Should I stress about this?

ashleymcn01

I am the healthy eater in our family, cooking relatively healthy meals for dinner that appease my meat loving husband and 17 year old son. I don't know why this is bothering me all of a sudden, but my son only wants to eat foods that he can pop in the microwave for breakfast and for lunch on the weekends. Foods like pizza rolls, hot pockets, frozen hot wings, sausage & pancakes on a stick, sugary cereals, etc., basically just over processed foods that are in no way good for him.

He seems to think that the older he gets he will make better food choices on his own. Perhaps he will.

I know I'm to blame for his behavior because he has asked for these types of foods and I've bought them, out of convenience, but for whatever reason, it's driving me crazy now that he has no desire to eat healthier options. He sees me eating good but I'm afraid it's his dad's examples that are rubbing off on him. My son is tall and very thin and want's to go into the marines, so should I even be concerned about him scarfing down a plate of pizza rolls for lunch or eating a bowl of sugary cereal in the mornings? Or should I just let this go and trust that he will make better decisions when he is older? He is a teenager after all and has a metabolism that just won't stop.

I guess I just answered my own question, I shouldn't worry about it. However, does anyone have any suggestions on foods that you feed your teens that want to eat "that way" when you try to set a healthier example? Or do you just not buy them and say "you will eat what I buy?"

Please don't pass judgement on me, like I said, I know I'm to blame for bringing them into the house to begin with. Just trying to set a better example for a hungry impatient teenage boy that likes his food in 30 seconds or less. Or, should I just buy him what he wants, within reason, and stop worrying about it. It's his body after all.

kutedaisy

maybe have healthier options he can warm up quick, you can make homemade breakfast burritos and freeze them, baked hot wings he can warm in microwave or english muffin pizzas with turkey peperoni and light english muffin don't take long at all. So he still get types of the foods he wants as quick as he wants but a little bit healthier.

Need2Exerc1se

Teenagers! I agree that having leftovers or other healthier options to reheat is a good idea, but don't be surprised if he still goes for the junk more often. Just keep reiterating your concerns and the importance of good nutrition, without nagging too much, and hope it sinks in. That's about the best a parent can do at this age.

scraver2003

If he's tall and very thin, he probably needs the calories. I honestly don't think I would sweat it that much. Look around and see if you can find any other convenience foods to introduce him to that might be healthier? There is a brand I have seen - Amy's organic - they have burrito bowls and such. They might be healthy-ish option. What about chips with guacamole? Get him some healthy fats.

My oldest son is 6. He eats about 6 different things. I can't imagine what he will be like as a teen!

jennifershoo

Nah! If this is the only bad thing he does at 17 years old, he's a good kid!
You should have seen me at that age, lol!

urloved33

He is 17. if you push things at him...he will rebel. He is being 17. put healthier options around along with the other things he loves and...let him be. You provide and lead. that is all we can do as parents.

rhtexasgal

I vote getting healthier options as another poster suggested. Those Annies organic burritos are actually pretty good! And while he is 17 and has a good metabolism and good health now, those processed foods over time will be detrimental and could cause future health issues. I think all of us in our late 30s - 50s are suffering now in some way because of it.
I have 13 and 17 year old boys that keep my grocery bill quite high. Plus they are homeschooled so they are always home eating! I always make enough dinner for leftovers the next day. They often make will eat baked chicken legs cold or wrap leftover steak in a tortilla. I make sure that there are veggies and healthy dip for snacking. Sometimes, I have to keep a note on the fridge so they will know what their options are. Like if we have leftover taco meat, I let them know they can make quesadillas or even nachos with it. If I spell it out for them, they will go "oh yeah, good idea" and end up with a healthier option.

ashleymcn01

All great tips. Yup, I'll back off of worrying about it but try to replace some of that frozen friendly garbage with better options. Just need to get creative!

zen2711

Don't buy it. Same answer when you have a homebound adult on oxygen who keeps smoking. Don't buy em for em, they won't have em.

callsitlikeiseeit

sounds like a normal teenager to me (i have two LOL)

4legsRbetterthan2

from stories I have heard if he is going in the marines he better learn to eat an apple in less than 30 seconde, tell him to start practicing now

mkakids

IMO, try to offer healthier options (even healthier convenience foods wither store bought or homemade), but don't stress if he doesn't go for it.

hesn92

Buy healthier options and keep reiterating the importance of eating vegetables and stuff but he sounds like a normal teenager. He sounds like me when I was a teenager. I ate pizza rolls and frozen chicken nuggets and pizza and all that processed stuff. I also drank a 32 oz of dr pepper every day. I turned out ok. My metabolism doesn't work that well anymore unfortunately and I changed my eating habits.

ncfitbit

I have a teenager, too, and I inadvertently put her on a diet from junk food when I started eating better. Lol. I just don't keep things around that are as easy to eat a lot of (chips and cookies, especially). We still have them on occasion, but it's much more of a treat now and I buy indivudal size servings so it's a lot harder to ignore how much you're eating, if nothing else.

The afternoon snack used to be a time for her and her friends to come home and dig into the junk food, but I realized as long as I have something healthier ready to eat (fruit salad or smoothie ingredients, or quesadillas made with cheese AND veggies) they'll eat that instead. She might ask "Is this all we have to snack on?" and I'll say, "yes, or you can make yourself a sandwich" and then they shrug and eat it. Laziness wins!

Marcia661

Get rid of the microwave

tulips_and_tea

ashleymcn01 wrote: »

All great tips. Yup, I'll back off of worrying about it but try to replace some of that frozen friendly garbage with better options. Just need to get creative!

You really aren't going to get far with a 17 yr. old right now, but by being consistent, setting a good example, and having healthy, homemade food available will make a difference in his future. This has been my experience anyway.

I had a hard time convincing my kids to eat better as teenagers, but they are all now in their early- to mid- 20's and all out on their own and boy do they miss mom's home cooking now! I tried to teach them to cook when they were younger. No way. Too busy, and they were too cool for that. Now I get constant phone calls walking them through cooking instructions.

Being on their own they've also realized that "convenience" foods come at a price. Again, something a 17 yr. old cannot understand. Eating out is now a luxury and they've got to feed themselves and do it well on a budget. It's still a learning process, but I'm with them all the way.

Long story short: don't focus too much on the lack of nutrition; it's the laziness and not learning to feed and cook for themselves that are more important to address IMHO.

Tubbs216

Yep, pick your battles. This doesn't need to be one of them.

abatonfan

I know how you feel. Due to some medical conditions, I do try to eat a more balanced diet compared to the rest of my family and need to have a high level of awareness of what I am eating. I have a younger sister around your son's age who loves to make fun of the "healthy crap" I am eating. She, literally, lives off instant soup, fettuccine Alfredo, potato chips, and cheese fries (and maybe the occasional chicken nugget or pizza) and refuses the idea of me cooking dinner for the rest of the family, because she knows it will be "healthy crap". I decide to make pancakes with whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt as a quick family breakfast, and she makes a big stink about how disgusting they are (they were actually pretty tasty) and how she refuses to eat them because they are healthy.

Quite frankly, I don't control her, but she really should not be mocking my food choices. I made some bad decisions in the past and know where her diet will be taking her, but I can't control her. She shouldn't come crying to me when she realizes that living off french fries is not healthy though.

HeidiCooksSupper

To join the Marines he will have to pass a physical test that includes for someone his age to do 3 pull-ups in less than 2 minutes, 50 abominal crunches in less than 3 minutes, and run 3 miles in less than 28 minutes. You can introduce him to healthy eating strategies for becoming a kick-*kitten* marine and getting enlisted on his first try.

Bummdeal

I had three boys and they all did this as teenagers. They did have a healthy home cooked dinner everyday and good breakfast and lunch when I could make it. They learned to make their own mac n cheese and tuna sandwiches. They ate plenty of junk food too. One went into the Airforce and one in the Marines. If he joins the service he won't be eating frozen food for long. By the time they are teens you've already taught them what you need to and they will go back to it when they get into their 20's or 30's. They just lose their minds a little during the teens. Like others have said, choose your battles, if this is his biggest problem your doing a great job.

jgnatca

The marines will straighten him out. Does he know they have weight requirements?
http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/marine-corps-weight-rules.html

Growing teenagers need to eat a LOT. Your son can likely eat like the builders around here on MFP, where quantity, with lots of fats and protein, is king. My teens nearly ate me out of house and home, and I was on a single parent budget. I stocked up on baked beans and Chinese noodles because they were cheap and easy. Then they had a square meal with me.

My son started showering regularly when he discovered girls.

meemwoodwoo

Marcia661 wrote: »

Get rid of the microwave

Yes that thing kills any value that might be left

Freedom1890

Leaving healthier options sounds good, but I would also ask him if he's ok. There have been links made between craving carbs and low mood/depression, as (apparently) carbs can cause more serotonin (the happy chemical) to be generated. I know, when I'm feeling really low, I crave things like pizza or crisps. This was particularly true when I was off work for anxiety. The food just seemed to make me feel better, if only for a little while. Unfortunately, it's not that helpful long-term as we need to exercise and eat well for our emotional wellbeing as well as physical. It's probably just that he's a teenager and after convenience, but it might be an idea to keep an eye on him just in case

Aed0416

I would make sure he has the skills and knowledge concerning nutrition while he is still under your roof. Does he know how to bake wings or scramble eggs or make a sandwich melt?

Lasmartchika

Ha! I remember when my brother would inhale junk food... and still be skinny. Lol!! You'd think he eventually got fat? Nah... I hate him for that. :laugh:

Foamroller

Pushing healthy food on him, will only make him want junk food more, lol. Use common sense:
A pushes B, B runs away.
A plants seed, A retreats, B might/might not follow.

If you don't want that kind of food in the house. Stop buying it, ergo he'll have to get it himself.

You're son is right. Eventually he'll possibly make better food choices. You can only be a good example, he's almost adult. Give him the space and trust to find out what HE wants for himself. Prefrontal cortex in humans is fully developed around age 25. Myelin is good for neural network in the brain.

sgthaggard

So he thinks that when he gets older he'll make better food choices. Until then, it's your job as a parent to do it for him. It's not like he's going to learn those habits through osmosis. Keep the food you don't want him to eat out of the house and model healthy habits. Hopefully, some of those habits will stick.