Teen boys and portion sizes

[Anonymous]

Can you tell me if I'm being unreasonable about this?

We have a large household, including four teenagers, three of whom are boy athletes. As you can imagine, they eat a huge amount of food. Like most people, we live on a budget, and the combination of inflation, and increasing appetites as kids grow, means that we watch our budget carefully.

We have one vegetarian, and the rest of the kids like meat and seafood, so I often prepare two proteins. The vegetarian one is usually a lot cheaper. So, I might serve salmon on a bed of lentils, or carne asada and vegetarian charro beans.

When I do this, I make enough of the vegetarian food for multiple portions, and leftovers, but I might make one or two servings of the meat or seafood per person. At dinner the kids can eat their fill of the vegetarian protein, and of whatever carbs and vegetables I serve, and drink as much milk as they want, but at some point the meat/seafood runs out.

We have meat and seafood available for them to eat at other times, along with the plant proteins, but it tends to be cheaper ingredients. At any given time, I might have a bunch of chicken drumsticks in the fridge, breakfast burritos in the freezer, tuna they can make into tuna salad, etc . . . . Plus fruit, veggies, baked goods etc . . . My kids aren't hungry.

One of our kids feels this is unfair. That if his vegetarian sister can eat as much lentils as she likes, he should be able to eat as much shrimp as he likes. I thought I'd ask what other people think.

[Anonymous]

Totally reasonable.
Maybe your son needs to go grocery shopping with you? Your kids are eating better than the vast majority of people.

[Anonymous]

I think this is reasonable. I grew up in a large family with a tight budget and everyone knew all the the items were not infinite. We also had as much milk as we liked as well as PB&Js.

One thing you can consider is stretching the meat further but incorporating it into dishes instead of, say, salmon portions and carne asada portions.

There are probably already tons of threads on how to do that. Stew meat and pot roast goes farther.

You're doing great! Don't forget eggs help too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally reasonable.
Maybe your son needs to go grocery shopping with you? Your kids are eating better than the vast majority of people.

I have him shop for and cook dinner once a week, which I'm hoping helps him understand. That's a side benefit, I think that kids should know how to shop and cook in general, but if it leads to a little less whining, that's a great side benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is reasonable. I grew up in a large family with a tight budget and everyone knew all the the items were not infinite. We also had as much milk as we liked as well as PB&Js.

One thing you can consider is stretching the meat further but incorporating it into dishes instead of, say, salmon portions and carne asada portions.

There are probably already tons of threads on how to do that. Stew meat and pot roast goes farther.

You're doing great! Don't forget eggs help too.

Before the kid became vegetarian we did more incorporating, and we still do sometimes. But making dinner more modular means no one needs to make something separate for her.

Vegetarian eats eggs, so that's sometimes the vegetarian protein.

[Anonymous]

Show him the cost breakdown. It’s time for him to be able to think beyond a childish understanding of “fairness.”

If he wants a cost neutral way to achieve his vision of “fairness,” it’s probably for the whole family to eat lentils 2 days and then shrimp one day, or something. But anyway just let him solve it how he wants without affecting the budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you tell me if I'm being unreasonable about this?

We have a large household, including four teenagers, three of whom are boy athletes. As you can imagine, they eat a huge amount of food. Like most people, we live on a budget, and the combination of inflation, and increasing appetites as kids grow, means that we watch our budget carefully.

We have one vegetarian, and the rest of the kids like meat and seafood, so I often prepare two proteins. The vegetarian one is usually a lot cheaper. So, I might serve salmon on a bed of lentils, or carne asada and vegetarian charro beans.

When I do this, I make enough of the vegetarian food for multiple portions, and leftovers, but I might make one or two servings of the meat or seafood per person. At dinner the kids can eat their fill of the vegetarian protein, and of whatever carbs and vegetables I serve, and drink as much milk as they want, but at some point the meat/seafood runs out.

We have meat and seafood available for them to eat at other times, along with the plant proteins, but it tends to be cheaper ingredients. At any given time, I might have a bunch of chicken drumsticks in the fridge, breakfast burritos in the freezer, tuna they can make into tuna salad, etc . . . . Plus fruit, veggies, baked goods etc . . . My kids aren't hungry.

One of our kids feels this is unfair. That if his vegetarian sister can eat as much lentils as she likes, he should be able to eat as much shrimp as he likes. I thought I'd ask what other people think.

Why do you care what other people think? It’s your family.

That kid can get a job and pay for the shrimp he wants to eat.

[Anonymous]

Equal and “fair” are not synonymous.

What is equal is not always fair, and vice versa.

This is an important life lesson.

[Anonymous]

This is about sibling rivalry, not actual food. You are being reasonable.

[Anonymous]

She probably can't have as many strawberries as she wants either.

[Anonymous]

I guess math isn’t his strong suit. Show him how to compare the cost per serving of shrimp vs lentils.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is about sibling rivalry, not actual food. You are being reasonable.

Agree. My kids pull variations of this all the time. He can eat a PB&J or scramble some eggs if he is hungry. You aren’t short on food in your household

[Anonymous]

Frankly, the plant based foods are healthier, so you SHOULD limit the meat and seafood. Plus, it’s expensive! Tell your kids it’s not only fair, but that they are lucky they have unlimited plant based foods. Those lentils provide essential fiber and nutrients!

[Anonymous]

If everyone in the house can get 2 portions of shrimp and 4 servings of lentils then that is fair. The fact that some prefer lentils and some prefer shrimp doesn't change that. If there are any vegetarian proteins he does like, I would be sure to keep them in the house.

[Anonymous]

He can eat as many lentils as he wants also.