To ban cooking for teenage boys

[Boysfood]

I have 3 teen ds 15,17 and 19.

They cook all the time. Breakfast lunch , I make dinner they then cook in evenings and when getting home. My electric bill is too high.

I’ve asked them to have cereal or toast or instant porridge etc for breakfast. Sandwiches etc for lunch and snacks to be something that doesn’t need cooking. We always have these type of things available but they ignore me and start cooking. I can’t remove the oven etc and they often do this when I’m out or in bed. Only 19 year old works so I can charge him more rent to cover his share but others still in education and I don’t know what to do .

Then you’re not feeding them enough for dinner! Or not feeding them food they enjoy which is satisfying.

I got these for mine

YQL Air Fryer Rack for Ninja Dual Zone A300UK, 304 Stainless Steel Stackable Airfryer Trays, 3 Layers Air Fryer Accessories with 8pcs Silicone Feet for Tower/Instant/Salter/EMtronics Dual Basket : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

And silicon liners for things like meatballs in a spaghetti sauce or pasta bakes ets:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Accessories-Replacement-Disposable-Parchment/dp/B0BFLHRVK1/ref=sr_1_11?crid=6OLRIER80M8L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EYIRmbv98BhvxrFOW_k1jV4A82W63AQTY3_6_Zy4HXNeU6Qg7VjCMYgqt1UU504k24akCN_Fg1Q5HjS1BEk9Giv35fLaVgaTGArvKbOGcvkyuoya0JN5IyXxbEJal5Ar-WLwqjz-VWA1Utwp9f6uudkpOxsZVAVX0EWsZOvrLE1rOzc449zCAT_M6s7PnZouh7K7xGEqAnSotelkUw06lP_ce2oId_A9HHhkTfrJRpc.is0z5-IvICNDfHLWkMJJtJKk8IN700gqYadxjXD7nJM&dib_tag=se&keywords=air+fryer+accessories&qid=1771419402&sprefix=air+fryer%2Caps%2C268&sr=8-11

And these for poached eggs and yorkshire puddings:

Bakecat Ramekins for Air Fryer, Large Muffin Cases for Air Fryer, Air Fryer Egg Mould (Pack of 6), Black : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

I don’t want to be that person but any chance they’re also smoking tons of weeds?

I know it sounds counterintuitive if they’re also trying to bulk up but all gym bros my DD’s age are massive potheads.

There’s nothing wrong with cheap oats if you want a big quantity? Why shouldn’t I have one nice thing? I don’t drink vape etc I like nice oats for my overnight oats. It seems odd you can criticise me and say my boys should have whatever they want whenever they want it but pull me up on a bag of organic oats that lasts me ages ….

Maybe if you didn't cut their pocket money for being hungry then they'd be able to afford their own organic oats.

@Boysfoodwhat was the weight of the 6 chicken breasts and how many people was the stir fry feeding including the 3 teenage boys?

Eating a lot of food later in the evening isn't great for the body. Can you try to talk to them from the health rather than cost angle?
And sausages and bacon aren't meant to be consumed that much, unless they're really good quality, no sulphites etc. I know teenage boys are generally obsessive about protein, but they'd be better eating loads of decent protein with their meals, snacking on eggs if they're hungry or drinking milk, surely. But I have three boys, and one of them does seem to have hollow legs like yours, so I sympathise.

Never ever in the house but I have smelt it on the older two. Never my 15 year old though.

I don’t know the weight , it was just 6 medium sized breasts. For the 3 boys and me

No one needs sausage and bacon every single day of their lives, that’s hardly healthy.

I don’t know why everyone is obsessing about the oats. If you spend £5 on something but it will last you say 1 week, it might be within your budget. If suddenly you need to buy 4 of that £5 thing, then you might need to swap over to a cheaper option. It’s understandable.

Then they are obviously still feeling hungry. What you consider to be a huge portion, is not the case for a teenage boy. If you're making a stir try just cook more noodles and vegetables until you hit the point where, well you may not fill them up, but they should last longer than an hour.

Get an air fryer and a rice cooker. If they go to the gym, maybe they’re eating more to gain more muscle this might be contributing towards it? With a rice cooker and an air fryer, they’ll be pretty much sorted without having to use the cooker or oven.

also buy some containers and teach them how to batch cook.

How is your relationship with your sons generally @Boysfood ?

I think you may have hit the nail on the head! They’re not hungry, OP feeds them enough! They have the munchies in the evenings

You have raised 3 independant children and this is a bad thing? 3 boys who cook for themselves and who dont rely on you to provide meals is surely a good thing. I wouldnt be discouraging them for being self sufficiant.

Then I'd reduce it even more. Show them the electric bill, work out how much is being added by the constant cooking, and work out a fair compensation. If that's all their pocket money, so be it - they can choose what they spend their money on and if it's coking then that's that.

I was thinking this too. This kind of eating can be brought on by the munchies. Absolutely no way would I be paying for this.

‘Your’ oats. So not for family use, just for you? Sounds more like a student home, with everyone fending for themselves. Poor kids, having to buy their own food, and getting pocket money docked for daring to cook it.

My son hates wholewheat pasta (as an Italian family, we would never even eat it, in any case). If they don’t like wholewheat so are having to buy their own pasta, can you not unclench enough to at least buy normal pasta for them?

You have 3 teenage boys OP, get used to it.

Plan the meals as a family and batch cook accordingly. They are all old enough to understand the concept of economical use of energy and avoid waste of food ingredients. Have the conversation……it will help with their life skills for when they move out.

Teenage boys have bottomless stomachs. Pasta is healthy , filling and cheap so I'd leave them to it.

If this is a typical example of an evening in your house I'd be making these lads a GP appt.

I get that teen boys have hollow legs and the protein obsession (21yo DD weight trains) but that is an insane amount of food. Cooking at midnight, unless they're coming in off a late work shift is also bonkers.

I think the air fryer suggestion is good, and getting them to batch cook is a great idea - there are plenty of young, male fitness type influencers online who do this for content so it could be an easy win.

I do think you need to sit down with them and have a discussion about how food and cooking needs to be managed, whether there is anything you can get in to support their needs, but also emphasise that some consideration and respect is needed.

As for the enormous fuss on here about oats - I'm baffled - do fancy organic, steel cut ones really taste that different?

I also think having a pop at the OP for buying the cheap one is a daft - a lot of protein recipes involve blending ingredients, including the oats so can't see that fancy ones would make a significant impact.

They don’t like rice I’d previously got a load of the different microwave rice pouches thinking they’d be a quicker hot snack but they all said they wouldn’t eat them but an air fryer sounds like a good idea thankyou

These organic oats from Aldi are really nice, I use in overnight oats.

I personally wouldn't be impressed by baking at midnight as I'd want to be asleep. But if they aren't gaining weight and aren't stoned (tho now wondering if that's happening after your update!) and are genuinely hungry an hour after eating... then the portions just aren't enough. 6 chicken breasts for 4 people should be enough, but my daughter would happily eat 2 herself so I could see how you would actually need a couple more for teenage boys.