As the August holiday comes to an end, some Kenyan parents are breathing a sigh of financial relief. When adolescents are on holiday, food budgets can double as their growing appetites outpace even their parents’.
From crates of eggs emptied twice as fast to loaves of bread vanishing daily, households like those of Tom Wanjala, Shillah Raymond, and Alfrique Otieno Mwana found themselves stretching their kitchen budgets to keep up with the growing demands of their children.
“My firstborn son started eating more when he turned 13. Just the other day I watched him eat ugali at a rate that convinced me that teenagers, especially boys, can eat a lot of food,” says Tom Wanjala, a father of three.
Tom Wanjala.
Photo credit: Pool
He notes that the appetites of his firstborn son — a rugby player — and his preteen daughter have grown noticeably, driving up the family’s food bill. The evidence is clear in their holiday meals. What was once a single crate of eggs per week during school days became two crates when the children were home, doubling his weekly egg expenditure from Sh500 to Sh1,000.
“My son is in boarding school, so he doesn’t get to enjoy eggs as much as he would like to because they are never given eggs at school, while my daughter, who goes to day school, eats two scrambled or boiled eggs every morning,” he tells Parenting .
Tom’s family does not use sugar, milk, wheat products and value-added meats like bacon and sausages. This leaves eggs as their preferred breakfast source of protein. He also supplements eggs with sweet potatoes, cassava, butternuts, pumpkins, and arrowroots.
“My son just turned 17; he eats way more than me,” says Tom, who takes only two meals a day, breakfast between 2-3 pm. “My son is very active. When he is around, I have to increase our kitchen shopping because we have to prepare more food. For instance, when they are in school, in a week, we can spend Sh400 on sweet potatoes, but when schools close, the cost doubles,” Tom says, adding, “but our children are growing, and we cannot limit them with food.”
Their intake of seasonal fruits also rose sharply during the August holiday, with Tom admitting that the family’s consumption nearly doubled once the children were home.
“My family consumes four avocados daily, which costs nothing less than Sh200. Whenever my son or daughter sees an avocado around the house, they pick it. I also love avocados, but they are quite expensive. I often spend more than Sh1,000 on avocado alone during school holidays,” says the father of three.
Shillah Raymond is candid about her hearty appetite, often sharing it openly on social media. The mother of two children aged 11 and 9 admits that despite living in a household of six, she alone can consume nearly half of what the rest of the family eats in a single sitting.
Shillah Raymond is a mother of two, her children are day scholars. She bakes cakes thrice a week during school holidays.
Photo credit: Pool
She believes this habit may trace back to her childhood as an only child, when she was accustomed to being served generously at mealtimes.
“My parents have never told me that I eat a lot. When I was around 10 years old, my parents used to serve me a whole fish. I come from a community where we value food,” she says.
As her family grew, Shillah hoped their appetites would eventually match hers. Instead, her children developed strong cravings for specific foods, often snacks and treats rather than main meals, a preference that drove up her household budget, especially during the recently concluded second-term holiday.
“When schools open, I don’t bake in my house, but during holidays, the children bake thrice a week because my children love junk food. Every time they bake, we use five eggs, butter, a packet of baking flour, and a packet of milk.”
She adds that her family loves bread and tea for their breakfast, a meal that also contributes to the high budget.
“During school days, we buy a loaf of bread, and it lasts us three days because I also rarely take breakfast at home and my children eat breakfast and lunch in school. However, during holidays, I buy the big bread every day.”
When the children are home, Shillah’s family buys 1.5kilogrammes loaf at Sh240 and two packets of milk at about Sh120 daily.
“I can finish 400 grammes of bread on my own,” Shillah admits. The larger portion of the loaf is reserved for her children, spouse, a college-going relative and the house help.
“I am just praying that God continues to provide for us so that I do not get to complain that my children are eating a lot,” the mother of two says. With her two children being day scholars, Shillah’s family always cooks the same portion of food for their main meal.
“We have a menu that we strictly follow, but my children eat a very small piece of ugali with stew. They also love French fries and chicken, but I buy it once a month instead of cooking it at home.”
For Alfrique Otieno Mwana, father of three sons, feeding teenage sons requires financial muscle and can overwhelm some parents.
Alfrique Otieno Mwana is a father of three, his firstborn son is in Grade Ten and studies in a boarding school.
Photo credit: Pool
“I have a son in Grade 10 and when he sits down to eat, my friend, he eats. Same as the one who is 10 years old. Psychologically, I am prepared. All I do is ensure there is food for them,” Alfrique says. That high appetite comes with additional expenses.
“Yes, I spent more money on food during the holiday. Five kilogrammes of rice that takes us for two weeks during school days was over after one week, and we had to keep buying five kilogrammes of rice every week since rice can easily be cooked.”
“We normally do monthly shopping for five kilos of meat, but we doubled to 10 kilos. My sons are now big. They keep asking, "Dad, could you please buy chips [French fries]? I am hungry,” he says, mimicking his sons.
Alfrique notes that while his 16-year-old son receives Sh2,500 in pocket money for an entire school term, the same amount can be spent in just three weeks of the holiday; on snacks alone, separate from the main household food budget.
He thinks his firstborn son’s high appetite is caused by his urge to eat homemade food that he misses when in boarding school.
“When they come home, they want chapati, and one or two is not enough. I encourage my sons to eat because my dad taught us to eat as long as there is food. I know they will outgrow this stage at some point.”
Why do teenagers seem to eat so much yet remain surprisingly thin? Experts say during adolescence, their bodies need extra energy to fuel rapid growth, hormonal changes and increased activity.
Clinical dietician at The Aga Khan University hospital, Valentine Young Kwadha, during an interview at the hospital on August 14, 2026.
Photo credit: Tebby Otieno | Nation Media Group
Valentine Young Kwadha, a clinical dietitian at Aga Khan University Hospital, says an adolescent’s stage of growth and development determines their nutritional needs. From around age 10, the body undergoes rapid changes that demand more food, making increased intake a natural part of this life cycle.
“A teenager will likely need about 25 per cent more food than an adult. They are active, growing rapidly, and their nutritional requirements are higher, so it is perfectly normal for their intake to exceed that of adults.”
A 10-year-old requires close to 2,000 kilocalories daily, an amount that can match or even surpass what an adult in the house is taking. The kilocalorie intake of a very active teenager who perhaps engages in sporting activities is likely to increase to 3,000 kilocalories.
“It should not be surprising because that is what their physical level of activity requires them to take. Their overall energy requirements will be from 2,000 to 3,000 kilocalories per day, and if you break it down, that is like eating six times in a day. Frequency of their eating would be higher, so would be the volumes,” observes the clinical dietitian.
Since the rate of growth and development is never the same for all teens, Valentine reminds parents that their level of kilocalorie requirement is also different.
“Metabolism is simply how your body uses energy and nutrients. It depends on age. It is higher in boys aged around 10-13 years. For girls, it is not as high because girls develop more fat tissues while the boys are developing more muscle tissues. Muscle tissue requires more energy,” he explains, adding that if a girl is very active compared to a boy, then the girl is likely to eat more.
He says teens should eat every three to four hours. In between breakfast, lunch and dinner, they can have snacks like fruits, nuts and part of breakfast leftovers.
“Teenagers don’t need to snack until they are full,” advises Valentine Young Kwadha.
“The portions should be moderate so they can still eat their next meal comfortably. Snacking is important because it prevents them from becoming overly hungry and overeating later. Without it, you risk creating a vicious cycle of excess intake.” Teens should be fed on a balanced diet to support their growth and development.
“Malnutrition isn’t only about eating too little; it also includes eating more than the body needs, a condition known as overnutrition. When intake outweighs expenditure, the excess can lead to overweight, which in turn raises the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and certain types of cancer.”
“A dietician can make individualised plans that would be useful at the household level. It is important to have an idea of what teenagers require because you are instilling values that will carry this child throughout their entire lives, and eating patterns matter a lot.”
Teens should also have adequate sleep of between eight to 10 hours daily, a period when they should not be eating.
“Young ones need to develop sleep hygiene. You may be so focused on your diet, but diet on its own will not be effective. A combination of diet, physical activities, quality sleep and social life factors helps to achieve the highest possible outcome.”
