Breakfast - is this enough and can I improve?

[WitchityGrub]

This morning for breakfast my 14 year old DS (skinny and growing) and I (not remotely skinny and dieting) had this:

1 slice of brown bread and butter (I didnt have this)
1 softly boiled egg
2 sliver/slices of smoked salmon (obviously we wouldn't usually have this but I picked it up as a treat)

He isn't doing a huge amount (almost none) or exercise. Im doing a couple of online workouts a day.

He'll be 'hungry' again in an hour. Am I being mean with food? I'm trying to give him decent food rather than sugary carby cereals.

For a growing 15 year old boy I would personally add more. However, if he is full with that then fine. What did he say?

Is there a reason why you're asking us rather than him? If he's skinny and growing he is the best judge of whether he's had enough or not.

He is the best judge of his appetite but if he isn’t moving around then smaller meals are probably better for him.

You say you are dieting and he is not. So his portion needs to be bigger than yours.

My 7 and 4 year olds have 1 toast, 1.5 eggs and 2 salmon. And usually still want some fruit or a yoghurt after. Both slim.

I'd let him have as big a portion as he likes as long as all the food is healthy and he sticks to eating at mealtimes and maybe one healthy snack if really hungry.

My 20 month old eats 1 slice of bread with 1 egg and a handful of berries and some cheese so yes way too little unless thats all he wants

@WitchityGrub,

He isn't doing a huge amount (almost none) of exercise.

By that logic people in a coma or paralyzed don't/barely need to be fed?

And he is actually growing, on top of normal energy expenditure he needs building blocks to grow his body+brain etc.

Why can’t you just ask him? My 15 year old ds and 13 year old dd pretty much sort out their own breakfast and lunch at the moment then we eat together in the evening. Some days they eat loads, some days not so much.

It's fine for you if that's all you want to eat but seems very small for a hungry teenager. My 7 year old would have 2 slices of toast and 2 eggs then keep pestering me for sweets throughout the day .

I agree it is a very small amount. I also wonder if you are projecting your food issues onto him. He needs more food. 2 slices toast maybe 2 eggs.

DD who isn't even 2 yet would eat all that, she'd probably have another egg or piece of toast too if she was offered it.

He's 14 - surely he can do some level of self-regulating with food if there are no other issues.

Honestly it sounds like a lot of posters are overfeeding their young children (hello national childhood obesity rates!) and the OP is slightly underfeeding her son.

I also tend to take issue with this thought practice that teenaged boys are bottomless pits. A lot of it seems like greediness and preference for snacks too while being spoiled or indulged by their parents. A kid most likely doesn’t need to go through half a loaf per day or whatever. Lots of posters on the boards have found that since the lockdown started their boys have magically stopped eating ravenously when they’re told there are limited food resources. Gee, I wonder why?

I also hate that people always say “he’s a growing boy so he needs more food”. What about the “growing girls”? You almost never hear people saying that. This is all just a set up for boys and men to expect to be given more food in families, which is sexist. Or on the flip side, for girls and women to expect less food which is bullshit.

my younger 2 children would normally have 2 pieces of toast with an egg. (youngest is 12). Actually they would want 2 eggs too.

My teens just sort their own breakfast out but would also eat more than that. None of them are overweight.

I'm not quite sure why you are feeding him still. Is there a chance that you are projecting your issues onto him?

My three year olds would eat that much. Plus why are you "giving" him a snack. He's 14. Only a few short years from being a fully grown adult. How is he supposed to learn how to feed himself if you're doing it for him? As in, working out what to eat to sate his hunger, how much of it to eat and what his body needs?

One slice of bread? that’s a bit mean, I’ve a slim 6ft4 teenage DS and it’s be 2 eggs , 4 slice of toast and a pint of milk, that would last until lunch but he isn’t a snacker.

Also, why are you controlling his food? when he eats and how much?
He’s 14 not 4, he doesn’t need mummy to feed him, my lot help themselves; apart from dinner which we eat together due to lockdown.

I would say not enough OP. My 13 year old DD eats 3 or 4 eggs in one sitting with 3 slices of toast and then fruit and usually a chocolate biscuit. She's vey skinny, less than 1% on the bmi chart for children.

@JingsMahBucket
Agreed, I have 3 DD, 2 currently at home, they could eat their brother under the table!
DD14 has took a huge stretch in last year and goes through phases of being very hungry, she’s already 5ft8 and will keep growing I think 🙂

I went to boarding school so we’d all eat breakfast together in the morning - I’d always be jealous of the boys because they would get away with eating toast, egg/bacon along with a stack of about 4 or 5 weetabix... these boys were not fat. I suppose they were doing a lot sport so maybe take off two weetabix for that then. Growing teenage boys need a lot to eat... So yes I think you are being mean with food. Let the poor boy eat his fill, and let him have some low sugar cereal for goodness sake, it’s not the devil’s food.

I would have added a second egg, and or a banana or another piece of fruit, and maybe a second slice of toast too, for your son. Does he drink milk or juice with his breakfast?

I think it’s fair to encourage teens not to snack too much but I think they are definitely old enough to decide on their own portion sizes for main meals.

Just ask him how many eggs he wants and cook accordingly? Sometimes I have two, sometimes three, depends on what else I'm having, how hungry I am, how they're being cooked (scrambled needs three!). If DH is cooking it he just asks how many I want and does that.

But yes, my 14mo DD would probably eat that, so I do think it seems a bit measly, especially if he's hungry an hour later. But presumably he is capable of speaking and saying what he wants for breakfast?

Why are people taking so much issue with the OP making breakfast for her son? Family members just do that for each other especially if they’re awake and in the kitchen at the same time. WTF?

@Jings
I think it’s because she’s limiting and controlling his diet, suggests he’s not allowed to help himself, it’s good to encourage him to prepare his own food.

It's not enough.

My 2 young children would have 2 eggs, 1 toast, avocado and then they'd often ask for berries and yoghurt too