"they ate fast food and junk food but had splashed out of a plasma TV."

[ConfusedPixie]

This comment just came up on the radio news, supposedly said by Jamie Oliver about one of the families he was working with in his new TV show.

AIBU to wonder how the fuck what you eat relates to what TV you have?

Surely this just reinforces stereotypes of the people likely to have bad diets through lack of education on the matter? What a bullshit statement.

There's some real haters on this thread - it's clear that it wouldn't matter what he said, you'd have jumped on it with the personal attacks anyway.

He was right about kids school meals.
He is right that some people would prefer to fill their stomachs with shite than go to the effort of sourcing and preparing real food.

Not only is fifteen a fantastic project, but JO is among the top 25 most generous in the uk.

I am really surprised that posters didn't think tomatoes and onions were a good basis for lots of meals.

I am no great cook but I happily eat:

1. tomatoes + onions + carrots + beans (e.g. kidney beans) + pasta + stock cube

2. tomatoes + onions + carrots + sausage/lentils + rice + stock cube

3. tomatoes + onions to make tomato sauce + burgers + potatoes + salad

50-75% of my meals are like this.

I don't understand why people are using the fact that both parents work for not cooking meals for their kids.

Both my parents worked, and the only time we ever had ready meals was very occasionally when my sister and I badgered my mum.

Boosiesh -I want to pick up on what you said here.

When I was growing up ready-meals were a rarity too, although processed foods (e.g. fish in breadcrumbs, the ubiquitous crispy pancake, etc) were commonplace. No one we knew bought lasagne or fish pie though, everyone made them. This was normal and lifestyles of the time reflected the fact that in most households an hour would be allowed for food preparation/cooking. As a result fewer things were packed into an evening/week than is the case today. There were fewer clubs for children and they were usually in walking distance or parents took it in turns to take several children. Parents (especially the mothers) had fewer leisure activities of their own.

The world is different now. Children have more homework than ever and attend more clubs. We are told we need hobbies and activities to be well-rounded individuals. In among all this we still have to shop, clean, do laundry and cook. The appeal of a 10-minute meal you can pop in the microwave when you've already done a 10-hour shift, have to listen to your youngest DC read for 10 minutes, help the elder one with their maths homework, get the laundry off the line which you hung out this morning before going to work, call your mother, attend your spin class...

Working parents in the past had just as many essential things to do but fewer leisure activities. Today we could cut back on the leisure activities but if we do that we are led to believe we are somehow inadequate or boring, thanks to more cultural messaging. It's unsurprising many would prefer to scrap cooking than scrap a round of golf or visiting a friend.

Maybe our expectations are unrealistic and need to change but I can't see many volunteering for that while 99p meals remain available.

Ready made meals are shite. To make something from scratch is cheaper and far, far healthier and you can make doublé the amount and freeze it

So your saying that you can cook the same meal (let's say the standard stuff like lasagna and that sort of thing) and it will be cheaper?

Could you still do it with no freezer no funds to bulk buy.

Ready meals may be shite they are certainly not as good for you as fresh cooked using decent ingredients but they are much much cheaper when sticking to budget brands.

For God's sake BrokenSunglasses JO's comments were about poor people so this IS about poor people. And a tax on food would hit the poorest the hardest so that IS about poor people.

Have your kids never eaten takeaway then, Somersethouse?

We ate chips out of newspaper back in the day, imAgine that.

Have you never had a Chinese ,pizza,Indian?

Exactly broken, exactly and three cheera for jesuis - voice of reason at last.

Jamie Oliver is a twat, this is just further evidence. I have disliked him immensly since he exploited under priviledged children whilst making the '15' programme. He supposedly offered them opportunities without understanding the social & financial problems they faced.
He is a true middle class scumbag who has always had money & can't relate to those who have very little.

He jumps on every bandwagon going...the whole school dinners thing was up & running way before he got involved.
They understood him very well in the US when he tried the same school dinner stunt over there...and was given very short shrift.

I really don't like him.....and breathe..ramnt over

No usual my children have never eaten a takeaway.
They have eaten fish and chips in Cornwall on the beach. Sorry if that offends you. Not sure why it does, each to their own.

FasterStronger - I use tinned tomatoes, onions and garlic in about 75% of my cooking too, but I wouldn't use them on their own. I tailor the sauce with a variety of herbs and spices depending on what I am making.

Why is a 'voice of reason' only ever one that fully agrees with you?

Well, my foray to the Tyne was not fruitful. So I have bunged a casserole in the slow cooker and made some bread (by hand).

The meat was £3.33. There's an onion and garlic in there (about 30p?) and half a bag of frozen veg (75p). Plus some stock and mustard powder. It probably comes in around £5 once you add potatoes. That's one meal for 4.

The bread was about £1.50. But then you factor in the cost of fuel and the cost goes up. Plus I am lucky enough to have the time today.

Not everyone has time.

It didn't offend me, I was just replying to your assumption that no.one on here would let their children eat chips at home.

just looked at the newspaper story;

He added: 'One of the other things we look at in the (TV) series is going to your local market, which is cheaper, anyway, but also they don?t dictate size.

Our 'local market' is now a wanky farmers market which costs an absolute arm and a leg for meat and veg.

Our local market is rank. The meat is often not stored well and fruit and veg is pot luck as to whether it'll last the week before it goes off.

How ignorant JO is being. If you are not well, and have no help, what else are you supposed to do food wise, you are advised to use takeaways and ready meals by professionals. It is also not about not knowing how to meal plan being lazy or not knowing how to cook. Some people are not well, in various ways and can't prepare fresh meals or meal plan due to illness.

These same people once may have been slim, fit, good meal planners who cooked from scratch, they no longer are the aforementioned as they got ill.

Those people may also once were able to afford a nice TV.

Crikey people really get angry about one man! Not even an evil man! goodness me! 15 in cornwall at least is not exploitation, you try getting a career in Cornwall - any opportunity is good.

For God's sake BrokenSunglasses JO's comments were about poor people so this IS about poor people. And a tax on food would hit the poorest the hardest so that IS about poor people.

No, his comments were about poor people who eat chips and cheese as a main meal in front of the telly, not all poor people.

A tax on junk food would have the most effect on people who buy the most of it, not necessarily poor people, and not all poor people.

Not all poor people eat chops in front of the telly, and not all poor people eat a large amount of junk food. It's about people who have the wrong priorities and who regularly make bad choices when it comes to what they feed themselves and their children.

dahlen but getting basic herbs and spices together, over a few week, is possible:

Tesco Everyday Value Mixed Herbs 30G ==== 85p
www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=274973079

Tesco Everyday Value Ground Mixed Spice 80G ==== 85p
www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=274991604

Tesco Mild Chilli Powder 50G ==== £1
www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=251994901

Tesco Everyday Value Vegetable Stock Cubes 100G 10Pk ==== 20p
www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=264546134

that's less than £3 for 4 flavours. and it is a start.

usual you are splitting hairs and you know you are.
Why don't you go and rustle up some healthy food for your children instead of wasting time on here.

Value stock cubes are disgusting.

Ew I've just had a look at the other JO thread and feel dirty.

Ohshit - I made fish fingers once, you only need a tiny bit of fish, so probably not that expensive, and fresh spuds are normally cheaper than a bag of frozen chips. The processed version often appears cheaper but it's bulked out.

Interesting how some of the posters on here have a completely different view of Jamie than the one I have formed over the years of seeing him on TV. I can't help thinking he's right: people do not know how to manage money or budget to eat decent meals at a reasonable cost. They waste money unnecessarily. Unfortunately I think a lot of people just don't have the skills in order to do this - even though they are pretty basic ones.

You don't have to buy meat at the market, cheap cuts (belly pork, lamb breast, skirt steak/oxtail) are available at the supermarket.

Markets (and greengrocers) are brilliant for veg/fruit. 15p for an onion etc, single chillis, much cheaper salads.

Having said that I live in central London and have access to markets, excellent green grocers and butchers.

Another point to think about is not thinking that we need to eat meat every day. Veggie curries, chili, stews and soups etc are healthy, filling and above all, cheap!

I have to say I picked my children up from school yesterday after working a nighshift and we had beans on toast for tea. Then DP came home and I went back to work. I didn't really think much about foraging or fishing in the Clyde.