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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tomato Ketchup - AIBU?

130 replies

poppincandy · 13/08/2010 23:09

Look I appreciate in the grand scheme of things this is a pathetically small thing, but I'm just interested to get other people's perspective.

My dc are all very good eaters, and can sit and eat well in all environments, and on occassion other diners have commented on what lovely well behaved children they are.

So what's happened is - my son had a friend over who likes tomato ketchup with his chips, although in our family we do not have ketchup, we always have it in the cupboard for any visitors who would like it, along with coffee, salad cream, mustard etc.

Anyway my son does not eat chips (choice not diet), but fancied having the ketchup with the chicken he was having, he then said that he likes the taste of ketchup.

Roll forward to this evening, we go to a smart restaurant, my ds (5) orders sausage, mash, peas and gravy. When they serve the food, the asked whether we would like anything else and my ds pipes up 'Please may I have some tomato ketchup'. They bought it over no problem, but there was a part of me that was like 'Oh no don't go ruining every meal with ketchup, and it looks such a naff thing to do, in some establishments'.

Am I being a snob?

I suspect I am and BU.

OP posts:
Original poster
poppincandy · 13/08/2010 23:41

Geez that must be so hard, not for having to have ketchup, but for the amount of meds that requires to be taken that often.

Reward with ketchup Smile

OP posts:
TitsalinaBumSquash · 13/08/2010 23:43

Lol funniyl enough he never wants it with dinner!

All the other medications are iv's, nebulisers and orals so its only the one that requires Ketchup he just has to have a lot of that particular one.

carocaro · 13/08/2010 23:44

fish pie and ketchup delish!

what smart restaurant has sausage mash and peas and gravy by the way?

whydobirdssuddenlyappear · 13/08/2010 23:48

Midnight, mine too! I love, love, love The Wonderful O, perhaps more than any other book ever!

Original poster
poppincandy · 13/08/2010 23:48

it's a small independent where I live, but it's yuppy bangers and mash - you know 2 speciality sausages (unidentified covered in ketchup Grin), mash in a small disc (that looks like aunt betty's mashed potato before cooked :)) etc

OP posts:
onimolap · 13/08/2010 23:55

The useful ingredient is lycopene - especially protective against prostate cancer.

DH says that in Officers' Messes ketchup is called Red Sauce and is served in gravy boats. So definitely some snob stuff going on there. MIL says that as a lad he smothered everything in ketchup, but he'd grown out of it by the time I met him. I did try to get my woefully picky DS2 to emulate him, in the faint hope he'd eat a greater variety of foods. Sadly, no joy there.

MiladyDeSummer · 13/08/2010 23:55

Good for you, Titsalina and best wishes to DS Smile

Sausage mash and peas if I'm not mistaken are served in the very best of restaurants in various poncey guises along with other classics.

ChippingIn · 13/08/2010 23:57

poppin - he was very good to ask himself and ask so nicely, I would have just let him get on with it.

I agree with you, there is a time & place for ketchup or more precisely - a certain type of meal!

I don't let them get into the habit of having ketchup with everything, only with appropriate food - at home or out.

It's no so much that I think it's food crack, just that I don't want them smothering everything in it and yes, I want them to appreciate that you don't order ketchup when you have just ordered a gourmet meal... but bangers & mash - no worries :)

DilysPrice · 13/08/2010 23:59

The Lycopene stuff seems quite plausible, but on the other hand it does all come from studies funded by Heinz.....

MiladyDeSummer · 14/08/2010 00:05

Really Dilys? Grin

DilysPrice · 14/08/2010 00:22

Yes, honestly (in both cases - AFAIK it is all pretty plausible research, but it isn't my subject so I can't really judge, and it is certainly true that most of the research is funded by Heinz).

CakeandRoses · 14/08/2010 00:34

Dunno if YABU but this thread is like Mumsnet incarnate.

Trying to imagine the response if this had been posted on Netmums instead Grin

JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns · 14/08/2010 00:36

he said, 'Please may I have some tomato ketchup'

borrow my son, and daughter, after to many trips to my mums, ask for ruddy 'DIP' dip ffs, with everything!!!!

the like mayo, salad cream and tomatoe ketchup, and grandma lets ds mix it into a disgusting mess.

they are 3 and 1, what hope do i have.

so much for all the blooming home made dips i painstakingly made from my ak books when they found finger food, i should have just got shares in heinz.

Jacaqueen · 14/08/2010 00:39

Well I wouldn't eat bangers and mash without some Tommy K, as we call it. Just as I wouldn't like to eat steak without mustard or fish and chips without some tartare.

I buy Heinz reduced sugar ketchup but I only serve it with certain meals.

thumbwitch · 14/08/2010 00:42

lycopene is in tomatoes and watermelons. It is supposed to help protect against prostate cancer but there are better ways to get it than in tomato ketchup, which is also full of sugar as has been stated.

Any cooked tomato, preferably with some form of oil (olive for preference) will deliver lycopene. As with beta carotene and vitamins A,E and D, it is better absorbed when fat is involved as it is fat soluble (not quite sure how that works in watermelon!)

OP - my DS has tartare sauce on his chips, regardless of what he's eating the chips with - but I can hardly get upset about this as I do the same!

MiladyDeSummer · 14/08/2010 00:43

Dilys I can believe it Smile

Meet-up anyone?

Bring yer own ketchup, he'll love us.

Dinkytinky · 14/08/2010 01:14

You are being snobby but i am a ketchup snob too!

gtamom · 14/08/2010 08:43

A wee bit of ketchup will not hurt him. He sounds very cute to me, I can just see him there with his bangers and mash, politly asking for some ketchup please.

AlgebraRocksMySocks · 14/08/2010 08:49

I'm a ketchup snob too, we didn't even keep it in the house until a few months ago, now it's only used if we (rarely) have chips. and it makes a lovely glaze on chicken wings, mixed with cayenne pepper! :o

I don't like it when ketchup is on everything but I can see how it's a coping strategy for uber-fussy eaters.

It doesn't do any harm in small doses, but I have to admit I'm really pleased that DD (3.1) absolutely hates it!

proudnsad · 14/08/2010 08:51

Yes you are being snobby, but I know what you mean! Little bit 'o ketchup here and there and not in posh establishments = absolutely fine.

Ha ha ha at Hairytriangle's 'you make ketchup sound like crack'!!!!

Your son sounds lovely btw

SanctiMoanyArse · 14/08/2010 08:54

He's 5 so he can be taught (excepting ASSD etc) that keychup goes with some things and venues and not others

But it is ketchup, it has good things in, it's not quavers served with deep fried savers chicken burgers fgs (And my Dad makes those burgers so I Know )

SanctiMoanyArse · 14/08/2010 08:59

titsalina hugs for ds

And don;t worry too much about the teeth; very different but medically related in that it was ASD-caused dietary issue rotted ds1's teeth, first and bit of second set.

Frankly its hte least worry when your child is difficult to feed (and ds1 has bullemia so you knlw, very difficult)

ItWasADarkAndStormyNight · 14/08/2010 09:16

The issue I have with ketchup is when ds's brother comes over he spends about 10 minutes covering every thing on his plate with it then won't finish it becuse its cold and soggy Hmm

LynetteScavo · 14/08/2010 09:21

Ketchup is fine if it's an a "pile"

Plopped or squirted all over food is a no-no.

If the establishment had ketchup, then it was obviously fine to ask for it.

I take it you weren't at The Ivy. Grin

zapostrophe · 14/08/2010 09:28

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