Boy the boy and eat now that he is a middleschooler

[imagine]

How does one frugally and nutritiously feed a middle school boy?

The boy seems like a bottomless pit. He currently goes for seconds almost every lunch at school.

The menu always includes a main dish ( meat type) a fruit, a veggie, a starch, and a glass of milk.
They have told us next year the meal price goes up and seconds with cost extra and only be the main meal. So next year son's school lunch will be $3.50 if he has seconds.

Hubby says that Son should eat a bigger breakfast so he won't need seconds. Okay

And I'm thinking he will need a big snack too. School will get out next year at 2:30

How does one keep the bottomless pit filled up without doubling the food budget?

PS couldn't edit the title it should read " Boy the boy can eat now that he is a middleschooler"

[jamie79]

Just wait. I hate to say it but it gets worse and goes on for a long long time. Ask me how I know. I have 2 sons. One is now 20 and the other 17. Your son will not stop eating like this for at least the next 5-7 yrs. He will have periods when he will slow down but those dont last long.
Maybe it would be better if you packed him a lunch. Then you could offer him more then the school can. I will say just be prepared to have lots of good snacks around and offer more potatoes etc at dinner. You will most likely have to increase the food budget a bit.
Oh get prepared because while he is eating like this you wont be able to keep up with the clothes either. He will grow in leaps and boungs now

[IntlMom]

Yea, I gotta say I second the packing him a lunch thing. Also, you are going to need to try and fill him up more in the morning - give him protein every day at breakfast, it seems to keep my 5th grader fuller longer.

Good luck - and don;t look now, but I am right behind you with this dilemma!

[pop goes the weasel]

We are going through with my 14 year old sd. She eats more in a day than I eat in a week,kid you not. She'll eat a big breakfast, have a good lunch at school and come home at 2:30 have something then and still have room for supper. There are never any leftovers no matter what I fix. If we let her she will eat 3-4 pork chops, potatoes and veggies for suppper and finish anything thats left. It's starting to show and she doesn't think it matters. I have aactually removed the bread from the tabel because she would eat 1/2 a loaf with jelly on it. One thing she isn't picky unless I make chicken livers lol. She woun't eat them on a bet. And you will go through lots of clothes. She's outgrown the jeans she got for school in June!!!

[joyofsix]

Yep, my 14 and almost 13 yo ds take their lunch. The 14 yo took 1/2 pizza, pretzels, 2 apples and 2 granola bars today for lunch. It's astounding.

[mom21ofeach]

I have a middle school boy, and I feel your pain. At the beginning of the school year he was getting seconds as well with school lunch, and they can really blow thru the money that way! I put $40 a month on his lunch account. Once he spends it, he has to take his lunch. He still gets seconds if he's hungry, but he's a little more choosy about which days he buys his lunch. I will say that the helpings in middle school are bigger that when he was in grade school, so that's nice.

He gets a fruit (apple, bannana, grapes, etc) for a snack, as well as a granola bar/snack bar.

He eats a lot for breakfast too. 2 bowls of cereal + banana;or 3-4 pancakes/waffles; or 2 eggs, sausage & toast; or a huge bowl of oatmeal w/ fruit - you get the idea.

When he comes home from school he sometimes has a peanut butter sandwich, or more cereal. Basically a whole other meal, and then eats a full dinner.

He eats all this and he is a toothpick! I would really love some of his metabolism, because he doesn't appriciate it.

I am happy to feed him though! He has never been a really picky eater, and he appreciates what I cook for him. He's a sweet kid!!

[DJ1972]

I have a 12 y/o DS and I tell him he is going to have to get a job to help pay for groceries, lol. He will eat breakfast at home, then get to school and decide he likes what they are having for breakfast and eat there too! This year they are only allowed to have 1 lunch tray so between breakfast and lunch it is $1.65 a day. Next year he will be in junior high, where they have more choices and can spend more, he will definitely be on a set budget per month. I dread buying groceries this summer when he will be home all day!

[Grayce]

I would send some extra filling snacks for lunch such as rolls, cheese, crackers, fruit, dry cereal, hard boiled eggs or vegetable sticks. Add more protein to breakfast and complex carbs (whole grains) that take longer to be digested. My DS is 11 and I am starting to see that his appetite is growing.

[zakity]

I am right there with you. My guys are 12, 10, and 10. The 12 year old is 5'6" and weighs more than 100 lbs. He is taller than I am. Two of the three are eating me out of house and home. The 12 year old eats a 32 oz of yogurt at a time. The twins split a 32 oz container.

Today, the 12 year old at a 32 oz of yogurt and an apple too. You can count every one of his ribs... **shaking head** Everytime he gains a little, he shoots up another 5 inches. Luckily, his pants fit all last year. He started out with room to grow and he had to roll them up. Then, he chubbed and we thought we were going to have to buy him new pants. Then, he grew and the pants were too big in the waist again and he had to unroll them a few times. That repeated a few times. Right now, he is at a "lull" in the growth cycle. His eating has slowed a little.

One of the twins has chubbed out. I am terrified of what kind of growth spurts he is going to do. It is hilarious because this is the first time in his life he has ever been chubby. He never did get chubby as a baby.

The other twin has a little pooch, but nothing in comparison to what the other two are doing. And, his eating isn't anywhere in comparison either. He has a different system than the other two also.

[Buc-O-Mama]

My middle school 13yo son is an inch shy of six feet tall, wears size 12 shoes and weighs about 185-190. I sure feel your pain! His snacks are usually bigger than my meals. I sometimes buy slim jims for him to take to school instead of extras at lunch time. I really try to get him to eat more protein...because it sticks better than carbs. Protein can be expensive though...I push peanut butter and eggs because they are usually lower in price. I wish I had more help for you, I will be watching this thread and hoping to find the secret to filling the black hole, bottomless pit.

I agree totally about the protein. Especially in the morning. My DS is also 13, wears size 12's but is only 5'10". He's grown over 5 inches so far this year. Keeping up with his eating is crazy. I don't know which is harder, keeping him full, or in jeans that are long enough.

[MomToTwoBoys]

I go through this now and my oldest isn't even in middle school yet. He's eaten like he's eating for two since I can remember. He was drinking at least an 8oz bottle of formula with cereal in the bottom at 3 weeks old, started eating a whole can of Chef Boyardee by himself at 2 yo, and he can put away at least three plates of food by himself at 10 yo now. He's 5'2" and 88lbs, plus he's on Risperidol which increases his appetite even more! He brings home these papers from school that have what he's eaten on them throughout the day. His special needs program has a separate lunch program that's just fantastic, and here's an example:

School Arrival - one bowl of cereal (I send him in boxes of cereal), after having had one at home about 30 minutes before arriving to school
Snack - 1 cheese string, 1 handful of chips
Lunch - 1 bowl of noodles, 1 bowl of tomato soup, 1 english muffin pizza, 1 bite of califlower and carrot (omg, they got him eating vegetables at school!), 2 timbits (which are like the donut holes you get from Dunkin Donuts), and 1/2 cup of scrambled eggs

He'll then come home, want another bowl of cereal, and then dinner after that. Depending on the dinner I make, he'll either eat just one plate or he'll ask for seconds. All of this is before middle school age too, but he's been going through puberty since he turned eight.

[imagine]

Thanks everyone.

Nice to know that others are in the same boat.

Thanks for all the ideas on how to handle this.

It can be done. You have all given the confidence I needed.

[cab54]

Been there. Twice.

I have to say that at the time, I had to put their needs over frugality to a point. I cut back on other household spending to supplement the grocery budget.

They are now 6'2" and 6'6". Size 14 and 15 shoes. (ages 22 and 24)

Also, if your boy gets into sports----wait till you see the food disappear then! When my two were playing hockey and football--OMG. Big black holes that you couldn't fill up.

[zakity]

I have started cooking huge soups and casseroles to help things stretch and to help fill them all up. It has kept us in budget so far. I am thinking that I will need to increase the budget a few hundred dollars in a while though to accommodate the three of them and their growth spurts.