What's the best sort of food to keep in the fridge for teenage raiders?

[Swanhilda]

I mean there's cheese, and there's ham. But how can I feed lots of greedy teenagers and pre-teens who are constantly helping themselves to snacks, cheaply and nutritiously. Friends included?

This may sound like a very obvious question to the initiated, but I'm used to just providing meals rather than endless snacks and the fruit bowl is always empty in seconds..

[Swanhilda]

I'm off to bed now, but I hope there are some good ideas for me to do the shopping with tomorrow...

[PeacesOfAte]

Toast!

[PeacesOfAte]

(Not in the fridge though, just make sure there's lots of bread, butter and whatever they put on it)

[CointreauVersial]

DS likes those snap-pots of baked beans that you chuck in the microwave.

Or giant vats of cereal (he loves granola / original crunchy type stuff).

[ettiketti]

Yes toast and cereals work here!

[bruffin]

eggs and cheese for microwave scrambled eggs

[bruffin]

that was for DS, my DD loves noodles.

[lljkk]

£1.50 giant pizzas from supermarket.
Mine will drink Innocent smoothie if I pour it out for him.
All kinds of pasties & ssg rolls.

[DoTheStrand]

I have stepsons in their 20s and when they got their teenage years I gave up on the lovely homecooked meals (partly because they were out so much I never knew what mealtimes they'd be here for on our weekends).

I started getting lots of bananas (DSS1 once ate 7 in one go), bread, cheese, crusty bread rolls, cooked chicken breasts, LOTS of cereal, and pizzas. Oh and one of them ate loads of those baked beans and sausages straight from the tin. I don't think I ever managed to do it cheaply though so I will be watching your thread with interest for ideas as they're due back from university in a few weeks!

(The popcorn is a great idea btw, will try that).

[secretscwirrels]

Pasta by the kilo. Both of my teenage boys will cook a pan enough for 12 of pasta and make a cheese sauce.
Toast.
Cereal - I have known them eat a huge Sunday roast and go for a bowl of cereal an hour later.
Tortillas - eat warm or as wraps.
Milk shakes.
I bake flap jacks and cakes.
Cheap noodles and soy sauce.

Yes I know it's not all healthy stuff but this is on top of 3 good healthy meals a day.

[Hugglepuff]

Cereal, bagels, yoghurt , loads of raisins, and LOADS of milk

[neversleepagain]

Wow, 7 bananas in one go!

[marriedinwhiteisback]

Cereal (esp bars on special offer)
Bananas
Yoghurts
Bags of cheap apples
Cake proper chunks of cake - not those little Kipling nibbles
French bread

Once a week I cook a whole packet of conchiglie or penne and stir through a jar of tomato sauce and a few basil leaves, or if I'm feeling nice chop a couple of spring onions, shred a basics pack of smoked mackerel, juice of a lemon and half a small jar of Hellmans. Much cheaper and better for them than the packets you can buy ready made in the supermarket.

Sometimes I buy a multi-pack of chicken drums/thighs and smear with garlic past, sprinkle with lemon juice and paprika and bung in the oven for 40 minutes and just leave it in the fridge for them to help themselves.

DD has a penchant too for cheese and crackers.

Keeps them going until I get home and get supper on.

[dancemom]

A big bowl of tuna pasta salad

[SacreBlue]

Every Sunday night I make about half a loaf of sandwiches. Cheese, ham, bacon, egg etc. I work in the evenings sometimes so this means DS always has something he can just lift out & eat.

In the freezer we have grillable chicken nuggets/fish fingers, cupboards the odd pot noodle & always flour & eggs so he can make himself crepes.

The bags of small apples are always handy for lifting going to school & of course the teenager staple of 10 types of cereal. Mine likes raw mushrooms too and doritos as a hand to mouth thing but that's not good teeth wise dentist visit confirmed

Like secret says some of the above may not seem healthy but it is all fine when combined with regular meals

[SacreBlue]

x post with married that pasta sounds yummy also those tins of mixed beans in spicy sauce - easy to stir into pasta

[marriedinwhiteisback]

And teenage feeding always makes me go when I read the threads about feeding a family of five for £50.00 on here. Not with teenagers you won't - oh no

[Alwayscheerful]

Ham (and fresh bread & butter.)
Pizza
Bulk cook pasta with olives & tomatoes, or tomatoes chilli & chorizo.
Bananas & porridge but not in the fridge.

[SilverApples]

Agree with the large quantities of sandwich making materials, and mine like omelettes with almost anything added. Pasta is a staple.
I also make pizza with a very thick bread base.
Lots of varieties of bread and flavoured bread.

[chocolate140]

I tend to buy a few of those oven bake garlic baguettes as mine love them, also things like pepperamis, spaghetti hoops, biscuits etc

[MortifiedAnyFuckerAdams]

Instant noodles
Massive bowl of chooped up.fruit left in the fridge. I found whole fruit far too much effort when I was a teen
Pork.pies

[SacreBlue]

married I know now why my parents bought a couple of goats (endless milk) and had a chest freezer (nearly whole cows/pigs etc) 4 teens must have done their head in as well as their finances

[SilverApples]

I don't keep cake and biscuits in as a regular thing, I do bake a couple of times a week. They both know how to make muffins and biscuits, and the ingredients are always available.
But DS could eat his own bodyweight in them on a daily basis, so as a policy, the quantities are limited. If I know friends are coming round, I'll bake.

[lljkk]

I can't imagine a household in Britain where biscuits are a rarity.