I let DD22m choose breakfast today...🤣

[AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps]

We all are porridge.... with a side of pickled beetroot and gherkins

LOL

So basically, the chooser has picked porridge, pickled gherkins and beetroot. OPs says everyone must have one, two, all or any combo of those items. Rinse and repeat for whoever and whatever the 'chooser' of the day decides.

Maybe I'm missing something but I can't see how that's more fun and less boring than letting someone have a piece of fruit, a bowl of cereal or a slice of toast instead if that's what they fancy

@ErrolTheDragon

It doesn't sound too different to congee (rice 'porridge'), which I believe is quite a common breakfast in many SE Asian countries, sometimes served with pickles or other flavoursome side dishes.

I assume the OPs 'everyone eats the same' never has the main part being something one person loathes, so seems like a pretty reasonable idea to me - I wish I could have followed that idea with my family but I'm the only one that will/can eat just about anything (even the dog we had when dd was small was fussy). I think some of the naysayers on that score may be subconsciously a bit jealous.

Jealous of what? My dc will eat pretty much anything. However after growing up in a house where we all had the exact same meals am terribly fussy hence being more relaxed with my own family. OP can of course do as she pleases but I think proclaiming to have no made up food rules when you clearly do is a bit daft!

@Thesearmsofmine

It sounds so strict that everyone just eat the same at every single meal, the very opposite of no made up food rules tbh.

But.... Why would I make three different meals three times a day?? Like tonight, we're all having sausage, peas, carrots and mash with gravy. DH won't have any gravy though.

Are people suggesting I really make different meals?

And like in Saturday, we have cooked breakfast. DD won't have any mushrooms though. But I'm not making us all separate breakfasts.

I don't know why the OP getting such a hard time. It seems to me that she, her DP and her DD all eat breakfast together and are happy to all eat the same thing. It makes sense to me. I am sure if things change with their morning routine they will all be able to choose what they want. She doesn't sound like she is saying this is a rule that must be stuck to forever.

who has suggested making loads of different meals? Many of us have just pointed out that it seems very rigid and rule driven that the chooser dictates what's for breakfast and everyone must have a combo of whatever that is. What's so hard about chopping up a piece of fruit or pouring a bowl of cereal or popping a slice of bread in the toaster, if that's what someone wants?

I think long term you might have to compromise on the breakfast side, some days one might be hungrier than another and want a different option, other days you're in a rush and don't have time. DS has always picked his own breakfasts since he was tiny and just pointed to select cereal / toast / muffin etc. Mostly we have simple quick breakfasts; he has cereal or something toasted with chosen topping, I have a toasted thing or porridge, DH has something sweet like granola or jam on muffin. It's no bother to toast bread for one, crumpets for another and muffin for the third one; extra knives for everyone's different toppings just go in the dishwasher. If DS picks something requiring effort like pancake, french toast or bacon sandwich then he helps make it and everyone has it; but there isn't time every morning to be getting fancy.

Ocado has the lovely Kuhne crinkle cut gherkins in stock, we got them recently and just rechecked. I wouldn't have acid-y gherkins nor beetroot for breakfast, but I have polished off the last ones from the jar with a fork as a mid-morning snack a few times, lush. Do you like capers too? Reality tasty on a pizza.

@Imposterish

Lolz.

“I don’t like made up food rules”

And then

“We must all eat the same thing”.

LOL I didn't say "we must all eat the same thing". I said we all have the same meal. I cook only one meal at breakfast,lunch and dinner.... Eg, porridge for brekkie, cheese and pickle sandwiches for lunch and chicken pie and veg for dinner. And if an item is disliked, such as DH doesn't like gravy, he won't put any on... But we all have the same meal.........

nothing unusual about that.

so if one kid asks for melon with yoghurt and porridge, and another asks for pancakes, eggs, sausages and toast... you'd make it all to order?

Yep 👍

But we're also a house that might have 2 or 3 different main meals if we all fancy something different. Why would I want to eat something I don't really like?

@AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps

No one is suggesting making entire separate meals.

But this is breakfast. Its putting something in a toaster, or putting cereal or fruit in a bowl, or heating something up on the stove. You can do all those things safe once and it doesnt take any extra time.

It's just funny that you're so pleased with your no stupid food rules but you wont make toast and porridge at the same time if people want different things for breakfast, the easiest meal.

So, to me, that's a stupid food rule.

@ImUninsultable

Why do you all have to have the same thing for breakfast?

That sounds like a silly made up food rule to me.

It isnt like dinner where you're cooking a big meal and cant be doing several. Its breakfast. If someone wants porridge and someone else wants eggs, that's just 2 pots. Or someone might just fancy toast or melon or yoghurt.

You dont need to have a rule that breakfast must all be the same.

My kids can choose form eggs, pancakes, sausages, toast, yoghurt, melon or porridge on weekdays. They can have any combo. Weekends I throw in french toast or waffles.

It's the easiest meal of the day!

You're turning yourself into a short order cook using multiple pans but it's the easiest meal of the day? Are you cooking 12 course tasting menus for dinner?!

@AllWaxedOut

It's a bit odd to crave a heavy casserole on a hot sticky summer's day or a salad on a freezing night in January, but no big deal.

You seem to be trying to make this your thing but having a (mini) Jammy Dodger with your lunch isn't particularly out there either 🙈

It doesn't really need an announcement. And you're setting yourself up for criticism, because you're bound to break your 'no rulez' rule.

It was just an example to say she doesn't have to eat savoury and then sweet. Not exactly out there

@BettyCarver

So basically, the chooser has picked porridge, pickled gherkins and beetroot. OPs says everyone must have one, two, all or any combo of those items. Rinse and repeat for whoever and whatever the 'chooser' of the day decides.

Maybe I'm missing something but I can't see how that's more fun and less boring than letting someone have a piece of fruit, a bowl of cereal or a slice of toast instead if that's what they fancy

I cook all meals and do all shopping, so I choose 99% of meals.... Sorry for thinking it might be nice for DD to sometime decide what's for breakfast and I'm sorry we all have (pretty much) the same thing for my convenience.

Nobody has said you should make different meals three times a day? Just pointing out that saying you have no food rules and then saying you all have to eat the same are at odds with each other.

You can of course do as you please.

I think its perfectly normal for you to all eat the same meal. MN is ridiculous sometimes. There will be threads made an exasperated parent whos trying to appease a fussy eater and will be told not to cook different meals and the whole family can eat the same thing. On this thread OP is getting a hard time because she does just that.

Peak MN.

@DameFanny

No. I'm a single working mum. But I just dont think it's difficult to put bread in a toaster, put porridge in a pan and stick some beaten eggs in the microwave.

[quote ImUninsultable]@AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps

No one is suggesting making entire separate meals.

But this is breakfast. Its putting something in a toaster, or putting cereal or fruit in a bowl, or heating something up on the stove. You can do all those things safe once and it doesnt take any extra time.

It's just funny that you're so pleased with your no stupid food rules but you wont make toast and porridge at the same time if people want different things for breakfast, the easiest meal.

So, to me, that's a stupid food rule.[/quote]
No. I won't make three separate meals, sorry.

If DH wants some toast after whatever is cooked, he can crack on. But I cook us all a pot of porridge (and beetroot 🤣) and that is what is for breakfast....

However, I'm clearly a boring, rule focused, killjoy weirdo by allowing my daughter to choose what we have for breakfast on occasion....

@AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps no need to apologise! Of course it's nice to let people decide what they want to eat

@AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps

But that's exactly what I do? I let my kids choose what they want for breakfast.

If one wants porridge and on wants eggs, it doesnt require any extra work for me. Beat eggs and shove in microwave. Heat porridge on stove. Job done. Maybe stick bread or a pancake in the toaster. Melon is always put on the table.
I'm not going to force them to have the same meal when its breakfast, it's all quick and easy to make and it hasnt been planned out and all ingredients bought like a main dish.

Because, we dont have stupid food rules.

@MrsJBaptiste

so if one kid asks for melon with yoghurt and porridge, and another asks for pancakes, eggs, sausages and toast... you'd make it all to order?

Yep 👍

But we're also a house that might have 2 or 3 different main meals if we all fancy something different. Why would I want to eat something I don't really like?

That's just bonkers. We often have a picnic style lunch with a range of salad bits that come out and go back in the fridge pots until they get finished, so we all have different amounts and skip an item if we don't fancy it, but the warmed up core bit of the meal is the same whether that's pitta and pepperoni to dunk in houmous or a pasta with topping. No way am I having my kitchen turn into a bombsite of oven trays, saucepans, frying pans, bowls etc etc; one thing gets cooked and we all eat it, chillies on the side for grownups.

This fun little thread turned a bit shit didn't it?

What happened to light-hearted and silly threads on Mumsnet? Can't we have any of them anymore?

Also...

If you have pot noodle on chips, strain the pot noodle before you put it on the chips.. 😜😂

Sounds great. We got a new fridge last week so I did eat up the end of the jar of pickled gherkins for breakfast when I switched the old one off, not with porridge though!

Beat eggs and shove in microwave. Heat porridge on stove

Surely if anything it’s porridge in the microwave and eggs in the pan?!

I'm also feeling a bit weird that it seems I'm the only one doing porridge in the microwave. Oats in, milk in, 90 secs on high, leave to stand a minute then stir in honey and cinnamon / fruits / nut butter / whatever is requested. Bowl in dishwasher after eating. Save yourselves a pan wash ladies!

@TuftyMarmoset

I worked in a wee tearoom when I was teenager and it was scrambled eggs in the microwave. It's just easy and standing having to stir and make sure they dont stick to the pan or anything.

Whenever i make porridge in the microwave, it bubbles up to a porridge volcano. Because I just clearly cannot figure it out.

[quote ImUninsultable]@AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps

But that's exactly what I do? I let my kids choose what they want for breakfast.

If one wants porridge and on wants eggs, it doesnt require any extra work for me. Beat eggs and shove in microwave. Heat porridge on stove. Job done. Maybe stick bread or a pancake in the toaster. Melon is always put on the table.
I'm not going to force them to have the same meal when its breakfast, it's all quick and easy to make and it hasnt been planned out and all ingredients bought like a main dish.

Because, we dont have stupid food rules.[/quote]
And that's great if it works for you.

But I do not have the inclination to cook a pan of porridge, cook some eggs, and get a pancake out of the freezer, bread from the drawer and pop them in the toaster just to appease everyone. If they all want to crack on an make it themselves, fine. But DD is 22m old so can only help, DH leaves at 7am for work. Sure he can make his own brekkie, but he's normally getting DD up, teeth and washed whilst I make breakfast. He eats and goes - then is home around 7pm, and eats his dinner at 8-8:30pm after putting DD to bed, so eats whatever is there, doesn't want to be making a new separate dinner.

I don't think it's a real hardship for us all to have pancakes, berries and maple one day, and then eggs on toast another. Nor do I think it's a "made up food rule" I think it's made up rule for my convenience.

Made-up food rules imo are things like "you have to eat bread rolls with soup, rather than slice of bread" or "Curry isn't a breakfast food"