When it has gone, it has gone. This is ok isn't it?

[NoNoNoMYDoIt]

Am probably not going to explain this very well but ...

Food. And kids. My kids sometimes go through phases of eating loads of something. Recently it has been fruit. They want fruit salads every day. This is obviously fab news. I make them salads. They eat it all up. And then by about Tuesday all the fruit has gone and they are tantrumming because there is none left.

I can spend 10 quid a week or more on fruit and it has all gone in a few days.

Is it ok to say - when it has gone it has gone. There is always apples and dried / tinned fruit left.

I had an eating disorder as a kid and am paranoid about confrontation over food.

AIBU not to buy more?

[Viviennemary]

I think when it's gone it's gone is right for snacks such as crisps and sweets. But fruit is a bit different. If you can afford it I don't think I'd restrict their fruit intake as a rule. But if it's the very expensive fruit like berries in winter YANBU to say that's it for this week.

[ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee]

There's a lot to be gained by 'eating in season' - heath and money wise.

Fruit is high in sugar, even though it's naturally occuring - it's still sugar and shouldn't be unlimited.

Certain vitamins can't be 'stored' so 'more' isn't better, it's just 'wasted'.

You would be better off getting them onto more veg & off the fruit a bit and spreading out the 'nice/expensive' fruit through the week, with cheaper/more filling fruit as well.

They can only eat what you give them to eat - so don't give them so much at once & pace it out a bit :)

[specialsubject]

there's also nothing wrong with learning about seasons. Year-round berries mean massive food miles unless picked and frozen yourself. They are not too young to learn that you can't have everything you want all the time.

it's not a choice between fruit and Mucky D's!! :-)

[foreverondiet]

My kids would eat strawberries by the punnetful and so they know when it's gone it's gone. There are always apples and in season tangerines.

[WeeHelena]

Do you make a big batch of fruit salad that they help themselves too?

If possible you should divide it into portions in containers and then only allow them as many portions a day each so that it last until the next shop.
They will just have to have tantrums.
"You get what you get given" is what my mum always says.

[attheendoftheday]

I think it's fine to say that when it's gone it's gone! I assume there are other healthy snack options (dried fruit or a piece of toast maybe?). My dds would eat mango and grapes until the cows come home, but they're expensive. I get one pack of each, when they're gone there's plenty of cheaper food (i do ration them a bit).

[cardamomginger]

I think it is fine to say that there is no more left this week. Might also each them (older one anyway) to space things out. DD (3) would happily eat blackberries and raspberries all day every day. I have no problem telling her that she can't have any because we haven't got any more and that she has to make to do with something else. Either she accepts the alternative (e.g. apple) or she goes without. Her choice.

I understand your feelings about this, as you had food issues when you were a child. But it's fine. Really.

[KenAdams]

If you're making fruit salads, use some frozen and some fresh in them, Tesco do loads of frozen fruit - www.tesco.com/groceries/product/browse/default.aspx?N=4294681982&Ne=4294793660

[ILikeBirds]

No problem with once it's gone it's gone for fruit imo. Fruit contains lots of sugar and it's not something you should be eating unlimited amounts of.

I actually think the guidelines about 5 fruit or veg a day aren't very helpful because I know some people whose children eat no vegetables but think they have a good diet because they eat 8 bits of fruit a day.

[fuzzpig]

And tinned fruit is fab as long as you get in juice not syrup :)

[fuzzpig]

We are all fruitbats in my house especially me and DD. We live for tropical/berries etc so it really adds up. We used to get one large tesco delivery a week but always ended up in feast/famine as what we bought either got eaten or went off. We've switched to two smaller deliveries a week now which works better.

In general though no of course there's nothing wrong with "when it's gone it's gone" :)

[Turniptwirl]

YEs to frozen berries!

Make it clear when you've just done the shop that it has to last all week and if they eat all the yummy fruit in 2 days they'll have to make do with the less appealing ones (and cheaper and keep better) like apples, bananas and oranges the rest of the week

[Xmasbaby11]

I would limit the fruit they eat if they are eating lots. It is good for you, but still full of sugar and not good for teeth. Encourage them with savoury snacks instead. So give them a daily limit and use frozen / tinned for later in the week.

[ImperialBlether]

If you put frozen berries on a flat surface to defrost, they're fine.

[secretscwirrels]

If money is tight try sticking to fruit in season or cheaper stuff. If they don't like it as much they will still eat fruit but less of it. I would never buy expensive berries. I grow them but that means we can only eat them fresh for a few weeks and after that they are frozen.

It's like having expensive drinks in the house. They will always choose the best stuff.

[gwencooper81]

Would they snack on whole carrots? Cheaper than the ready cut ones and less hassle than doing it yourself! Mine eat lots of tinned fruit. Pineapple and apricot are the current favorite. Pepper and cucumber sticks also are cheap and go further. I think it's more than reasonable to say once it's gone its gone. But I would try to ration it more.

[NoNoNoMYDoIt]

Frozen berries would def NOT get eaten. Too squishy. Perhaps that is the secret. Only buy frozen and they will last forever

Thanks to those who have said not to feel bad. It helps!

[ImperialBlether]

OP, why don't you have a mental rule which is that they have five pieces of fruit or vegetables per day and once they have had that, you know you are OK. Don't forget half of an apple or half of a large banana equals one portion. A tangerine is a portion, the same as half an orange. A handful of berries would be a portion.

You could pass the responsibility over to your children. Let them keep a chart of what they've had.

[NoNoNoMYDoIt]

Yes I send in cucumber and pepper for DD's snack. She isn't keen on raw carrot unless she can dip it in hummous.

I tend not to send dried fruit in for snacks as I know it is bad for sticking in teeth. I give them dried fruit at mealtimes and in packed lunch boxes.

[ImperialBlether]

And ASDA does boxes of frozen berries for £2 I think.

[MinesAPintOfTea]

I buy frozen berries* except when they're in season in my own garden. A bit squishier and take time to defrost, but they're much cheaper and if you pour a portion each into a bowl in the morning and put in the fridge to defrost by the afternoon (may need 3-4 different types mixed or a "mixed" bag) then they can't have more because it takes hours to defrost.

• I actually do this for my own breakfast, but it can work fine for children

[notanyanymore]

There is nothing at all wrong with saying 'when its gone, its gone'. They also don't need to have pudding every night and when they do one helping is enough (and it should only be as much as one of their own hands). Don't feel guilty op

[waikikamookau]

not forgetting tomatoes, good source of vitamin C,

[addle]

there are bags of frozen raspberries and fruits of the forest etc in lidl v reasonably. might they be helpful to have as backup?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Having visited a dietician this week snacks at school no longer contain fruit. Pepper, cucumber and carrot sticks are the order of the day.
Also a single parent once it's gone it has gone, have a carrot instead.