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 .

They're not "demanding" anything. They are buying it and cooking it themselves.

I’d also talk to them about being more efficient. Can boil a kilo of pasta at the time to put it in the fridge for microwaving later in the week.

if the oven is going on, chuck in two whole chickens, 2.5kg of jacket potatoes and a tray of meatballs or sausages to then microwave later in the week. If the oven is to be on for an hour, pack it full of things they can use to make filling and high protein meals later on. Whole chickens are much more economical than chicken breasts and pork mince (even lean) is cheaper than beef mince for meatballs. Whole sides of salmon are much cheaper than portions. Doing an enormous tuna pasta bake to snack on for lunches. Make use of all the oven shelves

A lot cheaper. Think of the size of it. You're heating a shoebox rather than a cupboard.

First, if your boys are not washing up, you have a right to be a bit pissed off.

Second, if you've got boys who cook for themselves at all, that's a win. Well done. They're not expecting you to do it.

Third, if you reduce their allowance on the basis that they're cooking stuff, obviously they're going to cook stuff.

Fourth, it's really difficult to see how you've managed to get yourself into the position where this is a bone of contention.

Fifth, teenage boys eat a vast amount of food. Constantly. Even if you got them to eat avocado on toast for breakfast, you'd be looking at half a dozen avocados every morning. And a loaf. Plus cereal. And probably eggs. There's no way around it. Feeding three young men is incredibly pricey.

They cook for themselves. They shop for themselves. As long as the clean up after themselves, you are being very unreasonable.

Disposable foil tins are fine for cooking as long as they recycle them. It's actually quite an inventive approach by your son if that's the real issue.

However, from the many times the OP's reason to object has jumped tracks (electricity, processed meats, late night baking, using 'her' oats, white flour pasta etc) I think the true reason she's angry is that they won't do what she tells them.

@Boysfood , your children are becoming young adults. You can't just issue unreasonable edicts anymore.

"No cooking" is unreasonable because they are hungry and they want hot food because it's February.

You can provide the food they will eat in the quantities they eat it, or you can not do that and leave them to sort themselves out. You can't have it both ways.

If they were overweight or obese I could see your point. You said they aren't, so they clearly aren't over eating. Why are they having to buy their own food (fair enough the older one, but a parent should provide enough food for under 18s)

They sound like good lads, how great that they cook things. I don't blame them for wanting hot meals at this time of the year, I have warm breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't eat sandwiches, much prefer soup or dhal for lunch.

Are you sure it's just protein powder going in the brownies though?? Do they have the munchies?

I think it's great that they are actually cooking food. Plenty if teenage boys can't find their way around an oven

When it's freezing outside as it is now a cold breakfast or lunch isn't enough.
I don't understand why it's costing so much though.

I think people limiting food, giving children cheap alternatives and keeping premium for themselves, locking kitchens etc is disgusting. Cutting their spending because they want to eat. Does it really sound like love of a mother? You’ll be on here in a few years saying why do my three sons only spend time with their wives and their families 🙄 and only visit me on Boxing Day for 2 hours. We grew up poor but my father worked hard (multiple jobs) and my mother would have given us anything. Her last penny, even go without food so we had something.

'Disposable foil tins are fine for cooking as long as they recycle them. It's actually quite an inventive approach by your son if that's the real issue'

Why? If they aren't paying for them and there are perfectly acceptable reusable ones, that just require a little effort with washing up. Why should the mother just accept the extra cost?

'even go without food so we had something' yes something, not unlimited chicken breasts, brownies and the oven on for hours.

Did you read my other answer? A few posts down? Where I detailed a whole load of suggestions, including keeping her treats where the boys can’t he to the if they are too immature to not take them?

@Kath89

why?

I'm so gobsmacked by people claiming these lads aren't eating enough that I did a bit of research.

Teenage boys need around 3000 calories a day (men 2500 on average).

Based on what the OP has described;

Cooked breakfast 800
Mac and cheese (large) 800
Homemade made brownie 300 cals
Cheesecake 300 cals
1.5 large chicken breast 345
Stir fry veg 60 cals
Prawns 40 cals
Noodles 300 cals
Sauce 245

Total 3295 cals, not including lunch and other snacks, drinks etc.

Also, quite frankly, if they have money spare to spend on weed, they bloody well should be contributing to the resulting uptick in food costs!

@TheYorkshirePudding

im really not sure OP should be being deprived and go without to keep her offspring in endless supplies of protein brownies and organic oats. Little bit ridiculous, no?

@mrpenny

yes, once or twice a day. Not multiple times a day. It’s just so unnecessary

Gosh op it sounds so mean spirited to begrudge your kids their meals when they are cooking for themselves. Why would you have three if you can’t afford to feed them?! They are hardly asking for caviar just the ability to cook their own pasta.

Also if they are just having bog standard pasta there are alternatives fortified by pea protein
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&productId=1582394&langId=44&deeplink=true&gclsrc=aw.ds&&cmpid=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20333793068&utm_content=shopping&utm_term={sku}&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19663891335&gbraid=0AAAAAD17J_DYJrhQCeibhTDiBq1VmSa1o&gclid=Cj0KCQiA49XMBhDRARIsAOOKJHYi-9VH4Kf-ipzDFJo6DfIxLsve4-Ne4lI304EWr4uUHJaA4bNfrUAaAphLEALw_wcB

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-red-lentil-penne-250g?productId=1284404&utm_campaign=20333793068&utm_medium=cpc&cmpid=cpc&utm_custom2=759-449-0952&storeId=10151&gclid=Cj0KCQiA49XMBhDRARIsAOOKJHaOp3X7cn63UqhG9xThiNJlPvl9POUTR1wwZRCsRL6BHs6oJA6fcvEaAnoiEALw_wcB&catalogId=10241&utm_custom1=&langId=44&utm_content=shopping&utm_source=Google&krypto=6P%2BRh7L646wnW0u4Ty5m0lXVUuX0A49MvRpQi9xB4dxKGtlhZdghawrizH2GUwrfF9NybOloDYXFaWBdmqJixrShIuGMgB%2FC3VdNbaY4xn4OHt6%2F%2BaA8aIkojmCQ5Sl2GcAxFTabbAipcbhgaafEItfCXKKkvWiTowhy3TnHqRQgJc%2B1%2BYnwUApVmoQXzjWGX%2BPEMpJow6tSJj349Ya29kfN39tXsbJevK1CeL3MFQHDt79sotZc58AVTYC7ie8%2FnYC0FQdieKtslLsO4ap04CHTnJMIf4bTtHA7FyOYqjBEED8CYr0I7szjZPn2RnsaoY2XpYSh%2FeDc%2BYApgsvxuA%3D%3D&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fsainsburys-red-lentil-penne-250g
About £2 a pack but more nutrition than basic white pasta 12g protein per 10g

And yes it is processed but less processed than a sausage

I don't see why they need to be constantly grazing and eating if they are eating a healthy filling meal at dinner time.
It's more 'wanting to' to be honest. And because they can.

That should say 12g protein per 100g sorry

The boys bought them themselves.

Shes given them more than enough non cook options

Why?

She’s offered alternatives. Read the OP

Microwave rice is absolutely grim. It’s bland and tasteless.

Rice in a rice cooker is a whole different story. I make it with chicken stock, not water, and add plenty of flavourings - garlic, soy, sesame oil, herbs etc - plus sometimes chopped peppers.

My rice cooker also has a sauté function so you can cook bacon etc in it first - and then either add rice or not.

My DP always says he hates rice because it’s “boring”. He will eat spoonfuls of the rice from the rice cooker with nothing else because it’s so delicious. It’s all about seasoning and flavouring. Plus they could put proteins like fish, chicken, bacon etc in there.

The rice cooker and air fryer get loads of use here and save the cost of using the main cooker.

I posted way back on page two and suggested eggs.
Most athletes live off them. I have two ex athletes and one active in my household.
Boil and shell twelve (84 cals each). I bet they can't eat all of them in one day?
Also teach them to make omelettes and pasta sauces.
I'm one of 4 and the rule in our house was she who makes the evening meal gets first dibs.

Buy three chickens and roast them. Often three for ten or £12. Chop them into quarters.
My mum was a chef and she certainly didn't cook in the week.
Fwiw I hide my Flanagan's oats. Blinking ganets in my house.