2 pounds ground beef.

2 regular packages chicken tenderloins or breasts.

4 steaks.

A late teen boy who is an athlete will easily eat 2 pounds of protein between dinner and second dinner (he always eats two). For a family of 4 including 2 teen boys, I typically make 3-4 pounds of protein. I will get the family pack of chicken breasts and make them al . Or if we are doing burgers we do a pound fo turkey burgers and 2 pounds beef . I dont’ eat red meat so often we have 2 different proteins. Depending on the night we eat it all or there is leftover for my lunch the next day.

Start with 1/4 lb to 1/3 lb of meat per person. Adjust up or down when you see the end of dinner (adjust for next time).

1/3 lb meat is reasonable per person.

I am a stepmom to two teen boys. My husband is the cook. He always has a large fruit salad, a cooked vegetable, and a salad. He does meet several meals a week, but not a huge amount per person. People don't need to eat tons of meat every day. My point is, make sure you are cooking enough extras like veggies and fruits and salads. If they are hungry, they can eat those. Also, 19 is old enough to cook or get a snack later if the meal you serve does not quite fill them up. You are not responsible for providing the entire caloric input of a 19 year old male.

DS eats two dinners essentially. He burns a lot of calories with sports and is trying to gain weight. Honestly, he eats until he is full. We just don’t let him eat much junk food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they need more, they need more. It doesn't matter what other people do or how others eat.

Right, I am not judging how much they eat. I am trying to figure out how much meat I should be buying per meal.

I am looking for recommendations: if your boys (ages 12-20) and husband are heavy meat eaters, how much meat do you cook for dinner?

1 lb per person and put aside some for leftovers before serving 3/4 of what you made.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they need more, they need more. It doesn't matter what other people do or how others eat.

Right, I am not judging how much they eat. I am trying to figure out how much meat I should be buying per meal.

I am looking for recommendations: if your boys (ages 12-20) and husband heavy meat eaters, how much meat do you cook for dinner?

I have two boys and it's just me and them. I cook 2 1/2 - 3lbs per meal.

I should add, we typically will have leftovefs which is good because they often will want a snack (leftovers later) or their will be enough for one person to have leftovers the next day for lunch or a snack.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they need more, they need more. It doesn't matter what other people do or how others eat.

Right, I am not judging how much they eat. I am trying to figure out how much meat I should be buying per meal.

I am looking for recommendations: if your boys (ages 12-20) and husband heavy meat eaters, how much meat do you cook for dinner?

I have two boys and it's just me and them. I cook 2 1/2 - 3lbs per meal.

Anonymous wrote:If they need more, they need more. It doesn't matter what other people do or how others eat.

Right, I am not judging how much they eat. I am trying to figure out how much meat I should be buying per meal.

I am looking for recommendations: if your boys (ages 12-20) and husband are heavy meat eaters, how much meat do you cook for dinner?

Anonymous wrote:There is a fantastic thread on this from years ago that was helpful enough that I still remember it.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/465595.page

Oh yeah, the man who was feeding 3 teens a pound of chicken and kale!

Definitely feed as much as they need (my 12 yr old can eat 3/4 lb some nights) but also up your sides game. mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, buttered noodles, rolls …

There is a fantastic thread on this from years ago that was helpful enough that I still remember it.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/465595.page

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.

If they need more, they need more. It doesn't matter what other people do or how others eat.

I recently got married, and now have a family of four: me, DH (50), DS (12), and D(step)S (19). This is our first time living together. The 19 year old just got home from college, at the same time the 12 year old started eating more, and I’m suddenly not making enough food.

The gentlemen in my family are big meat eaters. The 12 year old is used to getting a good portion of vegetables (and doesn’t eat a lot of starches except rice) but the other two are not (but they will eat starches). I don’t think right now is the time to force vegetables on them, but I do serve vegetables with every meal because DS and I eat them.

If you have a similar family demographic, how much meat are you cooking for dinner? When it was just DS and I, we would have leftovers from a pound of meat. Last night, I cooked two pounds of lean ground beef, plus rice and broccoli and it wasn’t enough. Is it normal to cook 2.5 lbs of meat per meal for a family of four?