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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to let them eat when they're hungry????

94 replies

happylittlefish · 20/06/2016 21:16

Basically, have 4 teens - all terribly thin with massive appetites! Cant satisfy them! Friend came over today and spent the whole day here. Only had the 14 yo here (others were out) and friend feels the need to tell me that I shouldn't let him keep eating because its 'too much'. This really upset ds - he already has body image issues which he's overcoming. He's really thin but always hungry. This is what he's had today:

4 Weetabix, cup of milk, banana
Apple, grapes, flapjack
Chicken sandwich, crisps, cucumber sticks, babybel, yogurt, pepperami, cereal bar
Slice of toast with peanut butter, cup of milk, strawberries
HM spaghetti Bolognese (big portion), salad
Grapes, mini cookie pack, cup of tea, some sweeties, raspberries

This is typical. Friend - I felt - was really rude. She mentioned 'cutting down his intake'!!

Is this a normal amount for a 14year old?? What do your pre teens/teens eat in a day? Are they all so thin?

OP posts:
Original poster
happylittlefish · 21/06/2016 07:12

Thanks for all the replies 😊 he's decided overnight that he's going to be 'healthier'. Not sure if it was spurred on by friends yesterday, but he still had a huge breakfast:
Massive bowl of porridge with banana, raisins and chopped nuts.
For lunch is taking a 'proper' chicken sandwich on granary, a banana, an apple, a yogurt, a nut & seed bar and some grapes.

No, he doesn't have worms - he's always eaten loads. Its just the way he is, I was kind of the same when I was younger - couldn't put weight on no matter what. I guess its not a bad thing 😊

OP posts:
Windsofwinter · 21/06/2016 07:20

I'd consider logging his daily intake on my fitnesspal or similar. That is an enormous amount of food for any one person and I think you'd be shocked by the calories/carbs etc. I agree that swapping out a lot of that for veg and proteins would help.

rewardformissingmojo · 21/06/2016 07:22

I'd agree, increasing protein may help him to feel less hungry. Otherwise I don't have teens so wouldn't like to comment!

FoxesOnSocks · 21/06/2016 07:25

Totally normal for a teenage boy.

If it were a 3 or 4 year old yes look into it but he's a teenage boy!!! Your friends son eats unusually little for a boy that age

YouMakeMyDreams · 21/06/2016 07:28

Teenagers need 2-3k calories a day so a lot more than us to start with. I would say that with all the fruit and veg he may not even be hitting that. I don't see a problem. Dd is just turning 13 and is very very tall and slim and packs away food.

littledrummergirl · 21/06/2016 07:33

My teens will eat loads some days and hardly anything on others. Ds1 has been known to go through a whole loaf of bread in a day on his own.

He is very active though so mega slim.

shiteattheseaside · 21/06/2016 07:37

Sounds like hes eating a fine amount to me! One of my best mates at that age was a twig and ate loads, only now at 26 has he started slightly bulking out a bit! I wouldny worry at all about how much he is eating, aslong as its healthy/balanced and not just kebabs etc!!

Molecule · 21/06/2016 07:40

I always love the "up the protein" comments on these threads. Have those advocating this any idea how much it would cost to feed four hungry teens that sort of diet? I have four and whilst two are lighter eaters, two are like fucking vacuums, when eldest dd is at home there is nothing left and she is very fit and skinny. She demolishes the avocados with smoked salmon and anything else hight protein, which would normally last us the week and then goes on to the cards etc. She went back to work last night and the cupboards are empty.

tralaaa · 21/06/2016 07:44

I had teenagers who could Hoover up food they need to eat good calories a chicken sandwich could be thin white press and wafer processed chicken or it could be a granary thick sliced bread and real roast chicken one is much more filling I am on slimming world and eat a fair amount but all low calorie veg and fruit and protein - he's your boy you know him better than anyone else he's healthy and happy your doing fine

waitingforsomething · 21/06/2016 07:45

Your friend is nosy. If your slim, growing child is hungry then of course he should eat. If he was eating sweets and chocolate all day it might not be so great but the food is fine.

I am also shitting myself about the teenage years - I'm mother to a 3 year old girl who is tall, thin and like a bottomless pit and I have a 1 year old who can out eat me :-)

MrsDeathOfRats · 21/06/2016 07:45

My DC are 4 and 21 months and I am terrified by the sheer volume of food being consumed on this post.

The teenage years are going to bankrupt me :(

DinosaursRoar · 21/06/2016 07:45

Meh, DH can eat like that and is thin, but then he does a lot of exercise. It really makes a difference. If your ds is thin, then it's not too much food for his body. Just because someone else would look like Jabba the Hut on that amount of food doesn't make it too much for him.

Some people view food as a moral issue as well as fuel for the body. Sounds like your friend is one of those.

GeoffreysGoat · 21/06/2016 07:46

I can guarantee you hers is emptying the sweet shop on the way home from school. Yanbu!

tralaaa · 21/06/2016 07:50

Also I eat very little as a young teenager but it was rubbish and was very overweight once I left home at 16 to be a nanny I lost weight as I eat more but better quality food

Ineedmorelemonpledge · 21/06/2016 07:55

The only thing wrong there for me here is 4 weetabix a day....

Because if my DS was eating that many then I'd have to take a blow torch to the toilet bowl....2 at the moment and it's a fearful visit when I hear the toilet flush.

Shreddies seem to have the same effect.

Like a wheaty artex. Hmm

IDismyname · 21/06/2016 08:00

My DS is 18, does a lot of sport, and regularly consumes 3-4,000 calories a day. There is not a shred of fat on him, but plenty of muscle.

Typical day: 4 eggs and 2 toast, berries and Greek yoghurt with honey for breakfast. Toast and peanut butter at eleven ish.
Lunch would be chicken, potatoes, salad but in huge quantities.
Tea time - probably biscuits and several bananas
Dinner last night he had 2 fish fillets with heaps of veg. Didn't want potatoes. Came back later and concocted himself a large chorizo stir fry.

Inbetween those times, he'll often eat Weetabix.

My food bill is through the roof. Wish I had an Aldi closer to me.

PaintedDrivesAndPolishedGrass · 21/06/2016 08:04

Op that is not a lot of food. Teenage boys eat and eat and eat. I have 3 and they are at it non stop. All are lightly built. They need the food. End of. Mine eat everything in their path, like locusts😀

LittleLionMansMummy · 21/06/2016 08:06

It sounds a lot but I've no experience (yet!) of teenage boys food intake. Friends are always commenting on how much theirs eat though and none of them are overweight so I'm guessing it's normal! If he's not overweight op then I'd tell your friend to butt out. I might encourage him to swap some of the more 'treat-like' options for healthier ones though, which I doubt will be a problem given that it sounds like he mostly eats quite a good, healthy diet. As others have said, perhaps more protein.

Wanderingraspberry · 21/06/2016 08:14

My 7 year old eats three Weetabix, I don't think it's loads. I remember my Mum despairing when my two brothers were that age (2 years apart). They would go through loaves of bread and boxes of cereal a day in the School holidays.

Cantusethatname · 21/06/2016 08:16

My boys (17 and 19) would eat that easily and probably throw another meal in as well. They are 6 feet 2 and slim but not skinny. (34 jeans)
I think they look just fine and I leave them to it, they know how much they need.
It's just sooo expensive....

bushtailadventures · 21/06/2016 08:20

My DS is 24 and still eats like a horse, despite being a skinny sod! As long as he is active and not filling up on crap I don't see the issue. Just be prepared to be in it for the long haul Grin

Tattieboggle · 21/06/2016 08:22

OP, it all sounds pretty normal to me but I think I'd be cutting down on the 'bitty' type food at lunch time and adding another sandwich packed with protein and veg instead.

My children used to eat like a horse. They'd have their meals then fill up on gallons of milk and bread and jam but that was back in the day when those were staples and we felt all warm and cosy when we'd see them guzzling them down. Smile None of them have ever been over weight. They're all parents now and make a fabulous job of growing very healthy children who also eat like horses.

Ignore your friend.

Tattieboggle · 21/06/2016 08:24

Oh and my soon to be 11 year old granddaughter eats 3 weetabix for breakfast as soon as she gets up and just before she goes to school she has a bowl of porridge. She loves her breakfast. She's tall and lanky and I say she is my beautiful baby giraffe.

EarthboundMisfit · 21/06/2016 08:30

That's just teenagers!

jellyjiggles · 21/06/2016 08:32

My 8 year old is beyond skinny but eats huge amounts! Especially when he's growing.