Teenage Boy appetite!

[Looby4]

I have a DS who has just turned 13. He is the third of 4 DC, I have 2 DDs who are older. At the moment I just can't feed him enough which I assume is normal, and I am wondering if you could please suggest healthy options which will fill him up. At the moment he has a MASSIVE bowl or two of Cornflakes for breakfast and a huge Mug (one of those free Sports Direct ones if you've seen them!) of milk. He eats lunch at school - seems to be pizza, pasta, crisps from looking at the charges on his thumb. After school he'll come home, have another massive mug of milk, 2 bagels, a few cream crackers with philadelphia and a slice of toast. At dinner - 6-7pm he'll have a very big portion of dinner and maybe eat what's left of the other three DCs dinner off their plates. Then at 8-9pm he slopes back down and is eating whatever he can find. Maybe a bowl of pasta plain with butter or Last night he fried himself a huge plate of potatoes (not very healthy) and more milk! He doesn't eat much sweet stuff at all - he ignores the biscuits or cake (favoured by the other three) in favour of crumpets, bagels, pitta bread etc.

Is this normal?

Should i make him another dinner at 8-9pm with veg etc. so it's balanced?

He is a perfect weight, plays a lot of football, runs everywhere and likes lifting weights.

Any ideas or advice on whether this is ok just to leave him eating what he wants would be gratefully received.
TIA

Sounds just like my ds. He'll have a huge tea then announce he's still 'starving' and so will make himself a sandwich.

Not sure about boys , but a teen girl drinking that much milk would probably suffer with an iron deficiency .
Probably could do with more protein not just more carbs.
Sounds expensive !!

He needs to eat protein.

Nuts, yogurt, eggs, pulses, fish

Yes it's normal, it's like having a locust!

I agree, more protein will fill him up: eggs, omelettes, fish, meat

protein shakes? And make sure he gets enough vegetables

Ideas:

Bolognese / chilli
Chicken breasts
Omelettes
Scrambled eggs
Pasta with tomato sauces / prawns

Not enough protein there.

I was told that gyms will not accept children under 14 to do stuff like weights due to the way their bodies are still developing so you should check that out.

Typical for my teen DS who also plays lot of football

Fried egg sandwich and large glass of milk
Meat or cheese salad for lunch including potato salad or meat or cheese sandwiches. Cake for afters
Toast with marmite or crackers, fruit
Large dinner with portion of meat or fish probably vegetarian dinner once a week
Large bowl of plain noodles or rice
Milk and cookie

I eat more than my 16yo boy. (Lazy low activity lad)
But then again, according to MN, with a 29" waist, I'm abnormal & fat. So who knows.

I have two teenage boys and we have been there and come out the other side. Their diets were very similar to your DS's for two or three years.

It's truly impossible to fill them so my approach was to insist on balanced healthy meals, plenty of frut and veg. Outside of that they could fill up on as many carbs as they could eat.
Other than on your list mine would eat bananas, tortillas, flap jacks, cereal bars and smoothies.
I don't understand the comments about carbs, particularly as he doesn't eat much sweet stuff. He is not an overweight inactive adult. He is drinking milk, eating cheese and presumably meat in his main meal?

Both of mine are now 6'2+ and very skinny. They eat normal portions and don't snack as much.

Yes, totally normal, just before a growth spurt YDS can eat a whole chicken to himself. Agree with upping the protein %, but they do seem to crave carbs.

My middle lad eats constantly but he is nearly 6 foot and had size 11 feet. He has a big breakfast and pretty much grazes until he goes to bed.... I have three boys we do at least 6 pints of milk and a loaf a day.

Agree with PP about more protein.
Eggs for breakfast alternate days?
Hummus on the crackers with raw veg.
Tinned fish on bagels/in the pitta.
Not protein shakes!

Agree with previously posters.

I would also say that actually a big bowl (or even 2) or cornflakes for breakfast is not that filling? I would be hungry without a couple of slices of toast as well, and I am not a teenager. Or alternatively porridge, or eggs?

DS1 has now gone to uni and it took me ages to adjust the shopping. Just about got it right before Christmas but now DS2 seems to have taken on the mantle and I am back to buying pints and pints of milk. Cheap filler ups, between meals include beans on toast, frankfurter sandwiches, jacket potato and cheese, loads of fruit and bowls of cereal.

My 13 year old does this, he goes mad for carbs, but also nuts/cheese/milk

A baguette with cheese is just a snack for him

I make sure he eats protein and veg for dinner, then leave him to it.

He DID grow 5-6 inches last year

I remember crazy carb-hunger as a teen. I grew out if it once I hit 6ft

I often cook a bit extra for DH and DSs to nibble on later in the evening (eg leaving some cold meat out, or some roast pots)

Whilst Typing this, DS just flopped by my side like a dying swan, asking can he have a few wraps and crisps as he is starving , lunch was only 2 hrs ago! ...sausages, mash, veg and crumble.... I feel your pain OP!

Eggy bread (French toast) is a quick enough breakfast too (and filling)

Yep more protein as well

Tbh My 4 year old could probably eat two bowls of cornflakes as they aren't every filling

Add things like cheese, nuts, eggs, avocado to breakfast. Something like two eggs on toast with some Greek yogurt and banana or something.

When home as snacks add nut butters to the toast, Greek yogurt, houmous and pitta, cold chicken, boiled eggs or similar

Things like whole grains also usually fill up longer so whole grain pasta, rice, bread or rye breads are more dense and filling

My DD is the same will take her dinner plate through and be in the cupboard searching for snacks, not even 1 minute after a huge dinner . She can't just eat a bit it's a whole punnet of berries or grapes, a whole loaf of bread, a whole bag of Doritos, a whole pot of hummus etc. She's getting a bit curvy now, don't want to give her a complex but she must eat 4 times what I do if not more. It's bloody expensive to !

Oh and here go another two weetabix.

You could be me!! Definitely more protein-I often "hide" lentils in mince dishes which adds protein and also keeps costs down marginally... I'd suggest "proper" porridge for breakfast-made with milk or the traditional way with water-that would keep him going till lunchtime easily, definitely better than cornflakes in that respect. My ds often takes his lunch to school now-his hunger has overtaken his desire to be "cool" now 😂, he'll often take a wrap with a whole cooked chicken breast and salad in it. Baked potato and beans are cheap and filling for snacks, or beans on toast etc...beans feature a lot in our house!!

No advice but this worries me greatly - what will my food bill be like in 10 years' time!
I have three boys who are currently 2, 4 and 6 and the 6 year old already eats like a horse

Start saving

My DS is 14 next month and has grown about 7/8 inches in a year. He ate like yours all through the year except there was more protein in his diet. I think (hope) it's calming down a bit now. Can your DS have weetabix or porridge for breakfast instead of cornflakes? They are more filling.

Boiled eggs for breakfast
Peanut butter (when she's having a growth spurt dd will eat it with a spoon)
Peanut butter on oatcakes
DD will also eat apples and carrots by the kilo, I think they're filling because bulky. They're also cheap - 'nice' fruit is for lunchboxes only in this house!!!