Is this too much for a snack?

[SingingOutOfTune]

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 after. Don't like controlling what he eats but it seems excessive for a snack

100 calories for 2 rolls
100 calories for 10g of peanut butter
50-100 calories for honey
400 ml of semi skimmed milk is about 150 cals

So he’s probably eating 450 calories for his snacks which is the same as a full meal. That might be okay if he’s burning it but otherwise hell no.

@gryffen It’s true what they’re saying. There hidden sugar in so much of the food you’re providing, not to mention all the fructose.

You are applying the standards by which you, a woman well into adulthood, eat. That's really not on. He's growing and needs more calories, fat, calcium, etc than you. That's not healthy and leads to disordered eating in youngsters.

Crikey, who bloody well counts the calories that a pre-teen boy at a healthy weight eats? No wonder so many people have orthorexia on this site!

Do people really count calories for a healthy weight teenager?

Duchy. According to this guide from the Caroline Walker Trust a 12 year old boy needs between 2,290 and 2,940 calories a day depending on their activity levels.

I agree it’s not an ideal food to offer, but he probably can afford to have the calories.

He has a lot more than 10 g of peanut butter . I am always telling him that is supposed to be spread thin. But I sure he will it by the spoon if I am not looking.
He is active. Lots of walking to and from school, sports on weekend. And every now and cycling.
By the way my " calm down " was for people saying he was starving.

Of course 8pm isn’t late for dinner. This British preoccupation with dinner at 5/6 is silly

Brown crisp read equivalents, peanut butter and milk? What's not ideal about that?

But I would say that snack sounds perfectly reasonable for a growing kid. Mine would probably have more

He has a lot more than 10 g of peanut butter . I am always telling him that is supposed to be spread thin. But I sure he will it by the spoon if I am not looking

You sound very controlling over food.

So he’s probably eating 450 calories for his snacks which is the same as a full meal. That might be okay if he’s burning it but otherwise hell no.
Hell no?? He's a growing lad ffs, he's not overweight and is clearly hungry, so what's the problem?

My brother used to eat 3 weetabix when he got home without fail, then a yoghurt and an apple

Do people really count calories for a healthy weight teenager?. I know I’m sounding like I count calories for my DS too. I don’t. I read the guide I’ve linked to after seeing DS without his shirt on and being shocked at how skinny he’d recently got. It gave me some good ideas to get in for him for snacks, but he can help himself at mealtimes and take what food he wants at other times. He’s growing and he needs it

To calm everyone down

No ones that excited honestly

^^

I eat a shitload of peanut butter every week myself, I love it! I hate the idea of "calorie counting" as it's all relative depending on your height/size/how much activity you do.

There's absolutely no need unless you are an unhealthy weight.

But I sure he will it by the spoon if I am not looking
He'll have an eating disorder before long, if you're not careful. Sneaking a spoonful of peanut butter behind your back because you police everything he eats. Poor boy's probably really hungry after school, especially if he's not having dinner till late.

Growing (going through puberty, etc) teen boys (especially if they do a lot of exercise e.g. pe in school, football/cycling with mates) need a lot more calories then a middle-aged woman.

Better him drinking milk than coke or another fizzy sugary drink. I’d encourage him to drink more milk if anything.

What time do people eat?? 8pm would be a pretty early dinner for us if just DH and I. We eat earlier at the weekend if we want to eat with the kids, so we'd probably aim for 7 or thereabouts....but wouldn't regard 8 as shockingly late.

No snacks here but we have dinner at 5:30pm. 8 is very late to me as that's not long before bed! I'd go for something less full of processed carbs though.

Poor lad. Back off he is growing. Jeez!!!!

Tea (dinner) at 6ish. I don’t like eating late myself as it can feel heavy on your stomach when you go to bed.

I think my 12 year old must be on about 3000 calories a day and he's not overweight. Today when he got in from school he had crisps, a banana, half a punnet of strawberries, milk, yogurt & a handful of biscuits. A couple of hours later he had a big bowl of pasta followed by an orange. He's now asking what's for supper.

Stop being so controlling with his food, you will cause him issues/problems in later life.