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[Rosie_0801]

How old and how are his iron levels? Is he over-carbing?

[Melissa in Australia]

Is he having a growth spurt? It takes a HUGE amount of energy to grow.

My oldest grew 1 inch per month when 12  years old, being 6 foot just before turning 13. He needed lots of sleep. Another one grew a bit slower so seemed to need more sleep over a longer period. Regularly they wouldn't emerge from bed until 10 am

[wintermom]

Sounds like he may be going through a growth spurt, needing a lot of food and sleep. 

I'd check the iron levels, as Rosie recommended. Plant-based may not provide all the iron or vitamins he needs. My Indian neighbour was a vegetarian, though she had her teen sons eat meat during those massive growing years. 

[Shoeless]

He sounds normal to me. 

My 15 yo puts away more food than my husband and sleeps 10+ hrs a day. 

[BusyMom5]

Sounds like a growth spurt,  and also like he's not getting enough nutrients.   My boys eat a lot of meat when they go through big growth spurts.  I don't think the could get enough with a plant based diet.   It isn't just iron, also other amino acids to build muscles.  Boys gain a lot of muscle mass in their teens.  Would you consider a protein shake?  

[Harriet Vane]

How old is your kid? 

My son ate a staggering amount of food during adolescence. He has always been wiry and muscular, with no extra body fat at all. He was eating more than me as a 6-year-old, and once he hit the double digits it was unbelievable how much food he ate. During high school he ate three normal meals a day and three hefty snacks in between. 

It's always a good idea to check for things like anemia, but if he appears to be healthy and is keeping up with regular activity and such, he's probably just growing. Increase his protein intake. 

[Drama Llama]

The food sounds like my teen boys.  We aren't plant based, but we eat a lot of whole foods, and whole foods are often less calorie dense which makes the immense quantities they eat even more noticeable.  

Needing a lot of sleep can absolutely be a sign of growth, although in our household it has also been a sign of depression, and it can signal anemia or other issues.  It might be worth asking the pediatrician, although I wouldn't consider it urgent.  

Is he sleeping the whole time?  One thing I see from my 15 year old is that he is starting to take longer to wind down or wake up in the morning.  So, he might be in his room 11 hours, but sleep 10.  So, it might just be that he wants more time to himself.

[Carrie12345]

Pretty normal in my book, for all 5 of my kids, including my 12.5yo who has started a bit earlier than the others.

My current 16yo has been my biggest concern, as he is the skinniest by far. His ped was really concerned about nutritional deficits, but all tests came back normal.

(Most of us are omnivores, but one of my dds was vegetarian through her early teens and reincorporated a little meat later because it made her feel better.)

[Eos]

Totally normal.  Didn't anyone remind you to take out a second mortgage to pay for food when your boy entered the teen years? 🙂 

At one point it was almost comical how much ds2 was eating, he found it annoying and called it a chore.  Pro-tip: something really calorie-dense with carb, fat, and protein right before bed - ds ate a huge bowl of yogurt and muesli every night for years.  Bean burrito or a peanut butter sandwich comes to mind for plant-based. 

It's great he's sleeping so long and so well!  Taking downtime is a huge life skill and as long as he isn't anemic, he's a step ahead.

[Eos]

6 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

Would you consider a protein shake? 

These were sanity-saving for both our boys.

[HomeAgain]

Unfortunately normal.  I gave up on the idea of a healthy diet for my 13yo.  I make sure he has 3 plant-heavy meals each day and a variety.  From there it does not matter.  He will eat everything else in the fridge, buy second lunch at school, and still be starving.  A pint of berries is now a "single serving" and heaven help us if I put potatoes on the table. I now make twice as much as I used to.

His camp at least recognizes the need for sleep.  They have a staggered wake up schedule, where 8-9yos are up at 6 but the latest group, 15-16yos, are up at 9:15am.  Bedtimes are all within half an hour of each other, but the older kids get much longer to sleep.

[Clemsondana]

My teen has been like this for years.  Some nights are less sleep by necessity, but kid prefers 9-10 or more hours.  Kid does a lot of physical work - sports, workouts, running, helping in the garden - and is always working on something academic (by choice in the summer) or reading.  The brain uses a ton of energy to work, and the sleep really helps with memory.  Kid has protein smoothies (a cup of fruit, a pint of milk, and 3 scoops of whey powder) many days.  Or 3 bananas, 1-2 cups of milk, and 3 scoops of peanut powder.  The other night kid came home from scouts and ate after the rest of us were done.  We had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and several veggies.  Kid ate a pound of meatloaf in addition to copious quantities of the veggies.  Kid loves beans or peas and rice, and tends to eat them out of a serving bowl to accommodate the amount that kid eats.  Kid had major growth spurts over the years (kid is now 6'2 and maybe done?) but is still filling out.  We live in an area where it is easy to buy bulk meat (1/2 cow or pig) from area farmers, and we grow beans, peas, squash, okra, peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes in the summer.  I can't imagine what our food bill would look like if we bought everything at a grocery store, but I'm sure I'd have sticker shock.  

[Corraleno]

The amount of food and sleep you mention are perfectly normal for a tween/teen, but I'd get his B12 levels checked since you're plant-based. Even omnivores can be low in B12, some people just don't process it well — I'm plant-based but am careful to supplement and my levels are better than my DS who eats meat.

[J-rap]

That would've been unusual for my family, maybe especially the need to nap after any mental or physical exertion during the day after already getting so much sleep at night.

Is your ds getting enough protein?  Is he really asleep during all those hours?  (Could he be on his phone?) Could he be depressed?  Is he getting enough vitamin D? 

On the other hand, some people really do need more sleep and their bodies seem to be on a different rhythm.  

 

 

[Arcadia]

12 hours ago, Petrova Fossil said:

After physical or mental exertion of any kind he needs a nap or at least some downtime

 

30 minutes ago, J-rap said:

That would've been unusual for my family, maybe especially the need to nap after any mental or physical exertion during the day after already getting so much sleep at night.

The OP did say downtime, so not necessarily sleeping. If it is at the level of exertion, my kids would sleep (physical exertion, exams) or watch YouTube, laugh at memes (mental exertion from homework). My husband and I also needs downtime after mental exertions. After a stressful and lengthy work meeting online, he would sometimes catch a nap before he continues working. 
My DS18 doesn’t fall asleep easily either unless he is very exhausted so he could go to bed at 9pm because he is tired and done for the day and fall asleep at 11pm. My DS17 just needs more sleep.

[Pawz4me]

All of that sounds perfectly normal to me (mom of two now grown boys).

[Kassia]

28 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

All of that sounds perfectly normal to me (mom of two now grown boys).

Me too, but three grown boys.  One in particular needed so much food and sleep (my tallest and most active son). 

[Ali in OR]

Agreeing that lots of sleep and food was normal particularly for my very active youngest kid for several years of growth to mature adult body. And now as a college kid that need to nap and leg muscle cramps when running sent her to the doctor where her ferritin (stored iron) was tested and was well below normal range. She now supplements iron.

[J-rap]

4 hours ago, Arcadia said:

 

The OP did say downtime, so not necessarily sleeping. If it is at the level of exertion, my kids would sleep (physical exertion, exams) or watch YouTube, laugh at memes (mental exertion from homework). My husband and I also needs downtime after mental exertions. After a stressful and lengthy work meeting online, he would sometimes catch a nap before he continues working. 
My DS18 doesn’t fall asleep easily either unless he is very exhausted so he could go to bed at 9pm because he is tired and done for the day and fall asleep at 11pm. My DS17 just needs more sleep.

Sure, I understand.  My kids definitely would've wanted to rest at the table with a good meal after an intense swim meet, or maybe take a break from homework by going out with friends, but they didn't seem to need a nap or downtime from just any kind of physical or mental exertion.  So for my family, it would seem unusual and I'd be a little worried.   (Again, that's for my family.  I realize other people's metabolism, energy-level, sleep needs, etc. are different!)  I interpret "exertion" to mean any kind of effort out of the normal more relaxed routine.  Perhaps the OP meant more a level of exhaustion.

 

 

[Green Bean]

Totally normal. 4 of my 6 have gone through this. My DD15 is in the midst of it.

Protein shakes are a good idea. Plant-based is not usually recommended for growing teens. Does he take a good B12 supplement and overall vitamins?

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[cjzimmer1]

23 minutes ago, Petrova Fossil said:

15.

His iron levels are fine, as per his last checkup.

I should have clarified: I am plant-based. He and my husband still eat meat.

I think beefing up the protein would be a good idea. (Today’s lunch-table convo. Boy: “Is this all?” (Staring down a large chicken drumstick and breast.) Me: “What do you mean?” Boy: “That’s not enough.” Me: “Well get more potatoes and vegetables then. That other half is for dinner.” Boy: “You don’t feed me enough.” Maybe I need to resign myself to the fact that half a chicken is a serving size portion for him.)

 

My kid would have absolutely laughed if I told him that "snack" size portion was a meal.

When mine spent 2 years in the major growing period his daily intake looked something like this:

If he got up for breakfast (probably only happened 2-3 days a week), it was 4 cups of oatmeal (measured dry, not sure what it expands to when cooked) topped with dried or frozen fruit.

Lunch 10" plate piled high with food x 4.  Yes four large plates for lunch.

Supper different food same amount, 4 large 10" plates piled as high as he could.

To give you a sense of quantity, he would eat a pound to pound and a half of meat(without bones), 1-2 pounds of vegetable and 2-3 pounds of potatoes for a single meal.  

And then right before bed he would come clean out pretty much anything in the fridge.  I will never forget the day he came for his bedtime snack and the only thing in the house was mushroom risotto.  He HATES mushrooms more than anything else I've ever served.  But it was literally the only thing I had.  So he sat down and ate 7 cups of a food I know he detested because he really was that hungry.

It also wasn't uncommon for him to wake up during the night with his stomach growling.  if he couldn't get back to sleep because of it, he would come make his 4 cups of oatmeal in the middle of the night.

And lest you think he was some big bulky athletic guy, nope.  Complete couch potato, skinny as a rail (BMI was between 16-17 at the time) and he ate ALL the time.  Completely healthy just super high metabolism.  He also slept at a minimum of 10 hours a day.  But he also grew 10 inches and went up 4 shoes sizes in about 9 months.

Edited July 14, 2023 by cjzimmer1

[busymama7]

My family is petite so some of these descriptions do not match our experience. I'm on my 4th teen boy and he eats more than the rest of us but certainly wouldn't eat more than two pieces of chicken or 4 platefuls of food.  He's already 5'10" which is the tallest in the family but still growing and playing football right now in the heat but still doesn't eat like that.  This morning he had a protein shake before practice and made a three fried egg sandwich after with milk.  I didn't see but probably 4 slices of pizza for lunch, a large serving of enchiladas and raw veggies for dinner.  I'm not sure if he ate after swimming in our pool tonight as I was in the shower but he probably did.  A sandwich most likely.   His brother who is in his 20s and only 5'6" went through a growing spurt where he ate more but he was a small eater to begin with so it was like an extra serving of some meals and a pb&j before bed.  When all 9 kids of mine were home I cooked 4 cups dry oatmeal for everyone which they ate with heavy cream for satiety and usually 2 pieces of toast and maybe some milk.  

Im sharing this to say there can be a wide variety of normal so this could be perfectly normal. In my family it would not have been however and I would look for missing nutrients.  I found they needed protein, good fat and carbs at pretty much every meal.  I discouraged like just toast even with butter even for a snack because it didn't stick. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by busymama7

[Harriet Vane]

9 hours ago, Petrova Fossil said:

15.

His iron levels are fine, as per his last checkup.

I should have clarified: I am plant-based. He and my husband still eat meat.

I think beefing up the protein would be a good idea. (Today’s lunch-table convo. Boy: “Is this all?” (Staring down a large chicken drumstick and breast.) Me: “What do you mean?” Boy: “That’s not enough.” Me: “Well get more potatoes and vegetables then. That other half is for dinner.” Boy: “You don’t feed me enough.” Maybe I need to resign myself to the fact that half a chicken is a serving size portion for him.)

He’s not using screens. We check to see that he stops using at least 30 minutes before bedtime and puts all the electronics in the family room before he goes to bed.

He spends a half hour reading before bed and some time in the morning just lying in bed staring at the ceiling (as he self-reports). He estimates that he is actually asleep 10 or 11 hours, with a half-hour each to wind down and wake up.

He takes a vitamin D supplement and also gets regular exposure to sunlight (when we can manage it, it just topped 112 degrees here).

I had the same conversation with my son more than once, lol. At meals his plate was always piled high with double or triple portions compared to everyone else, and he always ate 2-3 platefuls. Like I said, it was a staggering amount of food. It finally slowed down midway through college, though he still eats more than the rest of us.

[knitgrl]

Dd13 regularly eats 2-3x more than dh or I do. I am slightly above average height, and she's already taller than me. A dear relative says we should keep feeding her, because there's a scholarship out there for women who are 5'10" and above. 😄

[vonfirmath]

Yikes. You make me wonder if my lecture last week to my 15 year old about serving sizes was unfair 😞

(Though I did reiterate I want him to be full -- not hungry. He just does not need to fill up entirely on one item. Have a serving or two of protein, then eat an apple, some salad -- etc. Other things before going back for more protein. And pay attention to how many people need to eat off the food before eating most of it.  If there are 10 biscuits for strawberry shortcake left and you leave only a spoonfull of strawberries, people are not going to get strawberry shortcake for desert. Etc.)

 

[Kassia]

54 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

I had the same conversation with my son more than once, lol. At meals his plate was always piled high with double or triple portions compared to everyone else, and he always ate 2-3 platefuls. Like I said, it was a staggering amount of food. It finally slowed down midway through college, though he still eats more than the rest of us.

One of my sons is 29 and still eats like that while struggling to keep weight on (he's tall and very active).  People always comment on how much he eats when he's out and it makes him uncomfortable at times.  I remember one time his girlfriend was having dinner with us and her eyes bugged out when she saw what he served himself on his plate!  DH and I will make eye contact and/or kick each other under the table sometimes when ds is home and we see his plate at mealtime because the food is stacked so high on the plate.  I actually get really stressed about meals/food when my adult sons come home now because I'm not used to making/having that much food.  They are always hungry and eat enormous amounts.