What do your teenage DS's snack on?

[Spinmeister]

DS eats too much, I think, even for a teenager. Men's size L is looking tight. I have fruit in but he always ignores it and makes e.g. cheese on toast. Am a bit at a loss how to deal with this.

Mine never seems to stop eating but is very tall and slim. Snacks on noodles and toasties or porridge mostly. Very little fruit other than in a smoothie each morning.

Would increasing movement be a better option than reducing food intake maybe?

My ds is a gym goer and obsessed with protein. He goes through crazy amounts of eggs. Beef jerky. Protein shakes. Now he's at uni he'll buy a whole chicken and snack on that for a few days!
Could you try and encourage a bit more protein? It may fill him up better.

My daughter doesn't eat enough really. Fruit. Popcorn and rice cakes.

Ds eats loads but is also very sporty/active.
Favourites are yoghurts, mouse, dried fruits, apples, bananas, cereal bars, breadsticks, cheese, popcorn. When they were younger I implemented a snack policy whereby they could have any one item from the snack cupboard if they'd had a piece of fruit first. I think dc still has this mentality.

Mine have both been big on cereal. DS2 will sometimes have 6 weetabix. He is now into toasties or tuna sandwiches. He is skinny though, so not a problem.

Mine goes for cereal or cheese on toast. Also eats way too much biscuits and cake. Only eats fruit if I cut it up for him.
He's tall and skinny.

What don't they eat?

Fruit - fresh or dried. I usually have homemade flapjack or muffins in the cake tin. Eggs in the fridge - fried egg sandwiches are typical. Ice cream if on offer. DS1 is partial to a greek salad! Noodle soup. Dim sum.

But both are skinny as - men's XS and taller than me.

@BravebutBroken yes, that would be ideal but he is very resistant to the idea. He was in a sports club but they've asked us to find somewhere else as he doesn't join in.

If he was an xs, I wouldn't be concerned.

Mine is tall and thin (asd). He eats industrial quantities of fruit, around 1kg a day, apples, pears, passion fruit, satsumas, bananas, kiwis, dragonfruit, strawberries, pineapple (sometimes whole), plums etc. Also radish and raw carrots though we have to get organic as he doesn't bother to peel them.

Loves cheese toasties and will eat crisps, biscuits, cakes and cereals.

Both of ours would just eat packet food if we had it in until it was gone.

So if they want to eat after school, before dinner, they of course have snacks but they are limited choices and this list isn't a menu of what's on offer each day just examples

Crumpets with marmite and tahini
Hard boiled eggs
Greek yogurt with blueberries, honey if I am feeling nice
Glass of full fat milk
Occasionally I am super nice and heat them frozen sausage rolls
Falafel dipped in houmous
Apples
Left over home made desserts - but a controlled portion
Oatcakes
They might resort to toast but as a rule if there was dinner to follow they wouldn't have the option of cheese
They quite like the fish paste jars you can get, salmon is their favourite but you can get crab, sardine and tomato - they are ok on toast with cucumber
Bit of french bread stick with houmous
breadsticks
Plain nuts, like the ones you crack occasionally

What I don't buy as a general rule, biscuits, crips, anything you can put in a microwave - think those burger things, we don't always have a microwave regardless and it's a bit hypocritical as I lived of microchips at their ages (but they don't know that), chocolate, single portion anything, bakery items like donuts well I might but we are talking once a month.

If ours were eating too much cheese I wouldn't have much in the fridge, I would buy smaller blocks on the day you want cheese with something. Yes it's more expensive but if you want to get their raiding the fridge and cupboard for unhealthy calorie heavy food it's easiest if you remove or fully control what it is they go for.

Mine won't do team sports either (he's ASD and prefers being alone) but walks the dogs or goes cycling on his own. I put protein powder in his smoothies to fill him up a bit more and he has protein bars too sometimes but I guess there's a risk involved in that if he isn't active enough 🤔 tricky one.

DS 13 is 5ft 9 and a big lad ( not fat, just big built).

Popcorn
Bananas
Frubes
Coco pops
Sausages and toast
Noodles

Litres of water everyday.

Protein. Chicken chunks (Asda do a decent sized box), frittata slices, cheese.

Mine never stop eating but they are active. One is ASD so not into sports but does walk and cycle a lot. I don’t tend give him lifts if he can walk or cycle eg to school. He goes hiking with friends or us.

protein seems to fill them up -

scrambled or boiled eggs and toast
hummus and pitta
crackers and cheese
lots of fruit - their favourite
homemade flapjacks
cooked chicken pieces
sushi
bowl of soup
nuts
decent home cooked meals most of the time as well

I'd try to limit the shite processed stuff as much as you can especially if he is not getting lots of aerobic exercise regularly.

@BravebutBroken DS also has ASD but can't be let out alone on the bike as he has zero road awareness. He takes the bus to school and back although we have suggested many times he should walk home. He often refuses to come out with us at the weekends now too.

Mine is 13 and going through a growth spurt, currently 6 foot 3 inches and size 11 shoe 😱
he’s autistic, and a beige eater usually, he has Hovis bix with cheese, weetabix, bagels, snack attack (he’s limited to 3 a week as they’re expensive trash), and will have emergency penguins on standby for ASD meltdown when he’s hungry but not realised
sadly he won’t touch fruit but he’s pretty good with veggies

Thankfully we live in a tiny village so he can have a little more freedom and we have "action plans" drilled into him for if he feels overwhelmed. Mine would stay in his room all weekend if allowed to but I don't give him that option 😬😂 mean mother here! Haha

Mines 15 size 12.shoe XL clothes but active he loves the fridge lol

Satsumas, home made tsatsiki & pittas, garibaldis, hobnobs, custard creams, wholemeal toast and jam.

Anything within reach really. He eats constantly but is the shape of a French bean. 17yo, 6'2" and growing fast.

Active 14 year old here. He's eating a lot! Literally last night, 5 minutes after finishing his large portion of chilli and rice, he asked for a tortilla wrap to snack on! His snacks include fruit, veg, bread/wraps/bagels, crackers, breadsticks, malt loaf... We try to be healthy but inevitably he'll buy crisps and sweets from the shop on the way home from school!

@BravebutBroken how?? Mine is so stubborn he will literally sit on the sofa all day staring into space rather than do what he's asked!

I would probably let him stare into space then 😂 we don't allow any devices (including TV) until they've spent some time outdoors or helped with chores, or whatever we have decided we're all doing that day. There are times he's completely burnt out so taking the dogs for a walk will be all we ask of him that day for example but he will generally comply to have access to devices. But you know your kids best so what works for mine won't necessarily work for yours. Will take some trial and error and likely a lot of frustration and feeling useless in between! But I hope you find what works for you all soon x

Mine is solidly built but does go to the gym a lot so it’s a lot of muscle. He snacks mainly on protein yogurts and salted rice cakes with peanut butter and banana.
And hula hoops!

we don't allow any devices (including TV) until they've spent some time outdoors or helped with chores, or whatever we have decided we're all doing that day.
same. It's literally the only thing he wants to do but would rather miss out than do homework/chores/go out!