Snacks for tweens

[custardlover]

My two tween DSs are eating A LOT. The eldest is 12 and recently shot up in height with enormous feet and hands and a deeeeep voice. The younger one is a year behind but showing signs of swiftly following in his brother's footsteps! They are both very active, playing sports 6/7 times per week, and so they are super skinny and muscly.

I want to keep feeding the demanding machine but without too much salt or sugar or processed food if possible. Their meals are definitely ample with plenty of protein... but they're hungry again an hour later.

They eat hundreds of apples and tomatoes weekly and I just made a batch of flapjacks - what else would be good to have in for them to eat so they they're not constantly grazing on packets of crisps or biscuits (which I might just erase from the shopping list from now on).

Suggestions of stuff to buy or make gratefully received! TIA

Protein and fat.

Cheese
Nuts
Whole milk
Natural yoghurt with a bit of fruit (frozen Blueberries are really good)
Quality sausages served cold
Chicken wings/drumsticks
Boiled eggs
Very dark chocolate (90%+, mine eat montezuma 100% buttons)

Recipe wise a fritata is good cold , you can make mini ones in silicone cupcake moulds.

Cheese scones
Soup
Banana bread
Nuts
Peanut butter and apple wedges
Cheese and crackers
Hummus with breadsticks or pita chips and crudités. Guacamole with quick home made tortilla chips (cut wrap into triangles, season sprays with oil and bake or air fry until crisp.

Eggs
Baked beans (you could always make your own sauce)
Porridge

My son used to love mackerel pate, made in 2 minutes in a food processor mini bowl, with toast.

Some brilliant ideas here, thank you! They are both fussy in their own ways (one hates cheese and chocolate)l the other hates eggs) but there's enough I can get going with for sure

I can remember DS being just like this. A posted pointed me in the direction of this guide from the Caroline Walker Trust. I read it, shared a few of the points with him, we did a few tweaks and he was so much better.

I’d go for:

• Beans on toast
• Cheese toastie
• Anything with eggs
• homemade pancakes
• Tray of roasted sweet potatoes
• Chicken drumsticks

Hummus. Either bought or home made.

Agree with humus and yoghurt for sure. My DS will cheerfully drop a pint pot of yoghurt in one go. I’ve taken to only buying plain though. Breakfast cereal of any description disappears quickly but again I only buy non sugary ones. Ramen noodles, micro rice or tinned fruit dont survive long in my cupboard either but I’m blaming the teen DD for that. Falafels can be made in quantity and popped in the fridge for snacking. Dried apricots. Apple slices and peanut butter. I also keep some cheesy oatcakes on hand and cottage cheese. It’s only a ‘go to’ if DS is actually at least peckish rather than just bored.

If it’s that relentless maybe you need to think of it ans extra meals instead of snacks? Things that are quick, easy and relatively low cost but relatively healthy and filling.

Porridge
Burritos with rice and beans - you can pre make them and they just heat when needed or have a couple of containers with the beans and rice in the fridge and they make them up to their preferences.
Lentil soup with bread or cheese scone
Dahl and rice
chickpea curry and rice
pease pudding
Egg/beans on toast or potato waffles
Baked potatoes- pre bake when you already have the oven on and they can just be refreshed in the microwave or air fryer
Those microwave flavoured rice/grain packs that are essentially a meal in a packet
homemade slaw to try and reduce the amount of tomatoes you get through. I generally start with red onion or shallots, carrot and red or white cabbage as I often have those in, but you can use broccoli, fennel, sprouts, parsnips, beetroot, celeriac whatever veg you have in.