How do you handle older kids eating so much?

[Nestof3]

I just bought a pint of blueberries for $4.00 tonight, and my oldest ate half the container at one time. I try to buy lots of healthy items with lots of fruit, healthy Kashi granola bars, etc. But he eats so much, and he always seems to eat the most expensive stuff first. I already told him no more than one granola bar a day.

 

I personally like to have a select few low-calorie but healthy snacks -- like fruit and granola bars because I am on a nutrient-dense diet, and I have to be careful about snacks. He always grabs the easiest thing to eat, which usually means the most expensive. A huge watermelon could be in the refrigerator, but he wouldn't dream of eating it unless it was already cut up. Then, he'll eat a whole bowl of it.

 

I get tired of rationing him like a five year old, but groceries are very expensive right now. I know if he were on his own paying his own groceries, he would naturally ration himself more.

 

How do you handle this? My young ones still have to ask to eat anything in the house.

[Kris]

Mine is the same way -- he'll eat the stuff that comes in a box first. If he has to actually "cook" something -- like some eggs -- he'll starve first.

 

So I don't buy things "in a box." I have fresh and frozen fruit, yogurt, veggies, meats, cheeses, bread for sandwiches, plenty of eggs and omelet "makin's." I love fresh berries, but can't afford them -- I buy frozen ones at half the cost.

 

Since I'm a diabetic, a granola bar is pretty much the same as eating a chocolate chip cookie -- i.e., a bad idea.

 

I also have stuff that I get just for me -- no touching.

 

My son had a friend over one weekend last year, and in less than 24 hours they went through all the groceries I bought for the entire week. I was really ticked -- and said so. It wasn't a matter of "just going to the store to get more." There *was* no "more." I threw a fit, and it hasn't happened again. The commercials where the kids raid the fridge and it's empty all the time might seem cute, but they aren't.

 

These kids are old enough to understand that it isn't just a matter of going out back and plucking more money off the tree.

[Jumping In Puddles]

:lol: I don't have any advice but I just got off the phone with my SIL and she has 3 boys and she goes through 1 box of cereal and 1 gallon of milk every single morning!

 

Healthy summer fruit should be going on sale about now so you should get some relief :) I just bought a pint of blueberries for $1.29!

 

Maybe, if you have time, you could make a big batch of homemade granola? It is way cheaper especially if you can buy the oats and fruit and nuts in bulk.

[manylilblessings]

I'm not there yet, but my mom used to give my brother, who was 6'4" and a wrestler, a list of things he was allowed to eat for snacks. It was mostly carbs, because they're cheap. I remember he used to eat a box of cereal, in a mixing bowl, with a half gallon of milk. It was disgusting. But... for today's prices, you can get that whole snack for under $4. If you buy generic plain cereal at Walmart, it's less than $2 a box.

 

I have 4 boys... so I can only imagine my future.

 

Melissa

[Sue G in PA]

We ration all of them...even and esp. the older ones. My boys could eat us out of house and home in a day if we let them. I must ration snacks during the day b/c we simply cannot afford to spend so much on groceries. We did find raw milk at an Amish farm right around the corner for $3/gallon so I don't mind milk drinking so much anymore. :) But, cereal...they are allowed 2 bowls each day. Otherwise, we'd go broke! I hate doing this, but we must. Now, I don't starve my kids! They eat enough. I comfort myself by thinking that Americans eat 10x as much NOW as they used to even just 100 years ago. But they ate healthy. No fast food, not as much prepared foods, etc. Whole foods, raw fruits, veggies, healthy grains, nuts, seeds, etc. So, if you must ration...do it. We have an orchard nearby that has blueberries (pick your own) for $2/lb. and we go each week and pick about 3 lbs. or so. We freeze some for pancakes and muffins and have some for readily available snacks all summer! Yummy!

[Doran]

I buy certain snacks like pretzels that aren't quite so expensive, but I also try to keep better snacks on hand, like granola or protein bars, for times when we're running between activities and don't have time for a good meal. Unfortunately, my oldest (almost 14) has taken to eating these kinds of things as much or more than the other snacks. We've had some lengthy discussions about the fact that she's a lazy eater, choosing the things that require the least effort first. So, right now, I'm in the process of doing two things to help: (1) I'm trying to make sure I have things on hand like nuts and raisins, fresh fruits and vegetables, even a pot of soup so that she has easy meal and snack options. (2) I'm realizing that the more I offer to fix her a meal, the better she'll eat. If I ask her if she's hungry, she'll say "No", and then eat goofy, expensive snacks. But, if I just fix her a bowl of pasta with sauce or pesto, she'll eat that and be happy. Not sure if these thoughts work for your guy, but I figured I toss them out anyhow.

 

Could you also suggest that he buy some of his own food? Does he have a job? :confused:

[percytruffle]

My family members are big eaters! My 17yo ds can really pack the food away and he is as thin as a rail! The rest of us consume a lot of groceries as well. I try to have filling snacks available for them. I stock things like mixed nuts, frozen pizzas (Kashi or Tombstone-no hydrogenated fats), kashi bars, cereals packed with nuts and raisins (no bad ingredients), organic or at least hormone free whole milk, sharp cheddar cheese, hummus and crackers, corn chips and salsa, ready made salad fixings (organic spring mix), etc. I have found that higher quality foods that are more calorie dense keep them fuller longer as long as they are not excessively high in carbs. The whole grains in Kashi products help to slow down the digestion and avoid a sugar hit, but too many of them and the rebound hunger pangs will start. I have had to ration Kashi bars, cereal, and juice. Everything else is free game.

 

They are growing and full of energy. We are not an overweight family, except myself who could stand to loose about 20 or more pounds, but hey, I am almost 46 and the hormones are playing a role here.

 

I cringe at the amount I spend at the store, but I refuse to feed them useless carbs just because they are cheap. This time in their lives will dictate how they eat as independent adults. I favor nutrition over wealth even if we have to cut back in other areas.

 

As I type, ds has gone out to the garden (with a flashlight) to harvest some lettuce to make a blt. It's no wonder I'm a little overweight. It's hard to be around a constant eater like this and not participate!

[Jenny in Florida]

It's funny, but I honestly don't remember eating like that when I was a teen. I was a chubby kid and have fought my weight my whole life, but I never remember eating anywhere close to what my 13-year-old daughter does at a single meal.

 

I'm more than a bit apprehensive about what life will be like when my son hits the same age.

 

The only practical suggestion I can come up with would be to identify a few snack/meal items that are acceptable to both of you (price-wise for you, taste- and ease-wise for him) and stock up on them. Then let him know that he is allowed ONLY those things unless he gets permission for something else. I might also make sure he understands the budgetary issues involved and that he knows how many of what are there for his use for that week.

 

I guess one other suggestion would be to do the intentional left-over thing and pre-package your own "convenience" meals for him. I do this for my son every time I make pasta. I make extra sauce and noodles and stash them in the fridge so that he can microwave them quickly.

[Tracey in TX]

My girls eat the most food. It's almost obscene, but necessary. When they were in school, I had to find out why DD spent almost twice as much food as her sibs. She's an athlete, and very small (height and weight). Thought maybe her ID was being used by another student. When I asked about it, the lunch lady laughed and described her perfectly. She ate TWO complete lunches daily, whereas her twin snacked on less healthy foods. Children devour food when they go through growth spurts.

 

Enough babbling: either prepare easy, healthy foods for DS or expect behavior to continue...unless there is a consequence which will have him alter his behavior. You've got quite the conundrum. You want him to eat healthy, but maybe be more respectful of the entire family and their desires to enjoy the expensive foods. Is he home often enough to expect him to cut up watermelons, dice cheeses, etc for the fridge? Even make granola snacks for following day? Maybe that could be his nightly kitchen help.

[Diana in OR]

I keep the expensive stuff in my closet and ration it. I don't like the idea of rationing granola bars and the like. I've tried to teach my boys moderation, but admittedly, I don't know what it's like to be an adolescent boy :confused: . I have never been a big cereal fan, but I do buy lower-sugar cold cereals when they're on sale for cheap and leave that out for snacking. Sometimes I divide something up as soon as I get home, and give them their portion immediately. Other times, I have to make a concerted effort to ration something, or make sure it gets saved for what I want.

I just wish I had a refrigerator in my closet. :D

[Cedarmom]

We buy small containers of yogurt, frozen small pizza's,cheese and cracker packages at Costco, so it is a bit cheaper. I usually have some cooked meat, cheese, and tortilla's for taco's. Also big cheap containers of ice cream, he likes milkshakes , and they are filling. I do have a few items, such as granola bars that I allow only one of a day.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have hungry boys. they have started having baked potatoes for lunch every day. I have a wood combustion stove, so all they have to do is wash the potatoes and pop them in the oven. they are eating 6 big potatoes every day for lunch. this has really slowed their eating of other things down.

 

another thing to try is what mu mum did with my brothers ( I have 5 brothers) she made a big pot of rice, and they ate bowels full of rice , milk and honey. this really fills up growing boys, is easy to make, and is a lot cheaper than cereal etc.

[lynn]

Our cheapest solution is popcorn. My boys eat big but if I have popcorn in the house it meets their criteria of quick and easy. I do keep a lot of fruit and several snack choices around but the popcorn (96%fat free) keeps my food bill down.

[Liza Q]

I have no advice - I am just so happy to see that I am not the only one dealing with this! My girls are often grumpy because there is *nothing to eat* and it always means that there is nothing quick and easy. The pickiness doesn't help either - we can have bread for toast or PBJs, salad stuff, cheese, sauce and pitas for mini-pizzas and eggs but they will tell me there is nothing to eat because we have no leftovers that are easy to reheat or yogurt and granola bars. And the fruit - sometimes it goes bad because I get busy and they are waiting for Mom to cut it up and announce *Fruit!!!* to them!

 

And they get grumpy because I only *make* 1-2 meals a day. I will often makes a real breakfast (otherwise it is cereal or frozen waffles or yogurt with granola) and I usually make dinner, but they are on their own for lunch and snacks.

[MomofSeven]

he just making a pig of himself? I have a very active 7 year old who can seriously put down the food. But dh and I have decided to limit how much he can eat at one sitting. A second helping is fine, but a third is just being piggish in my opinion. Same for snacking. Like your son, my ds can eat an entire bowl of fruit - grapes, watermelon, etc. I make him serve himself some in a small bowl and then eat only that amount.

 

I know he's not starving, he just would never stop eating if I didn't stop him myself.

 

Now, your son is older so I'm sure it's harder for you to monitor him and it's probably something that you don't want to do anyway. I can't say I have many ideas except reminding him to only eat when he's hungry and to think of others in the family when he's thinking of downing an entire pint of blueberries. :001_smile:

[Quiver0f10]

I only allow eating at set times. We have 3 meals and 2 snacks and that's it. Otherwise my grocery bill would be double what it is now.

[Marie in Oh]

I agree with Doran that I will sacrifice wealth for nutrition. However, a box of Kashi granola bars is gone at one snack time ere (6 bars, 6 kids) so that doesn't work. We don't do that very often. My dd bakes alot and we almost always have fruit in the house. We will do fruit in the morning as a snack and a baked thing in the afternoon. I also find that if they drink enough water, they aren'tas hungry. I wonder if some of outr hunger is truly thirst. It is very difficult to feed a family during these times.

[chiguirre]

Nest, since your big eater has a job, I'd offer to buy his snacks for him. Give him a list of prices for his favorite stuff or take him shopping so he can see the options and prices. Then you can pick up what he wants to have on hand when you do your shopping and he can pay for it. If you don't feel comfortable with him having his private stash of snacks, maybe you could charge him board and use the money to buy the expensive stuff for everyone.

[Kim in SouthGa]

I'm not there yet but well on my way..my 12 ds has really started eating a lot more. One thing I have been toying with-growing some fruit myself. I am a tried and true black thumb, but I'm thinking this would be a good project for dad and the kids. We have a dog in the backyard, who eats everything, so our space is limited, but I think we could do some watermelon in the side yard and a pot of strawberrries on the front porch. As for eating the fruit that is not cut up first, how about making it his responsibility to cut up the fruit as soon as you get home from the grocery?

I've had to limit my kids on some things, like frozen pizza and pancakes (not the most nutritious, but we do the whole grain variety)-I just tell them we are getting one per week, and when it is gone it is gone, they'll just have to do without. And I would definitely be hiding snacks for myself if I was you:001_smile:

[Dinsfamily]

Okay, so I'm not there yet, but I've given this a lot of thought as I'm pg with my third boy. A friend of mine suggested having a rice steamer on the counter with brown rice in it that the boys could snack on whenever they want. Dh and I don't eat too many carbs at dinner (our only entire-family sit down meal), so I'll have to add something for them when they into those eating years. I will probably limit access to grab 'n go snacks since I pretty much outlaw them now. Other things I'm thinking about are homemade pancakes in the freezer (we make huge batches on Sat. mornings) and canned turkey, chicken, and tuna premade into salad for sandwiches. That would be pretty filling, right? I will probably have veggies and some fruits (apples, oranges, etc.) for snacks, but expensive fruits and items bought for specific meals will be off-limits. I have no problem giving them a list of food they are allowed to eat without asking permission. If they want special snacks that are too expensive they will have to buy them themselves.

 

On a funny note, I picked up my friend's 13yo dd from school yesterday and she was trying to hint that she wanted me to take her to a drive-thru for a snack (I didn't bite) by complaining that there was nothing to eat in their house. She told me that when she could drive she was going to go buy what SHE wanted to eat whenever she wanted (read: fast food and processed snacks). I told her that it takes money to buy food and that it might be a little more expensive than she thinks. I had to concentrate not to laugh out-loud to her.

[LisaKinVA]

I second the inexpensive starches (potatoes, pasta and rice). We had those all the time growing up -- big starch at dinner...

 

Also, I'd add something more complex than boxed cereal for breakfast. Baked oatmeal, homemade granola (also great for snacking), and maybe eggs (we used to be able to get farm eggs really cheap by the flat... so they were a HUGE staple in our home). Throw in some fresh fruit, milk or yogurt... much more satisfying (it worked in my family growing up.)

 

I'd also make the oldest responsible for a daily bread baking (dense whole grain bread, great with butter).

 

Fruits and veggies are a great light snack -- but for growing children, they will be back -- and truly hungry quickly.

 

The $4 a pint (or qt) blueberries should be off-limits, except as a garnish with granola or oatmeal (we don't buy blueberries, as we grow so many of them with no trouble... and buy grow a LOT, I mean a LOT... We still have about 12 quarts from last summer in the freezer!)

[Lolly]

Technically only 3, but ds has started hitting his growing age so I jsut throw him in as a teen. Sizewise he certainly counts.

 

One key to curbing the appetite is protein. Cheap carbs are one thing, but they won't keep them full. Make sure they are getting protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snacks here are whatever they can get for themselves. My oldest 3 being girls don't seem to mind cooking. Ds is following their lead. Maybe that is because they don't really have a choice if they want to eat. Peanut butter on pretty much anything holds them longer than anything alone. Bags of small apples and bananas (both with pb) make cheap/easy snacks. My kids also go through tons of ramen noodles. Graham crackers, vanilla wafers, and other crackers with pb. Dd makes no-bake cookies constantly. I call it oatmeal and don't worry about it. Cheese toast made in the toaster oven. Lots of sandwiches even though the meat is expensive. They eat a sandwich with meat (or egg) and they go back for a while. Someone here is almost ALWAYS eating. (Of course, my grocery bill is astronomical too.)

[Sandy in Indy]

I bought another refrigerator! :001_smile:

 

I "hide" things I don't want my family to snack on or put a sign on things that says "off limits." Otherwise, things disappear!!

 

Popcorn is a big favorite here.

[LaMere Academy]

My almost 14 yr old son and 12.5 year old daughter eat A LOT! I've told them both before that they don't need to eat so much, it's just they've gotten in a bad habit of eating such big portions. Most Americans have though.

They're very healthy and perfect size, but I think sometimes they eat just to eat or eat too much because they want it, but don't need it.

 

My children have been raised where they know they need to ask me if they can eat something. They'll ask can they have a snack and I'll give them the options. They can say "can I have this instead" Maybe yes, maybe no. At least one snack a day has to be fruit or veggie. If we have granola bars, flavored rice cakes, graham crackers, or goldfish, one snack can be that.

 

I don't know any way around it, other than feed them 3 good meals a day with at least 2 healthy snacks and know that some day the eating will slow down...I hope!

[Tap]

Dh just recently figured out how much we spend a month on food and he was absolutely floored! He really had no idea how much it costs to feed 3 kids, 2 adults and a constant supply of neighborhood friends. Unlike other posters, I don't limit ds's food intake. He needs all the food he can get. He is a swimmer with 2-3 hour hard practices every day. He is very thin and starts to get sick at practice if he hasn't eaten well during the day. I think his body runs out of quick energy stores and since he has NO fat to relay on, his body starts to burn muscle instead.

 

I work 3 days a week and the majority of that budget goes to my son's swim team (about $500 mth with travel) and groceries $600-700 mth. With ds's sports combined with growing an inch each month for the past 4 mths, and a very high metabolism, and the kid can out eat a horse! Then we have dfd20mths who is allergic to dairy and whey. Buying goat cheese, rice milk and special snacks gets expensive also.

 

For ds13, I like to have him premake things that are easy but also filling for him. If he is making oatmeal, I have him make a pot full. Then he can just go back and reheat a serving or two later for a snack. Same with breakfast burritos. We precook hash browns, diced ham, eggs, ans peppers, toss them together in a bowl and then he can scoop some out and micro for a quick meal. Spaghetti or pastas heat great too. Waffles and pancakes freeze well and can be heated in the toaster. But I don't do it for him, I teach him to cook larger volumes to plan ahead. I figure that if he is going to be an athlete when he goes to college, that he needs to know how to cook for himself and not live on snacks.

 

For my fruit loving kid. We make a lot of smoothies. Frozen fruit, yogurt or keifer (and a shot of liquid vitamin) are blended almost daily. Buying yogurt in the quart and frozen berries is a big cost saver. You can also make fruit last longer by making fruit smoothies with 100% juice, ice and fruit. You can also serve frozen blueberries or grapes, they go down a lot slower than room temp and are fun to eat.

 

If I buy a large inexpensive fruit, I chop it up all at once and put it into the fridge. It is amazing how fast they will demolish a watermelon, cantaloupe, cut up apples or oranges, if it is already ready to eat. I will put them to work cutting it up after I take off the rind, or core the apples. I think it goes beyond just feeding them but also teaches then life skills.

 

Ds13 does go through a 1/2 box of cereal a day. That gets expensive because I am picky about buying healthy cereals. I do find that healthy cereals last him longer, a cheap cereal like corn flakes, only last him an hour or two, and then he is back into the fridge again. With cereal, you really get what you pay for. I really look for cereals with a higher protein content that will burn slower than a cereal with just carbs.

 

 

There are two things I limit. We prefer juices that are 'not from concentrate". These are usually $5-8 a gallon. These are one thing that I do limit. They can have 1-2 glasses a day but they can't just chug through a gallon in a day. Dd9 and her friend polished off almost an entire gallon of Odwalla OJ the other day! I wasn't too happy with her. I didn't realize that dd9 was starting to hit the 'eating machine' phase too. The second thing I limit is snack bars. Ds will eat a protein bar before swim practice each day. I buy them by the case so they usually cost about $1 per bar. I don't allow them for everyday snacks unless we are on the go! We do keep TJ's cereal bars for dd who likes to eat those on the run. I am less worried about those at 30cents per bar than $1 per bar.

 

 

I hope you get some good advice and some suggestions that work for you,

Tap

[Michelle T]

DS is 12. He is already 5'4" (DH is 6'7", so we know DS is going to be tall) but is quite thin. He is always hungry, and like many others here, he would prefer to eat whatever is quick and easy.

 

But he is also a very picky eater, which makes it harder and more annoying to get healthy snacks into him. He won't eat cheese, little fruit, no nuts, and he's picky about most other things.

 

What he WILL eat, and I keep around for snacks:

popcorn

Cliff Bars - only the brownie flavor, and I get them on sale

tortilla chips and salsa

cereal - he is very picky, currently likes Crispix

berries - yes these are expensive and he can go through an entire box quickly

 

He also likes scrambled eggs, he will eat peanut butter sometimes, and he will eat chicken, beef, or turkey. He's not great about veggies but will eat cooked veggies at dinner. He loves buttered noodles. He loves pizza, although he peels off the cheese. He would eat ice cream all day long if he could.

 

I'm getting some great ideas from this thread, thanks for starting it!

Michelle T

[K&Rs Mom]

I just bought a pint of blueberries for $4.00 tonight, and my oldest ate half the container at one time.

 

He always grabs the easiest thing to eat, which usually means the most expensive. A huge watermelon could be in the refrigerator, but he wouldn't dream of eating it unless it was already cut up. Then, he'll eat a whole bowl of it.

 

 

I'd set up a system so he (and you) can just grab single servings. Cut up that watermelon and put it into a bunch of small covered bowls; divide the pint of blueberries into a few small bags or bowls. I know when I eat more than a "serving" it's usually mindless, not that I'm actually that hungry. If I have a larger container, I'll eat more from it, but if my single serving runs out I won't go get a second one.

[Mrs Mungo]

He always grabs the easiest thing to eat, which usually means the most expensive. A huge watermelon could be in the refrigerator, but he wouldn't dream of eating it unless it was already cut up. Then, he'll eat a whole bowl of it.

 

I don't limit my kids' food intake, they are all *tiny* and I'm happy to let them eat as much as they want.

 

However, your eldest is 18. I would suggest a few things. First, have him help with grocery budgeting and meal planning. I think it's a skill *everyone* should learn. Secondly, when you come home from the store have him help do the prep work. Cut up celery and carrot sticks, melon, cheese cubes and such and put them in ziplocs or containers.

 

I agree with those who suggested he needs to be eating more protein instead of just the fruit, talk to him about this. The blueberries should be eaten with cottage cheese or some other type of protein. Celery and carrot sticks go well with almond butter. Slices of cheese with an apple.

[Denisemomof4]

My husband and I stop eating, we stop feeding the barn animals, and my husband walks 43 miles to work. :lol:

 

Seriously, though, my teen boys each will eat a box of cereal for breakfast (and I don't really want to even buy it, but I simply can't bake and cook all day!) and an entire bag of chips each! My oldest son has eaten an entire pizza to himself, too!

 

I really tried to stick to only whole foods, but I can't be a slave in the kitchen all day!

 

Denise

[Old Dominion Heather]

My dh had to pay for his keep at 18. It wasn't a huge amount of money, but it did help to feed him. I think he paid his parents $100 a month for room and board.

[Colleen]

You can imagine how much food we go through here what with five farm boys ~ and it's only going to get worse. Oy vey! I definitely control their intake and agree with much of what others have said as far as healthy eating, etc is concerned.

 

The difference between my reality and yours is that your oldest is a young adult. I know from what you've shared in other posts that he's a considerate, responsible young man; you need to tap into that as far as this issue is concerned. He's far too old for you to "babysit", but you need to discuss his choices with him. If he prefers to eat what he wants, when he wants, so be it ~ but he needs to kick in for the cost of doing so. Just turn it over to him, in that sense.

[Nestof3]

Thanks ladies. I have gained much advice to use from this thread. He will adjust himself concerning a particular food if I say something to him, but I feel silly saying things and sounding so picky.

 

I already limited him to one granola bar a day when I discovered he was eating two (these were not Kashi, but the high fructose corn syrup cakey ones with fruit filling). He adjusted immediately. I told him one cheese stick a day one time, and he adjusted accordingly.

 

I am going to outline acceptable snacks (like what fruit and how much fruit a day) and tell him that the rest of his intake aside from meals will have to be things he makes like PBJ, oatmeal, etc.

 

I am also considering having him donate a certain amount a month to snacks.

 

He is quite lean, but works a lot, takes martial arts 3 times a week, and really does need a lot of calories.

 

Unfortunately, he is a sugar/carbaholic, and monitoring his sweet intake has always been an issue around here. My younger boys still have candy from Christmas, but Aaron doesn't leave it around long. Aaron even said when he was living with his mom, he used to make root beer floats at the age of 5 whenever he wanted to!

[elegantlion]

This has been a very educational thread, thank you. My ds eats like a bird. He's has experienced a few growth spurts lately to increase his appetite, but those have been only temporary.

 

Y'all have helped me decide to give higher priority to teaching ds to cook. My goal has always been to have help with the cooking by the time he was a teenager, I guess I'd better get to it now. :001_huh:

[Rosie_0801]

I just bought a pint of blueberries for $4.00 tonight, and my oldest ate half the container at one time. I try to buy lots of healthy items with lots of fruit, healthy Kashi granola bars, etc. But he eats so much, and he always seems to eat the most expensive stuff first. I already told him no more than one granola bar a day.

 

No advice, but that's why my mother didn't buy blueberries or granola bars... Actually, that's why I don't buy them. My kids aren't big enough to get into them yet, but hubby would!

Rosie

[Pensguys]

This sounds bad, but we have to hide food from our boys sometimes....things like the granola bars. At one time I was buying the small packages of chips and just puttting a few in the pantry, but I stopped buying those altogether. Thankfully, my boys don't eat cereal very much and none of them like milk. I'd rather hide the things I can than to be constantly on them for eating. I know I have more/worse days to come with 2 with already big appetites.

[Jugglin'5]

Let me tell you my husband's experience. He was an athlete - track, football, basketball, etc. Every year during track season, he would start getting sick - mono, constant colds, strep, you name it. My MIL was on Weight Watchers and always cooked healthy stir fries, etc, making sure there was lots of rice for him. Finally after the last bout of sickness his junior year, they took him to an internist. He prescribed a half gallon of ice cream each night for future dh. He stopped getting sick. The moral of my story: growing, physically active young men need fat, protein, and calories. Rabbit food won't cut it.

 

Now, I am not suggesting you get him ice cream every night. I agree with other posters that he may need to contribute to the grocery bill and be more thoughtful about what and how much he is eating. But, he needs food, and not just carbs! My opinion, fwiw.:001_smile:

[Jennifer in MI]

I don't limit snacking really. I DO however, limit what they may snack on. We always have apples, but I ask that they dip it in peanut butter. We also have almonds, sunflower seeds (bought in bulk very cheap!), popcorn, plain high-fat yogurt with jelly, and veggies (dipped in pb or a yogurt/dill dip I make).

 

They may snack on those things without asking. I figure if they really are hungry, they'll eat what's offered. This way I save money on snacky foods and I ensure that the snacks that my kids do eat are healthy!

 

Good luck finding your balance!

[kalanamak]

My folks had a bunch on a teacher's salary. Aside from milk and fruit from the bushel basket my mother always had out (apples, oranges or grapefruits) every child, and even hubby, ASKED if they could eat such and such. She ran the kitchen-ship, she did the shopping, cooking and cleanup for 68 years of marriage, it was RESPECTFUL to ask when in her domain. Years later, after I became the "chef" of the family (the child most adept at cooking) she remarked she would have never dreamed it would be me. I told her taboos spark interest. I couldn't lay a toe in there without her watchful eye.

 

She also had a sign up that said "Quiet, genius at work". There was no roughhousing in the kitchen!

[lwilliams1922]

Over the last couple of years I stopped doing the cereal thing. I've been learning somethings that have me questioning the processed carbs for breakfast.

 

We keep organic eggs for breakfast. We have some form of eggs or omlets about 5 days a week. I find that when they have a good protein source first thing in the morning it lasts longer.

 

I also see that each meal has a good amount of protein in it, even if it's beans. The kids have to clean their plates before going back for seconds.

 

I started buying a lot of organic and healthier foods recently and in order to make it work within the budget I no longer buy much fast or processed food.

 

I buy plenty of produce, especially what's on sale. My kids can put away berries like crazy. I just don't get them when the price is that high though.

 

as far as snacks I make batches of healthy snacks. As someone said popcorn is a hit around here. I've got a healthy brownie recipe from scratch that everyone raves about. We will also have apple slices with peanut or almond butter as an alternative breakfast or snack.

 

One issue I have is drinks. When we do go out to eat I try to watch the tab. I think water is good for the body and DH and I always order just water. Now the kids on the other hand always want soda (which they know I don't allow) , juice or dessert. I've to them about this but it's hard to really sink in when the grandparents policy is always anything goes.

Sigh...

[sassenach]

I have 2 really big eaters. Other than rationing, here is my best trick. I make them smoothies, either at breakfast or lunch, depending on their preference. They contain 4-6 frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup oj, 1 heaping tablespoon each of ground flax seed and whey protien powder. I buy all of the ingredients in bulk. Oj is the most pricey ingredient. When I find it on sale, I buy a bunch and freeze it. These smoothies keep the kids full for hours. If they ate the fruit and yogurt individually, within 15 minutes, they'd be bugging me for more. Mixed with all of that fiber and protien, it really holds them over. This has been my #1 sanity saving discovery in the past year. Hth,