To lock up all the food.

[bristolianpielover]

I have two DS's, aged 7 and 9. They are both healthy weights (recently checked at medical apt's, so I'm aware of their centiles, I'm not just kidding myself!), and both extremely lean. But they eat CONSTANTLY. Fruit, toast, cereal, yoghurt, fruit loaf, cheese etc. I don't have sweets and chocolates in the house, but I know that these snacks are far more sugary than is ideal.
They eat a proper dinner. Tonight was fish fingers, home made chips an peas. None of us have huge portions, but they can eat as much as me. 10mins later, the elder one was making toast with peanut butter. A little while after that he nicked one of his sandwiches that I'd made for tomorrow's packed lunch.
Boxes of cereal and tubs of yoghurt just vanish before my eyes. I've moved stuff onto higher shelves, but the little one just climbs up to get it. Argh!
They are really active and do a tonne of sport over the week, so they burn it off. But I am genuinely perturbed at times at how much food they can get through. Notwithstanding having to replenish stocks far more often than feels normal. I do tell them to stop and wait. But then I feel bad if they say they are hungry. But they shouldn't be hungry because they've already eaten loads. Help!

That is not enough fishfingers, my children eat 6 at a time, eldest will eat 10 given the chance. And fish fingers don't contain much good quality protein. You're better off buying minced beef and making your own burgers. Instead of fish fingers, why not just fish fillets.

I don’t think fish fingers are very filling either.
When DD used to eat like a horse (although it looks like she’s on the verge of starting again), I used to homemade rice pudding and semolina and ground rice. Means you can control the sugars but use full fat milks in them.

I was thinking things like broccoli but just in big quantities-as a ‘dish’ rather than just a token couple of bits of veg. For example steamed broccoli is great with stir fried chilli, garlic and soy sauce. Raw courgette cut thinly with lemon juice, herbs and salt and pepper. Cauliflower with curry spices, chickpeas and fresh mango. Sprouts with bacon. Kale with ginger and garlic and soy sauce. Ottolenghi recipes are great for this and not much faff once you’re used to them. Bulk with no need to worry about calories!

Also green beans with lemon juice and olive oil and feta. Pulses like puy lentils with tomatoes, goats cheese and lemon juice. Just lots of extra ‘sides’

(Before anyone is too impressed my eldest is 3 and he wouldn’t currently eat any of these things )

More fat, more protein.

Snacks :

Full fat yogurt
Peanut butter sandwich
Cheese sandwich
Hard boiled eggs
Milk
Nuts
Put chick peas and lentils into soups and stews
Porridge made with full fat milk
Cheese and veg omelet

Nowt wrong with a proper pud either, with custard
That kind of thing

We tend to have broccoli, sweet corn, peas, green beans, cabbage, carrot

^

Steamed, then tossed in butter.
Or stir fried with garlic

fish cakes re easy to make & cheap - & can be from store cupboard - tine of tuna, finely sliced onion, lots of salted(trace) mash potato - whatever herbs you have a dash of tobacco, a little paprika (hey I always put cumin in everything! if you like that!) mash together line oven tray shape the portions put in oven & cook until golden & stuck together -you can serve with savoury rice, or boiled potatoes & veg you can use sweet chilly with them if you like. Eggs are your friend - they are relatively cheap & filling - scramble with milk in microwave & you don't have to add oil or fat serve with baked beans - & brown/whole meal toast - give your dc home made porridge for supper after main meals if they are still hungry with sultanas or fresh berries

they need bigger portions at meal times.
I have a 13yo, 5.9 tall. very skinny bordering underweight.
eats 3x (not exaggerated) as much as me.

& banana custard - 1 banana goes a long way!

I would say you need to up their protein. Sounds like you do a lot of carby meals and they aren’t as long term filling as a good full protein meal. Also 4 fish fingers is really just snacky, wed have that on a sandwich

Fish fingers is a quick tea night as they both had athletics at 5.30 . We eat a lot of stews, which I bulk out with chickpeas. Lentils will not be entertained by either of them, annoyingly.

Surely if they're a healthy weight whilst eating all that then they need the calories, if you stop them eating so much they'll lose weight. Agree to look at what calories they need and also fats, protien etc. recommended for their ages. It's surprising how much fat etc is needed to grow.

I remember being 13 and eating the same size meals as DF, who was working 10hr days as a builder, I was very slim too.

I imagine if they'd had a meal like Shepard's pie they'd not eat as much after but bowls of rice or fish fingers isn't enough my 2.5 and 4 year old eat four for lunch some days with chips and beans

@shitpark they won't eat fish fillets, annoyingly. If we have burgers, I do tend to make my own as they are much nicer. I also make my own chicken nuggets.

Reading all the replies has really made me rethink how much they have at mealtimes. I'm going to encourage much bigger portions.

Also whoever made the comment about being thirsty, I do think they mistake thirst for hunger, but getting them to drink enough is always a battle, unless they are mid sport and sweaty!

I have sporty, super active boys as well. I stopped buying fish fingers when the oldest was about 4 as he could pretty much eat a box. I now buy the breaded haddock fillets, they go much further. They need plenty of fat and protein at that age. Mine really like full fat Greek yogurt with oats, flaked almonds and defrosted frozen berries / chopped banana for pudding.

Mine eat LOADS more than me at 13, 10 and 8

Sorry! Missed that they won’t eat fish fillets. I’d persist with that, maybe slice them lengthways? Mine also like them in a wrap or ciabatta with cheese, avocado and garlic mayo.

God, I wish I had their metabolism rather than that of a walrus

This is a dinner for our 13 year old son. Katsu chicken fillets and gyoza dumplings. Feta cheese, fruit and cucumber. He also had a small bowl of miso soup. He lives Japanese food. It's for illustration purposes only to compare portions.

They aren't getting anything near enough food based on what you are saying.

A weetabix or two after school helps enormously - cheap, wholemeal, filling. Double or treble the veg and fruit - hummus and carrot sticks are useful for us, but beans on toast/soup/fruit smoothie all work. Vitamins, fibre, filling food without sugar and processed carbs.

Always feeling hungry can be a sign of worms. They are very common so maybe just worth checking.

As long as they are eating more regular food and not just grabbing treats, you need to let them eat. Some kids can just eat and eat and not gain a bit of weight. It’s not uncommon for growing children to need more food than an adult. Just help them
Make healthy choices.

My DS ate as much as his father from age 7 years - every day.
Meals out was an adult serving of steak, it's expensive!

Four fish fingers isn't a lot, OP.

This will get worse with age. Much , much worse. Boys are dumpster trucks.
I have DS16, and DS13 - and they are like a mad hoard of locusts. Add a farmer to the mix ( DH) and if I don't get creative with cooking we spend a fortune on food. And when their friends come over? Oh Lord help me.
It's mental the amount of food they put away, and DS16 is skinny and tall(6 ft 1), DS13 is sporty and muscular and he is getting ready to grow - so cannot stop eating. He is going to be a huge man (size 12 shoes already) - it's like watching a German shepherd puppy or a wolfhound.

I've taken to making a huge pasta bake with veg each week and leave it in the fridge, as an "snack option". Or a brown fried rice Mexican style with black beans etc or homemade baked beans with toast. That's for after school. I always have lots of home-made sausage rolls with heaps of veggies blended through the mince in the freezer they can reheat. Otherwise they eat all the bread in toasted sandwiches in one afternoon.

I make weekly piles of protein balls - with a variety of nuts, dates, dried fruits, nutmeals, cacao, coconut oil etc, plus similar raw food bars for snacks, plus smoothies with protein additives etc and they have learned how to make a variety of those.

I've had to start dropping meat 3-4 nights a week as they just eat too much of it, and the price is bad news - so vegetarian nachos with lentils, vego chilli, big falafel wraps and things like that feature.
With meat , I do massive sausage casseroles with vegetables with mashed potato/sweet potato, or a variety of pastas/rice dishes and big salads with multiple ingredients, ramen's and pho noodle style bowls.
We no longer buy cereal other than Weetbix or porridge, and there are no biscuits or sweets in our house - they just inhale them. Costs too much.
School lunches are usually left overs, yoghurts and fruit, with slices of brown bread and cheese.

Both eat more than my DH and he's a martial artist as well as a farmer so he's no shy on the appetite stakes, and it is definitely about portion size. Even at 8 - 4 fish fingers would've been nothing for either of them. I'd up your portion sizes at meal times.

Good luck. Boys are evil with food.

@Wakeupalready do you have a recipe you could recommend for the protein balls please?