Feeding almost teenage boys

[weasleybreeder]

My ds is 12 and wants to eat constantly! He will eat healthy food if I prepare it for him but if I am unable to and advise him to have some fruit, toast, cereal or something that he can fix himself then he just moans that he wants crisps or a biscuit.

He eats a decent breakfast before he goes to school, I prepare him a packed lunch but give him some money to buy a snack at interval which is usually junk! He always comes home from school "starving", the days I'm at home for him, I'll have some soup ready to keep him going till dinner. He eats a larger portion of dinner than me and it is generally something home cooked, spag bol, chicken curry, roast & veg etc with a yoghurt or something to follow. Guaranteed within half an hour of eating this he will proclaim hunger again but turns his nose up at any healthy offerings.

He is an active boy, is tall for his age and slim built so I'm not worried about him gaining too much weight. He also takes migraine medication which can increase the appetitie but he has only taken this for a month and the constant hunger has been around for a lot longer.

What do mums of boys similar ages feed them, what healthy snacks could I have in that would appeal but not take long to prepare? (I work 28 hours a week and have a toddler and a 6 year old too and all the hobbies, clubs etc).

From talking to his peers mums, I get the impression that they are all the same at that age...

Anything and everything. Constantly.

It stops when they hit about ..... emmmm...... lemme get back to you on that one

Seriously, they have hollow legs. Try not to have biscuits in the house, or hide them, because they WILL eat them.

Loads of fruit, pasta, flapjacks, oatmeal cookies, big pots of spuds, you get the picture.

They just eat.

Fill him up on pasta, rice, potatoes, bread.

make sure he also has lots of protein eg raw eggs as snacks, chicken drumsticks, cheese, big homemade burgers, beans and lentils, fish.

Also try the filling veg like turnips/swede, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes.

agree - my 9 yr old can eat more than you would believe possible!

( I dished him up a bigger dinner than dh once and he polished it off and still came back for more...)

Oh let him moan, stick to what you are already doing and tell him to get something healthy. That way the only junk he is having is at snack time. If he is really hungry then he'll eat what is offered and the rest is just trying to get his own way. Sounds a lot like what my DD does or at least tries to do.

The rule in my house is a simple one. They aren't allowed to help themselves to anything that isn't fruit, yogurt, toast or cereal. I do get some treats, but they are kept out of the way and they have to ask if they can have some. My DD actually likes snacking on wrap bread.

You snack on RAW eggs, Margery?