How much do teenage boys really eat?

BLUEBIE

I am having a teenage boy come to live with me for a while. Now I know everyone says they can eat for England, but realistically how much do they eat.

I am trying to work out how much extra my food bills are going to be. I also have no idea what to put in his pack lunch for school. I have a girl who takes 2 crackers to school for lunch and comes home with two crackers!

I am expecting him to be quite shy at first and would hate for him to be hungrey and too quiet / shy to tell me.

I know everyones different, but if I had some ideas what everyone elses kids ate, i.e volume, I could be a bit prepared :-)

Thanks

marisco_2

I am interested to see the answers to this as I have a 7 and 10 year old who try to eat me out of house and home. They stay as thin as anything though. I honestly dont know where they put it all

For breakfast my two have cereal or toast with some juice and a piece of fruit. They take a snack to school for mid morning break, usually a healthy cereal bar or another piece of fruit. Lunch is sandwiches, slice of quiche or similar with yoghurt, some raisins and a drink. Dinner can be a whole variety of things. They love pasta and rice dishes, lots of meat or fish with veggies or salad. Being kids they also enjoy pizza, chips, burgers etc but have these as occassional treats.

They were fussy eaters for a long while, so I use to discourage eating in between meals, to get them to focus on eating 3 good meals a day. Now they are more willing to try everything and give it a go, I have relaxed a bit and they can have snacks. Can someone give you an idea of what his favourite things are so you can get these in for him? He may feel a bit nervous about asking for them at first.

I would recommend lots of open communication. Show him where things are and encourage him to ask you when he wants or needs anything. I am sure he will be fine and settle in quickly, you come across as being very caring OP.

liney

My DS is only 8. Currently he eats at least as much as I do, and he's built like a Whippet. I'm dreading the teenage years!

Eg:
Breakfast - Porridge/cereal then toast at school when he arrives.
Lunch - Sandwich (ham or cheese salad), fruit, yoghurt and juice. Odd bag of crisps/cheddars.
Afterschool club - Cereal/toast/fruit is the general snack choice.
Dinner - Lasagna, garlic bread, salad/Meat and veg type dinner cooked from scratch similar portion to myself. Pudding - Small chocolate bar or cake.
Supper - Milk with fruit or cheese and biscuits.

He is very active - Football, swimming, cricket etc. I guess this will make a difference to your guest's requirements.

browneyedbazzi

It depends on the boy! Some can eat for England and others pick at food. There are probably more of the former than latter but there are also lots that fall somewhere in between.

Is it possible to ask whoever he lives with now about what he eats and how much?

VJsmum

I have a 14 year old boy

This would be typical

Breakfast - 2 weetabix with raisins, juice
Packed lunch - ham wrap with salad, sausage roll (or similar), slice of HM cake of some sort, squash
Home from school (between 3.30 and dinner at 7.00) a combination of - cheese and ham toastie, packet of crisps, biscuits, pear, 2 tangerines, banana (the fruit is after I have put my foot down about the other stuff ) It has been known for him to eat one of each of these on a particularly "hungry" day
Dinner - whatever - spag bol, pie and potatoes and veg, fish fingers and chips and etc. followed by yogurt (usually) (only one of these - not all of them ever day!!)
Supper - more weetabix

I asked him the other day if he was an insect that had to eat his own body weight in food every day just to survive :rotfl:

He plays a lot of sport and is as thin as a whippet. He is 5'8" and the size of a Small to medium man.

I would have things readily available for him to help himself - fruit, biscuits and say he is welcome to make a sandwich if that won't be enough.

BLUEBIE

Is cereal and toast acceptable to offer for breakfast then? I cook a cooked breakfast at the moment for my dd, but there is just her. I was thinking that this would have to change when the boy comes as I wouldn't have time in the morning as they will go to different schools. But felt a bit mean.

Yes I will get the oppertunity to chat to the people he lives with now was just trying to mentally prepare myself and my budget!!

cutestkids

Cooked breakfast is very rare in our house, normally it is toast, cereal, fruit, yoghurt or porridge.

I also keep in crumpets and muffins to toast.

My oldest son is 12 and he eats a lot, his portion sizes are not far off my partners and he will be looking for something else an hour later.

If taking a packed lunch to school he will have
Sandwich or wrap with meat, cheese, tuna or egg and salad
2 pieces of fruit
yogurt
a scone, muffin or slice of something like banana bread
sometimes crisps or cheddars

LEJC

A lot really will depend on the type of food he eats now....ive got a 15 year old who eats more as the day goes on and an adult portion

Just a bowl of cereal for breakfast...cooked lunch and pudding at school...cooked tea and pudding at home...snack before bed

I guess if you are prepared to get up and do a cooked breakfast for him then it might be that he wont need so much come lunch time...but in essence I think you'll find he should just fit in with the family food plan initially and as you get to know his likes and dislikes things will evolve

If its a packed lunch type situation then I have found that he prefers sandwiches,or a pork pie/sausage roll to something flakey like a cracker!
and ive yet to really get him to eat fruit in the quantities that girls will...but find that fruit juice or smoothies are a good substitute as he will drink them.

victory

My eldest snacks all day, has porridge for breakfast, lunch is a sandwich, dinner whatever but in between he eats all day long, loves bananas, crisps, anything that's in the cupboard is fair game:rotfl:

He is stick thin, goes to the gym 5 days a week, has protein shakes and he is very tall, it is amazing where he puts it all:D

BLUEBIE

Brilliant, looks like I was worrying about nothing. I just really want to look after him as I would wish someone to look after my daughter. I'm sure it will all be fine.

Mumto5

I have sons of 14 and 18. They drink 4 pints of milk daily. Breakfast is 2 bowls of cereal and toast/bagels. I make 2 sandwiches (4 slices of wholemeal bread) for their packed lunches. I also give them fruit, home made loaf cake and crisps. They are starving when they come in from school/college and eat a bowl of porridge (more milk). As others have posted rice/pasta based dinners are good for filling them up.

I keep my fruit bowl well stocked. I don't buy biscuits or they would eat a packet a day. Flapjacks, loaf cakes, home made soup, bagels, eggs are all good standbys for filling snacks.

My 8 year old son has a similar appetite.

They are all stick thin.