14 yr old - Getting enough carbs and protein. Help !

Why avoid protein shakes?  When doing a lot of exercise these kind of things are great for getting the fuel in that you need, because it's not normal human behaviour.  It's far easier to drink a shake than to cook and eat six chicken breasts and half a kilo of beans etc. I don't think you'll find a pro athlete that doesn't use them.

As for the rest, change what you have in the house to healthier alternatives.

we’ve done the same for our 15yo Tri athlete.

Molgrips - we have started using them. Hopefully we have found one that is more natural than full of crap. There is still a limit though to how much protein the body can absorb at anyone time. He says these shakes dont fill him up, even if they help his body, so he still goes and its processed bread, biscuits etc when he gets home

change what you have in the house to healthier alternatives.

Please can you give some examples as we are struggling to find stuff our lad will eat

Went through similar with our then 13 YO.  They're all different, but in case it helps you, what worked for us was:

We found it wasn't just what he ate, but also when.  No appetite for breakfast but mid morning could hoover loads.   Solved the initial problem with smoothies - you can hide a fair bit of banana in something that has lots of yoghurt and red berries too ( big bags of frozen ones made that affordable).  He still has one daily 4 years on.

When he was fussy with eating, told him he could have what he wanted as long as he made the effort to choose and then cook it.  Became interested in food generally and now cooking for us all a couple of times each week.

You might be over worrying/thinking it. He's very probably getting enough protein, western diets are packed with it. And he's a skinny 14 year old, that's hardly a new thing either (I was an absolute beanpole). If he's showing signs of lack of energy then that would be worrying, but of he's managing to do what he's doing with no adverse effects visible, there's probably little to worry about

(with the caveat that healthy diets are better generally than chicken nugget diets, obvs)

[i]Please can you give some examples as we are struggling to find stuff our lad will eat[/i]

You say spag bol and chicken pasta bake? So he'll eat mince, stuff in a tomato based sauce, chicken and pasta? I don't wish to sound like a smart arse, but I would just apply some imagination or buy a Simple Italian Recipes cookbook.

YOu can get protein versions of normal 'bars' as well as obviously fully on protein bars..

Mine has had 2 rides where he's 'bonked' but both were where he'd not eaten enough, rather than the quality.. As long as he get something in him, he's golden, the quality of the food doesn't seem to massively matter in that context.

Like yours, he's got an insanely low bodyfat, i can't imagine how you measure it, but if he takes his top off it looks like he's carved from granite as the old saying goes.

If nuggets are good enough for Usain Bolt... The Last Time the Olympics Were in Beijing, Usain Bolt Was Eating 100 Chicken Nuggets a Day (yahoo.com)

Just plain old sandwiches to eat in the car on the way home?  But...

Bread machine to avoid shop bread with all the additives.  It really only takes 5 mins of prep to use it if you keep a box in the cupboard with all the ingredients and scales/measuring spoons ready to go.

Then the obvious fillers - Peanut butter, decent ham/cheese, etc.

P.S. ours was having Pediasure shakes daily for quite a while to supplement the picky eating / ARFID limitations.  Bit different to the protein shakes targeted at athletes/gym crowd.

What time does he start/finish training? How long after eating before he thinks he can train properly?

Bearing in mind that the average Brit is overweight are you sure he isn't just where he should be ? Weeksy jr. doesn't look 'insanely low' on pictures as an example.

Where is he w.r.t. puberty, bulking up etc?  If you're sticking 10+ hours a week thro' a junior, and sticking a lot of wasted time driving, then protein shakes might not be an absolute disaster as late night eating isn't great.

[i]Bearing in mind that the average Brit is overweight are you sure he isn’t just where he should be ? Weeksy jr. doesn’t look ‘insanely low’ on pictures as an example.[/i]

This was a thought of mine too - kids are supposed to be skinny, it's just that most of them aren't nowadays.

Training sessions are 7-9pm with 45 mins travelling either side, so he will tend to eat spag bol etc maybe an 1hr before training starts. Then when he gets home he will have some toast/cereal/tea cake etc when he gets home. He doesnt like eating generally within 30 mins of finishing training or a match.

Matches tend to be 1-3hrs travel away, so if its a morning KO he will eat porridge for his breakfast and then a cereal snack bar etc 30 mins before the match etc. If its afternoon KO again porridge for breakfast and then spag bol etc in a heat retaining container probably 1.5hrs before KO.

Its when he is home between meals, he just eats lots of not great stuff.  When hes not on a training night he can demolish a portion twice the size that I have but then be hungry 45mins later.

Smoothies are a good idea, and to be fair we have talked about him trying them out.

This was a thought of mine too – kids are supposed to be skinny, it’s just that most of them aren’t nowadays.

Fair comment, but even compared to other lads on the team who look athletic, he has much less body fat, ie can see every bone and the muscles are defined off the bone. Literally nothing to pinch

[i]Training sessions are 7-9pm with 45 mins travelling either side, so he will tend to eat spag bol etc maybe an 1hr before training starts. Then when he gets home he will have some toast/cereal/tea cake etc when he gets home. He doesnt like eating generally within 30 mins of finishing training or a match.

Matches tend to be 1-3hrs travel away, so if its a morning KO he will eat porridge for his breakfast and then a cereal snack bar etc 30 mins before the match etc. If its afternoon KO again porridge for breakfast and then spag bol etc in a heat retaining container probably 1.5hrs before KO.[/i]

This all sound fine

[i]Its when he is home between meals, he just eats lots of not great stuff. [/i]

[i]he will demolish the cupboard of ‘snack bars’ [/i]

Get rid of the cupboard of 'snack bars' (there was a time before such things existed, remember), replace it with a toaster, some (ideally wholemeal) bread and a selection of jams, peanut or other nut butters, nutella, etc etc etc. I used eat about half my bodyweight in toast every day as a teenager.

This was a thought of mine too – kids are supposed to be skinny, it’s just that most of them aren’t nowadays.

This.

We're so used to seeing rotund tweens plodding about, we forget that humans are meant to be thin.  It sounds like he's busy and healthy, and TBH it also sound like he's getting macros and calories in.. the snacking is cos he's a teen. I agree that trying to get him to eat healthier snacks is probably beneficial, but if he's burning tonnes of calories just existing (as 14 YO boys do) AS WELL as the sport, then I probably wouldn't worry too much.

DrP

any ideas on high carb/protein foods that will appeal to a 14 yr old?

Chicken nuggets for protein and chips for carbs. Not saying it's healthy, but it's high carb/protein.

Nothing wrong with whey protein.

I make my daughter smoothies in the Nutribullet, well it's my post ride one, but I split it with her.

I add a scoop of plain unflavoured protein powder, milk, some oats, a banana, mixed frozen berries and a big dollop of full fat greek yogurt. She loves it, and imo it's pretty good nutrionally. It also includes a good amount of fibre, which is lacking in kids diets as they much prefer processed crap.

9pm plus 45 minute drive.

Eat as soon as possible after the exercise, ie have the food in the car.

Cereal, good butty, milk etc

I have a fussy, skinny teenager and I've had a lot of success making stews - which everyone can obviously enjoy.

Chicken (made with thighs) is the current favourite, also add spuds, carrots, cabbage, onion, whatever.

And serve with buttered bread.

Also, macaroni cheese is very popular - serve with some meat for more protein.

Get him to eat more eggs. Plenty of protein, fat, micronutrients etc and will fill him up for longer. Have some hard boiled eggs in the fridge for snacking. Have some frittata in the fridge for snacking. Endless varieties of omelette are possible. Add a couple of fried or poached eggs on top of whatever else he is eating.

Peanut butter is great for a quick high protein filler.

Have more dairy products in the fridge. Milk, yogurts cheese - all packed with excellent quality protein, fats and micronutrients.

Chorizo or salami are also great for snacking on.

Maybe instead of chicken nuggets try him on some spicy chicken drumsticks or wings?

Get some good quality honey from a local beekeeper for a healthy sweet snack.

The best way forward is to get him eating more at mealtimes and less snacking in between.  The best way to fill him up at mealtimes is to increase the amount of fat in the meals. Don't just think or protein - fat is the best macronutrient for increasing satiety because it takes the longest amount of time to digest, it also containts the most calories per gram.

He says these shakes dont fill him up, even if they help his body, so he still goes and its processed bread, biscuits etc when he gets home

Have some good quality wholegrain bread in the house instead of processed white crap. He wouldn't turn down bacon sandwiches or cheese on toast surely?

We give our lad bananas and chopped apples to quell the huger pangs after school so he doesn't then eat crap when he gets home.  We also try not to have too much crap in the house.

We've found doing something w lots of flavor (for us - paella w chorizo/chicken and lots of paprika) gets woofed down when other stuff doesn't. That can also be eaten cold out of tupperware following day. Easy to eat in car on way home)

Also cold pasta salads w chicken or tuna and and interesting stuff (peppers, toms, cucumber) is good for post game/school days to hit the hunger. Can make a big batch to last a couple of days.

Cook lots of Bolognese sauce or chilli con carne and freeze portions in freezer bags, and then really quick to cook and feed getting home so not waiting ages to prep from scratch.

Whole meal bread and cheese and chorizo in the fridge works well too for a quick hit.

Work out variations of what healthy food he will eat, and mix into transportable meals.

Could bulk up a protein shake by making it w milk and blitzing a banana in to make a milkshake.

I listened to a Science of Sport podcast where a sports nutrition scientist said that it was really difficult to get enough food into a young athlete in the OP jnrs position. With particular reference to footbsllers as it happens. Youngsters need even more food than grownups cos they are still growing.

So I conclude the OP is right to be concerned.

As suggested above, high calorie healthy ingredient smoothies is one approach.

One of our daughters is very active (netball at school and in a club, lots of horse riding, doing DoE and is a Sports Leader) – she likes the added protein yoghurts and adds extra fresh fruit to them. She also likes eggs so we often make batches of hard-boiled ones.

[i]The best way forward is to get him eating more at mealtimes and less snacking in between.[/i]

We're talking about a 14 year old lad, not an office worker. Getting a 14yr old not to snack is just pushing water uphill. At fourteen I ate breakfast at eight, something at breaktime about half ten, lunch at twelve, a cheese sandwich when I got home at three, dinner at about six, probably second helpings of dinner, then a few rounds of toast before I went to bed at about half-nine/ten.

Good post from Jamz above re. eggs & chicken.

One of my kids is particularly keen on those chicken tenders that are like big nuggets, they come in some nice spicy flavours like katsu & cajun.

And I make big spanish omelettes with potatoes and veg in. Chorizo works great in that too.

Get him to help in the prep/cook for the family meals,good chance to educate and talk about nutrition in sport.
+1 for the batch cooking,so you save time and he will learn some life skills.

cupboard of ‘snack bars’

I can't resist eating crap if it's in the house.  If you do the shopping, don't buy junk food, go with something healthier/slower energy release.

We’re talking about a 14 year old lad, not an office worker. Getting a 14yr old not to snack is just pushing water uphill. At fourteen I ate breakfast at eight, something at breaktime about half ten, lunch at twelve, a cheese sandwich when I got home at three, dinner at about six, probably second helpings of dinner, then a few rounds of toast before I went to bed at about half-nine/ten.

That's a wonderfully helpful insight into your eating routine as a 14 year old, I really had no idea about such things. Thanks very much 👍

My daughter is 14, type 1 diabetic, and loves sport, so we have the literal highs and lows of diabetes, not helped by her  being slightly obsessed with healthy food, which normally would be a good thing, but often she could eat salad every day!

When she does netball, i pre-make a smoothie for her, glug of almond milk, big dollop of proper greek yogurt, a scoop of Huel strawberry protein powder (not the meal replacements, the actual protein powder), handful of frozen berries and some flaxseed, she can then consume it on the way home from sport, and loves it as it just tastes like a milkshake to her really.

She tends to have a banana and a snack size Soreen bar on the way to sport.

Kids don't tend to listen to their parents when it comes to eating sensibly...any change the football club has a nutritionist that would be able to have a chat and make sensible recommendations that may be listened to more?

thanks in some ways all quite reassuring that there is no magic bullet, just keep trying !

He wont touch and egg or cheese - believe me we have tried !

the football club has a nutritionist that would be able to have a chat and make sensible recommendations that may be listened to more?

it appears to be a weak side of his club, but yes we are not far off talking to his coaches, to see if they can have more joy than us as most likely he will listen more to them than us as most are ex professional players.

Science of Sport podcast where a sports nutrition scientist said that it was really difficult to get enough food into a young athlete in the OP jnrs position

Ive just tried googling it and cant find, I would be interested listen if you have a link?

British Cycling have a chat today at 4pm about nutrition...was in a members email earlier this week...

[blockquote]Ive just tried googling it and cant find, I would be interested listen if you have a link?[/blockquote]
I am fairly sure it is this one, from 2021

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4rxSX7wqaXXX2jXGTxQSgR

My 15yr old can be really picky at times and when it's like that she can really hit rock bottom. After exploring nearly every avenue when it comes to quality nutrition for active growing bodies, I've found the most practical thing to do is just give her what she wants/craves. In our case it's driving through for a box of nuggets on the way home in supplement to what's fresh on the table at home.

My son is that age and comes home from school and makes himself an omelette or scrambled eggs most days as a 'snack' before he heads off to the gym or YouTube watching or whatever, and then still has room for tea later on! Maybe you can teach your son some basic cooking so he can make what he likes?

My son races bmx at a high level, trains/races 4-5 times a week plus gym work and school sport. He’s 14, 5’11” and prob pushing 70kg. We have the same thing with food, he hates eggs but loves French toast (maybe worth a try?) so every morning he has two slices of wholemeal bread/2 eggs, a smoothie with 1.5 bananas, apple, berries, yoghurt and plant protein. Has a massive bowl of cereal when he gets home from school, then a normal meal in the evening. So basically 4 meals a day. Often a protein shake after training too. I would say his diet is ok but could be better - but I think just eating is half the battle.

When you're eating to fuel a body for sport, you really need a different mindset to usual eating for enjoyment.

My 11 year old plays football and races bikes and I have the same concern about his diet.

"Eating is fuel"

Yeah, this can lead to some boring repetitive meal plans but it doesn't stop you from having your favourite foods once in a while.

For breakfast, I give my son, an egg, porridge with whole milk and fruit. Sometimes he'll have greek yoghurt with fruit instead of the egg.

Lunch at school he takes a packed lunch of a chicken sandwich, with some fruit and salad. And maybe some crisp or cereal bar.

Evening meals are nearly always homemade, and include plenty of veg, meat/fish and rice/potatoes/pasta. Eating as a family helps as we'll all eat the same foods.

My son is still stick thin but then I was at his age.

Good luck 👍

FYI

https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/may/13/eat-like-the-pride-week-one-130520

I have a 14 and 17 yr old doing a lot of sport. Kayak racing and hockey. Their club had a nutritionist in that was really helpful. They make their own snacks and have settled on lots of berry smoothies with banana milk yoghurt oats and peanut butter. Lots of peanut butter on toast, although bagels were recommended for higher calorie. Tuna pasta by the ton. Omelettes. Milk was suggested as a good after exercise drink. Dosnt need to be the chocolate variety that is so popular. Also kids are meant to be thin, Active kids look like a rake or ripped if they out on any muscle.

He’s active and he’s growing well, what’s the problem?

Smoothies aren’t particularly healthy by the way.

Wouldn’t that depend on what you a/ were putting in a smoothie and b/ what the alternative is that a 14 yr old is going to want to stuff in their face after a 2 hour training session.

Not really. Smoothying something is processing it, which removes a lot of the benefits. They’re not particularly bad, but neither are they particularly good either.

Smoothying something is processing it, which removes a lot of the benefits

Nonsense.  A smoothie (a good one) is fruit that is mashed up then consumed. The same as what you do with your teeth, more or less.  I used to make one with two oranges, a lime, a banana and a mango.   I'm not sure I'd eat that lot manually.

And the point about supplements is that they are supplements not replacements. So you eat all your fruit and veg and whatever, but on top of that you get extra calories and protein from supplements, if youi're doing a lot of training. You don't replace anything healthy.

Smoothie can be very healthy. It's juice that is less good because you strain out all the fibre and it tends to be high sugar.

The same as what you do with your teeth, more or less.

Is it bollocks.

A bottle of chocolate milk after most training sessions (12+ hrs swimming) for my daughter - sometimes a protein enhanced version. Sometime just a Nesquick home made one (whole fat milk). Also allow a 'treat' milky coffee type drink some mornings (hoping she stays awake in school after training). Also like little packs of chicken satay snacks (Aldi, who also has a decent chocolate milk shake). Also fig biscuits and also individual microwave sponge puddings covered in custard - it's not exactly the recommended food for an athlete but we were also more concerned with just eating enough and a speedy recovery ready for the next day.

He’s active and he’s growing well, what’s the problem?

Pretty much my thoughts, the OP is begging the question. Opinion isn't relevant, if there's a genuine concern for his welfare then speak to a dietitian.

Teenage lads are dustbins. I was, and I was (and am) tiny. The Boy recently turned 29, is as skinny as me but 6'3" and has an appetite which would shame Mr Creosote; if I'm cooking a meal for the family I count him twice.

If you've found something that he likes and will smash through it then... make more of it? Batch cook, it's as easy to make eight portions of spag bol as it is to make one. Stock up the freezer with home-cooked ready meals. There's plenty of bolognaise-adjacent meals like chilli and curry. Rice, pasta, noodles...

If he's eating too much (perceived or actual) crap then, well, who's buying it?

Teach him the basics of nutrition and then show him how to cook.

Start with one meal a week, his choice. Progress from there.

Is it bollocks.

I wish people wouldn't post angry retorts like this. If you know better, please take the time to explain, we all love a bit of science here. Otherwise you're just coming across as a bit of an arse.

@molgrips

I wish people wouldn’t post angry retorts like this.

Nonsense.

Both quotes from you?

What's your explanation Kramer?

I wish people wouldn’t post angry retorts like this.

Nonsense.

Both quotes from you?

I apologise and I realise that was a bit more tetchy than was appropriate.  However I would point out that I went on to post a couple more paragraphs in an attempt to explain my position.  I'm not an expert, so any further information gratefully received.

Is it bollocks.

You can't break down fiber molecules in a blender, although you can break down their structures. So it's still the same benefit for gut microbiome, you're just not pooing out whole pieces of celery.

You can massively overconsume on sugar though if you're getting your 5-portions of fruit and veg a day just with fruit and just in a smoothie.

So saying that smoothies "processing it, which removes a lot of the benefits." is subjective. If he's skinny and doing a lot of exercise then it's probably not a problem. If he was 20stone and diabetic then smoothying fruit probably is part of the problem.

However the amount of activity he is doing, is not sustainable on eating this kind of crap.

Is there actually any evidence of this? Struggling with training/recovery, struggling to put on muscle, putting on fat, etc?

I think there's three ways to look at supplements:
Addressing a known deficiency in your diet (because consuming an optimal amount maybe isn't practical, macros like protein and carbs, micros like vitamins and Omega fats).
Supplementation because the science backs it up (Creatine, BCAA, etc)
Supplements that are basically drugs (ecdysterone, caffeine, etc. Same as the 2nd category in some cases but there's a measurable advantage to consuming far more than a normal amount).

What’s your explanation Kramer?

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/bead-not-seated-on-tyre-inflated-with-inner-tube-will-i-die/

Oh dear, I do hope Kramer hasn’t inadvertently answered his own topic.

You can’t break down fiber molecules in a blender, although you can break down their structures. So it’s still the same benefit for gut microbiome, you’re just not pooing out whole pieces of celery.

I suppose mashing it up with saliva and its associated enzymes might make a difference to how it's digested later.  I've read that fructose breaks down quickly in to sucrose and fructose if you juice fruit, but I'm thinking of the kind of smoothie you make then drink immediately. Also, there's the question of how long you blend it for. If you just zap it enough to be drinkable, there's probably a difference between blending it for ages til it's totally smooth liquid.

Also, as said fruit is inherently quite sugary, and in my example I could eat far more fruit in a smoothie than if I were eating it the traditional way, but this may not be a good thing in my case.

So saying that smoothies “processing it, which removes a lot of the benefits.” is subjective.

My understanding is that with a smoothie your uptake is faster, with actual food which you can chew your digestive system has to work for it so that, ahem, smooths it out.

I Am Not A Dietitian.

my lad is 32 now, but from 9 to 25 played rugby at a good level, training 3 x per week. and games, and mtbing for fun.

we just let him eat what he wanted. and it worked. if you fridge/cupboards are full of good stuff then all should be fine.

Kramer does not seem super keen to return to explain  what is obviously a firmly held understanding. Not one I'm familiar with.

Protein is clearly important but there are still loads of myths, over simplifications and over emphasis on certain traditional protein sources  (namely meat) and amounts required doing the rounds. The current youth (mainly boys but girls too) have a totally changed attitude to body image and bulking up  than most of us old folk had at their age. It seems to have unearthed a whole bunch of surprisingly traditional half truths and myths coming out of the mouths of semi literate influencers and doing the rounds enough times that they've stuck. Some pretty worrying new attitudes to 'supplements'   too. Personally, as the parent of a 14 year old boy right now, that's the obsession just over the horizon for you that I'd be most worried about.

The issues with smoothies:

• By liquidising everything it empties out of your stomach quicker than if you’d eaten it as whole fruit and veg, so it’s less satiating.
• By liquidising you’re accelerating the digestion of the complex carbs from the fruit and veg, so leading to a quicker and shorter energy hit.
• By liquidising you’re breaking down the structure of the fibre, and are so likely to be removing some of the benefit of the wiping action as it moves down your bowel.
• By liquidising you’re removing the need to chew at all, meaning that larger amounts of calories can be taken on in a much shorter time frame. Also by removing the need to chew you’re probably removing one of the mechanisms that contributes to satiety and so are likely to end up with a larger energy intake.
• By liquidising you’re releasing more of the intracellular sugars than you would by chewing, so you’re more likely to get a rapid rise in blood sugar.

I don’t think smoothies are awful, they’re just not that good, and certainly (IMV) not as healthy as their proponents state.

I apologise and I realise that was a bit more tetchy than was appropriate. 

Thank you. Wine had been taken and I also did not reply as my best self.

A mates lad was a serious national level swimmer - age group champion and European squad one year.

He pretty much went through his teenage years attached to tupperware bowls of pasta or rice with assorted fish/chicken and veggies chucked in, flavoured to taste.

we just let him eat what he wanted. and it worked. if you fridge/cupboards are full of good stuff then all should be fine.

This is the approach I’d take. Let him eat what he wants when he’s hungry, and model a healthy approach to eating (guilt-free, everything in moderation, including moderation itself) yourselves and in what you serve him.

i would just like to add, i remember one of his fave meals was a tin of baked beans with 4 scrambled eggs mixed in.

still one of his faves to this day.     good carbs and protein in one bowl.

There could be a difference between someone's energy requirements and what their gut is capable of digestion. I can digest a LOT, apparently more than most people.  Some people's athletic output might be limited by the amount they can digest.  I have a mate who's a better cyclist than me but he can only go for about 4-5hrs because he can't really eat on the bike or during a ride. I can, which allowed me to plod for 18.5hrs on a long ride a few years back.  I also tolerate carb powders and the like pretty well.

 I can digest a LOT, apparently more than most people.

Do you mean that you're capable of absorbing more grammes of carbohydrate per hour than other people while exercising or that you have some sort of super-human ability to eke additional benefits out of the same foodstuffs?

I heard somewhere, possible on a Zoe podcast, that there was a diff between home made smoothies and readymade ones because of the much greater extent to which readymade ones had been smoothened. So you need to lok at what type of smoothie is being tested when looking at results for smoothie consumption.

My morning smoothie contains beetroot, carrot, parsnip, chard etc. as well as fruit. There is no way I would be munching my way through the raw root veg (well, possibly the carrot).

I think I can eat more than a lot of other people to begin with, I can digest it more easily particularly when riding, and I can eat lots of simple carbs without having gastro-intestinal distress or just getting full.

Point is that people's guts are all different, so saying 'my lad ate 3kg of pasta a day so you should too' might not help someone else's kid.

Adding milk powder to hot choc/chai latte works for me (40 but with CFS) and the active 11 year old (club hockey, rookies, school netball/PE, weekend adventures). Easy to get down, cheap, effective. Definitely helps with recovery.

The kid is good at self regulating what she eats, if she's hungry she eats if not she doesn't. Tend not to worry what she eats between meals as we ensure that she gets a good breakfast and dinner at home, and a hot school meal that she enjoys. Skinny as a rake but fitness is steadily improving.

My morning smoothie contains beetroot, carrot, parsnip, chard etc

Mm, sounds delish!

By liquidising everything it empties out of your stomach quicker than if you’d eaten it as whole fruit and veg, so it’s less satiating.
By liquidising you’re accelerating the digestion of the complex carbs from the fruit and veg, so leading to a quicker and shorter energy hit.
By liquidising you’re breaking down the structure of the fibre, and are so likely to be removing some of the benefit of the wiping action as it moves down your bowel.
By liquidising you’re removing the need to chew at all, meaning that larger amounts of calories can be taken on in a much shorter time frame. Also by removing the need to chew you’re probably removing one of the mechanisms that contributes to satiety and so are likely to end up with a larger energy intake.
By liquidising you’re releasing more of the intracellular sugars than you would by chewing, so you’re more likely to get a rapid rise in blood sugar.

I think that's looking at it from a "I need to diet" perspective, the OP is looking at it from "I need more calories" perspective.

In the OP's case it's a benefit of a load of calories (+ good stuff) in an easily digested form, not a drawback.

I can digest a LOT, apparently more than most people.

I'm veggie, and so was the person coaching me. They were amazed when they saw I was actually able to eat that many beans/and pulses, typically averaging 2-3 tins a day (e.g. beans on toast for breakfast, lentil Bolognese for lunch, chickpea curry for diner and thinks like tandoori chickpeas for snacks). To the point they suggested making sure I took vitamins/minerals at other times of the day as there's various ways that they can apparently inhibit the absorption of minerals. In my case I could probably do strength or endurance sports without much supplementing (I'd be better with, but I could hit sensible numbers for macros just on veg). I'd probably struggle to do anything that required strength within weight categories or without the endurance aspect as I couldn't eat that much protein and stay lean* without spending hours on the bike.

*this is hypothetical, I'm not lean

So yea, "what supplements" is a very poorly defined question.

It's a bit  of a shock when you get to your mid forties and realise you can't just guzzle whatever you want anymore.

sob...

Adding milk powder to hot choc/chai latte works for me

Why add powder rather than, well, milk? (Genuine question)

It’s a bit of a shock when you get to your mid forties and realise you can’t just guzzle whatever you want anymore.

sob…

I hit puberty early and then it was game over for my metabolism by 20 😂

Really wish I'd discovered proper gym training back then rather than later in life.

"i would just like to add, i remember one of his fave meals was a tin of baked beans with 4 scrambled eggs mixed in.

still one of his faves to this day. good carbs and protein in one bowl."

Would not want to follow him into a lift.....

Why add powder rather than, well, milk? (Genuine question)

It's in addition to the milk, it's just a cheap way to add a little more protein while adding a nice creaminess.