Feeding a Bottomless Pit?

[GG Mora]

Oh, boy. It has begun. It seemed to me that the kids, 11 and 13 (the Adolescent Raiders™) were eating us out of house and home. I had no idea.

Boy – 13 – is (has been?) undersize for his age. He has us check his height on the doorjamb compulsively...as IF he might actually grow overnight. And his progress has been very slow. He and his sister returned Friday evening from 2 weeks at their Ma's house, Boy with a colossus of a zit on his heretofore spotless chin. I teased him that his hormones must have activated. He teased back that maybe he'd finally start to grow. I suggested checking his height. Yep. Almost an inch since the middle of July. Egad.

Yesterday the two of us were home alone, holed up indoors away from the heat. I took over the coach to pore through the Sunday NYT. He ate. And ate. Honest injun, he was back in the kitchen every half hour for another meal-sized snack. Bowl of cereal. Dry handfuls of granola. Tuna melt. Bowl of cole slaw. Egg and cheese sandwich. And at dinner, a giant cheeseburger and plate of fries, a big glass of milk, and a root beer.

Yeah, so at this point, any of you that have raised boys are chuckling into your sleeves and thinking "Just you wait...this is only the beginning".

I recognize that I need to amend my food shopping habits, and fast. I want him to have nutritious things to load into the pit, not just cereal and bagels. I'm thinking he needs lots of protein, but how do I get it to him without spending every penny we earn? He's happy to drink milk, eat cheese and eggs...actually he's happy to eat anything even remotely resembling food. He suggested I stock up on packages of ramen noodles.

Help. You who've been through this: what did you stock up on? I need suggestions for appropriate Boy Chow.

[tryska]

canned tuna, a big ass jar of protein powder, and milk so that he can make shakes, eggs, nuts and seeds, dried fruits.....popcorn.....hamburger, cheese....

[Mayhaw Man]

First the bad news: It doesn't get any better.

I have a 14 year old (6'3" and still going) and an 11 year old (5'11"). They eat like men just released from POW camp. Like locusts. Like they are starving. It's crazy.

Here is what we do and it seems to satisfy everybody pretty well.

We buy tons of fruit at Sams-the frozen, cut stuff-mangos, blueberries, apples, pears, etc. We buy Soy milk (we are not health freaks-the stuff is good and they like it) and they can make smoothies THEMSELVES until their stomachs pop.

We buy ramen noodles by the case. We generally have lots of fresh fruit around as well. They like cereal but we only buy the kind that I like (fruit and grain of some sort) so they have to be pretty hungry before they bite on that. They also eat lots of sandwiches that generally consist of leftover meat from the weekend (I cooked a turkey yesterday, the remains will last until the end of the week at an unbelievably low cost) and I am cooking a whole brisket today on the smoker. I will freeze half of it and the other half will be dinner and sandwiches later.

What we don't do, both out of personal preference and some bizarre sense that we should try to be good parents and get them to eat good stuff, is buy chips and soft drinks or any really sugary snacks. We do buy granola bars by the case at Sam's, and I am clear that there is nothing really good about them as they are big sugar bombs, but they like them and I do too.

The only real fatty thing that they eat regularly is toasted pecans in the winter because I have tons of pecans around (trees at our farm, our house, my mom's house and my MIL's house-lots of papershell pecans) and make them regularly as I like them and they do as well.

THis is not to say that as soon as they get out of our house that they do not go for the first coke and chip combo that they can guzzle and chew, but since they spend most of their time at home (as do their friends-we usually have at least two extra boys on the weekend and as many as 5 or 6 sometimes) they snack alot but at least it's relatively healthy.

Hope this helps. Basically, to sum it up, buy lots of cheap and healthy because they are going to eat whatever you have anyway (and tons of it), so only give them choices that are relatively good for them. They stop complianing after a while. Besides, except for the salt content, ramen noodles can be pretty tasty especially with some finely chopped turkey or smoked brisket thrown into the bowl. Know what I mean?

[Mayhaw Man]

Almost forgot. For the smoothie thing-go buy them a cheap blender. You can get a decent one for smoothies for under twenty bucks. Don't let them burn up your good appliances, because they will. If I hear the motor on my waring I am headed in there to kill somebody.

[therese]

Great suggestions above. I'll add edamame to the list.

I'll also give you a tip re restaurants: do not go to them, at least not to expensive ones, unless you are independently wealthy. This is the one time that "all you can eat" is a good thing.

[Daddy-A]

I can completely relate! My sons are 10 & 13, and come from "healthy" stock (i.e. both their mother & I are sturdy folk) so eating healthy is even more important. We put on weight easily.

We also have the challenge of a split household ... the boys lives with their mom 70% and with me 30%. Their mom thinks Orville's Light Microwave Popcorn is a healthy snack, and sees nothing wrong with letting them veg in front of the Nintendo for hours. But I digress ...

My wife & I do what we can ... insist on healthy eating and portion control (a big challenge with growing boys), and compliment it with regular exercise ... we have two Jack Russels so that's NO problem.

We're are starting to see my oldest son eating better on his own ... chosing fruit for snacks (I agree with Mayhaw about not having pop or chips in the house) and not eating more at dinner if he's not hungry. Keeping him busy is another story, but par for the course with a lot of teens. Not the case with the 10 year old who is non-stop active, but doesn't eat as well as the 13 year old. We still have some work to do

It all comes down to my philosophy on raising my kids "My job is to prepare them for life, not to be their best bud."

Arne

[GG Mora]

If I hear the motor on my waring I am headed in there to kill somebody.

They already know not to even LOOK at my knives (that includes my husband, who has his very own chef's knife...I even sharpen it for him ).

I love the smoothie idea, and I bet Boy would, too. And yeah, chips and soda aren't part of the equation – never have been, never will be.

Edited August 30, 2004 by GG Mora (log)

[GG Mora]

It all comes down to my philosophy on raising my kids "My job is to prepare them for life, not to be their best bud."

As their Stepmother, I get to do both.

[tryska]

get him the big jar of protein powder. it will give him added protein in his smoothies. peanut butter too. it will fill him up, with a full complement of fat, carbs and protein.

chocolate protein powder with banana and peanut butter is yummy. and should keep him full for a couple of hours.

[eunny jang]

When I ran nine or ten miles every weekday in high school (All-States cross-country, whooo!) I ate a LOT of spaghetti with ground meat sauce (dump pasta in pot. Dump jar of Prego into pan of un-drained ground beef) as a snack. Maybe if you provided whole-wheat pasta?

Even the dreaded Blue Box would probably be ok - it's easy and quick to make, cheap, and (reasonably) tasty, and easy to doctor up with additions to balance it a little. I ate a LOT of this in high school, as well, and let me tell you, Lady EasyMac is a harsh mistress.

He probably eats enough of everything that you don't have to worry too much. A vitamin and plenty of good choices and you're set.

[Jaymes]

This thread reminded me of one a while back wherein helenas said that she was going to have some teenaged boys as houseguests. She was asking for advice as to what sorts of foods to prepare.

Having been through the budget-busting nightmare of keeping teenage boys filled up, I had some advice -- here.

Edited August 30, 2004 by Jaymes (log)

[tryska]

ooh that that thread reminded me....with fall on it's way - chili and stews! they can be done with cheaper cuts of meat in large large batches.

cut the chili with some rice, add some cheese and pickled peppers and well there you have it.

[Cusina]

My son is 4 years old and 50+lbs (skinny, just solid and tall) and I already catch him standing there, staring into the fridge with that look on his face, you know the one. I know I'll be in for what you are describing in about 10 years.

Omlettes are good for growing boys too. I can remember my brother whipping them up for an after school snack. Eggs are cheap too. Quesadillas are another suggestion. Either in the frying pan or the microwave. Giant tortilla, shredded cheese, leftover meat, salsa and sour cream.

My favorite adolescence food was to fill a cereal bowl full of rice crispies, add marshmellows, a bit of butter and a few chocolate chips, nuke it for a few seconds (the marshmellows puff up and get HUGE, kind of cool to watch) and stir. Not exactly healthy but, yum.

[Jaymes]

Part of the problem is that teenage boys crave protein. I remember once I was on a health kick. I had been feeding us lots of fruits, veggies, rice, fish, chicken, etc. One crisp fall day my oldest son walked into the kitchen and said, "What's for dinner, Mom, and it'd better not grow, swim or fly."

So I put the salmon I had planned to have into the fridge and went to the store and got some great big ol' fat juicy beef steaks.

And happiness settled back upon our family.

Edited August 30, 2004 by Jaymes (log)

[NulloModo]

As a recommendation, one thing you can do now that will likely save them lots of trouble later in life is to give them alternatives to guzzling sodas and sugary juice. Had I never developed those habits I would have probably never developed nearly as large of a weight-problem as I did.

I will echo the Whey Protein Powder. I use that when I am endurance swimming or when I simply want to make a quick breakfast and don't feel like washing pans afterwards.

Canned meat products, tuna, chicken, crab, deviled ham, sardines, kipper snacks, etc, are also tasty, easy for them to prepare, and cheap.

[tejon]

I find my five year old with that very same look on his face, especially when he's right on the cusp of a growth spurt. Scary to even think what things will be like in a few years - I remember my little brother polishing off 10 plates of ribs once, then having desert .

[GG Mora]

Jaymes, thanks for pointing me to that thread – both for feeding tips and for the hilarity of Jinmyo's contributions.

I should clarify a bit by saying that I'm looking for things he can prepare for / feed to himself during those hours when the, uh, chef is off duty. I don't have any problems with dinnertime, I just need to double or triple up on quantities. I also need to be careful – my husband and I are NOT fast-growing 13-yr-old boys, if you get my drift...I don't want to be cooking separate meals for the metabolically impaired.

Thank God Boy prefers to hang out at his friends' houses rather than host them all here. Although I feel I should start contributing to other mothers' food budgets. Or sending along pans of lasagna and pots of chili.

[Jaymes]

I should clarify a bit by saying that I'm looking for things he can prepare for / feed to himself during those hours when the, uh, chef is off duty.

My guys got pretty adept with the microwave. I always had tortillas around and I also kept gallons of my homemade salsa. I'd keep fajita meat ready to go in the fridge as well -- cooked chicken or beef strips, and shredded cheese.

The boys would take a couple of tortillas, put a little beef or chicken into them, then top with cheese. And we often had either leftover refried beans, or charro beans, or they'd open a can of refried beans that they could add if they wished. Fold over and stick into the microwave for a few seconds. Take out and spoon salsa over the top.

They could do this by themselves from a pretty young age. It's true that quesadillas are better fried, but when they were quite young, I didn't want them heating up a skillet on the stove if I wasn't there. Also, these quicky microwave quesadillas are a great way to use up leftovers. My guys never got tired of them.

And microwave popcorn is a relatively cheap and safe snack for kids to master.

Edited August 30, 2004 by Jaymes (log)

[Jaymes]

I'm thinking he needs lots of protein, but how do I get it to him without spending every penny we earn? He's happy to drink milk, eat cheese and eggs...

A few more ideas to save on money: Think "stretchers."

For example, scrambled eggs: Buy a bag of frozen french fries. Take out several handsful and cut them into a dice. Crumble a little sausage or chorizo into the skillet with some chopped onions and green peppers and tomatoes if you like them. Saute til sausage is browned. Dump in the diced potatoes and stir. Add eggs and scramble. Serve with a little grated cheese on top. When you add the potatoes, sausage, etc., you can get one dozen eggs to feed a lot of folks. (Note - this doesn't work as well with fresh potatoes because they take longer to cook; frozen french fries are partly pre-cooked, so they fry up great.) Folks in the southwest do this same thing, but add torn tortillas instead of potatoes. Then it's called "migas."

Try to serve your expensive protein on stuff or in stuff or over stuff. Cheaper stuff. Like noodles, rice, eggs, potatoes, etc.

Chili and eggs were also a big hit. Make up your batch of chili. Then scramble up about a dozen eggs. Put the scrambled eggs on the plate and then dump the chili over them. Traditionally, this is served with grated cheese and chopped onions on top.

And don't forget about soups made out of leftovers. One chicken would feed us three nights. First night we'd have baked chicken. Second night, I'd boil the chicken with veggies and then pull off the biggest chunks of meat and chop up some hard-boiled eggs and we'd have chicken a la king over noodles or rice. Third night, I'd take the broth and veggies from stewing the chicken and add some starch like corn, noodles, rice, potatoes, or whatever, and we'd have soup.

Ditto on a roast. First night, roast. Second night, beef stroganoff. Third night vegetable beef soup.

Yep, you've got to be creative.

Either that or win the lottery.

Edited August 30, 2004 by Jaymes (log)

[jilli42]

I have a bottomless pit also. He is 11, went away for the summer with a normal sized appetite. When he returned he was a ravenous eating machine. I can't count the number of times I have said or thought to myself "How can you still be hungry !!?" after seeing him eat 2-3 helpings.

He eats vegetables. So I try to have lots of carrots, radishes, cucumbers cut up. I also make sure to have dip. I make alot of meatloaf, pasta/meat dishes, bbq chicken seems to go over well, and if you catch it on sale you can get quite a bit at a decent price. Homemade chicken nuggets/patties which I bake in the oven. Spicy dishes seem to satiate him quicker than those that are bland. I find myself making alot of casserole type dishes. They seem to fill him up. I have even on one occasion resorted to .......Hamburger Helper. He ate almost the whole box himself.

For cooking on his own: I have lots of eggs & cheese. Often he will add leftover meat to them while he is scrambling them. Peanut butter & jelly. Lunchmeat. Fruit. Cereal. Chef Boy R Dee "pasta" stuff in a can ( not the healthiest thing but cheap & easy for him to make) Mac n cheese. Different types of noodles soups; some from Thai Kitchen, Shin Cup noodles and of course Ramen....I should buy stock.

And of course anytime he wants to go eat at a friends house I always answer YES !

[FistFullaRoux]

As a former teenaged boy myself, the best advice I can give is not to prepare everything for them. Make them do some of the work. You can do the prep, if you are worried about wrecking the kitchen, but if they have to put it on the stove, they may appreciate it more.

Show them how to make hummus. Can of chickpeas, garlic, spices, salt, a bit of oil (or not), then beat the hell out of it in a food processor. It's interactive. Keep the ingredients on hand for them to make after school. High quality protien there, and relatively inexpensive. Plus they can make it themselves. Tortillas and pita for dipping, and you are set. One reasonably healthy dish, and they can make it for friends as well.

Don't forget the crock pot. Beans and rice, any number of soups or stews, just load it up in the morning, and the locust horde can be satistifed when they get out of school...

Keep the Costco sized jars of peanut butter. Keep marinated chicken leg quarters (catch them at .39 a pound) that they can throw into the oven for 20 minutes to feed themselves.

[FistFullaRoux]

The only real fatty thing that they eat regularly is toasted pecans in the winter because I have tons of pecans around (trees at our farm, our house, my mom's house and my MIL's house-lots of papershell pecans) and make them regularly as I like them and they do as well.

But it makes their coat so nice and shiny....

Edited August 30, 2004 by FistFullaRoux (log)

[Jaymes]

And one last thought from me....

My favorite way to add nutrition: Mom's Mac & Cheese: Into the pot of boiling water add some fresh broccoli along with the macaroni. Drain and continue your recipe as usual. It was actually quite good, the kids ate it without complaining, and I felt a lot less guilty about the Mac & Cheese thing.

[chile_peppa]

As parental unit to three young men, now 22, 21, and 19, as well as partner to a male head of household, I buy meat, meat, and more meat. Sam's Club is my friend. About once a month or so, several huge packages of ground beef turn into hamburger patties, sloppy joe mix, taco mix, spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, meatballs with sauce, and chili in a marathon weekend cooking spree. I sneak vegetables like grated carrots into the various mixes -- no one has complained yet. All these things go into the freezer so the Voracious Ones can heat 'n' eat according to their various schedules. Those individual-serving freezer-to-microwave plastic containers are great.

The other kind of food that seems to disappear in a hurry is sweets. Though homemade brownies and cookies are the hands-down favorites, granola bars, cereal bars, and energy bars keep the guys from gnawing on my arms while I'm cooking dinner. And I keep pushing fruit at them, and though they claim it's wussy stuff, it does seem to disappear. NO SODA -- lots and lots of water, milk, green tea, and 100% fruit juice!

And then there's always indivudal frozen pizzas, canned soup, grilled cheese...

[EllenC]

I have a 16 year old son who consumes somewhere between 5000 and 8000 calories a day. (It depends on how much weight lifting he is doing at the time and whether or not it's wrestling season.) His average daily diet consists of several pounds of fruit, generally 4-6 eggs (I keep at least a dozen hard boiled eggs in the 'fridge at any given time), around 3 large glasses of milk (I keep Hershey's chocolate syrup on hand because he says chocolate milk fills him up faster - yes I understand the sugar but he rarely drinks soda and NEVER eats chips).

I make homemade granola bars which we have customized to his tastes - he goes through a 9X13 pan about every 5 days. I load them up with dried apples, cherries, raisens, etc and next to no sugar so they work pretty good.

Pasta is a huge thing in our house as is rice. I have taken to using calrose rice because - again - he says it fills him up faster. Chili is always with either rice or pasta as are most soups and stews.

Whenever I can I make homemade pasta because it's more filling (are you seeing a theme here?) I also keep potatoes on hand in large quantities because you can put them in lots of dishes, and because he will nuke one and throw cheese on it for a quick snack.

I keep lots of bread on hand for sandwiches, toast, etc. Quick and easy.

My son refuses to eat ramen, kraft Mac & Cheese, or pretty much anything out of a box. I plan for lots of leftovers and then plan for them to be gone the next day.

I agree 100% with Mayhaw Man in that they will eat whatever is around. Be prepared.

edited for errors and to add that I also shred any kind of veggie I can and throw it into everything from spaghetti to soup to sauces.

Edited August 30, 2004 by EllenC (log)