)

[Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/)

> [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/)

[Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/)

> [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/)

[Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/)

> [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/)

[Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/)

> [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/)

[Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/)

> [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/)

[Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/)

> [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

> [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/)

[Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/)

> [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/)

[Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/)

[Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I was a kid, my mother used to feed me mashed-potato sandwiches, brussel sprout sandwiches; my brain cells were starving from lack of food. I'll eat anything. I'll eat dirt.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sylvester Stallone"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed-me-mashed-potato-sandwiches/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Brain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed-me-mashed-potato-sandwiches/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/sylvester-stallone-966_brain_when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed_1739072.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/sylvester-stallone-966_brain_when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed_1739072.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/sylvester-stallone-966_brain_when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed_1739072.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I was a kid, my mother used to feed me mashed-potato sandwiches, brussel sprout sandwiches; my brain…” — Sylvester Stallone",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Sylvester Stallone",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I was a kid, my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed-me-mashed-potato-sandwiches/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/when-i-was-a-kid-my-mother-used-to-feed-me-mashed-potato-sandwiches/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
