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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this dinner is acceptable?

312 replies

chiquititaa · 08/11/2024 16:58

My toddler who is 2.5 had a cod fish finger sandwich for tea and 2 more fish finger on the side, he finished the whole thing and I gave him some Jaffa cakes and a banana sucky yogurt thing, that he's eating just now, DH is just home from work and asked what ds had for tea, I told him what he had and he seems to think it's not enough for a growing 2.5 year old.

He can be very fussy and I'm thinking it's a win that he ate that much at all but I'm being made feel horrible by DH. Please let me know if you think this is enough for a toddlers tea?

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 08/11/2024 18:13

Brananan · 08/11/2024 18:09

I wouldn't have given that as a regular thing, no. But I am what my dcs call an "almond mum".

I used to always give raw veggie sticks while I was cooking at that age so they have eaten some carrot, red pepper and cucumber before they got to the fish fingers sandwich. And I was too tight to buy those yogurt things that have hardly any yogurt in them. So it would have been a real banana and some plain yogurt with honey. But I am a food nazi, quite happy to admit it.

If this is a normal meal for your toddler then yes it's shit. Sorry.

Edited

Sneaky. I like it.

My sneaky was growing salad and small veg in pots. They would always eat those. Especially if I moaned that I never got any.

Bwahahahaha.

nadine90 · 08/11/2024 18:12

That's pretty much what I had for tea the other night and I lived to tell the tale.
Obv not for every meal, but you cant beat a fish finger butty now and then!

sprigatito · 08/11/2024 18:12

@LemonSherbertDabs it's a fish finger sandwich and a couple of Jaffa cakes, not a deep fried mars bar. Calm your tits before you rupture something.

Relaxedandchilled · 08/11/2024 18:11

It’s enough, it isn’t balanced or particularly healthy, but enough. Yeah sure.

StarSlinger · 08/11/2024 18:10

LondonPapa · 08/11/2024 18:09

Absolutely not good enough. Fish fingers and Jaffa cakes? How about fresh cod, rice / potato / whatever carb, if wanted, and veggies followed by a fruity pudding and Greek yoghurt?

I’d be surprised if you were even hitting the nutrition requirements with fish fingers and Jaffa cakes. I can’t believe this is real for a 2.5 year old toddler? Please say it isn’t.

I can't believe your reply is real either.

LemonSherbertDabs · 08/11/2024 18:10

What is so sad and annoying is the 'junk food brigade' who slap down anyone who tries to say that the example above is bad.

We have a diabetes epidemic.

70% of people are overweight or obese.

And yet people are so quick to join the race to the bottom of food given to kids.

MagdaLenor · 08/11/2024 18:09

StarSlinger · 08/11/2024 18:07

Sounds fine, you should have added some chips just so the MN food police could froth a bit more.

I was thinking Turkey Twizzlers, but maybe they've been discontinued.

Brananan · 08/11/2024 18:09

I wouldn't have given that as a regular thing, no. But I am what my dcs call an "almond mum".

I used to always give raw veggie sticks while I was cooking at that age so they have eaten some carrot, red pepper and cucumber before they got to the fish fingers sandwich. And I was too tight to buy those yogurt things that have hardly any yogurt in them. So it would have been a real banana and some plain yogurt with honey. But I am a food nazi, quite happy to admit it.

If this is a normal meal for your toddler then yes it's shit. Sorry.

LondonPapa · 08/11/2024 18:09

chiquititaa · 08/11/2024 16:58

My toddler who is 2.5 had a cod fish finger sandwich for tea and 2 more fish finger on the side, he finished the whole thing and I gave him some Jaffa cakes and a banana sucky yogurt thing, that he's eating just now, DH is just home from work and asked what ds had for tea, I told him what he had and he seems to think it's not enough for a growing 2.5 year old.

He can be very fussy and I'm thinking it's a win that he ate that much at all but I'm being made feel horrible by DH. Please let me know if you think this is enough for a toddlers tea?

Absolutely not good enough. Fish fingers and Jaffa cakes? How about fresh cod, rice / potato / whatever carb, if wanted, and veggies followed by a fruity pudding and Greek yoghurt?

I’d be surprised if you were even hitting the nutrition requirements with fish fingers and Jaffa cakes. I can’t believe this is real for a 2.5 year old toddler? Please say it isn’t.

MagdaLenor · 08/11/2024 18:08

sprigatito · 08/11/2024 18:05

@MagdaLenor oh, but surely you know that you've been "storing up trouble" for them in later life?! They may appear healthy, but if they make it to the age of 50 they may randomly collapse into a pile of cholesterol-laden slime with Frube wrappers floating in it 😱😱😱

The hysteria around children's eating on MN is hilarious.

Oh no! They're now 30 and 32, perfectly fit, healthy and successful.... but who knows!

StarSlinger · 08/11/2024 18:07

Sounds fine, you should have added some chips just so the MN food police could froth a bit more.

LemonSherbertDabs · 08/11/2024 18:07

The hysteria around children's eating on MN is hilarious.

Except the science shows that MN 'hysteria' is correct.
Media info last week from science showed that the first 100 days of a child's diet set the pattern for life and too much sugar = diabetes as adults.

Stats. Not hysteria.

adriftinadenofvipers · 08/11/2024 18:07

Megifer · 08/11/2024 17:20

Couldn't you have made your own cod wraps and used finely milled carrot for breadcrumbs instead?

Maybe she CBA??

harvestdesigns · 08/11/2024 18:07

Sounds fine to me, op.

I would have added some veg (peas or cucumber sticks) and some fruit (apple wedges? Berries?) but fully of expected them to be ignored for the delight that is a jaffe cake!

Haggia · 08/11/2024 18:06

LolaJ87 · 08/11/2024 17:21

I've read too many posts today to know if this is sincere or not 😂

I don’t think it is.

If she’d said quinoa coating and wasabi tartare or something, the jury would be out.

LemonSherbertDabs · 08/11/2024 18:06

Too much sugar.

He doesn't need Jaffa cakes or a yoghurt that may have added sugar.

Why no veg for him? Peas, carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc?

sprigatito · 08/11/2024 18:05

@MagdaLenor oh, but surely you know that you've been "storing up trouble" for them in later life?! They may appear healthy, but if they make it to the age of 50 they may randomly collapse into a pile of cholesterol-laden slime with Frube wrappers floating in it 😱😱😱

The hysteria around children's eating on MN is hilarious.

SatansBobbleheadedDashboardOrnament · 08/11/2024 18:05

arethereanyleftatall · 08/11/2024 17:58

The question the op asked, @sprigatito, is 'is this meal acceptable!' That was her question!! To many mums, no, this is not an acceptable meal, and they responded accordingly. If the op only wanted responses from parents who think a fishfinger sandwich is an acceptable meal, then it would firstly render the question pointless, and secondly, she should have said that.

If we're splitting hairs, then no - you've taken the OP's question out of context. She was asking if the amount of food she was feeding her child was acceptable, not if the ingredients were deemed to be acceptable.

Nina9870 · 08/11/2024 18:05

My child exists on fresh air so I’d be overjoyed if they ate that!

Laalaalaand · 08/11/2024 18:04

Megifer · 08/11/2024 17:28

Im dead serious. And instead of carb heavy bread slice an aubergine wafer thin to use as a wrap instead.

Just the one fish finger mind, that's enough processed food for one meal.

That's actually hilarious.

Are you that robotic woman on Instagram that makes her kids cereal from scratch?

Edenmum2 · 08/11/2024 18:04

My toddler had half a bowl of porridge for tea and I took that as a win. Their stomachs are tiny, and they are very good at knowing their own appetite

TheChippendenSpook · 08/11/2024 18:03

MagdaLenor · 08/11/2024 18:00

I'm glad I wasn't on MN when mine were toddlers, I would have been slated! Anyway, they're healthy adults now, in spite of a diet including jaffa cakes and Happy Meals 😊!

Same! Both of mine avoided vegetables when they were little but I didn't stress about it. Eventually they started to try stuff amd now eat more than I ever dreamed they would.

This place really makes me despair.

Camelphat · 08/11/2024 18:02

Perfectly acceptable.

Octopies · 08/11/2024 18:01

Your husband is presumably capable of preparing and offering more food if he feels it's not enough. He shouldn't be making you feel horrible for feeding your child!

MagdaLenor · 08/11/2024 18:00

TheChippendenSpook · 08/11/2024 17:55

Oh my God. Why does it matter if a child doesn't have vegetables for one or two meals?

They're not going to fucking die because of it. I despair at this website sometimes.

I'm glad I wasn't on MN when mine were toddlers, I would have been slated! Anyway, they're healthy adults now, in spite of a diet including jaffa cakes and Happy Meals 😊!