Is this enough food for a pre-teen boy?

[Bluedoor11]

My DS is nearly 12. Recently he’s been saying that he’s hungry all the time so wondering if I need to change his diet, or perhaps just give him bigger portions?? If he’s like that now, what is he going to be in 2-3 years time! 😂

As an example, today he’s eaten:

Breakfast - bowl of shreddies with milk
Snack - mini flapjack and apple
Lunch - home made broccoli, red pepper, and sweet potato soup with bread roll.
Snack - 2 crumpets with butter
Dinner - cauliflower stew with boiled potatoes and 2 boiled eggs (sounds odd but it’s a traditional recipe from where I come from!)
Supper - another bowl of shreddies 🤦🏻‍♀️ and a bit of an Easter chocolate egg.
Drinks - just water.
All adult portions.

This is probably a standard day for him, minus the chocolate. He’s active (couple of sports and plays out with friends) but nothing significant. Weight-wise he’s totally fine.
I know breakfast should be better and have tried adding protein like omelettes etc but he’s not into that at all.

I’m a worrier, so of course I’m now worrying that I’m not feeding him enough, or that I’m feeding him too much! Stupid brain 🙄

Anyway, what’s your opinion lovely and wise mumsnetters?

Is he a vegetarian? Red or even white meat would help sate him

Oh also, any ideas for healthy snacks very welcomed! He doesn’t like cheese (gutted 😂!) and apparently nuts etc don’t fill him up.

lot of good veggies in there, but probably too low in protein

Needs more protein.

Probably needs more protein and just more food in general. As long as the food he is eating isn't junk and he is active and not putting on too much weight I would let him eat as much as satisfied his hunger at that age.

He’s not a vegetarian so will eat chicken, red meat etc, but he’s not really a big fan of meat (unless it’s sausages… of course 🙄)

If he’s hungry he’s hungry!
My 13 year old ds has been eating adult portions for a good 6 years now. He’s taller than me (5ft 8 now) and in a size 8 shoe.
And growing rapidly.
Eats like mad for a few weeks then levels off for a bit and the cycle repeats itself.
Is he veggie?

Thank you that’s useful 😊

Yes, there's not enough protein, does he like nut butters? That could boost breakfast. Beans, chickpeas and lentils are filling and protein packed, or meat and fish if he's not a vegetarian.

This age he will need lots of food and lots of snacks cereal topups
Maybe bigger lunch soup and bread is not much .
Make a jacket potato as well

Use my fitness pal or similar to look at how much protein etc he’s getting
more protein and depending how big a bowl of cereal it’s not loads of food in a day

If he says he is hungry, he needs more food. Agree with other posters, more protein would help this.

My son is 13. A month ago he would eat double what you’ve listed. This week his hunger is a bit calmer and he probably eats what you’ve listed.
mine is not especially active and super skinny.

i tend to have something substantial in the fridge for him to help himself to.., a bowl of pasta or half a tin of beans.

Def need lots more protein.

Also I completely share the ‘how much food will he eat in 2 years’ fear

I don't find soup & a roll particularly filling & would say you need more protein.

Pasta is good to fill up on.

He probably needs more protein.

My son is 11 and he also eats a lot! I think they are just growing so much at this stage - not just height but they will start to build muscle as well.

On a typical day (say a school day) my son might eat:

Breakfast: 3 weetabix and an apple (occasionally toast as well 😳)

Snack at school: apple

Lunch: school lunch but say fish fingers, peas, potato cube things, plus cucumber, raisins and pasta off the salad table. Flapjack for pudding.

Snacks - whatever he can snaffle when he gets home. Might be cheese and crackers/biscuit/toast.

Home made tea- obviously varies but things like spag bol/chicken stir fry/sausages with veg and mash. Always veg with his meal. Adult portion.

Supper: 3 weetabix (again!)

He is tall and skinny but honestly, he's like a bottomless pit!! Our neighbour who we are friends with is a doctor and he assures me this is perfectly normal 😂

There's not much protein in his diet if that's a typical day. I would encourage him to eat more chicken and red meat. Eggs are also quite filling. Also do this really nice sweet potato falafel which you can eat straight out of the fridge. Cheese and crackers is also a good snack

I’d give him a couple slices seeded whole grain toast with something like PB & J for breakfast ,
Maybe a banana/ other fruit & yougurt with lunch.
Maybe oatmeal or granola in eve instead of another bowl shreddies.

Cereal won't fill him up. He deffo needs more protein. Scrambled eggs and wholemeal toast breakfast, skyr or protein yogurts as snacks, ready cooked chicken that he can make into a sandwich or put in wraps, tuna mayo sandwich, home made lentil soup, pots of cottage cheese or cottage cheese pancakes, smoothies made with banana, oat, milk and protein powder, wholemeal toast and peanut butter. More food in general but particularly protein.
Let him.sit down with you and come up with ideas together. Plan for things that he can easily do himself for snack food or supper etc.
He's probably on the cusp of a big growth spurt, a big appetite like this is normal in teens ahead of a growth spurt, particularly boys

Protein is the thing that keeps you feeling full.

Yogurts
Smoothies with milk
Milkshakes
Eggs

My teen dc who does lots sport eats

Eggs with toast
Cereal and milk
Banana

Protein bar (as fussy bugger who refuses homemade items)

Peanut butter sandwiches(seed bread)
Apple
Banana

Family dinner usually curry, bolo etc
Yogurt

More peanut butter sandwiches

Dc loves egg muffins - bacon slices in bottom muffin tin then egg and baked. Make handy snacks

can you do something like wraps with fillings in a bowl so he can help himself until he is full? A good protein filing plus veggies and sauce and maybe air fry potato fries?

Big bowl of pasta filled with broccoli and tuna.

protein bars are quite filling and many taste good too.

If it helps my 10 year old who is pretty active but also very slight now eats quite a bit more.
Breakfast - Cereal and slice of toast with peanut butter
Snacks - 2 Satumas or Banana plus some yoghurt
Lunch - Chicken salad / Ham&Cheese Sandwich plus Crisps or Jacket potato berms and cheese with nuts / fruit
Snacks - Flapjack/Oat bar, maybe a chocolate biscuit bar
Dinner - Spaghetti Bolognaise (same amount as me)
Snack - Milk and crumpet/hot cross bun etc

Also drinks a fair bit of milk, water and has fruit smoothies at the weekends.