Is my son eating too much pasta?

[Animallover2325]

Ds 16 is a very plain eater, pasta, breaded chicken, pizza. It’s the pasta though he eats bucket loads of. Mainly with tuna. He’s got a slight reflux issue and I try and explain to him that too much will be heavy in the stomach and can cause this as I have also had it since I was his age! I really feel I need to get him more nourishment in his diet but he will not budge.

Is he overweight?

Teenage boys need a lot of calories for all the growing they are doing. Unless he’s overweight I wouldn’t worry about the pasta. I’d try and get more variety in him though.

He is a bit yes. I’m trying had to encourage better eating habits but I’m hitting a brick wall all the time. He could do with more activity too but he just refuses. He comes home and lies in his room

Not sure what heavy in the stomach is TBH.
One of my nephews was a high level rugby player, he ate about a kilo of pasta daily

Teenaged boys do eat a lot. Could you try suggesting a vegetable sauce with his pasta?

Could he add some peas and sweetcorn to it? Is he eating white pasta? If he swaps to wholemeal it will be healthier and be more filling.

Sounds like he needs more fruit and veg, but teens can be challenging.

Is there a way of making doing a bit of exercise and eating a certain amount of fruit and veg is part of the deal for getting his allowance - like doing his chores and homework? (assuming he gets an allowance, obvs.)

Could you switch white pasta for wholemeal, breaded chicken for plain chicken, and have pizza available just once a week? If it's not there he can't eat it. Maybe make it that the whole family could do with being a bit healthier and ask everyone to say what they might like? It's not easy I know.

Pasta is great fuel for physical activity, but it's pretty shit on the nutrient front - a friend of mine is a GP and in the 90s used to talk about the replacement of potatoes with pasta as a Very Bad Thing in poorer areas with limited access to fresh food, as a least potatoes have vit C and fibre etc. But if you switch to wholemeal he'll get more fibre and will eat less of it.

Could you just

Surely it's the pizza and chicken nuggets that are the issue not the pasta

Just buy wholemeal pasta and make a tomato based sauce. I sneak bits of coloured peppers in mine and proving they are chopped small DFS does not complain.

Have a look at how much tuna is safe to eat. It can be dangerous to eat it everyday.

My son is a swimmer the amount of pasta he eats is out of this world. BUT he swims 10 plus hours a week. Can you bulk out the pasta with some chicken and veg so he isn't actually eating as much pasta with each serving.

@titchy

Surely it's the pizza and chicken nuggets that are the issue not the pasta

Mainly pasta

If he eats a good amount of vegetables then it wouldn't matter as much, encourage him to widen his diet and try wholemeal pasta

Reflux is horrendous so I'd let him eat what he's comfortable with tbh.

Try and get him to add some tinned veg to his tuna pasta (sweetcorn and peas) and some chopped red onion (you can pre chop and store in the fridge). That way he's getting nutrients.

Also buckwheat pasta is great and much better for you.

Way too much wheat
The reflux will probably related to diet and whether or not he wolfs his food down

I have a DD who would have a similar diet if she could. I say she has the duet of a 5 year olds birthday buffet! She does however dance between 3-5 hours a day so works it off. She does like fruit and veg but not mixed with pasta, she is a plain Jane diet wise. No sauce, no flavour! So no advice but some solidarity.

My teenage son eats pasta or a potato instead of a sandwich for lunch or after school when he’s home. The sauces are always healthy (home cooked) with only a little cheese on top. I’m really happy with his choices. He seems to need a lot more carbs than me.

15 yo ds1 seems able to eat his body weight in pasta every day.

Does he have a candida infection?