Teen boys & meat

[Lucy in Australia]

Question for families who like meat and who have teen boys: how much do you consider is enough meat (red meat, chicken, etc...) for a teen boy to eat in one main meal? I'm tearing my hair out here. I do my best to provide whole/healthy food for my family. I try to buy grass-fed beef;  it's not cheap.  I know it's normal for them to have huge appetites, but I'm not prepared to let them eat 1/2 kilo of meat each. And yet, whenever I try to cut down the meat & add more beans & pulses, they eat them quite happily but are still hungry an hour later.  They eat plenty of vegetables & good carbs, & enough fruit. Do I just have to suck it up & give them more meat? These are the things they never tell you about when your cute little baby boys are born :blink: :tongue_smilie:

[mom2bee]

Could they perhaps have some sort of protein bar when they get hungry again? That way they can stay comfortable, get nutrients and you wouldn't necessarily have to take out a 2nd mortgage on your home.

 

You can order protein bars online for cheaper than you find them in the stores most times.

[ColleenInWis]

I have lots of ideas for keeping our one son happy and healthy...  I wrote a few paragraphs about it here not too long ago.  

[Amira]

I cannot imagine my two teen boys eating a kilo of meat between them in one meal. But we usually eat meat as a condiment instead of as a main dish, so I rarely serve more than 1/4 kilo of meat for the entire family. Our biggest meat meal is when I make sweet and sour chicken a two or three times a year and I use a kilo of chicken for that, and there's usually a little left over for our family of five. I make fish a lot more often and we'll eat 3/4 kilo if my oldest likes it. I serve lots of vegetables, whole grains, tofu, and legumes and no one is hungry if they eat dinner.

[fraidycat]

I would make sure they are getting enough fat to help satiate them. Butter, coconut oil, full fat dairy or dairy substitute, etc.

[KungFuPanda]

Question for families who like meat and who have teen boys: how much do you consider is enough meat (red meat, chicken, etc...) for a teen boy to eat in one main meal? I'm tearing my hair out here. I do my best to provide whole/healthy food for my family. I try to buy grass-fed beef;  it's not cheap.  I know it's normal for them to have huge appetites, but I'm not prepared to let them eat 1/2 kilo of meat each. And yet, whenever I try to cut down the meat & add more beans & pulses, they eat them quite happily but are still hungry an hour later.  They eat plenty of vegetables & good carbs, & enough fruit. Do I just have to suck it up & give them more meat? These are the things they never tell you about when your cute little baby boys are born :blink: :tongue_smilie:

First, I did the conversion. Then, I about passed out. I have two teens and just recently bumped up from a pound of meat to 1 1/2 lbs for our family of 4. Granted, Dd 17 has never been a big eater, but I think the rest of us have hearty appetites. DS 13 takes prednisone daily and that kicks up the appetite a bit. We had enchiladas tonight and I filled my big lasagna pan with enchiladas but only used a pound of chicken. We had leftovers.

[Lucy in Australia]

Thanks for the ideas.  Fraidycat, good point about the fat; neither of them likes coconut oil (may be genetic - I don't much like it myself) but we are all butter & olive oil fans.

Margaret, I am sending you 2 tall, muscly boys. You have my permission to work them as hard as you like. I'll have 'em back when they're, oh say, 24 :laugh:

[Joker]

I just googled "teenaged boys and protein" (because I have an 11 year old boy) and found this:

 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/543419-how-much-protein-does-my-teenage-boy-need/

 

The best part for your food budget concerns is the following:

 

"A teenage boy does not need to eat animal-based foods to get enough protein. The National Institutes of Health assures that you can get all of the amino acids your body needs to synthesize proteins by eating plenty of plant-based foods throughout the day."

 

Yet if my youngest and I do not eat enough red meat we are ill. We eat a good amount of red meat and still need B vitamin supplements. We also eat a lot of veggies. Bodies and their needs are different for everyone. When I tried to go with the idea that we didn't need meat, half of my family became ill.

[Melissa in Australia]

my teens eat lots of meat. Lots. We grow our own meat which greatly helps. they eat a steak each, dd14 ,ds10 DH and I have half a steak each. The boys know that they eat a lot of meat and have recently taken up hunting Deer. It really helps.

 

one thing I have noticed thought their meat requirements drop drastically when they reach 19 - or have so far.

[Melissa in Australia]

Oh good, only one more year to go! In ds's case, I doubt that will work though. He didn't start growing until 17, so I think he has a few more years to go...

 

Ah! that would make a difference. My oldest was over 6 foot by the age of 12. he stopped growing at 14

 

[Joker]

We had some high schoolers here this weekend, after skiing all day. I watched one young man have FOUR large glasses of milk! I KNOW his parents don't  allow that at home--bet he had a tummy ache that night. Ds asked the next morning, "Hey, where did all the milk go?" Um, remember your friend, William???

 

:lol: :lol:  This totally cracked me up because of dh's name and his stories of going to friends' homes. One told him he could have as many bowls of cereal as he wanted --- and he proceeded to eat the entire box. He felt horrible after but said he was always so hungry...

[Alessandra]

Lucy

My ds eats about as much as yours. When I buy, say a London broil, he will eat a normal portion of 4-5 thin slices, the a second portion, then a third portion, then finish off the rest as an an evening snack. So probably about a pound.

 

I let him eat what he wants -- better meat than junk food. Ds has never been an emotional eater and he grew about 5" last year and is thin, so I figure he needs the protein. He will also eat about 3/4 lb of salmon. He would eat more if I served more.

 

When we have an expensive cut of meat -- like fillet of beef, I do tell ds that it is very expensive and that he can only eat whatever (generous) portion I give him. We haven't yet switched to grass fed beef, but we have been eating a lot more lamb. I feel your pain, lol. A 4 lb semi boneless leg of lamb is good for one meal. If I want to make shepherds pie with the leftovers, I have to go to the butcher for ground lamb to supplement.

 

I want ds to eat mote vegetables, but hat is because they are healthy, not to fill him up. He does have high protein snacks, like eggs and cheese too. Basically, I think ds's appetite control works pretty well for his age, weight and height, so I try not to mess with it.

[mrsrevmeg]

Yet if my youngest and I do not eat enough red meat we are ill. We eat a good amount of red meat and still need B vitamin supplements. We also eat a lot of veggies. Bodies and their needs are different for everyone. When I tried to go with the idea that we didn't need meat, half of my family became ill.

 

My oldest and youngest sons are like this. They need meat. They can eat beans, veggies. etc.. all day long, but without meat they are weak and sickly feeling. The oldest once ate a 24oz steak followed by a chicken breast. (with side items). Our food budget is killing us, but we do what we have to.

[Barb_]

I just googled "teenaged boys and protein" (because I have an 11 year old boy) and found this:

 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/543419-how-much-protein-does-my-teenage-boy-need/

 

The best part for your food budget concerns is the following:

 

"A teenage boy does not need to eat animal-based foods to get enough protein. The National Institutes of Health assures that you can get all of the amino acids your body needs to synthesize proteins by eating plenty of plant-based foods throughout the day."

Lol, I don't even want to think about how many vegetables a kid would have to eat to satisfy a kid who is used to eating a pound of meat! Meat may even be cheaper :)

[Jenny in Florida]

Lol, I don't even want to think about how many vegetables a kid would have to eat to satisfy a kid who is used to eating a pound of meat! Meat may even be cheaper :)

 

"Plant-based foods" does not mean exclusively vegetables.

 

For what it's worth, which may be nothing, we're a vegetarian/vegan family, and my 15-year-old son is a pretty serious dancer (and about six feet tall). He eats no meat, but I have been nudging him toward being more intentional about eating enough fat and protein to stay full for more than an hour or two at a time.

 

My strategy has been to make sure he includes some kind of protein-dense food at every meal and with every snack. For example, I've been transitioning him from grabbing a bag of potato chips as a snack to eating pita chips with hummus, instead. And I've been finding ways to increase the protein content of other foods. For example, I've been substituting almond meal or ground walnuts for part of the flour in the banana muffins he eats for breakfast a few days a week.

 

Also, he starts every day with a smoothie spiked with vegan protein powder. I use half Spiru-tein (soy-rice-pea protein) and half Soy-Free Veg. Sometimes, if he's not really interested in food but needs a pick-me-up, he might drink a second smoothie with lunch or dinner.

 

I have no experience with meat-eating teenagers, but I assume the basic principle is the same: Just keep making sure you are offering a healthy variety of protein-rich foods with a decent amount of fat at every meal and snack time.

 

Edit: It's been so long since I've purchased, cooked or eaten meat that I couldn't really conceptualize how much you were talking about in your original post. However, I would honestly be concerned about the health implications of consuming that much animal-based protein. I found this article, which cites a study from Harvard University about the potential dangers of eating too much meat:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/13/too-much-protein-diets-_n_1772987.html

 

"For most people, protein consumption should always be balanced, without overconsumption. A March study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine through Harvard University found eating too much red meat can shorten one's lifespan. The infographic also pointed out eating too much meat can lead to kidney stones, dehydration and calcium loss.

 

"But how much is too much? Dieticians of Canada recommend one serving (75 g or 2 1/2 ounces) of meat every day, along with a meat alternative to make up the recommended daily intake of five ounces of protein. They also suggest mixing up your options: Go for a beef burger one day and maybe tofu steak the next."

 

If I'm doing the math correctly, it sounds like your sons may be eating something like seven times the recommended amount of meat per day?

[Lucy in Australia]

Oh,  thank you - I was starting to worry I had a couple of freaks on my hands :lol:  I have to admit, in their defense, I also need meat (obviously not as much as them) or I don't feel "strong" (for lack of a better word).

Horton, it's interesting you should mention your family getting ill when you ate less meat; that's exactly what happened to me when I experimented with reducing meats & replacing with plant-based protein. I had several weird cold- type of infections that year, when I usually only get one mild one.

Alessandra, you think exactly like I do :thumbup1:

Barb, if you could already see us coming out of the fruit & veg markets :lol: People move out of the way because of the amount of food we have in our boxes :svengo:

[Laura Corin]

I feed adequate but not vast portions of meat: between 100 and 200 grams per child.  If they are hungry an hour later, they can snack.

 

L

[Melissa in Australia]

Oh,  thank you - I was starting to worry I had a couple of freaks on my hands :lol:  I have to admit, in their defense, I also need meat (obviously not as much as them) or I don't feel "strong" (for lack of a better word).

Horton, it's interesting you should mention your family getting ill when you ate less meat; that's exactly what happened to me when I experimented with reducing meats & replacing with plant-based protein. I had several weird cold- type of infections that year, when I usually only get one mild one.

Alessandra, you think exactly like I do :thumbup1:

Barb, if you could already see us coming out of the fruit & veg markets :lol: People move out of the way because of the amount of food we have in our boxes :svengo:

 

I and my boys get weak without meat as well. I once went for a month with no real meat, I lost many kgs and started to get shaky and teary.

[Melissa in Australia]

"Plant-based foods" does not mean exclusively vegetables.

 

For what it's worth, which may be nothing, we're a vegetarian/vegan family, and my 15-year-old son is a pretty serious dancer (and about six feet tall). He eats no meat, but I have been nudging him toward being more intentional about eating enough fat and protein to stay full for more than an hour or two at a time.

 

My strategy has been to make sure he includes some kind of protein-dense food at every meal and with every snack. For example, I've been transitioning him from grabbing a bag of potato chips as a snack to eating pita chips with hummus, instead. And I've been finding ways to increase the protein content of other foods. For example, I've been substituting almond meal or ground walnuts for part of the flour in the banana muffins he eats for breakfast a few days a week.

 

Also, he starts every day with a smoothie spiked with vegan protein powder. I use half Spiru-tein (soy-rice-pea protein) and half Soy-Free Veg. Sometimes, if he's not really interested in food but needs a pick-me-up, he might drink a second smoothie with lunch or dinner.

 

I have no experience with meat-eating teenagers, but I assume the basic principle is the same: Just keep making sure you are offering a healthy variety of protein-rich foods with a decent amount of fat at every meal and snack time.

 

Edit: It's been so long since I've purchased, cooked or eaten meat that I couldn't really conceptualize how much you were talking about in your original post. However, I would honestly be concerned about the health implications of consuming that much animal-based protein. I found this article, which cites a study from Harvard University about the potential dangers of eating too much meat:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/13/too-much-protein-diets-_n_1772987.html

 

"For most people, protein consumption should always be balanced, without overconsumption. A March study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine through Harvard University found eating too much red meat can shorten one's lifespan. The infographic also pointed out eating too much meat can lead to kidney stones, dehydration and calcium loss.

 

"But how much is too much? Dieticians of Canada recommend one serving (75 g or 2 1/2 ounces) of meat every day, along with a meat alternative to make up the recommended daily intake of five ounces of protein. They also suggest mixing up your options: Go for a beef burger one day and maybe tofu steak the next."

 

If I'm doing the math correctly, it sounds like your sons may be eating something like seven times the recommended amount of meat per day?

 

I personally don't view fake meat, soy based protein substitutes and stuff like that as food. I would much rather my children eat meat than processed imitation food.

 all our family is tall and very thin. we do not eat processed food, rather grow our own meat, fruit vegetables and milk. we eat at least 8-10 servings of vegetables a day. processed food like  chips is not available instead my children have unlimited milk etc.

 the recommended amount of meat in Australia is a portion of steak that would fit on the palm of your hand. My boys have very big palms

 

[Mrs Mungo]

I would make sure they are getting enough fat to help satiate them. Butter, coconut oil, full fat dairy or dairy substitute, etc.

This is what I was going to say. Avocados, nuts, olives, full fat yogurt, cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, olive oils, etc. Fats will help them feel more full for a longer period of time.

[Joyofsixreboot]

For what it's worth I have a whole family of "big eaters". Even my vegetarian dd can pack away the food. They are all thin and athletic so genetics maybe? I offer them meat with meals but split it up so it goes around. We eat LOTS of nut butters, nuts, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese and beans as snacks. ( And yes bushels of produce too.). My dad always says it's better to pay the grocery bill than the doctor bill.

[Ripley]

My teenager doesn't care for meat, so he eats very little of it. I'm gathering this (and his dislike of milk) is a good thing for my wallet! My friend was just complaining that her boy is drinking a gallon of milk each day, to the tune of $4/gallon. Just, .... wow. LOL

 

I like the idea of added fats to help satiate between meals - e.g., if they're snacking on fruits try adding a handful of nuts or cubes of full-fat cheese. Maybe even ice cream. :)

 

[Jenny in Florida]

I personally don't view fake meat, soy based protein substitutes and stuff like that as food. I would much rather my children eat meat than processed imitation food.

 all our family is tall and very thin. we do not eat processed food, rather grow our own meat, fruit vegetables and milk. we eat at least 8-10 servings of vegetables a day. processed food like  chips is not available instead my children have unlimited milk etc.

 the recommended amount of meat in Australia is a portion of steak that would fit on the palm of your hand. My boys have very big palms

 

 

It's a matter of perspective, probably, but I don't view "soy-based protein" as "fake food." Folks all over the world have eaten things like tofu as their primary source of protein happily and healthfully for centuries. So, I don't see the dichotomy you apparently do.

 

We actually eat very few analogues or meat substitutes, preferring to get most of our protein and nutrition from real foods such whole grains (I bake a lot of our bread), various beans and nuts, veggies, etc. My son is the only one who regularly consumes things like protein powders, mostly because he's not a fan of nuts or many beans. As I said, he's a dancer, at the studio either taking class or teaching for 20-ish hours a week, plus carrying a very full academic schedule. So, getting a boost first thing in the morning in an easy-to-swallow, palatable package is a matter of convenience.

 

For him, I also don't micromanage things like chips too strictly, because he's rail thin and can use the additional fat. (Last I checked, he was almost 6 feet tall and weighs about 120 pounds. It doesn't stop him from being able to lift his dance partners, though.)

 

Our dietary choices are driven by ethics, not primarily by health concerns, although our diet has turned out to have pretty wonderful effects there, too. My husband, for example, comes from a family with a history of high blood pressure and cholesterol, but he routinely receives praise at his check-ups for being well within the healthy range on both.

 

In fact, it's kind of funny: My life-long vegan son is built exactly like my husband -- who came from a meat-heavy omnivorous family -- was at the same age, except that he has significantly more muscle and energy. And, unlike my husband, who spent much of his junior high and high  school years on crutches because of issues with his knees, my son has no chronic health problems of any kind. (Of course, as a dancer, he's at risk of injury pretty much every day of his life. So, excuse me while I knock on wood briefly . . . )

 

Obviously, these things are extremely personal choices. I'm not in any way attempting to convince you to go vegan or stop your sons from eating meat, if you find it an acceptable option. I was just correcting an assumption another poster made about "plant-based foods" and wanted to draw your attention to the medical studies I had read, in case you found the info helpful for your family.

[KungFuPanda]

"Plant-based foods" does not mean exclusively vegetables.

 

For what it's worth, which may be nothing, we're a vegetarian/vegan family, and my 15-year-old son is a pretty serious dancer (and about six feet tall). He eats no meat, but I have been nudging him toward being more intentional about eating enough fat and protein to stay full for more than an hour or two at a time.

 

My strategy has been to make sure he includes some kind of protein-dense food at every meal and with every snack. For example, I've been transitioning him from grabbing a bag of potato chips as a snack to eating pita chips with hummus, instead. And I've been finding ways to increase the protein content of other foods. For example, I've been substituting almond meal or ground walnuts for part of the flour in the banana muffins he eats for breakfast a few days a week.

 

Also, he starts every day with a smoothie spiked with vegan protein powder. I use half Spiru-tein (soy-rice-pea protein) and half Soy-Free Veg. Sometimes, if he's not really interested in food but needs a pick-me-up, he might drink a second smoothie with lunch or dinner.

 

I have no experience with meat-eating teenagers, but I assume the basic principle is the same: Just keep making sure you are offering a healthy variety of protein-rich foods with a decent amount of fat at every meal and snack time.

 

Edit: It's been so long since I've purchased, cooked or eaten meat that I couldn't really conceptualize how much you were talking about in your original post. However, I would honestly be concerned about the health implications of consuming that much animal-based protein. I found this article, which cites a study from Harvard University about the potential dangers of eating too much meat:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/13/too-much-protein-diets-_n_1772987.html

 

"For most people, protein consumption should always be balanced, without overconsumption. A March study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine through Harvard University found eating too much red meat can shorten one's lifespan. The infographic also pointed out eating too much meat can lead to kidney stones, dehydration and calcium loss.

 

"But how much is too much? Dieticians of Canada recommend one serving (75 g or 2 1/2 ounces) of meat every day, along with a meat alternative to make up the recommended daily intake of five ounces of protein. They also suggest mixing up your options: Go for a beef burger one day and maybe tofu steak the next."

 

If I'm doing the math correctly, it sounds like your sons may be eating something like seven times the recommended amount of meat per day?

Is it any cheaper to feed a vegan teen? Or do you still get a teen-sized food budget that you just spend on things other than meat?

[FaithManor]

I don't allow seconds of meat based dishes. They must take a dairy product or other fats plus more vegetables. This fills them up. The exception is the middle ds who is now 5'11.5" and weighs a wimping 103 lbs. He has a metabolic issue that makes it difficult for him to gain weight and muscle. He works out with weights and not only has protein shakes which I make with fruit, ice cream, and heavy whipping cream, but he has NO restrictions at all on his food. His brothers understand that they need to eat differently due to being healthy weights for their heights. They snack on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and sometimes some nice muffins that I make. I do not restrict snacking in between meals because they seem to be constantly growing and they are very active. No one has ever had their "dinner" ruined from having snacks, LOL. I don't allow much in the way of sugar or simple carbs because it doesn't fill them up at all, doesn't have as much nutrition, and seems to set off more simple carb cravings. I'm not draconian about it, just careful.

 

Middle boy also gets a fair amount of seafood and macadamia nuts due to low absorption of certain omega oils and that is kind of a budget buster. Dh no longer worries about how much I spend on food. He is more concerned about health issues, so we choose to economize elsewhere when necessary.

 

In order to help them out, I put two types of cheese on their salads, plus beans. A typical salad would be romaine and butter lettuce, shredded carrots, diced red pepper and celery, black beans, a little cheddar cheese, a little gouda or feta cheese, an oil based dressing unless they really, really want a creamy one and for that, I keep a blue cheese dressing around, and some boiled egg as well. This is very filling and when eaten before the entre, then their meat portions are pretty reasonable plus they'll also eat a cooked vegetable on the side and some fruit with 8 -12 oz. of milk. They are usually good to go and may then have a healthy snack later on, or occasionally, some popcorn. We do like popcorn with parmesan here!

 

I don't do soy here simply because as an American crop, it is one of the most heavily sprayed with estrogen based pesticides. If I could get it organically at any kind of reasonable price, I would add that to some of our meals. But, organic is horrifically priced and when I listen to what the local soy producers say they spray and how much of it, I have to admit to being incredibly appalled. I think it's much safer from other countries.

 

[Amy in NH]

They typically eat two full adult-size meals per dinner,  but they have to take second helpings of everything, not just meat. 

 

If they are hungry (at any time) they can have as many baked potatoes as they want. 

 

They eat a lot of eggs for breakfast.

 

We go through a gallon of milk per day.

 

Try high-fiber foods to keep them feeling full longer.

[Miss Marple]

We have gone from a 4 gallons of milk a week household to a 1/2 gallon of milk per week.  My older boys drank lots of milk and ate lots of eggs (thankfully we had chickens).  Youngest doesn't like milk nor eggs.  But it isn't uncommon for him to come home with a whole baked chicken from the deli which he will eat on all day.  He isn't as ravenous for beef, though.  I think he can eat a pound of chicken at a time, 1/2 ground beef at a time, but a whole 1.5 lb steak will be gone in no time at all.  In the course of a day, he probably consumes 2 lbs of meat.  He is 17 and is very active.

[Pawz4me]

I've never limited the amount of any food my boys were allowed to eat.  But neither of them consumes a lot of meat.  Youngest isn't a big eater in general.  Oldest is a huge eater, but he's also a runner.  He needs a goodly amount of protein, but mostly he focuses on complex carbs.

[Ottakee]

Can you supplement some of their meat with eggs?  For breakfast or as hard boiled eggs for snacks, etc.  Eggs tend to be quite a bit cheaper than red meats.

[AK_Mom4]

OK.... so I don't have high-energy thin teens and I don't have huge eaters either.  We eat meat and veggies and a regular mix. My kids look and eat "average".

 

For dishes with meat in them (like spaghetti), we would use a pound of hamburger in the sauce.  If we have steak, DH cooks 3 steaks for 4 of us (it works out).  Chicken night would be 4 medium sized chicken breasts, but there would be probably half a one left over (DD12 doesn't eat much meat).  The rest of the meat fills up with veggies and grains (biscuits, pasta) for sides.

 

During the years when we had 3 growing teens in the house at once, our meat budget was a little higher (5-6 chicken breasts instead of 4, 5 steaks instead of 3), but we were feeding two extra people.  We also eat plenty of eggs, cheese, and sandwiches.

 

The only time our budget takes a huge hit was when DS22 comes home from college.  His physical activity level is insanely high there and he regularly needs to consume about 4000 calories a day to maintain his weight at a whopping 140 pounds (5'11").

 

I think fat is the key to making sure they feel full at a meal. 

[Lisbeth]

I just wanted to say that I'm green with envy.  If my son, who is very, very tall for his age, would eat more meat, I would give him as much as he wanted.  He isn't just a picky eater - he has sensory integration disorder and is very freaked out by certain flavors and textures.  It pains me to give him "junky" processed stuff like hotdogs when I cook from scratch and make hearty meat dishes for meals for the family as a whole.  He will literally throw up trying things like chicken. :sad:

[J-rap]

It sounds like my son when he was a teen AND was on the swim team!  I couldn't afford lots of grass-fed meat either, although it's what I wanted to serve.  We supplemented with lots of peanut butter (natural, nothing added) and legumes.  Our favorites were black beans and lentils, and I cooked them up in the slow cooker and they lasted a week.  With the black beans, you can make soups and burritos, and with the lentils I usually threw in lots of veggies and made hearty stews.  My son knew he could dip into the legume pot anytime and each as much as he wanted, and they were cheap.

[Slartibartfast]

We had some high schoolers here this weekend, after skiing all day. I watched one young man have FOUR large glasses of milk! I KNOW his parents don't  allow that at home--bet he had a tummy ache that night. Ds asked the next morning, "Hey, where did all the milk go?" Um, remember your friend, William???

 

 

When I was very active I used to drink four glasses of milk a day.

 

 

I think I would start making my own protein bars

 

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/01/recipe-homemade-larabars-4-ways-including-nut-free/

[happypamama]

This thread is frightening me! We already eat mostly paleoish, meaning DH eats very low-grain, and the rest of us don't eat tons of grains but do eat some for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, mainly for budget reasons. DH will eat dishes with non-meat forms of protein, but it's hard for him to feel full without meat, and he feels best and healthiest when he eats very low grain and carb. My oldest boy is not quite nine, and already, we need a good two pounds of meat for dinner, even with several pounds of veggies too. I'm thankful that I will only have three teenage boys at once, but I will have three teenage boys for a long time. I do supplement with beans and while grains, and a lot of good fats. And as the kids get bigger, I expect that they will help us with growing whatever we can, maybe raising chickens too, so as to conserve cash for things we can't raise or grow. But I also think that in about fright years, my grocery bill is going to be astronomical.

[Snickerdoodle]

I remember my mom buying several flats of eggs at a time.   Do they even sell them like that anymore?

[Jenny in Florida]

Is it any cheaper to feed a vegan teen? Or do you still get a teen-sized food budget that you just spend on things other than meat?

 

I'm not sure how we could measure or compare that meaningfully. I took  a shot with the highly hypothetical situation below, but I'm sure the assumptions and calculations are very flawed.

 

Again, our family doesn't really buy a lot of analogues, with the exception of soymilk for the teens, margarine (which I've eaten my whole life, even before I went veg) and the aforementioned protein powder. Mostly, we rely on things like nuts and beans for protein-dense foods.

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( http://www.bls.gov/ro3/apmw.htm ), the current average price in the U.S. for a pound of steak (since that is what the original poster mentioned) is $6.34. The current average price for a pound of dried beans, which makes something like three pounds of beans when cooked, is $1.45. I can't find an average price for a pound of nuts, but I know it's more than for the beans, definitely. Amazon has Planters cashews for $6 a pound. Most of our nuts are Target or Aldi store brand and probably cost less than that. But, it seems like a reasonable guesstimate.

 

The current price of a gallon of milk averages $3.50. I pay more like $5.00 per gallon for my son's preferred brand of soymilk, but it seems he drinks less of that than some teens are drinking milk, since that gallon will last him most of a week.

 

I do buy him protein powder for his morning smoothies. That costs me about $50 per month.

 

Other than that, I buy more or less the same kinds of things the rest of you do, I suspect: fresh fruits and veggies, baking supplies, grains, a few convenience foods for hectic days and packed lunches, etc.

 

If we assume a teen is eating roughly a pound of protein-dense something per day (using the original poster's half kilo estimate), that would cost the parent of a meat-eating teen a little more than $6.00 per day and provide about 55 grams of protein.

 

For my vegan kid, I'd replace that pound of meat with a couple of servings of beans, a handful of nuts and a smoothie or two. To get an equivalent amount of protein, he could consume:

 

- Two scoops of protein powder ($35 per 30 servings = $1.17 per serving) = 28 g

- 1/8 pound of cashews ($6 per pound = $0.75) = 11 g

- 1/2 pound of cooked beans ($1.45 worth of dried beans = three pounds cooked = $0.50 per pound = $0.25 for half a pound) = 20 g

 

In the name of time and clarity, I'm greatly simplifying. My son doesn't drink two smoothies every day. He eats nuts other than cashews and legumes other than black beans. I'm just doing a quick-and-dirty example for the sake of argument.

 

That would provide him with 59 grams of protein at a cost for the day of $3.34, or slightly more protein than the pound of meat at roughly half the cost.

 

Again, our dietary choices are ethical, not economic. We would eat vegetarian/vegan even if it did cost us more (as long as we could afford to do so). The possible savings are just a nifty fringe benefit.

[ThelmaLou]

I have 5 boys, 4 of them teens. My younger 3 teens don't seem to care if they have meat with their meals or not. They're good with vegetable soups, salads, fruits, beans, etc...I don't spend an inordinate amount of money on meat for them. My oldest is a completely different story. He packs in the protein every way he can. He's a power lifter, very muscular, very tall, not an ounce of fat on him. He's 6'6 240 lbs. and completely ripped. He has himself on a 6000 calorie a day diet, and so far we've been willing to accommodate his requests in the area of food. He eats lots of chicken, hamburger patties without buns, lots of nuts and nut butters, protein shakes, etc... He does have to pay for his own protein powder, which comes to about $40/month. He is also paying for a personal football trainer each week and gym membership. All the gym equipment in or garage (and there's a lot) he paid for by himself. I'm really impressed with his hard work and dedication to his goals. We try to support him as best we can on the protein as best we can. But we're not exactly buying him Alaskan Salmon or grass fed beef. Nothing organic either. I shop mostly at Aldi. I feed way too many boys to be able to afford special cuts of meat.

[Lolly]

yeah, about a pound a person here...Sometimes more. We do eat mostly protein. Most of that is meat. 

[Jenny in Florida]

So roughly how much is your weekly food bill?  Just curious. 

 

Very roughly, about $150 for a family of four, including three adults and my 15-year-old son. That sometimes includes food for three pets, too, and most of our cleaning supplies.

[Lolly]

Yayyyy another meatatarian!!!

 

yeah, dh would probably qualify as a carnivore. It truly amazes me. I prefer veggies and fruits myself. If it were just me, I would eat very little meat. But, I stand alone in this family. Dd#1 is allergic to almost all fruits, veggies, and grains. I have often wondered if dh is too, thus his intense dislike of them. I'm not going to cook for just me, so I just eat what they are eating--and that is meat.

[bolt.]

If the issue is around getting hungry again too soon, I'd try a strategy of significantly upping fats and oils with the meals, rather than increasing protein too much at first. I've also heard that fibre (veggies, whole grains) helps with keeping people full longer.

[linders]

No great answers, but a cute story. Before our DSs were born we sometimes had a friends two DS stay at our home for the weekend. One morning DH found the 14-year-old in our kitchen rooting through the cupboards.

 

DH: Whatcha doing?

Kid: Looking for a bowl.

DH: For...?

Kid: Cereal.

DH: Our cereal bowls are right there. (Points to our regular cereal/salad/soup bowls. Kid frowns.)

Kid: Do you have any bigger ones? Like mixing bowls?

DH: Why do you need a big one?

Kid: Mom only lets us have one bowl of cereal, so I always try to get a really big bowl.

DH (trying not to laugh): Tell you what, use one of those and you can have as many refills as you want.

 

A brand-new box was emptied.

 

 

[GSOchristie]

My seven year old (who I suspect has gluten issues) can put away a LOT of meat already, I'm frightened of the teen years :).  We usually let him have at least 4 ounces at dinner (I use a pound of meat per meal, usually), so I'm thinking 8 ounces won't be a stretch in the coming years.  I usually offer him yogurt between meals (I make it from whole milk) with a fruit and veggie.  He prefers meat over any other food except candy, his favorite thing to eat as a snack is chicken drumsticks baked in the oven, which are pretty cheap.  I keep them fridge and he can cook them himself in the toaster oven.  He is willing to wait 40 minutes for them :).

 

[Mrs Mungo]

We had some high schoolers here this weekend, after skiing all day. I watched one young man have FOUR large glasses of milk! I KNOW his parents don't allow that at home--bet he had a tummy ache that night. Ds asked the next morning, "Hey, where did all the milk go?" Um, remember your friend, William???

My kids drink a ton of milk and it is over $5/gallon at the commissary here. They are all underweight. After *years* of feeding ds high fat/calorie dense foods (including high calorie smoothies made with milk), he is finally on the growth curve, yay!!!! A kid like my son could easily drink that much milk. It is totally allowed at home.

[GSOchristie]

And what about eggs?  My four year old doesn't like meat, but he will eat eggs prepared any way.

[happypamama]

We eat a lot of eggs at breakfast, about five dozen a week already, so we don't usually eat them for lunch or dinner.