The meals!!!

[CharlotteBog]

He's 14. Gym and football player.
Wants to eat high protein.

I can't keep up. He's eating family sized packs of chicken breast, meat balls etc

We've not long got back from weatherspoons lunch, where he was welcome to fill his boots. He had steak, mash and peas.

He's just started talking about dinner. I've told him to sort himself out; I'm not in the slightest bit hungry, don't want to cook a meal when we've been out.

I'm just moaning. It's good he wants to eat well, he is obviously using tonnes of energy growing and doing his sport, but I'm a lone parent with just me and him at home and it seems that 80% of his waking hours involve food.

I feel your pain - I have been reasonably strict with my son that protein is expensive and I am on a budget.

He eats a lot of tinned tuna.

Also a lot of porridge (maybe just when he is bulking, who knows, I can’t really keep up) - which luckily is cheap.

P.S. the upside is that these gym teens do learn to cook (from YouTube)

Yes I'm nodding in solidarity with you. I've got one that eats whole chickens, he's costing me a fortune.

Protein shakes might be a low-cook way forward?

IKR! There should be some sort of government benefit.

He has those as well. One a day.

I’ve got a 14 year old swimmer. He’s bottomless.
It’s crazy how much he can put away.

I feel your pain!

Egg and yoghurts disappear in this house

Lentils are also a great source of protein. Eggs, as omelettes/scrambled should fill him up.

Eggs are great!

Eggs, tinned beans especially red kidney ones, tinned tuna - cheaper from Aldi.
Buy minced beef, the higher fat one (apparently it's better for nutrition) add in 3 tins of kidney beans, tinned tomatoes, tinned lentils, herbs & spices and frozen mixed veg. You can make an enormous panful and they can eat it for meals or snacks. Get them to cook so they can work it all out for themselves. Aldi do cheaper, decent protein pots of yoghurt or pudding too. I feel your pain!

Sadly he doesn't like eggs. I'm working on this though. He does have the protein pots, but has asked me not to get more, I think due to the additives.

A big, beany hot pot sounds like a good idea.

He is pretty good at cooking.

Mine doesn’t like eggs, omelettes, etc BUT he does hold his nose and drink them raw. Depends how mad keen on protein they are. I’m not encouraging btw, I take the view it’s not exactly great to be so concerned with one’s body shape… but teens are drawn to extreme thinking and I’d rather it’s a ‘healthier’ obsession than a self destructive one.

Try Greek yogurt honey and granola