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?

PumpkinPie2016

obviously totally ignore if you feel so inclined but as a teen I ate 4/5 weetabix a day and have a horrendous intolerance for wheat now (and a very dodgy stomach!). When I told the doctor what I used to have he said anyone should have tops two and a half/three weetabix a day and if they really feel they need more cereal something light like rice crispies. He said by adulthood so many people can’t handle weetabix and a lot of dieticians say even two weetabix a day is pushing it for kids/ teens or adults. He said it’s so good for nutrition but extremely heavy

Is said "too much weight" it is possible for boys of all ages to be putting on too much weight that's why we have obese children and teenagers.

Putting on a lot of weight and putting on too much weight as a growing teen are different.

Nobody should be putting on too much weight.

He needs a lot more protein. The meals you describe are very veg heavy and relatively low in calories. If he’s hungry, he’s hungry!

My 12 year old would eat similar to this but probably also a banana with breakfast and some high protein yoghurt with berries after dinner too. Sounds like you just need a few tweaks. We recently discovered air fried chickpeas as a great protein filled snack that is less processed than crisps etc. We also have a supply of snack cheeses and boiled eggs in the fridge to avoid 'unhealthy' snacking and fill up on protein. Open access to the fruit bowl is great, but it doesn't seem to fill mine up much.

My initial thought was where's the protein? That'll be why he's hungry.

If he doesn't like eggs would he eat porridge or overnight oats for breakfast, stir in some nut butter , make it with full fat milk, dollop of greek yoghurt and fresh fruit on top, I have a six year old, tall and skinny, eats like a horse, I think I'm going to have to get a second job to feed him as a teenager.

DS also really likes fajitas, chicken or pork, peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic, chillis, cumin, smoked paprika etc, salad, home made guacamole, cheese, salsa, we usually have wholemeal wraps. All on the table help yourself, I make plenty and then if there are left overs a couple of wraps can be made and wrapped in foil to have in the fridge for the next day for snacks or lunch.

I also make banana bread.
3 ripe bananas mashed
Mix with 125g softened butter
Beat in 2 large eggs
Mix in 250g self raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
You can add a little honey to sweeten if you want but it doesn't really need it.
Then you can do flavour variations
Almond extract and chopped dried apricots
Cinnamon and sultanas/chopped dates
Replace some of the flour with cocoa (might need a splash of water) then swirl through some peanut butter
Bake on 160 for about 50 minutes in a loaf tin

Wait til he's sixteen...

Sounds normal amount
Ds11 ate the following today:
B:bowl of cereal
snack: punnet of raspberries
Lunch:yoghurt, breaded chicken strips (half a pack), boiled egg
snacks:couple of handfuls of pistachios, nak’d fruit and nut bar, slice of pizza at friends house
D: prawn broccoli pepper and greens stir fry with wholewheat noodles.

Ds13 ate:
cereal
lunch: rest of chicken strips, pork pie, 2 boiled eggs, mango, melon, pineapple, yoghurt drink
snack: cereal
dinner: stirfry as above
snack: cereal

Ds needed insane amounts of protein to satisfy him. 4 egg omelettes for snacks, loads of chicken and tuna, stews, etc

If he likes sausages then keep good quality sausages cooked in the fridge and he can snack on them or add them to his meals where appropriate .

I’m not sure why you are asking? If people on here say they think it’s enough food will you tell your 12yo son that he’s not really hungry after all, even though he tells you he is? If he’s eating real food and a balanced diet and he’s hungry, give him more food.

Thanks chickpeas are a great idea as snacks thanks!

So just to answer a few questions.
In terms of food - He is very particular with food, but overall I can’t complain too much. He likes fish, and regularly eats fresh salmon, sea bass and tuna. He doesn’t really like red meat, so things like spaghetti bolognaise/shepherd’s pie are not great… he’ll eat some, but won’t have seconds even if still hungry! He doesn’t eat cheese, or toasts. He eats omelettes but won’t eat boiled eggs as snacks.. I’ve tried but according to him they smell! 😂 he does like chicken so we regularly have chicken recipes like chicken fajitas, roast chicken, etc. we always have a fruit bowl full of apples, pears , satsumas etc but he says fruit doesn’t fill him up … 🤦🏻‍♀️
I’ve asked him MANY times what snacks he would like to have in the house, and he said cereal, sausages and McDonald’s… not asking him again any time soon! 😁
Weight - not a concern at all, very healthy weight.
And to the Mumsnetter asking why I’m posting here… well, you see, I like to hear different points of view - I guess that’s the point of this type of forums - and get ideas for new snacks!

Not much harm in cereal as a snack as long as it's not full of sugar. My kids eat Cheerios dry as a snack at their sporting events and that was on the recommendation of a nutritionist.

My dad has cereal as a snack. And as many meals. He’s super healthy. I think that’s a totally valid option if it’s not super sugary and he has it with milk. Has he tried cereal bars? Can get some with a good amount of protein

My quite particular DS12 (5'4 stocky/broad build, not very active) eats for Britain and currently has on an average day a combo of...

Breakfast
6-10 weetabix and a pint of milk OR two bowls porridge OR boiled eggs and toast, all plus a banana and maybe a yoghurt, glass of juice

Mid morning snack
Flapjack OR hot cross bun, fruit, yoghurt etc

Lunch
Two egg omlette (ham,cheese, toms) OR
2 x tuna rolls and crisps/salad bits OR a large bowl soup and a ham/cheese sarnie, OR a four fish finger sarnie and salad bits OR a large jacket pot with prawns cheese and beans (random combo I know), OR bowl of tuna sweetcorn pasta plus a piece of fruit for pudding

After school snacks
Toast and jam, crumpets and honey, carrots/cucumber/breadsticks and hummous, whole box of grapes, even more yoghurt, soreen loaf and butter, popcorn, chunks of cheese

Dinner (always a full large adult portion)
Fish, chips, peas and broccoli OR chicken curry rice and naan, OR four sausages, mash, green beans, brocc, carrots OR lasagne chips salad bits garlic bread OR gnocchi bake with pancetta, courgettes, peppers, muchrooms OR three large fajita wraps with chicken and prawns

Puddings (most evenings)
Yoghurt, fresh fruit salad, pancakes, sorbet/ice cream, crumble, trifle, fruit cake etc

Extra peckish?
Yet more toast, cheese, yoghurt and fruit or cereal

If left to his own devices he'd load up on carbs/cake/bread products and he'll only eat eggs/meat in certain formats and scenarios but he also eats most veg, loves fish/seafood so it sort of balances out. He is genuinely hungry enough to eat all that and isn't overweight so we just keep throwing it at him till he says he's full! God knows how we'd manage without yoghurt!