After school snack for DS8 with fast metabolism

[twentyleggings]

DS is a healthy weight and very tall and slim. Very active. He gets hungry quickly.

He eats the most at breakfast (cereal and toast with a glass of fruit juice) then has toast and hot choc at school for morning break and has a hot school lunch. He is ravenous when I pick him up from school at 3:30pm. I bring him something like a smoothie and brioche, rice cakes or a yoghurt drink and biscuits. The only solid fruit he'll eat is a peeled apple.

He has his dinner at 5:30 and eats a decent amount but will leave some and say it's because he had his after school snack.
He doesn't like yoghurt and I give him a treat pud every other day or so (cake/icecream)
Then at 7pm it's cereal/toast/porridge/crumpet as still hungry.

Any ideas for protein-based snacks for after school? Seems like a lot of bread atm.
He doesn't like cereal bars.

Boiled eggs? Egg muffin, things with protein to keep him
feeling full. And make sure he is drinking lots of water too.

Peanut butter on the rice cakes.
Cheese? Something like babybel or cubed cheese?
If he's having a cooked meal at lunchtime you could give him a sandwich after school. I think as long as he's slim and active the carbs aren't really a problem.

Scotch egg, sausage roll, small chicken/tuna sandwich or wrap, nuts, drink of milk, carrot sticks with a good dollop of peanut butter…

My kids love date bark which I feel is a reasonably healthy and filling snack.

Can he eat more protein earlier in the day? All sugar and carbs before lunch.

Cheese or egg on toast? Microwave scrambled egg?

After school: oat cakes and hummus or cream cheese, packet of nuts, cheese, tuna sandwich with wholemeal bread, slice of quiche, cold sausage, chicken drumstick, a banana….

Ok so other than his hot school lunch, he's surviving mainly on cereal, toast, juice, more toast, hot chocolate, smoothie, brioche, more cereal and toast, porridge, crumpets. And puddings. That seems like a helluva lot of carbs & sugar. Do you think that might be contributing to his hunger spikes? Can you steer him towards more protein? Eg eggs, cheese, nuts, meats...

Mine love a 'picnic plate'. I slice up something protein based (boiled egg/ham/cheese/sausage etc), a couple of buttered crackers or bread and butter, tomato/carrot sticks/sliced fruit/dried fruit.

Cheese on toast or a sandwich has worked well too.

That is a lot of bread. He needs a better breakfast. Maybe beans or eggs. Then protein after school.

Would it work with your routine to feed him dinner a bit later, if he's not really hungry enough for it at 5:30? Then he might eat more dinner (presumably containing protein and veg?) and not need extra toast/crumpets at 7.

I agree more protein. The only hot meal he will have for breakfast is beans on toast at the weekend as he says it's too early for eggs etc but will keep trying in the week.

He likes cold sausages, the chicken tikka sticks, salami, ham and boiled eggs. A picky platter is a good idea. He likes to stay after school and play but I can bring these things.

Hummus?

He's good at eating meat at dinner time but hates the skin on veg and fruit so only likes broccoli, carrots and cauliflower which is better than nothing I suppose!

Look up high protein fat bombs. They’re traditionally a Keto snack, but if he’s skinny and burning a lot of energy, they’re really good for filling you up and there are a lot of simple, healthy versions.

I are with upping protein and fats ( or healthy oils). Hot chocolate with double cream or coconut oil/cream, in smoothies too.

I would try to push dinner later too.

The carbs aren’t a problem if he’s skinny. And some kids are just ravenous. Mine are! But yes to what you’re doing trying to get more protein into him so he’s fuller for a bit longer

Great ideas. Thank you.

He's just gone for crackers, mini sausages, carrot sticks and some cubed cheese that he previously refused!