There’s nothing to eat in this house!

[InigoJollifant]

Endless refrain from my teenager. Drives me mad. What she wants is a freezer full of crap & a cupboard full of crisps & biscuits. I’m not up for supplying that... but I probably am a bit crap at keeping the kitchen stocked with a ready supply of quick easy teenager friendly snacks/light meals.

would love suggestions - things you always have in? Quick things that are also nutritious? Half thinking of always having certain things in along with a recipe notebook so I can bat her back to consult that rather than texting me with food based complaints in my absence…

Fuck that noise get a job or get rid of the attitude?

She needs to help plan and purchase and store whatever it is- a balance of the crap and better stuff but she can't just complain about it without putting in some effort

Just keep bread and cheese in. Them they can always make a sandwich or a cheese on toast so t buy unnecessary crap food

I knew you’d have a teenager before I opened this thread 😂

Yabvu

Buy a multipack of crisps and a packet of biscuits ffs

Fruit, fermented carrots, nuts, eggs so she can boil them, crackers and cheese, homemade flapjacks...
I have a teen also and I refuse to open the door to unhealthy food.

Keep cereal, milk, bread and cheese in as a minimum.

When teens say they want something to eat, very rarely does that mean something involving a recipe book.

Toast, peanut butter etc.
Pasta, pesto, marmite or whatever she likes to put on it. (Presuming she can make a tomato sauce and add tuna, sardines, cheese whatever).
Noodles.
Cereal, eggs, apples, bananas.

I had similar, or to be specific ‘you only have ingredients, not food!’. That’s because ingredients make food if you put a bit of effort in. I don’t have ready made crap in either so my teen had to cook. Or prepare.
I found that always having a stock of wraps with diced chicken that can go in the air fryer with salad veg, cheese and some sauces was quick enough and also nutritious. It’s one of their go to’s now they’re at Uni.
Toasties are also good as we usually have cheese and ham in and again it’s a few mins prep then air fryer until crispy.

So what? I'm an adult and sometimes I just want a biscuit

Would second the cheese suggestion, to have with bread or crackers.
Scotch eggs - maybe not so healthy!
Chicken wings, or pieces.
Yogurt.
Fruit.
Beans/egg/cheese on toast.
Eggy bread.
Pork pies.
Samosas.
Pasta salad.

What’s wrong with having food they want? You’ll only make them go and binge on food when she can afford it buy it themselves.

We have a kitchen full of crisps, cakes, biscuits, stuff that can be thrown in the air fryer etc. My teenager can take it or leave it because it’s always been readily available. You’re making it an issue.

Fermented carrots? Sounds interesting.

My teen likes making toasties and ramen. And eating crisps and chocolate obviously. I’ve recently opened their eyes to quesadillas which they can make if they can make a toastie.

Hmm we do have milk, bread, cheese, cereal in. Occasionally we do run out of eggs but we had eggs. Had run out of ketchup so she ‘couldn’t eat’ cheese on toast.

Her default is to eat crap. If the snack cupboard had been fully stocked today she would have eaten 3 packs of crisps and called that lunch.

Can she cook?

Ds used to moan about not having junk and then he realised that he could cook something nicer. He’s now got his own family and is a great cook.

Bread, milk, cereal, fruit, pizzas, garlic bread, pot noodles, yoghurts, eggs and crackers are staples in our house (3 teens). It's not all ideal but stops the constant moaning about lack of food.

Sorry but you sound disorganised. They'd probably binge on crisps because it's not readily available.

We always have bread, cheese, instant noodles, crisps and chocolate, nuts, a full fruit bowl and avocados. Plus crumpets, bagels and muffins and eggs.

I have an underweight teen who has to be tempted to eat, so healthy doesn't even come into it. And it has to be as calorific food as possible. She still says there's nothing to eat...
My average weight teen eats whatever she wants.

She can come here if she wants? She’d have a field day with all the chocolate, cakes, crisps and easy grab stuff 🤣

I dunno, if occasionally running out of foodstuffs before the shop arrives tomorrow means I’m disorganised, then yes.

the snack drawer today contains mini cheddars & cereal bars - she doesn’t like
those (her siblings do)

Popcorn
Microwave Rice
Mini pizza bases in the freezer
Individual portions of leftover dinners (bolognese, chili etc) in the freezer

Okay thinking about what I might have used for lunch today had I been here… we do have in - bread, eggs, peanut butter, jams, cheese, (no ham, no hummus), salad, fruit, crackers, halloumi, tinned pulses, pasta, tuna, baked beans, pesto.

maybe she is just being annoying!

It's tragic isn't it. Poor wee soul.
Maybe you could give her two quid to walk to the shop and buy some small thing she fancies.

Important clarification: are you talking about snacks around meals, or are you expecting her to get her own meals?

Assuming you supply meals and it’s snacks she wants then I suggest:

Cereal, cheese and crackers, toast & butter, toast & peanut butter (DD loves toast peanut butter and banana), crumpets, fruit, nuts, carrots/cucumber & hummus, pate or cream cheese & crackers. These are our go to snack options.

I honestly don’t think getting into the habit of snacking on crisps and biscuits does DC any favours long term (yes I know this sounds a bit sanctimonious ).

Sorry but that really isn't much of you're a family with teens

We have

Sliced bread
Wraps
Pitta
Bagels
Iced buns
Brownies
Various biscuits
Crisps
Chocolate bars, mini and normal size
Ice cream
Lollies
Various meats
Eggs
Cheeses
Potatoes, veg and salads
Yogurts
Smoothies
Fruit bowl full
Rice, pastas and other store cupboard ingredients

Just to mention a few...