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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:
tyler80 · 14/08/2010 12:21

I hate ketchup but grew up in a ketchup loving family. Hated the fact that my brother used to leave stuff on his plate but I couldn't hoover up the remains because it had all been tainted by ketchup.

My mum used to squirt ketchup into bags of crisps then shake them up.

But I wouldn't judge anyone for putting ketchup on their food, or any other condiment whether traditional or not. I might think it a bit strange if they had a tantrum and couldn't eat their food because of a lack of it, but to just have a preference is fine.

Mayo on chips is my personal preference.

ethelina · 14/08/2010 12:22

Hollow out the sausage. Smear the ketchup inside. Fill with mashed potato. Top with extra condiment of choice. Stuff in gob. Done.

Morloth · 14/08/2010 12:23

Best use though is when you get a meat pie and a squirty bottle, you can squirt the sauce straight in.

SanctiMoanyArse · 14/08/2010 12:25

I really, really dislike mayo unless it's fresh and far too expensive.

Unless curried in coronation chicken, in which case it becomes uber yum

ethelina · 14/08/2010 12:36

Does anyone still make thousand island dressing using ketchup and mayonnaise?

violethill · 14/08/2010 12:38

So now and again, your son likes tomato ketchup with a meal? That's hardly the same as smothering every meal with it!

Blondeshavemorefun · 14/08/2010 12:46

tbh i dont see the harm in adding a dollop of ketchup with meals if it helps/encourages children to eat their food

i like sauces and would find a meal kinda dry without salad cream/mayo etc

FellatioNelson · 14/08/2010 12:53

tyler I have both cursed and simultanously praised God, for years, that my DCs leftover have been ketchup tainted, thus depriving me of 'hoovering'!!!

BexieID · 14/08/2010 15:06

I had poached egg and toast for lunch, with lods of ketchup on!

Lonnie · 14/08/2010 16:40

This has been a interesting thread for me to read. I loathe ketchup on everything and there are times where ketchup actually makes me gag. However I occationally have it with proper chips (not Mac D sorts I mean potatos cut and made into chips) and Will have it with bubble and squeak and tolerate it on other things.

3 of my kids love it 1 wont touch it. dh says Iam obsessive about it. So honestly I expected to read this threat going NO YANBU however I think you ARE BU. I dont eat ketchup with my sausages however I accept it is a condiment that is fitting for that. Teach him that condiments is somethign we have occationally where it is appropriate. Some of the things it has been suggested to here has had me gag reading it but for a child to politely ask for ketchup when out for sausages I dont see an issue with at all.

Just teach him that we dont pour it all over and it doesnt go with everything then a bit of ketchup here and there is nto the worst thing in the world.

atswimtwolengths · 14/08/2010 17:29

My son counts ketchup as one (or more) of his five a day! He's 18 now and has perfect teeth - no fillings at all.

You can't really complain about the sugar levels in ketchup if you then give the child a dessert, imo.

Original poster
poppincandy · 14/08/2010 22:04

You may be pleased to know he had gammon, boiled potato and cauliflower for his dinner tonight - and not a dollop of ketchup in sight Grin

OP posts:
southeastastra · 14/08/2010 22:07

ketchup is lovely on roast chicken it's just a sauce for the love of god Grin

hp is also nice - think you're either a sauce person or not

Animation · 14/08/2010 22:12

Gammon, boiled potatoe and cauliflower seems a bit dry to me - unless you have gravy with it.

Original poster
poppincandy · 14/08/2010 22:12

I admit I don't understand gravy either - no need to pour water on my dinner thank you very much!!!

OP posts:
Animation · 14/08/2010 22:18

How about curry sauce.

Animation · 14/08/2010 22:21

...or a dob of butter at least.

Rollmops · 14/08/2010 22:22

Not a snob but slightly ignorant about the benefits of lycopene etc and waaay too worried about what the staff and fellow diners might think.
Wanna-be-snob.

Dancergirl · 14/08/2010 22:46

YABU

Some people, myself included, like their condiments - ketchup, mayo, mustard etc. Nothing wrong with that.

I would be very pleased if my 5 year old eats well at a nice restaurant and asks politely for ketchup.

cupcakesandbunting · 14/08/2010 22:50

Gordon Ramsay had little bottles of ketchup on the table when we went for a girl's lunch at the Connaught, so if it's good enough for Gordon... Grin

lemonysweet · 14/08/2010 23:02

things mumsnet has taught me:

tomato sauce=crack.

i thought tomato sauce was just tomatoes and vinegar, at least the one we have seems to be... [scuttles off to inspect ingredients]

okay so it does say theres sugar salt and spices. but the glass bottle one we have its 75% tomato.

is that bad?

[oh god, cant believe im having a baby in this day and age. i want to go back 13 years to when my DDs were baby and toddlers, where tomato sauce wasnt crack and having a pudding with dinner every day wasnt frowned upon.]

thumbwitch · 14/08/2010 23:07

the point of gravy in our house was to re-hydrate the roast meat that my mother had cooked to destruction - all the juices and flavour had left the meat and were puddled below it, so these had to be used for gravy to give a point to eating the stringy blocks that passed for roast beef. She is the only person I know who could reduce the size of a joint by over half.

poshsinglemum · 14/08/2010 23:08

I love chips with a pool of tomatoe ketchup for dipping. Yum. Not the healthiest but yum!

I guess yunbu if you don't want your son to get a habit but there are some no sugar ones on the market.

twinklingfairy · 14/08/2010 23:26

I haven't read through, so don't know other poits of view but I think YANBU.
DH introduce my LOs to sauce and I was mightily unimpressed. And am still so every time he grabs it from the cupboard for either himself or the DCs.
I am not, as you can tell, a 'sauce person'Smile

DontCallMeBaby · 14/08/2010 23:50

poppincandy if you equate gravy to pouring water on your dinner you've had some sad gravy experiences indeed :o

I think I am a hot sauce person, but not a cold sauce person. Apart from mango chutney, I'd eat that with a spoon.

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