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Original poster

Is this too much for a snack?

301 replies

SingingOutOfTune · 21/06/2018 17:02

My 12 years old gets home from school and has 3/4 Krisprolls with lots of honey and peanut butter and 2 small glasses of milk. This is around 4 pm. We have dinner around 8. Is this too much? I know he is growing and his weight is fine but I am a bit concerned. Can mums of teens on Mumsnet give me some perspective? Told him off today for having a second glass of milk and hated myself afterConfused. Don't like controlling what he eats but it seems excessive for a snack

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/06/2018 18:57

My 14 year old has so far had a bag of crisps and sone fruit juice. Two servings of lamb tagine and cous cous. Bananas and custard and he’s just gone out with sone money and his friends so no doubt will be eating something he’s out.

Not sure about 12 year olds or how much exercise your DS does but I looked up my DSs calorie requirements and it’s 2910 a day!

Could he have a small meal at 4pm instead like cheese on toast, French Toast, a omelette or a sandwich instead?

mathanxiety · 21/06/2018 18:58

lifechangesforever - bed at 8 for a 12 year old? I suspect that's quite early for most 12 year olds.

I want to add baked beans and other bean items like hummus to my earlier list.

gryffen that is a huge amount of fruit/sugar and very little protein and calcium for your DC.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/06/2018 19:02

The Eating Well for 12 to 18 year olds from the Caroline Walker Trust is good too OP. It suggests meal plans, portion sizes and calorie requirements.

MrsPicklesonSmythe · 21/06/2018 19:04

My 12 year old has a snack at break, baguette or pizza (obvs not my choice) for lunch then cereal/toast when he gets home at 4.30pm, a man sized dinner at 6, yogurt, fruit then more cereal before bed. He's skinny as a rake but boys are starving at that age.

User09876543321126 · 21/06/2018 19:06

To be honest if his weight is fine and he was his meals, let him eat. He might be having a growth spurt.

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 21/06/2018 19:07

Our 3yr old today
That's just one day? 13 servings of fruit/veg? Blimey

gryffen · 21/06/2018 19:08

This reply has been deleted

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MrsClutterworth · 21/06/2018 19:10

My 2 year old eats more than that, get a grip.

SeriousSimon · 21/06/2018 19:12

People feed their kids so much fruit it's unreal...it's so bad for you to be eating buckets of fruit at every meal and snack.

I limit mine to 2 portions and one small oj a day!

halfwitpicker · 21/06/2018 19:13

Any of this making sense OP?

Is there anybody ooouuuttttt thhherreeee????

SeriousSimon · 21/06/2018 19:15

Gryffyn have you any idea what that much sugar will be doing to a 3 year olds teeth?

13 portions of fruit a day is mental and probably doing more damage than if she ate a bag of haribo after each meal.

halfwitpicker · 21/06/2018 19:15

Couple of grated cheese barm cakes and a pint of milk will see him through. Maybe with a snickers for the road.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/06/2018 19:21

*Any of this making sense OP?

Is there anybody ooouuuttttt thhherreeee????*

I don’t think so. I think she’s gone off to carefully measure the Grams of food he’ll be eating at dinner Grin

shinycat · 21/06/2018 19:22

@Singingoutoftune

Why are you having your evening meal so late?

8pm?

I would be eating my toenails by then!

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 21/06/2018 19:24

Can't believe you told him off for having another small glass of milk. My teen boys don't stop eating from the minute they get home till they go to bed, and they are all healthy weights.

user1490607838 · 21/06/2018 19:29

Sorry @gryffen but that is a SHIT load of food for a 3 y.o. Shock

Dry cereal
Pineapple
Strawberries
Apple slices
Orange juice
Toast

Lunch

Lidl mini pizza
Cucumber
Onion
Frube yoghurt drink
Apple
Banana
Chocolate biscuit.

Afternoon snack at nursery

Usually a sarnie
Fruit or veg
Water or squash

Home 4pm

Gingerbread man
Squash
Strawberries

Dinner 6pm

Fish fingers
Salad
Chips
Grapes and melon

Snack 9pm

Warm squash
Toast
Grapes

Bed 10pm.

I don't eat that much over 3 days, let alone 1.

Why do you feed him so much food?! Confused

And 10pm seems kinda late for a toddler to be going to bed.....

7-8pm is a much more suitable time.

Dljlr · 21/06/2018 19:30

Love all the shocked posts at people eating dinner at 8. Both my parents worked full time in very demanding jobs with long commute, we regularly ate at 8 and I managed to survive. Now I'm a grown up I regularly eat even later than that Shock

No idea what Krisprolls are but snacking as a teen seems to be essential, so I wouldn't worry op.

user1490607838 · 21/06/2018 19:31

Sorry @gryffen but that is a SHIT load of food for a 3 y.o. Shock

Breakfast

Dry cereal
Pineapple
Strawberries
Apple slices
Orange juice
Toast

Lunch

Lidl mini pizza
Cucumber
Onion
Frube yoghurt drink
Apple
Banana
Chocolate biscuit.

Afternoon snack at nursery

Usually a sarnie
Fruit or veg
Water or squash

Home 4pm

Gingerbread man
Squash
Strawberries

Dinner 6pm

Fish fingers
Salad
Chips
Grapes and melon

Snack 9pm

Warm squash
Toast
Grapes

Bed 10pm.

I don't eat that much over 3 days, let alone 1.

Why do you feed him so much food?! Confused

And 10pm seems kinda late for a toddler to be going to bed.....

7-8pm is a much more suitable time.

ThanksForAllTheFish · 21/06/2018 19:31

For a growing teen that sounds like a prefectly reasonable after school snack. Teens do a lot of growing and do require a bit more food.

I remember being a teenager and having 2 slices of toast and a very large bowl of cereal after school most days, sometimes if I was still hungry I would have other snacks like a packet of crisps and a banana. I could still manage my dinner after all that and I was skinny as a rake.

Also with the milk thing I think it’s a bit harsh giving him into trouble (unless you were running low and he knew you needed some for cups of tea/ breakfast tomorrow etc)

MrsGrindah · 21/06/2018 19:33

It’s not the time by the clock that matters , it’s the gaps between food and activity/ sleep. So your body doesn’t think “ ooh it’s 8pm I can’t have food” but it doesn’t operate as well if it’s had say an eight hour gap since it last had fuel, or is expected to go to sleep an hour later.

brummiesue · 21/06/2018 19:39

Your 3yr old goes to bed at 10pm?????Shock

Original poster
SingingOutOfTune · 21/06/2018 19:40

To calm everyone down he is not starving. He has a healthy breakfast, mid morning snack at school and lunch that can be a large baguette with drink when he has a club or a hot meal. I was comparing him to his younger brother by 2 years that will have half of that. He has access to a fruit basket that he can snack on freely. I don't think at this age he needs should drink so much milk. I said for him have water instead of milk to quench your thirst. But from what I read from the mums with teenage boys that's normal. If I ate that at 4pm I wouldn't be able to eat dinner. At least not much of it.
The late dinner is a summer thing.
I know I shouldn't control what he eats and try to buy healthy, natural food. But he loves peanut butter and I was just thinking in my head that was a lot of fat for a snack. Thanks for your opinions. I see it's not unusual.

OP posts:
pieceofpurplesky · 21/06/2018 19:42

@gryffen your 3 year old eats more than my 14 year old. He doesn't drink squash though.

MrsGrindah · 21/06/2018 19:42

To calm everyone down

No ones that excited honestly

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/06/2018 19:46

Just for perspective on the milk. 3 of us drink milk. We have 8 pints delivered on a Friday morning and have started running out by Sunday evening. I swear my teen DS needs his own herd of cows...

He will regularly eat a meal at 4pm and another at 5 or 6. I couldn’t do that either OP but then I suppose I’m not growing Smile