Another idea - rather than increase meat (expensive) I add beans. Ground beef and black beans, chicken and white beans/chickpeas, turkey and red beans, etc. Adds protein, fiber, and bulk at a fraction of the price.

Can also do quinoa, cooked oats, nuts, etc in certain recipes.

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?

Anonymous wrote:We had a 3lb London Broil, 2.5 cups of rice (prior to cooking) and 2 large red bell peppers for dinner last night. 2 parents and 2 teen boys 16 and 17. Mom ate 1 of the peppers and 4 oz of meat. Dad ate 8oz of meat the boys split the rest and each had 1/2 a pepper.

If we make chicken breasts dh and I split 1 the boys each eat a large one.

Meal size also depends on their afternoon snack. Today the 16y had a box of perogies after school so for dinner he had 6 wings and a side of fries.

I would have added to the bolded meal
- a chickpeas, broccoli, water chestnut, lettuce, beet salad with feta, spices and dressing,
- added shelled peas, carrots, baby corn with warm spices to the rice.
- Add sauted onions, garlic, mushrooms - to the bell peppers.
- Dessert would be yogurt with nuts, fruits, dates and a small slice of banana nut bread or vanilla cake.

And reduced the london broil to 2 lbs.

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!

Add other things that can be eaten with your meal - beans, veggies, yogurt, eggs, cheese cubes, salads, fruits, quinoa. One meat, one veggie and bread/potato/pasta will not cut it in my house.

Hearty stews, hearty salads, lentils and beans, fruits, roast veggies, cheese, hummus, kebabs, probiotic drinks like kefir - all can add to the variety of sides - and gives you enough healthy fillers and leftovers. You can also give them some super healthy, home made nuts and dates bars as a dessert.

The point is that you should make sure that your family is eating nutritious, delicious and healthy meals. You don't have to cook mega amounts of protein. Their meals should be varied and not focussed on a carnivore diet. Educate yourself on nutrition.

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.

Nutritional needs vary.

We had a 3lb London Broil, 2.5 cups of rice (prior to cooking) and 2 large red bell peppers for dinner last night. 2 parents and 2 teen boys 16 and 17. Mom ate 1 of the peppers and 4 oz of meat. Dad ate 8oz of meat the boys split the rest and each had 1/2 a pepper.

If we make chicken breasts dh and I split 1 the boys each eat a large one.

Meal size also depends on their afternoon snack. Today the 16y had a box of perogies after school so for dinner he had 6 wings and a side of fries.

Costco. I keep a lot of yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken, protein shakes, frozen pizzas, and hummus around for between meals. I also have a pantry full of jerky, protein bars and Gatorade. Good luck!

Get 99 cent pastas and $1.99 tomato sauces and always have a tub ready for hungry boys. You can have some meatballs prepped as well. Have salads prepped as well. Make potato salad and noodle salads to have those ready. It sounds like you took on a lot marrying a man with kids. What happened to birth mom?

What’s the BMI of each kid? If they are athletes it’s fine. If they’re little pudgeballs then chill out.

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.

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.

Teen boys are bottomless pits. I shop at Costco. If I were you, I’d start with the the big packs of whatever is on sale and make it all. This will help you calibrate what you need. You’ll have leftovers but they won’t go to waste.

Make sure you use glass storage that is see through so they don’t complain that you “have no food.”

I always have potatoes on hand and they know how to microwave those in a pinch. Have plenty of sour cream, butter, cheese on hand so they can fill up. I also usually have a big thing of spaghetti and meatballs made and in the fridge for when they’re ravenous. Again, Costco. Frozen meatballs, big jars of sauce. A bazillion bananas, so much peanut butter, rice and beans…

It’s a totally different mindset you need to get into when feeding teen boys, I’ve had to completely 180 and focus on getting enough in them. Keep serving the veggies too - eventually you’ll stumble on a winner. Mine like roasted broccoli but I have to make like four heads of it.

Anonymous wrote: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.

I actually think both the 12 yr old AND the 19 yr old should be cooking dinner for the whole family once a week.

Thanks, this is helpful. I will go up to three pounds per meal, add a second vegetable, and a loaf of bread.