17 yr DS has started apprenticeship physically demanding but losing weight

[Thistle72]

My son has started an apprenticeship in joinery, he's currently renovating a house. It's physically demanding out from 06:00-18:30. He takes a packed lunch of chicken sandwiches crisps and a biscuit.For tea he might have mac and cheese or if he doesn't like what I've made he'll have jacket spud with beans and cheese.
My concern is that he has lost weight since he started and he is already very tall and slim and really can't afford to lose weight.
Please give me some advice on how best to put weight back on. He is fussy and allergic to nuts.
TIA

I grew up with a builder as a father - he used to take 3 sandwiches (1 jam 2 corned beef, always the same, and made with 2 slices of bread each). Then Apple, banana, some form of jam tart, crisps, and one of the small pork pies. Definitely an old man diet now and it wont be the solution for your son, but it shows the calorie requirements of the trades, my dad was never ever overweight his job burnt off all those calories and a hearty dinner on top. if your son is fussy can you start by just getting him to eat more of the same? Joiner is a hugely physical job he needs calories, and chicken is a good place to start!

I grew up with a builder as a father - he used to take 3 sandwiches (1 jam 2 corned beef, always the same, and made with 2 slices of bread each). Then Apple, banana, some form of jam tart, crisps, and one of the small pork pies. Definitely an old man diet now and it wont be the solution for your son, but it shows the calorie requirements of the trades, my dad was never ever overweight his job burnt off all those calories and a hearty dinner on top. if your son is fussy can you start by just getting him to eat more of the same? Joiner is a hugely physical job he needs calories, and chicken is a good place to start!

What is he eating for breakfast Thistle?

My boyfriend works on site and looses weight quickly. He needs about 4000-5000 calories a day to keep it off as job is so physical. Defiantly not enough in his lunch box. Pasta in his lunch box? Sausage rolls? Also mid morning snack.

There’s not enough in his lunch, he needs far more. He just needs more of everything basically.

Just a large bowl of golden nuggets, a berroca and a cup of tea.The other problem is that when I'm at work(3 ×12 day shifts a week) he'll just eat something from the freezer like chicken nuggets/fish fingers and chips which probably doesn't meet his requirements.

Meals batch cooked and frozen will stop the fish fingers and chips being the only quick easy meal. Cooking double quantities and freezing the remainder means this does not have to be a lot of extra work.

Look for other cereals that are more nutritious. If he likes eggs they are really very quick to cook for breakfast. Eggs and toast is more filling than cereal. What is he like at cooking?

Look at getting soup flask that will keep meals warm for his lunch. Then he could have a hot meal such as chilli with rice for lunch.

He needs far more calories than this.
Look up athlete diets on the internet. That should give an idea of healthy but calorific meals. Rice is your friend - either a paella or sweet rice pudding if he'll eat them cold. The rice is slow to digest so the energy is released over a longer period. If he gets teased, he can just say he's lucky because his Mum is such a fantastic cook, unlike their partners....
Also, things like sausage rolls and pork pies etc which have a high calorie to volume ratio. Our local chippy is always full at dinner time with building trade workers - it's only £5.50 for a massive portion of fish and chips, so better value than MackyD.
But another idea is to remind him that he doesn't need to overdo things because he's new and wants to make a good impression. There is a difference between willingness to work and busting a gut. Remind him he's there to learn and H&S should dictate purposeful work rather than energetic work IYSWIM.
Encourage him to observe what others are eating and when and how they pace their work throughout the day.

He’s not eating enough calories. He could add to his calories load through drinks - such as Lucozade which contains glucose and is the bodies naturally preferred source of energy or those yoghurt style drinks such as Skyr which contains protein or Frijj.

Thank you so much for your ideas.I'll definitely be trying these out. I've been really worried about it. Xxx

IT doesn’t sound like he has much apetite though - my teenage lads are constantly hungry and constantly eating and are slim. But there doesn’t seem to be the desire to eat in your son. May be you could show him this thread and say that even though he doesn’t feel hungry he still needs to eat to do his job well.

My husband is in a trade and has twice that for lunch and other snacks he buys. I would say calorie intake
Should be more.
My husband doesn't eat breakfast but we do have a home cooked meal every night.

Good luck!

having a decent breakfast would help him get some calories down....if he has time to make it!

He doesn’t have a great appetite but he’s beginning to understand he has to eat more. He is a snacker when he comes home so he will have his tea but then will want something later. That normally is cake and custard but maybe I should suggest something else.
I think you’re right about breakfast too he needs to eat more but again he doesn’t also want a lot, he gets up at 05:30. Maybe I need to prepare something for him on his way to work. He has an hours drive in the work van.

Yes, definitely get him something for the van, maybe overnight oats or if you live anywhere near staffordshire teyvOatcakes with cheese?

Also agree with giving him way more at lunch and if he’s hungry after his tea offer him a sandwich, wrap, porridge, cheese on toast, omelette or bacon butty. A milkshake made with full fat milk, a banana and some berries will also add calories. I think he should be aiming for at least a pint of milk a day

My son aged 18 is an apprentice, he’s tall and naturally very thin, he eats a lot! Doesn’t eat breakfast as he doesn’t fancy anything early in the morning but has bacon roll from a van mid morning, batch cooked meal heated up in the microwave for lunch he has a sandwich mid afternoon and then a big dinner with fruit as snacks whenever. He drinks sugary milky tea at break times. He even keeps some of those energy drinks in his locker in case he misses a meal due to working through. He struggles to keep weight on as the job is physically demanding.

Time he dusted off what he was taught at school about nutrition. He's an athlete and needs the right fuel.

Could you also make his sandwiches triple deckers? Flapjacks would help he keep some weight on too.

According to this from the Caroline Walker Trust it sounds as if he needs upto 3,250 kcal a day. From what you’ve said he’s eating it’s no wonder he’s losing weight. Are you giving him a Vit D and Calcium supplement too? It’s important to make sure that he gets enough to strengthen up his bones as well as his muscles.

*disclaimer. I’ve got a bit of a thing about bone health at the mo after DM has suffered some bone density loss. Can you tell?

Wow thank you that guide looks like an amazing resource.
He takes a berocca everyday but nothing else.
He doesn’t cook at all but can use the microwave!!!
He loves flapjacks, I hadn’t thought about them.
Thank you all soooo much

Dp is a builder and burns a load of calories working.

I would be tempted to take 2 lunchboxes. Or 1 big one. If dp takes backup he will have 3 or 4 sandwiches on breadcakes, a couple of snack sized sausage rolls or pork pies and a bag of crisps. Sandwiches are cold meat and pickle, tuna mayo or coronation chicken so all quite calorific. He will eat 1 sandwich in a morning while driving, another about 11am and then the rest about 1pm. He snacks to keep his energy levels up.

He will then have what I call a 'man' meal at night. So stew and dumplings, chicken dinner, lasagne and jacket spud and garlic bread etc. And usually either a bowl of muesli or a pudding after.

His main evening meal is twice the size of mine because he needs the calories.

Look at freezing easy to do stuff. I find stews, chilli, curry, spag bol all freeze really well. Plenty of pack up in small portions he can eat on short breaks and on his way in to work.

He will soon adjust his eating to compensate for his job. Dp had a month off over Christmas and put about a stone on. He's been back 2 full weeks and it's nearly gone already and he has just started eating more again.

Thank you for letting me know what and how much he would eat gives me more of an idea about what to give my DS. He’s a grazer so 2 packed lunches would be a good idea.
You ladies are full of inspiration, thanks again for all your advice. 💐💐

If he’s only taking Berrocca I would think he definitely needs a calcium and Vitamin D supplement as well. Have a look at this guide to bone health for parents. Things like brocolli, figs both dried and fresh, chickpeas and fish with bones are all good sources of calcium too. The fish with bones will also give him much needed good fats too.