To address this constant snacking?

[coffeerevelsrock]

I'm just trying to get a picture of what is normal as I really don't know whether I'm being UR or not.

I've just gone to the cupboard and seen that pretty much all the bars bought for this week's pack lunches have been eaten. This is the final straw in the issue I have with the way my sons (12 & 14) snack. It's constant - in and out of the cupboard or fridge. This week is worse than normal as we were away last week so I did a shop on Friday and then we've been in most of the time since hence it's nearly all gone. Normally I shop on a Sunday and then they're at school but even then often we've run out by Wednesday.

We are talking about a packet of Seals (Aldi penguins), 8 Aldi chocolate crepes, a box of cereal bars, numerous cracker/breadstick type things (would be no good for lunches anyway), punnet of raspberries, blueberries and tomatoes, a few sausage rolls and some picnic eggs - whole box. It's also not unusual for them to eat extra bowls of cereal - weetabix or shredded wheats or make bowls of porridge, using up all the sodding milk. They've also had a malt loaf and a few bagels as well.

Obviously, I don't want them to be hungry, but isn't this ridiculous? Both are on the skinny side - ds2 was recently weighed/measured and was just above underweight on the NHs thing so normal BMI but right at the lower end of the scale. Ds1 was similar when he was done but that was about 4 years ago. Both wear clothes for their ages, though ds1 needs adult trousers but has to wear a belt if the waist isn't adjustable. Neither has any fillings.

Ds1 eats all meals and finishes everything - without fail, and he is the worst culprit when it comes to snacking. Ds2 has been known to leave quite a bit of his meal and I notice when we're away that he's far less likely to do so - presumably because he's not snacking all bloody day.

Aside from the cost, it's the inconvenience. I'm a lp and work full time and have to work at home in the evenings, so I really don't want to be nipping out to get top-ups for lunches midweek. But maybe they need it and I should just buy more. The thing is, I feel whatever I buy they will eat within days as I have sort of tried this and notice that pretty much however much I buy they eat!

AIBU or does anyone have any suggestions?

Flapjacks - teach them how to make flapjacks or carrot cake , they are reasonably cheap , reasonably healthy , gives them something to do , more for the £ than bought , they can eat this as snacks

I have a secret cupboard for all things lunch box. I've recently been rumbled though! Otherwise things just get hoovered up. I can buy lots of healthy snacks and it's all gone in a few days. Huge amounts of food at 4pm as he's hungry from school but won't then eat tea at 5pm. If I say wait until tea gets gets stroppy as he's hungry. Other than give him his main meal as he gets off the bus I'm at a loss. Can't be doing the arguments about food, too stressful.

I would have a snack cupboard/bowl available but when it's gone it's gone so they have their ration. If they're hungry other times then fruit, cereal and toast is limitless so just have plenty of that in. They'll soon learn that you won't buy anymore in. Just hide what you want for yourself.

Is it just their lunches that you’re running out of stuff for?

If so, if they eat it it won’t be in their lunch. You could suggest they make an extra sandwich or some cheese and crackers.

@purplemunkey

All this ‘hiding’ nonsense! When I was a kid we had crisps/treats in a cupboard but had to ask before we took anything. If the answer was no we didn’t. I do the same with my DC. Why are so many people hiding food rather than having clear rules?

I don’t think the snacking sounds too unusual for this age. As others say, have more healthy options and teach them how to prepare it.

Yep, same here although to some MNetters, making their kids ask for snacks is tantamount to child abuse, especially if the answer is 'No, because it's too near dinner' 🙄

No wonder so many people have issues around food, if they grow up in a house where it needs to be hidden, because others have no thought or respect.

My friend swears this is why she never learned to self regulate with food, because the family fridge was a free-for-all. She couldn't even put half an Easter egg in there to eat the following day because some selfish fucker would eat it.

As a result, she learned to eat past the amount she really wanted to, just to stop it from being taken.

your children are eating whole meals worth of food of their own accord. They are clearly more than just snack hungry. What kind of meals do you give them?

Personally I'd be open with them about how this is causing some issues and you need them to not snack on the expensive stuff all the time. Teach them about budgeting, food costs, and how expensive things are. This will help them in the long run too.

I've got a toddler and find it handy to prepare tubs of food in the fridge which makes it easy to get her a lunch without much effort as I have a newborn and am exhausted. You could use similar tactics as snacks for your teens. In fridge have tubs of pasta wth pesto, chopped fruit, a baked ham to carve a slice from, etc. Incidentally buying a whole ham and baking is much more economical than buying individual packs, and much less plastic waste! They can easily carve off a big slice if hungry. Also bread for a toast or a sandwich, make a big batch of humous and buy oatcakes. I think they'll eat less if they have complex carbs, protein, fresh fruit and veg etc.

Thought the soup idea was a great one - filling and healthy and could be bulked out with oatcakes or toast if they're really hungry

I agree with PPs- I'd eat all that rubbish if it were around too and likely feel worse for it!

Don't buy any crap rubbish food,, well maybe a couple of packets of biscuits is ok. eating snacks is a bad habit, and not really necessary.
When people get a taste for sweet things, or salty kind of snacks, it's hard to break the habit of eating such things. Its the same with fizzy pops and drink stuff.

Commercially, its good business, for shops and supermarkets, to have shelves and shelves, full of all sorts of tempting biscuits and bars of stuff, and masses of all kind of packets of crisps and the like, as they know what the habits of lots of people are, and don't care about any health issues that people might have.

I used to boil up a whole packet of pasta twists or penne, then add bolognese sauce and a bit of mince. I put it in bowls in the fridge for instant snacking for my son & his best mate. One basket in the cupboard and the top shelf of the fridge were Do Not Touch Or Vengeance Will Be Swift areas, so I didn't come home to find the last of the cheese had gone or they had scoffed a whole cake.

We have rules - fruit they can help themselves. Stuff for lunches in one cupboard they know you don't touch, same with certain shelf of the fridge. They can have snacks but deal is they drink glass water first and no snacking within an hour or two of meals

Don't but top ups. They will learn to regulate.
If you always refill they will always expect it to be there.

Buy extra fruit and veg.
Trail mix
High protein bars
Cooked meats
Eggs
Chicken drumsticks are cheap and good for having as snacks.

Etc

Do the same lunch as their dad and get them to go to shops for the extras - their problem then if they’ve eaten the cereal bars

Mine know/ knew what foods are there for packed lunch and wouldn't take them.If they're not sure they ask . They can usually snack on toast, tinned fish , cereal or fruit.

I have no rules with my youngest who is 14. I keep a snack box filled up with crisps and chocolate and he also eats a lot of hot chicken wraps / pesto pasta and soup and crackers. I might feel differently if he was overweight but at 6 foot tall and 9 stone I let him self regulate.

OP, stop buying the sugary stuff. They are 'hungry' because sweet tasting foods (including artificial sweetners) stimulate an insulin spike. A vicious circle.

£1.65 for 1kg ALDI chicken thighs plain roasted and left to have cold for snacks will keep them fuller for longer. Delicious cold.

£2.29 ALDI 500g beef mince 10% fat shaped into patties or meatballs cooked for snacks (you don't need egg/breadcrumbs just shape and cook)

£1.25 ALDI Falafels good protein filling on their own or in a pitta with lettuce/mayo

£1.89 dozen free range eggs hard boiled in fridge will keep them full

Extra Mature block of cheddar cut up into sticks in fridge

£2.50 Sainsburys turkey sausages are very filling

69p for tub of plain humous with celery/cucumber/cauliflower florets

You will see a reduction in budget/shopping trips/bills/snacking

• forgot to it's more protein than sugar

You shouldn’t be restricting their food op, you just need to get better snacks and feed more at meal times, their behaviour is fairly typical growing teen lads though.

Get them to walk down the shops and replace everything they ate- bonus if it’s 5 miles away 😆. Buy an enormous bag of oats and teach them to make flapjacks and porridge. Teach them how to make pancakes.

Oh, and scones.

It's hard to underestimate the appetite and calorie needs of growing teenage boys.

What they need is high carbs and plenty of protein to grow strong bones and develop their brain. They need eggs, cheese, fish, beans, meat, lots of veg, fruit, and fill them up with lots of pasta/rice/potatoes/wholemeal bread. This can be cheaper than all the sweets and processed foods you're providing.

Extra bowls of cereal is absolutely standard teen boy gap filler.

Can you do bigger portions of hearty foods at meal times to fill them up more? Cook extra so there are lots of leftovers and they can heat themselves up a helping mid day

Sounds like they are hungry - teens can be bottomless pits. Get things like nuts and hard boiled eggs and higher protein foods - more filling than cereal bars

I have three girls and they're the same. It's not for lack of food at meal times here either. I can buy bags of snacks , healthy and unhealthy ones to last two weeks and they'll be gone in one weekend.

So ive stopped buying them. Simple. I was sick of the wrappers all over the playroom floor and shoved down the sides of the sofa as well. However much I asked/threatened/encouraged them to put the wrappers in the bin .

If its there and available kids will eat it. My gosh mine eat and eat and eat I don't know where they put it. But I've now got a strategy- I hide most. So I'll do a shop put a mixture of food in the cupboards and hide the rest. The rule usually is snack, crisp, fruit and yogurt and when they have seen the stash has run out its tuff until the following week when I bring out the hidden snacks. Just hard not tucking in myself lol

My DD is 12 and exactly the same . We always have loads of fruit in as well as crisps, snack bars, tomato's, yoghurts etc but she's not fussy she'll eat the lot.
For the last 4 months she's refused to go to her dads too so my shopping bill has gone through the roof.