Parents are facing an average weekly grocery bill increase of £42 when their teenagers experience a growth spurt, new research has revealed. A survey of 1,000 parents and guardians with children aged 13-18 found that 55% had witnessed a growth period in the past year, and 81% of these said their overall food bill had risen as a result.
Additional Shopping Trips and Snacking Patterns
More than a quarter (26%) of parents are making at least two extra shopping trips each week on top of their regular food run. They are adding more milk, eggs, and cheese to their essentials to keep teens satisfied. After-school hours are prime snacking time, with 46% of teens reaching for extra food between 3pm and 6pm. Some 29% of parents claim their teens can empty cupboards in just three days.
Overall, 65% of parents confessed that keeping their teens fed while managing food costs is a struggle. The survey found the average teen consumes three boxes of cereal, six packets of crisps, and six portions of fruit during a typical week.
Dinner is the Biggest Budget Burden
Dinner proves the biggest budget burden for nearly half (48%) of families, with 28% of teens requesting second helpings several times a week. Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer for Aldi, which commissioned the research, said: "From bigger portions at mealtimes to extra snacks throughout the day, it can be tricky to budget for growing appetites. Many parents are feeling the pressure as they try to keep household spending under control."
Parents Turn to Bargains and Budget Staples
The study found 40% of parents with teenagers who have experienced a growth spurt are hunting for more supermarket bargains, switching to own-brand products to reduce financial strain. Others are padding out meals with budget staples such as pasta, rice, and potatoes to make them go further. Ashfield added: "Families are increasingly looking for simple, affordable ways to stay stocked up. But it's also important that we're providing the right nutrients for their needs. We're committed to providing access to affordable, high-quality produce, helping parents support teens through these periods of rapid growth without breaking the bank."
Growth Spurt Shop Launch and Nutritionist Tips
Aldi has teamed up with expert nutritionist Lucy Upton to launch the Growth Spurt Shop, a dedicated online resource for parents and guardians to understand how to better fuel their growing teens for less. Lucy explained that between secondary school and turning 16, a teenager's daily energy requirements can increase by close to 40% for boys and 20-25% for girls.
Lucy's top tips for parents and guardians fuelling teenage growth spurts include:
- Don't be alarmed by the sharp rise in appetite: Avoid commenting on changing eating habits or appetite. Instead, focus on easy ways to support extra demand, like serving meals in the middle of the table so they can help themselves to seconds, or keeping extra bread or bagels for late-night snacks.
- Add to what they already accept: Teenagers may be reluctant to completely overhaul their diet during a growth spurt but small extras like peanut butter, olive oil, cheese or milk powder can boost calories, protein and calcium.
- Build a "self-serve" snack station: To keep up with high energy demands, try batch-prepping balanced items such as overnight oats, energy balls, smoothies, pre-filled sandwiches, a throw-together trail mix (with nuts, popcorn, dried fruit, and chocolate chips), or chopped vegetables with hummus in the fridge.
- Growth needs more than energy: Teens need more iron and calcium to meet demands for growth and development. Boost intake with easy options like baked beans on toast or jacket potatoes, a tin of tuna mixed into pasta, scrambled eggs, melted cheese on pasta, a milky drink before bed or a yoghurt drink on the go.
- Protein is important: Protein is key for growing muscles and bones and supports satiety for hungry teenagers. A large glass of milk, a pot of yoghurt, two eggs, half a tin of baked beans or a handful of peanuts or mixed nuts easily provides growing teens with what they need.
