Frustrated my 15 yr old dd is hardly eating during the day, when at school.

[Picklemeyellow]

I have tried all kinds of foods to put in her lunch box but she will only eat a packet of crisps and a cereal bar.

She says her friends are the same. I have even paid for her to have school lunches but she chooses Pringles and other crap.

I have tried various sandwiches, rolls, wraps, pasta, crackers and cheese. Different fruits. Carrot sticks and hummus (which she eats loads of at home) but they all come back uneaten.

Admittedly, I was the same at that age and my mum would cook me a good breakfast to go to school on but dd will only have a slice of toast and even that gets half eaten.

She doesn’t appear to have an eating disorder as she eats as normal when at home. I make sure she has a healthy snack when she gets home as she is understandably starving, and I always serve a healthy dinner but how on earth do I encourage her to eat something a bit more substantial (and ideally healthy) when at school?

Does anyone else have this issue with their teens?

At the schools I've worked it the children hardly get any time at lunch. They can stand around talking and eating crisps etc

It's common. Eating in busy secondary schools is horrible. I work in one and often eat in my car! If I can't do that, I'll just graze on something small till I get home.

I'd work on breakfast and a good dinner and not worry. Pack her a smoothie or protein bar maybe

DD was the same, it’s not worth the fight to be honest. There was nothing sinister about it, just that school meal times are short, often with a struggle to find somewhere to sit and they’d much rather spend them talking to their friends! She’ll be fine

I was the same at school, we would rather chat on the field than go to get some lunch and yes sadly lunchboxes weren't the coolest thing (sounds pathetic now but as a teen it's a big deal). As long as she's eating fine outside of school personally I wouldn't be too worried. Of course if she starts restricting at home etc then that's a different story.

My 15 year old son is the same. No breakfast and only takes a packet of crisps and a cereal bar.
I always make sure he has money in his school account and he will very occasionally buy something from the canteen.
He’s 6ft 3 and I just can’t understand how he can get through the day on so little food!!

My daughter is exactly the same and doesn’t really eat breakfast either, will only take crisps and a small snack, she goes through stages of what foods she likes and is soo fussy even at teatime. I spoke to the doctors and was told she’s just a fussy eater because she is eating

My 6'5 fifteen year old DS is the same. He doesn't have breakfast. Then when he gets home from school I'll ask "did you have a nice lunch?" I reckon 3/5 times he will say "oh, I didn't have time" or something. I've given up nagging him now. He obviously gets all he needs as he is so tall and a good healthy weight.

I used to feel very akward eating infront of certain people (classmates etc. Not at home) when I was a young-ish teen.

I wouldn´t push it as long as she eats well at home, seems generall healthy and doesn´t seem to lack concentration.

Yes. My daughter is 15 too and these are her eating habits. She takes an apple and a cereal bar to school. She might call me to ask me to put money on her parent account for a snack, or otherwise goes to the gym and raids the snack machine or gets off the bus 2 stops early and buys sweets. She snacks loads at home but it's all fruit and veg. She's getting her calories in so I'm not too worried as I know her eating habits are great at weekends and when she's at her BF's house. I think most teen girls are similar. I know I was, I just want bothered by school lunches or snacking in the day.

My now-16 year old daughter is the same and has been for the last few years. No breakfast, then she ate lunch when she got home at 3pm. Bit easier now she’s at college as she isn’t out of the house for the full day, so can eat at a more ‘normal’ time. She has no food issues and eats normally and healthily at all other times. I tried like you, but didn’t change her habits. If there are no other food issues, I think she’s probably fine. I found it weird, not wanting food at lunchtime, but is appears to not be a problem! Good luck!

As I’ve mentioned, I was the same at her age but I’ve never been a big eater so wondered if it was a normal thing but obviously it is so that’s put my mind at ease.

She has devoured carrots sticks, houmous and toast since she has come in from school, so all is well.

DD is like this but she is a lot younger (just turned 9). She's just not that into food during day but also doesn't like eating in front of people. I do her a big smoothie for breakfast which I bulk out with oats, chia seeds and high protein yogurt to try and make sure she's getting something filling and healthy which sees her through the day. Would your dd be open to a big smoothie or something for breakfast or is she too teen for that? 😅

i can remember being like this too - id shove a slice of toast down on the way out the door and then eat crisps at lunch and come home starving! no idea why i didn't eat tbh!

My DD doesn’t eat anything during the day.

I always pack her things that can be eaten the next day if needed.
I stopped making sandwiches and wraps and put money on her account if she needs it.

I think it’s quite common.

Good idea!
I would think teens would think this is quite cool and grown up actually.

I did this at that age too. I still feel bad now that we were skint but I still have my 1/3 of a baguette to a friend every day.

I have IBD though so I think some issues stemmed from not wanting to have to use the toilets at school.

My DD is the same. She is getting a bit better now 16 and in 6th form. I think they are so busy socialising and worrying what people think they don't eat. She would then come home and eat loads of crap then not want her tea! We were constantly finding uneaten lunch in her bag. We chatted and things that could be eaten on the go were preferred. So things like crackers, baby bell cheese. Small things that could be nibbled on and let in pocket! Thankfully it does seem to get better.

Same here. She doesn’t eat, drink or use the toilet at school.
what a miserable way to spend your day 🙁

Ds’s secondary school only gets a 30 minute lunch break. He does eat, but only pizza or sausage roll from the canteen, and he eats it at break time, to maximise football time at lunch! I never ate at secondary school - I’m not hugely fussy but I am a bit particular about things, ie carrots and houmous I would like them to be chilled, sandwiches I like to eat fresh, I prefer to eat fruit fresh, not prepped, yoghurts I like straight from the fridge etc - a lunchbox is really unappetising to me, and it stems from school I think which was a bit stinky and skanky anyway!

My daughter is just the same (but won’t eat breakfast in the week either) I tried the same as you, nothing worked I make sure she has money on her account for lunch, some days she will use it others not, not always the best choices of food, but rather she ate something.

Please please keep an eye on her. My daughter started like this, and ended up under the eating disorder clinic. She didn't lose much weight, but her periods have stopped. She are normally at home, until she didn't.

I'm genuinely saddened by all the 'it's normal' replies, because ut really shouldn't be something we just accept as parents.

My daughter doesn't eat until dinner - hasn't fue years. She's now 18. On weekends she might have a sandwich or bowl of soup for lunch but mostly she eats once a day.
She's a healthy weight and functions fine so I have no issue with it

She doesn’t have a sweet tooth even though I do a mean smoothie doesn’t like them and prefers savoury things, that’s why I try to give her toast in the mornings, I’ve tried offering her egg on toast but that’s pushing it too far lol!