New stepmom to boys—help me figure out portions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of grossed out at the quantities of meat people on this thread are eating.

No wonder the average American is obese.

It’s hard to believe until you’re at this stage. My teen boys aren’t athletes and they are both 25% percentile or lower for weight (one is about 5th percentile) and both eat easily 4000 calories a day right now. They are so far from obese, you can see their ribs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is with teen boys. I have two and right now I am doubling the meals I used to make for the four of us a few years ago. Sometimes I have one helping of leftovers, sometimes none.

I figure 2 lbs of chicken minimum, plus a starch and vegetable. My boys do eat vegetables but it’s really about calories at this age, so you can put butter or cheese on to make them richer, use cream in the mashed potatoes, etc. The downside of this is dh and I gain weight.

When I want to go meatless or meat-literally, I do stir fries, rice bowls, gnocchi sheet pan dinners, baked ziti with cheeses (maybe a little sausage), breakfast for dinner. But it’s a ton of food.

Are your kids desperately underweight? Otherwise why are you adding butter and cheese to their food?

They are hungry all the time, eat crazy quantities of food, and yes, they are very skinny. And I don’t want to feed them only meat.

[Anonymous]

I have a family of 5 with me and all boys/men who eat a lot. I use two lbs of meat and I usually don't have a lot leftover. I will use 1 lb. of pasta with that meat and I will have a bit less than 1/2 leftover. I'll also make two heads of broccoli and usually have bread as filler. I make a salad, but it doesn't usually get eaten. My teens aren't 19 though, I have no idea how much a 19 year old can eat.

Also, they will have full meals multiple times a day, not just B/L/D. Like 5 full meals plus a ton of fruit about 2 hours after dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of grossed out at the quantities of meat people on this thread are eating.

No wonder the average American is obese.

Meat is not the reason people are obese, I can tell you that

It’s more that if you eat enough food for two adults (meat included) eventually you’ll weigh as much as two adults.

You’re grooming your kids for obesity down the line.

Honestly, you sound like you don’t know anything about this. Teen’s food needs taper off. It’s a stage. I have brothers. They ate madly for a time and are skinny, fit adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of grossed out at the quantities of meat people on this thread are eating.

No wonder the average American is obese.

Meat is not the reason people are obese, I can tell you that

It’s more that if you eat enough food for two adults (meat included) eventually you’ll weigh as much as two adults.

You’re grooming your kids for obesity down the line.

Do not listen to this person. Everyone around here is afraid of their kids getting fat. Growing boys who are doing hours of athletics a day need to eat a lot of food and they generally don't want junk. They want nutritious, filling food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of grossed out at the quantities of meat people on this thread are eating.

No wonder the average American is obese.

Meat is not the reason people are obese, I can tell you that

+1

These are the same people who still eat low-fat and probably avoid eggs because of cholesterol. It’s not the meat. It’s the extra starches, pasta, rolls, chips, snacks, sodas, sugary drinks, etc. Unprocessed meat is ideal nutrition, especially for growing, teenage athletes.

[Anonymous]

OP, they likely need at least double what you or DH would eat at a meal. My son is huge - he played D1 offensive line, and he ate about 4x what DH or I would have.

Prioritize lean proteins and eggs (be prepared for several to be consumed). Have plenty of healthy snacks on hand. Hummus with thinly sliced jicama, celery with peanut butter, quality jerky.

[Anonymous]

Also may want to make one pot type meals to stretch things if they like those and if cost is an issue

Like chili, with sides of tortilla chips and cut up veggies, shredded cheese and sour cream

Faijitas with all the fixings

Stir fry

A typical meat, starch, veg meal with the meat itself being the highlight may result in more meat being eaten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to enforce servings. No one needs more than 4oz of a protein and then 2 sides at a meal. This is why Americans have a massive obesity problem.

thank you. the amount of meat being mentioned here is obscene. OP, add in more veggies, fruit, beans, etc. Three pounds of meat for a family of four every night is crazy.

I think you need to understand that people may be different from you. My 6’3”, 180 pound 18 year old athlete eats about 150g of protein a day. He also eats tons of veggies and fruits and carbs. Almost no sugar. He is a serious athlete and we consulted with a sports nutritionist.

ok, actually, yes, our boys are not athletes! so that makes a difference I'm sure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of grossed out at the quantities of meat people on this thread are eating.

No wonder the average American is obese.

It’s hard to believe until you’re at this stage. My teen boys aren’t athletes and they are both 25% percentile or lower for weight (one is about 5th percentile) and both eat easily 4000 calories a day right now. They are so far from obese, you can see their ribs.

I have a 12 and 9 year old boys. My gracious, they play rec sports so nothing crazy and this week I ordered chicken- 8 pieces. I grabbed one when it came and when I went back for a second, one kid - the 9 yo, had eaten three pieces! Only two were left. I think we have crossed over into new territory. I believe most of these changes come from growth spurts, etc. I don't expect this to be a long term situation, or sustained maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of grossed out at the quantities of meat people on this thread are eating.

No wonder the average American is obese.

Meat is not the reason people are obese, I can tell you that

It’s more that if you eat enough food for two adults (meat included) eventually you’ll weigh as much as two adults.

You’re grooming your kids for obesity down the line.

Honestly, you sound like you don’t know anything about this. Teen’s food needs taper off. It’s a stage. I have brothers. They ate madly for a time and are skinny, fit adults.

Person you’re responding to doesn’t understand that kids/teens are SUPPOSED to get bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of grossed out at the quantities of meat people on this thread are eating.

No wonder the average American is obese.

It’s hard to believe until you’re at this stage. My teen boys aren’t athletes and they are both 25% percentile or lower for weight (one is about 5th percentile) and both eat easily 4000 calories a day right now. They are so far from obese, you can see their ribs.

I have a 12 and 9 year old boys. My gracious, they play rec sports so nothing crazy and this week I ordered chicken- 8 pieces. I grabbed one when it came and when I went back for a second, one kid - the 9 yo, had eaten three pieces! Only two were left. I think we have crossed over into new territory. I believe most of these changes come from growth spurts, etc. I don't expect this to be a long term situation, or sustained maybe.

You need to admonish them and strictly limit their calories or they will cause a famine on the east coast.

[Anonymous]

I have a family of 5 but DD is a vegetarian. The amount I cook depends on the meal as not everything is equally enjoyed. I make 2 pounds of boneless chicken and have leftovers but if I make 2 pounds of taco meat, it’s often all consumed. For burgers I make 1/3 pound per person and that seems just right. For steak, I purchase 2 lbs. DH will consume a lb on his own but my boys will split the remaining lb with me and nobody goes hungry. I round out meals with lots of sides which they enjoy more than the meat. Also, no matter what the meal they will be back in the kitchen eating in 2-3 hours. I don’t worry about preparing food for the second meal. We always have plenty of easy foods for them to prepare themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I am the mom of two girls, ages 17 and 12, and I can mealprep a meal with 1 lb of meat in a casserole-type meal on a weekend and it will feed four of us for about three week nights. I think we would go broke if our girls were boys instead!

one pound of meat for 9 meals? so 1.77 oz of meat per person per meal. that's not enough.

[Anonymous]

I have 5 half brothers and step brothers. They used to put away an absolutely staggering amount of food. This was in the times when bread wasn’t a swear word, but I remember my mom pretty much assuming they’d eat a loaf or two of whole wheat bread, a jar or PB, milk, a package of cheese slices and a bunch of fruit every day plus normal big meals. She was the queen of the casserole (despite being an excellent cook) at that point to stretch the food budget. It was insanity. I was a younger fairly athletic teen then too. No one ended up obese by any stretch, but I know the food consumed in our house during those years was staggering.

My 8 year old girl is always on the go and can tuck away an amazing amount of food, especially during growth spurts. She’s not a “beanpole”, but certainly trim and pretty muscular for her age.