How much does your teen eat on an average day?

[Forpoxsake]

DS seems to be constantly in the cupboard looking for snacks, he has the usual 3 Meals a day but on top of that will have crisps, fruit, cereal type bars and sometimes a bowl of cereal before bed.
He drinks loads of diluting juice so it’s not a thirst thing.
We are on a strict budget so I think I notice it more.

3 meals a day (sometimes only 2 at the weekends) and average 1 snack each. 3 DCs 12-15. Sometimes I bake something, so there will be pudding or an extra snack. So, not a lot for teens but they aren't very active, unfortunately!
We've never encouraged snacking though and don't tend to buy much snack type food and we don't eat cereal. There's always bananas, cheese and crackers but not much else.
I buy them each one packet of biscuits a week. They're always free to bake anything if they want, but rarely do. DS1 makes himself a banana and oat smoothie/milkshake most days as his snack.

I’m 17 and on a weekday I eat:

• 2 sausages and a protein shake


• chicken chips and vegetables


• protein bar and shake


• plain pasta for tea

My DS 15 eats loads. He eats 3 meals a day and umpteen snacks including lots of toast. I don't know where he puts it as he is very slim. It seems to be completely normal amongst this age group. I notice it more when away with him or out for the day with him.

DS is not overweight but has always been near the top of the height and weight centiles, he stopped all the sports during covid and doesn’t want to go back to them (I’m disappointed but I can’t force him) so I’m conscious of the food choices when he’s not very active
Ive not said anything to him but just trying to gauge what’s normal for someone his age (he’s 13)

His diet sounds similar to mine and I’m a very petite (small and skinny) 20 odd year old woman 🤣 I don’t know how people survive without snacks.

6'2" tall, Almost 18yo, does active travel but no other physical activity.

School day I think this might be typical:

bagel with butter
bacon butty
cucumber sandwich, yogurt raisins, bag of crisps
giant plate of starch-veg-meat
pile of biscuits

Thanks all, when I say snacks I just mean anything that’s out of usual meal times, I do buy crisps and cereal bars because they’re cheap but he does eat fruit, yoghurts, rice cakes, crackers, babybels.
I did try protein shakes to get a bit more protein in him but he doesn’t like them.

DS eats something smallish for breakfast such as scrambled eggs and salmon then will have a wrap at school. Usually has a snack as soon as he gets home (some leftovers from the previous nights dinner or sushi). Dinner is always different but he has a normal amount but will often come back for seconds and sometimes thirds across the evening so I tend to make more portions than I need as this way he is snacking on something decent. Also might eat some fruit later on.

Good idea to make extra portions of dinner!

3 meals with pudding after dinner, but definitely a couple of bowls of cereal throughout the day extra. Couple of snacks as well I think and yes plenty to drink ( which I find more annoying than the food!!!)

Teen sons average day

Breakfast: Porridge with fruit and nuts or 3 eggs
on toast with tomatoes and spinach

Lunch: Jacket potato with various fillings and veg. Or chicken salad wraps. B

Dinner: Veg curry and rice or steak, mash and veg. Takeaway once a week.

3 snacks from things like nuts, fruit, yogurt, cheese and cracker, crisps and dips, chocolate. Oat milk, orange juice, and a lot of tea.

He runs and does weights a few times a week.

Just turned 13 year old here.
Yesterday:
Croissants and jam for breakfast
6?8? Biscuits while waiting for his opticians appointment.
As much lunch as me and DH - English breakfast
Fruit
Homemade black bean chicken with egg fried rice and brocolli.
More fruit and ice-cream.
Probably a bit carb heavy and veg lite compared to normal.

In a typical day, smoked salmon and milk before school, a flask of leftovers and two pieces of fruit at school, then god knows what! between school and home… I suspect instant noodles and whatever else is on offer at friends’, then yoghurt and salami sticks pre dinner, then dinner. 14yo, works out daily, runs.

On a typical day my DS, who is 16 (6 foot 2 and 10 stone) has two weetabix and banana for breakfast, then two pieces of peanut butter toast. He will have something like a tuna and cucumber sandwich for lunch with crisps.
Then he will have a normal tea, say chilli and rice or chicken and noodle stir fry. He will have a yoghurt or rice pudding for dessert. He has about three snacks a day - yoghurt rice cakes, pepperami, babybel, also eats a pack of sweets a day but I'm okay with that as he's revising for his exams.
He never helps himself to fruit or vegetables but eats them all when served. Occasionally if he's hungry in the evening he will have a bowl of cereal.
Drinks wise, he has apple juice for breakfast, a cup of tea and then just drinks water. He loves coke but normally just has that at weekends or when out with friends.

Teen boys are known for hollow legs I think. I have two younger brothers and I can remember my mum struggling to fill them up. She said they'd eat a big plate of dinner and then go and make a round of cheese on toast!!

I'd think cereal, toasties, sandwiches would probably be a more filling snack than cereal bars etc.

I cant believe the difference in DS's appetite, but he's grown fast too so I guess it makes sense. He'll generally eat something like

B: Large bowl of cereal/porridge. Or 2x croissants/pain au choc.

L: Ham/chicken or cheese, salad sandwich/wrap; apple; sistema snack pot of carrot/cucumber/peppers; cereal bar type thing. Sometimes chicken skewers or cocktail sausages if they're in the fridge.

Snack after school (yoghurt, or a packet of crisps)

Dinner: Our usual things are stuff like meatballs and pasta, beef casserole with mash, chicken curries w rice, chilli con carne, macaroni cheese. Adult portions now for him.

Then in the evening he's often looking for an extra couple of snacks! I usually try and encourage toast or fruit rather than more crisps, biscuits etc.

My daughter is 17 and on an average day she will eat:
Breakfast: nothing or cereal or toast (weekends)
Lunch: nothing or an apple/banana
Dinner: normal size: meat veg some rice or potatoes. Magnum or Oreos. She cannot eat a full lunch then a full dinner. No snacks.
I reckon she gets about 1600 cal a day. She's not that active (walks about 45 minutes to and from train, sports once a week).
My 18 year old son eats:
Breakfast: porridge made with egg whites, protein powder, almond milk, oats.
Lunch: salad with chicken
Dinner: tuna pasta, or chicken with rice and veg. Maybe a protein bar as a snack.
He works out at the gym every day, cycles everywhere and tries to get 15-20,000 steps in. Football once a week.
However if he's having a cheat day, he can go through six donuts, two slices cheesecake, four nutty bars, pint of ice cream, four servings lasagna. He plans it in advance and only about once a month. He was a chubby boy but at 13 took himself in hand lost loads of weight. Always very active but stepped it up a fear and being lighter helped.
I find no matter what you say or do it's up to the child. Even if you only ever had healthy food in the house they'd either eat more or get snack outside of the house.
My son puts on weight easily. He has friends who could eat twice as much as him (when he was chubby) and be string beans. So now he watches every calorie.

13 year old boy and I don't think he eats much

marmite toast for breakfast

lunch

dinner

snacks : cereal bar and crisps

more toat before bed

2 male teens here (14,15)
what they can pack away is frightening.

breakfast is often 3x weetabix with yoghurt or quark, nut butter/nutella and frozen berries or a banana.
they pack their own school lunch of 4slices of bread with cold meat or cheese, yoghurt, fruit (an apple usually) and a cereal bar.
cheese toasty or sandwich when home from school.
dinner is whatever we are having but double a portion.

both are very skinny and tall. and very active.

@easyday that’s a really worryingly low amount of food. She’s also moderately active. She’s consuming less than 1000 calories. I obviously don’t know your Dd, but have you taken her to a doctor re her low appetite? Is she underweight?

www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-signs-of-anorexia-in-teens-3200814

I have three and they are always ravenous
the younger two eat a lot of carbs/have a sweet tooth and don’t burn them off so carry more weight than is probably ideal but I don’t restrict their snack eating as such as it’s limited to home made bread/weetabix/fruit/veg/tuna/hummus
they have to eat what I cook for supper

Easyday** is she underweight? That is nowhere near enough food for anyone let alone a teen. My dd was nearly admitted to hospital when she restricted to a similar amount and has been slowly recovering from anorexia since then.