Food For Two Days

I have been following the famine/drought from Africa lately. I read about mothers with children strapped to their backs walking and walking to find food and water. The children are dying on the mothers' backs without the mother noticing. It is a shame and a pity. Pray for rain and rescue for East Africa.
But that isn't what this post is about. No this is about what my son thinks he needs to eat for two days at a water park: a piece of cold pizza, an apple, a banana, and a granola bar. Nothing else. Not even to drink.
I told the boys to pack their lunches or take money for food and that they needed to prepare for at least 4 meals. I would take care of breakfast.
After he packed this meager lunch, I asked if he planned on buying all of his meals. No. He planned on buying NONE of his meals. This, he believed, was all he needed. I provided more food as time went by.
Then yesterday he packed an apple for his lunch at co-op. We are gone from 8:00 until about 4:00. Included in that time is PE, first thing in the morning! Did you eat any breakfast? No. Of course not. What was I thinking?
He came to me at lunch and asked for something else to eat because, in his words, "I got hungry this week. I don't normally eat more than an apple though!"
As I talked with a friend last night and relayed my exasperaton with the boy she said, "It's just such an awkward age. We have to feel sorry for them."
I think she used the wrong pronoun. We should feel sorry for US!