Constantly hungry daughter

[Whatkatyforgottodo]

My daughter does a lot of sport and is constantly hungry. We have plenty of healthy snacks at home for her to fill up on but I’m struggling with what to give her for packed lunch. She usually takes a sandwich, crisps, a couple of pieces of fruit and some nuts. What else can I give her that will fill her up (and doesn’t involve too much prep for me!)

A flapjack/muffin is very tasty for a very good reason, it has plenty of sugar and fat in it. It's a treat. Whether it's been made at home or not, it is still a treat. I'm not saying don't eat it but I am saying that just because you made it at home, it's not something to be filling your child up on and believing it's a great, healthy snack. I eat unhealthy things all the time but I'm aware of their nutritional value.

Oh for crying out loud. Humans have been eating honey and animal fat for hundreds of thousands of years. Those things are not 'treats', they are part of a normal and natural diet for homo sapiens.

The OP's dd isn't an overweight couch potato, she does a lot of sport and needs the short-term energy from those as much as she needs protein and other food groups.

I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to be rude but I do disagree with you.

I think the point is not whether or not honey and butter are "good" for you but whether their use as part of a balanced diet and in certain foods is a problem. And I agree with @DazedAndConfused321 that they're not.

Some muffins are more like cupcakes than muffins, and those are not particularly balanced nor are they adding a great deal of nutrition, and they're unlikely to fill her up. But I regularly used to make muffins with relatively low amounts of sugar/honey etc, with fruit, nuts, vegetables and this thread has reminded me I should do that more again becuase they are great snacks for DS when he gets home from school. My facourite ones are lightly spiced carrot muffins that freeze brilliantly. I think I'll make a batch tomorrow in fact!

Chicken strips - buy a pack of the mini fillets and I do really quick marinades then bake a batch:

oil, lemon and rosemary
onion powder and mixed herbs
curry paste / ras el hanout & yoghurt
BBQ sauce
teriyaki sauce

It’s the carbs and sugar in the fruit that’s making her hungry quicker. Lots of protein and good fats, this will fill her and keep her feeling fuller for longer. Both mine are very sporty, high intensity sports like lacrosse etc they eat high protein so lots of chicken, beef, tuna, avocado, cheese, some nuts and lots of eggs…my son can go through 3-6 eggs a day if training hard! Carbs like bread, crisps etc have no nutritional value and will just make them hungry again quicker..

It’s the carbs and sugar in the fruit that’s making her hungry quicker. Lots of protein and good fats, this will fill her and keep her feeling fuller for longer. Both mine are very sporty, high intensity sports like lacrosse etc they eat high protein so lots of chicken, beef, tuna, avocado, cheese, some nuts and lots of eggs…my son can go through 3-6 eggs a day if training hard! Carbs like bread, crisps etc have no nutritional value and will just make them hungry again quicker..

The only difference between greek yogurt and Greek style yogurt is where they are mad so don't worry about getting style if it's cheaper.

Protein bars, baked chicken, cereal bars, bagels, carrots with humus, apples, bananas, pot noodles.

My ds takes double sandwiches - so a chicken & ham wrap for break and 2 wholemeal beef rolls for lunch (plus all the usual snacky bits).

This attitude annoys me intensely. Bread has "no nutritional value"?! Mind blowing.

Maybe increasing the amount of her food could help. E.g. double on the sandwiches, fruit and snacks. I remember being an athlete as a teen and my hunger was absolutely insatiable!! dd 14 is just as hungry now 😆 love our growing girls x

When I did a lot of sport I craved protein like at no other time in my life.

If she eats meat I would add a couple of chicken drumsticks to her packed lunch or for after sports snacks, kept in a cool bag. Or a boiled egg if she would eat that neat. Maybe some oatcakes with peanut butter. Bananas are good for potassium to prevent muscle cramps too. Maybe some small packets of seeds and nuts or mild spiced roasted lentils, beans and seeds. You could make up a healthy trail mix

If you make extra sandwiches, use high protein bread with fillings like tuna or chicken or ham and some salad.

I used to roast a chicken for DC to snack on most weeks when they were hollow-legged teens. You can still buy some in supermarkets for around £3-5. Then cut off thighs, drumsticks and wings into individual snacks, slice the breast for sandwiches and snacks, and then strip the rest to make chicken noodle soup. Add an extra load of sliced wholemeal or granary and that's £5 for healthy snacks that lasted both DC all week. It's not expensive if you use a whole chicken, only if you buy ready cooked sliced meat.

Protein is the thing that fills someone up - so I'd go for protein-rich snacks, so things like: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese with fruit or crackers, nuts/pulses are also really good, e.g. roasted chickpeas, mixed nuts or trail mix, nut butters (with apple slices, celery, or rice cakes). My DD actually gets lots of healthy recipe recommendations on this app called luna (we are luna), it's an app made specifically for teens and has loads of health & wellbeing stuff on it, including healthy eating, which is all made by doctors. I really like how they communicate about eating to teens x