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Has anyone amended the way they feed their children since the Jamie Oliver programme?

60 replies

Twiglett · 13/03/2005 18:20

I must admit that DS has chips and chicken nuggets or fish fingers more than once or twice a week and I've never really been that bothered because he eats shed loads of fruit and veg (and he doesn't eat the chips normally )

but have found myself cooking a lot of fresh food instead and getting him to help me a lot more on the main dinners rather than just the cakes since JO (didn't even watch the programme)

anyone else feel themselves changing a little?

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iota · 13/03/2005 18:23

me - I've bought a children's cookbook (Usborne Bks) and we made home-made pizzas for lunch today. ds2 (3.5) is a cooking enthusiast always willing to try new stuff, but ds1 (almost 6) is the chicken nugget king with a very limited diet - I am trying to broaden his horizens with renewed vigour since JO's programmes.

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Cod · 13/03/2005 18:33

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iota · 13/03/2005 18:39

hey Cod - I nicked the home-made pizza idea from you

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roisin · 13/03/2005 18:40

Oh me too! We made pizza yesterday and they ate them with such enthusiasm after making them themselves. Ds1 also enjoyed the one ds2 made even though it had tomatoes and mushrooms on (which he normally won't touch!)

They eat loads of fruit & veg, but we've been getting them more involved in the preparation. DS2 is fab with a sharp knife, and made me fruit salad for my mother's day breakfast in bed

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NotQuiteCockney · 13/03/2005 18:46

At what age do you let them help cut up food? DS1's diet is already pretty good, but I do want him to help with cooking sooner rather than later. He's 3 1/2 now.

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bobbybob · 13/03/2005 18:47

We haven't even got it in NZ and I've made up a batch of chicken nuggets without crap in them. Even put fresh herbs in from our garden.

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yoyo · 13/03/2005 18:56

I have always been very aware of what I feed my children but seem to have gone into overdrive! My biggest problem is that they are fairly fussy, especially the eldest, so mealtimes can be fraught. Having said that we had such a pleasant supper with them last night which was amazing as we had chicken casserole.

What I need are healthy lunchbox ideas - I am so bored of cheese/ham sandwich, 2 pieces of fruit, yogurt, diluted fruit juice. Also I think it's probably too high in salt. Does anyone give theirs pasta salad/couscous? Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

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roisin · 13/03/2005 18:57

NotQuiteCockney - it depends how well co-ordinated they are, and how brave you are! If you start with easy soft foods (like banana) for them to get the hang of it, then you can progress. Once they are chopping up food like carrots and apples it's actually safer to use a very sharp knife. I think ds2 probably started when he was 4. (He's 5.5 now, and is very reliable - I leave him unsupervised chopping food in the dining room! ... Sounds like slave labour doesn't it?!)

However, ds1 is nearly 8, and I'm much less relaxed with him. He's not well co-ordinated, and also tends not to concentrate on what he is doing and gets distracted

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Cod · 13/03/2005 19:06

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Twiglett · 13/03/2005 19:17

NQC .. DS has just turned 4, he's great at chopping mushrooms (blunt knife) and can peel carrots now

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pootlepod · 13/03/2005 19:24

Yes, and I've tried hard not to eat so much processed foods as before (even though I felt it wasn't that much)

Made salmon fishcakes the other day to give instead of fish fingers. LO not so sure but I liked them

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kama · 13/03/2005 19:26

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Gobbledigook · 13/03/2005 19:27

Yes and I've not watched it. Diets were OK before and eat lots of fruit, not hot on veg though - peas and carrots about it. Made my own 'chips' for a while now too.

Must admit I made a huge effort last week and got them to eat tuna pasta, chicken stir fry with cous cous and also lasagne - all home made. I've decided they can only have chips (not including my home made ones which are basically baked potatoes!) once a week and I'm going to use McCain oven chips because they only contain potato and sunflower oil - no E numbers or stabilisers.

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hoxtonchick · 13/03/2005 19:27

yes. ds doesn't eat much processed stuff at all, & is a fruit & veg champion, but i've definitely been cooking more stuff from scratch & stocking the freezer in the last couple of weeks.

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Gobbledigook · 13/03/2005 19:29

We also never really eat processed/ready made food anyway.

I think the programme will cause some people to change but probably mostly those already think about what they feed their kids. I think those that just feed them crap and McDonalds day in day out are probably those less likely to listen to JO but I hope I'm wrong.

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desperatehousewife · 13/03/2005 19:33

my child is the worst eater I have ever come across (god I sound like a competitive mum!!) but am seriously thinking about how to get him to try anything other than his stock food (marmite sarnies and yogs and cereal) he's 2.7 yrs old. The JO prog has really inspired me and also worried me about the state of kids' diets.

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Cam · 13/03/2005 19:50

I think lots of people are buying more fresh produce and cooking it themselves as when I went to Sainsbury last week there were tons of chilled foods at half-price or less. As I normally never buy this stuff I bought quite a bit to put in the freezer to eat occasionally for a dirt cheap meal. Thanks everyone!

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froot · 13/03/2005 20:05

Yes . I have been giving dd packed lunches 90% of the time since this series started (before that she was school dins ebery day.) Have been letting her have crisps/choc biscuit on Fridays in her packed lunch for a once a week treat but otherwise healthy stuff all the way.

Ds is a tougher nut to crack as won't eat healthy stuff full stop! Have been letting him watch the prog despite all the swearing (he's 10) and am about to embark on making him help me cook tea. He makes egg curry once a week - but out of a jar at the moment. This Week am going to get him to make it from scratch....

Am seriously thinking about bribery to get him to eat a variety of fruit and veg...has anyone had success with getting a child of this age to eat more veg??

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tigi · 13/03/2005 20:20

I've done a couple of dinners from jamie oliver cookbook last week, and felt good in myself that they are eating well. Usually I wander around tesco and buy what i see, what I fancy, and cook whatever I have time to do, but last week, worked out my recipe, and bought the ingedients! I only struggled when I couldn't get spinach - the main ingredient in one dish! If I'm at work though, hubby cooks the inevitable oven chips!

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juniperdewdrop · 13/03/2005 20:22

I haven't been watching it but my mate has and has totally changed her kids diets and she's inspired me to get a breadmaker and not give them so much crap. I've gone back to making chicken breast nuggets baked in the oven too, which the kids make themselves really. My eldest doesn't eat so bad but ds2 could be improved upon. I've been stricter with him lately though. The other day he wanted his usual toffee popcorn but I sternly told him no and we bought the cinema one without any fuss. Not a brilliant example lol but I'm getting there

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Enid · 13/03/2005 20:22

rarely eat processed food/ready meals in Enid Land anyway. Didn't watch the show but from what I have heard it just makes me more determined to not give the kids vile crap to eat.

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juniperdewdrop · 13/03/2005 20:24

Oh and I gave up school dinners over a year ago when my mate who teaches at DS1s school told me how awful they are. Ds1 will only eat granary bread anyway as he was a 'You are what you eat' addict when that was on. He tells the other kids what rubbish they're eating though but luckily hasn't had a smack yet

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Dior · 13/03/2005 20:29

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arizona · 13/03/2005 20:30

desperatehousewife, I too have a marmite sandwich fiend.The only hot meal he will eat is fish fingers and potato waffles which are disgustingly salty. I hate it and want him to enjoy food. what can we do? ds is 5.

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MunchedTooManyMarsLady · 13/03/2005 20:31

Dior have you tried slicing fruit and veg really thin and baking them in the oven. Put them on a plate like they were crisps, park child in front of the telly and leave. They gobble them up and haven't a clue. hth

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