Ideas for feeding teen boys- suddenly ravenous

[Anonymous]

Please share ideas for feeding teen boys- I need filling entrees as well as snacks that don’t rely on convenience foods as we’re currently stationed in Asia.

My DS is suddenly ravenous and wants to eat healthier than the ramen and other salty snacks from Don Don Donki he has been eating. He isn’t a fan of seafood, but will eat shrimp.

The appetite is new and a little alarming, but he’s recently grown 3 inches and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. My brother reminded me that he was really hungry all through high school and basically had a 4th meal every day after school.

I’ve been cooking a lot of eggs (hard boiled, fried, scrambled), but that is getting old. I am willing to do any sort of prep/ cooking. I’m even seriously considering making my own yogurt since I can’t always get his favorite vanilla Greek yogurt locally.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

[Anonymous]

I was grateful for milk at that age. DS would often drink 3 glasses with dinner which was an easy source of filling protein that involved no prep from me. I would just have more of the things he is used to eating. Nuts are a good easy option.

[Anonymous]

If he’s a teen he’s old enough to come up with his own food for snacks. He can have a meal after school. Make a little extra dinner and he can have the leftover the next day.

[Anonymous]

Where in Asia are you, OP? I was a peace corps volunteer in China and I remember having trouble with protein sources. Many things Americans rely on for protein are difficult to find (dairy, peanut butter, beef, etc.).

I think making your own yogurt is a great idea. Tofu and beans could also be good options to explore. There are lots of ways to prepare these, including a variety of cuisines.

I don’t know how long you have been stationed where you are, but I sympathize with trying to figure out the local food situation and feeding teenagers!!

[Anonymous]

Eggs can be made so many different ways. How about something like a frittata that could last him two meals?

Yogurt is good; peanut butter or other nut butter if you can find it. Or straight-up nuts.

Cheese, cheese sandwiches. Extra of whatever you made for dinner the night before.

Is money an issue? If not, are there local cheaper convenience foods he can buy - eg in Japan, the convenience stores sell ready-to-eat gyoza, onigiri, pork buns. The grocery stores have good ready-to-eat options too. Might be good for him to expand his seafood palate. Cheap sushi (fish or veggie, like cucumber rolls) is excellent and healthy and filling.

[Anonymous]

I posted this on another thread a while ago. Look up in teen forum and search, lots of ideas there.

Aldi op, and Costco for the cost. Here are some of my favorite recipes for large meals.
I used to house several teen athletes for weeks on end.

Ribs are so easy. Put on two racks in the oven. 45 minutes before they are done, add potatoes and carrots —a lot of potatoes and carrots. They are delicious from the meat drippings. You put all the seasoned potatoes around. It is so delicious. Other than peeling and some prep, it is not hard work.

Risotto, make so much of it, then add chicken pieces on top. You boil the chicken pieces for the broth, use it to make soup with noodles as a starter, and then make risotto from the same broth. Brown chicken pieces up a bit in the oven.

Potatoes with sausages, bacon, and ground beef were always a hit. It is like a breakfast potato skillet but without eggs. Dh hates eggs... I used to make these for my DD's cheer team. Everyone loved it. Other moms started making it for these group breakfasts.

One of the meals everyone loves is sliced potatoes lined up with bacon, potatoes, bacon, potatoes, bacon, in the oven with some spices. 45-60 minutes later, it's a super delicious meal. Of course, I don't eat this too much, not on a regular basis.

I make my own pasta Bolognese. I cook ground beef for a couple of hours with an onion and carrot base, add passata, cook, and cook. I boil the pasta, and everyone loves it! My 18-month-old niece just ate two bowls (toddler bowls) of it; I kid you not.

Then, easy Dutch oven beef recipes, like Swiss Bliss, but I make a heartier variation. Brown beef pieces, then sauté onions and garlic, and carrots, add any kind of tomatoes you like, wine if you have it. Add water, and put in the oven for three hours. You can use London Broil, skirt steak, or cheaper cuts of beef for it. The spices I use are seasoned salt, paprika, a touch of turmeric, salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of chili seasoning; I might add a few dried spur chilies to it, too. An hour before it is done, I add a whole large bag of peas to it. Mushrooms can go in too. Make mashed or just add peeled potatoes to it, too, if you have a Dutch oven large enough.
Do the same with chicken, like chicken cacciatore, just in the Dutch oven. Avoid all that stove top cooking for cleaning purposes.

Do roasted chicken and put two in, using the same recipe as with ribs. Sometimes, I would buy turkey wings, drumsticks, and tights and do the same in the oven.
I simplified the recipes to make them oven friendly.

I even used to buy breaded fish from Costco and make the whole pack in the oven. Even with all this, it is not cheap but even less cheap today with all the crazy prices.

I hope this helps. I think everyone can tell I love food, right? I love to cook too!

[Anonymous]

Assuming you’re in Japan, I would actually fall back on their convenience stores whenever needed. They have so many filling, delicious, and relatively healthy options. Like a PP said earlier, onigiri, steamed buns, gyozas, etc., are great ideas for a hungry kid. Plus you can get hard boiled eggs, onsen tamago soft-boiled eggs, tamagoyaki rolled style omelet eggs, and even the occasional fried chicken cutlet is filling and hits the spot. The egg salad sandwiches are legendary and even a katsu sandwich works from time to time. Japan is a great country in which to be hungry!

[Anonymous]

We're also in Asia (Singapore). Has your son tried the hotpot/steamboat? This is so healthy, with veg, protein, and noodles of his choice, plus the broth. I don't know which Asian country you are living in now (we also have Don Don Donki here but my family loves to order hotpot via Deliveroo or Grab, or walk over to the hawker centers.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions!

We are in SE Asia and haven’t been here long, so lots of adjustments to availability of things like bacon and ribs. DS loves barbecue and hasn’t really gotten into noodles yet. But he loves Indian food. We need to find a good hotpot place- our 1st attempt wasn’t great.

Are there any grab and go snack suggestions your kids like? I keep nuts on hand, but may consider spicing them up a bit too.

[Anonymous]

Up keto recipes. He shouldn’t be on a keto diet And I’d skip the fat bombs, but lots of filling food ideas.

[Anonymous]

Grilled cheese
Big salads
Fruit
Smoothies

[Anonymous]

I make my own yogurt - it's actual pretty easy, much more economical than buying yogurt, and tastes great. If you can do that, it makes a great protein-rich snack for teens. My boys like to mix it with jam, fresh fruit, berries, or honey.

I roast a chicken or two on weekends, slice it, and keep it in the fridge. They'll snack on chicken slices any time.

We also keep bananas, nuts, granola bars around, and they'll eat those when they want something quick.