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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Bit boring I know, but AIBU to be buying out of season fruit for DD?

63 replies

Yesmynameis · 04/03/2012 18:01

This week DD 16mo has had blueberries, raspberries, grapes, peaches, clementines and bananas all shipped to Asda from half way across the globe.

She does love her fruit, but is not so great with her veg unfortuantely, which I guess has encouraged me to buy this stuff more, and all through the winter.

But AIBU to buy this stuff all year round? Do others do the same as me, or if not, does anyone have any inspired alternatives for the winter

OP posts:

FilterCoffee · 04/03/2012 20:29

It's not trivial to wonder how we can reduce our carbon footprint. It could make a big difference to someone, somewhere, in the future.

BleurghUna · 04/03/2012 20:37

How about carrots, cucumbers or red peppers, cut into sticks? Both my rather fussy DDs like those. Carrots are cheap as chips (excuse the pun).
Or could you try her on dried fruit - raisins, dried apricots, prunes?
It's hard to avoid buying foreign produce at this time of year, but maybe you could choose European produce over stuff from the other side of the planet?
Fairtrade bananas are quite easy to find too, if you are worried about the ethical aspects.
My sympathies OP, you can only feed them what they will eat!

WibblyBibble · 04/03/2012 20:44

OP I completely know the feeling. I have been agonising about whether I can buy myself a salad bag from the supermarket- have had a stomach bug and really craving it which I assume means I need the vitamins but it's bound to be imported at the moment. Have also been forcibly dragging dd2 past the raspberries in the supermarket all winter. One thing that definitely helps is using tinned versions (in juice rather than syrup if you can find them) e.g. tinned peaches for pudding go down very well here. You can get frozen 'summer berries' which are pretty cheap and are ok to eat if she doesn't mind them being a bit soggier than fresh. Also bananas have a very low carbon footprint because they are imported by boat (there was an article in teh grauniad a while back about this). I personally refuse to get fresh summer fruit at this time of year because it's so expensive apart from anything else, and we just don't have the budget for £2.99 punnets of berries, but I can see why people do if they have fussy kids!

Floggingmolly · 04/03/2012 20:45

The stuff is available for sale, I presume you're not chartering your own plane to fly it in? If it bothers you, then you can stop buying it, but it's down to your own concience really. You shouldn't use other people's experiences to validate your own choices.

SmethwickBelle · 04/03/2012 20:48

In the big scheme of things YANBU and I'd say it's great to get them enjoying fruit. Heck even I prefer blueberries to apples to be honest.

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 20:48

Yes I agree with veg introduction suggestions, we started with peeled cucumber and gradually left more and and more of the green on. He will now eat one like an apple. Carrots just ever so slightly steamed just to soften a tiny bit and cut into sticks - chantenay carrots are more of a hit for some reason and he will now eat them raw. After this he was more accepting of mange tout, broccoli...etc (all of which he ate well as a baby but then stopped ).
But fruit is good, too. Ds would eat his body weight in raspberries and blackberries if allowed.
I hadn't thought of buying berries frozen. will do this to reduce footprint now until we pick them in the summer.

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 20:51

The berries were 2 punnets for £3 at tesco last week.

Original poster

Yesmynameis · 04/03/2012 20:52

I am not losing sleep over the fruit in my fridge! but as a family I do want us to play our part. We recycle, insulate our home and consider our car journeys etc.

Having a plethora of exotic fruits in the fridge just seems to fly in the face of this, but my toddler likes to eat fruit and its good for her...

I'll try to tone it down a bit, get some dried and canned, stick to fairtrade and cut out the midweek top ups.

Thanks to those who've responded with their tips.

OP posts:

BigGirlInASmallWorld · 04/03/2012 20:55

YABU when there are people who have real problems in their life.

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 21:00

Biggirl I'm sorry but wtf? Can people only start threads about huge issues in their lives on MN?

charitygirl · 04/03/2012 21:05

I don't think YABU, but I just can't bring myself to buy imported soft summer fruit in the depths of winter. Oranges fine, strawberries...no I just can't do it!

Forced English rhubarb is on the shelves - my DS loves that stewed with brown sugar. The oranges are fab - I tend to peel them completely with a knife and chop into pieces. Apples cut up and baked in the oven with cinnamon.

But still, YANBU.

JasperJohns · 04/03/2012 21:06

We do it too.

sunnydelight · 04/03/2012 21:08

When we arrived in Oz five years ago we had a massive re-education, the only way you can afford to buy fruit and veg here (and we are not on anything like a low income) is to eat seasonally. After the "$20 for a small bag of tomatoes" incident when DH went shopping shortly after we landed, thinking he'd make something that needed fresh tomatoes out of season we learnt our lesson. It's a bit of a pita sometimes always having to have a plan b when shopping in case what you want isn't available or affordable and I certainly can't claim any moral high ground as it's not really a choice.

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 21:15

Sunny it would be difficult but it sounds like they've got it right!

BigGirlInASmallWorld · 04/03/2012 21:24

I'm sure swearing is against MUMSNET TALK GUIDELINES

havesomepatience

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 22:20

Wow, you've spectacularly missed the point of my post but I do apologise if we aren't allowed to use 'wtf'. I had no idea it was forbidden...

starwisher · 04/03/2012 22:24

Maybe iit's one of those forbidden fruits

Fruits. Get it?!

Boom boom!

squeakytoy · 04/03/2012 22:28

Not really sure what you are asking OP to be honest... if cost is an issue, buy yellow labelled stuff, there is always plenty of that in the fruit section of any supermarket. If it is the carbon footprint you are worrying about, then why? The fruit is here now.. it isnt going to get sent back if you dont buy it, nor is it going to stop being sent over if you dont buy it.

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 22:32

Squeaky but if many don't buy it then demand will decrease and supply will then have to decrease.... From an Economics perspective.

Star - oh was biggirl's comment a joke? I thought it odd as people swear all the time n MN!

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 22:32

*on

starwisher · 04/03/2012 22:33

I don't think it was a joke but I made it into one!

I think wtf is pretty mild I have been called way worse!

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 22:36

But I didn't call her anything. I said what the f

Anyway here's the guidelines, copied and pasted. So we are allowed!

It's not our policy to delete swearwords (we are all adults, after all) but we do draw the line at obscenity, racist and disablist language, and wording that is truly beyond the pale. So, if you're not sure which side of that line your swearword of choice may fall, it might be best not to use it.

squeakytoy · 04/03/2012 22:36

But many are clearly not buying it now, because it is so bloody expensive.. hence the reason that it almost always ends up reduced to yellow label, then thrown away if it isnt sold. They still keep sending it over though.

HavePatience · 04/03/2012 22:36

I meant to ave 3 stars there

snowmaiden · 04/03/2012 22:36

What is the point of buying tinned and frozen if they are also imported though? Since when were peaches ever British?

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