Teenage boys and healthy eating

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi

My eldest is 14 and its getting harder and harder to get him to eat fruit or veg. I can see that his younger brother is starting to copy him too.

I have brought them both up on what I hope is a sensible balanced diet. I cook everything from scratch, we all sit down together every evening and eat the same meal and I put veg in everything I can. The veg that my son has always loved suddenly he doesnt like any more and its so frustrating.

I dont buy much in the way of crisps, chocolate biscuits or fizzy drinks but they are at an age where they can go to the local shop with their mates and spend their pocket money on sweets and rubbish. I have a limited budget for food but I do try and vary the fruit and veg I buy.

I should also say that they are both skinny, sporty lads. I just worry that if they get out of the habit of eating healthy stuff now will they go back to it when they are older? Should I just accept it as a stage they go through and not worry too much? Is there anyone else who has got teenagers who can give me some advice?

lily117

I think in general they grow out of it. One of mine went through a phase of only eating beans on toast for every single meal She now eats anything and everything and is healthy and has two babies of her own. I wouldn't worry too much, try and find sneaky ways like using the vegetable water in the gravy to get some vitamins into them.

cyclingyorkie

DS spent 3 years with a party time job at MacDonalds - they got a free meal every shift - all of which he ate!

He worked shifts, which meant he was often home at 10pm - so the rest of his eating pattern wasn't good.

He has been a gym member since he was old enough to pay one.

Teenage boys get so hungry that it can be impossible to fill them. I left the fruit bowl by the back door - he would grab the odd banana as he went by. He ate veg with an evening meal and i tried not to stress about it!

He's 21 next month - eats loads of fruit and veg and goes to the gym. Doesn't stop him overdoing the alcohol on a weekend, but hey - I just hope he'll grow out of that too.

Try not to stress and make an issue of it!

gibson123

Teenagers are lazy, they like to graze, I find if the fruit is cut into bite sized pieces and left at the front of the fridge, it will get eaten, it would lie in the fruit bowl until it rotted otherwise.

purpleheather2810

Hopefully it's just a phase - it sounds like you're doing all the right things and I'm sure they will come back to eating healthily as adults. In the mean time maybe try some new recipes to shake things up a bit? Good luck!

pollys

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Hi

My eldest is 14 and its getting harder and harder to get him to eat fruit or veg. I can see that his younger brother is starting to copy him too.

I have brought them both up on what I hope is a sensible balanced diet. I cook everything from scratch, we all sit down together every evening and eat the same meal and I put veg in everything I can. The veg that my son has always loved suddenly he doesnt like any more and its so frustrating.

I dont buy much in the way of crisps, chocolate biscuits or fizzy drinks but they are at an age where they can go to the local shop with their mates and spend their pocket money on sweets and rubbish. I have a limited budget for food but I do try and vary the fruit and veg I buy.

I should also say that they are both skinny, sporty lads. I just worry that if they get out of the habit of eating healthy stuff now will they go back to it when they are older? Should I just accept it as a stage they go through and not worry too much? Is there anyone else who has got teenagers who can give me some advice?

Snap! except my eldest teenage son is 16 and the other 14 (also got a couple more) I'm trying not to worry too much about it, but it's easier said then done. Just told mine that as we are on an economy drive I wouldn't be buying any biscuits or cakes but that I will bake some when the oven is on. They didn't seem too bothered. There is not a lot I can do about them spending their own money on sweets, but I limit access to less healthy stuff at home, I find if they are hungry they will have something like toast or pitta bread and houmous. They moan about "nothing in the house to eat" there is always lots to eat but not what they want ie crisps,sweets and biscuits It's normal they're teenagers and will grow out of it.


Pollys


ps they don't "do" fruit unless it's a chocolate fondue. Chop up lots of fruit, melt each person a few squares of chocolate in individual ramekins. It's amazing how much fruit they eat when they can dip it in a small amount of chocolate.