To think there is no such thing as childrens food

[Willowtree7]

I believe children do not need "childrens food" just smaller versions of... well... just food. It makes me so sad to think that children have fish fingers and chips for dinner followed by a petit filous yoghurt and washed down with squash because that's what we have been led to believe children should have.

I'm totally in favour of an ice cream on a hot day and the odd treat but not coco pops or cheerios for breakfast. It's like people recognise you shouldn't give too many sweets but beyond that don't see nutritional value in meals.

Our diet affects our learning, concentration and health. It's the most vital thing we all need to get right and yet we feed children processed rubbish that is so bland it needs sugary ketchup to give it flavour and this is considered normal.

Before anyone says it's about money and crap food is cheaper, i think A) that's a vop out for people that buy it and B) that's not the main reason people feed children poor diets. It's about lack of understanding of what food is. People that feed children wholemeal bread, humous and porridge are considered to be the unusual ones on some circles!! How did we get to this?

Some children have real issues with food and as much as we want them to eat what we eat it's not always possible and I would rather my child eat fish fingers 7 days a week than starve because he refuses what I eat.

Before you say it ds was weaned (And still is to some extent) eating what we eat. Pureed at first. First tastes were veg then fruit. I did everything by the book but there are just some things he won't eat, and now things he can't eat without throwing up.

In an ideal world everyone would eat healthily and yes there would be no such thing as kids meals but there are so many reasons why people and their children eat what they eat!

It's not just due to lack of education although of course that sometimes plays a part.

Hilarious. My children have just had exactly that for tea and enjoyed it very much indeed. Nothing wrong with fish fingers at all.
I used to think that this was wrong but actually they LIKE this food and sometimes you have to pick your battles. They did have wholemeal bread sandwiches fruit And veg for lunch. Get down off your high horse OP

Ps my 22 month old has around 30 words so far - one of these is ketchup!

Well they don't need freezer food but it's cheap, quick, easy and most kids tend to like it.

I don't really know anyone who eats only freezer food every day, but it's a safe option for parties or to keep in for a quick tea.

I got this from my DH- he said that I gave the DC humous and ryvita and it was 'adult food'. It was irritating. So yes I understand - we don't need to give them this children's food and it annoys me in cafes and restaurants when it is all they have available. It would be easier if children didn;t get used to it and then not eat other stuff.

I'm quite partial to fish fingers, chips and beans myself. And often have a yoghurt for desert. And I like orange squash.

We got like this because of advertising and lies.

I don't think that there's anything wrong with fishfingers btw.

But I agree on cereals and snacking.

We lived in poverty in the 80's, but ate nutritionally better than most of the families around us, now do.

I thought a bit like you before I had DS op. DD8 (my first child) was and still is an excellent eater right from the start, she is trim and healthy and will eat pretty much anything I put in front of her (her favourite meal is chickpea and Spinach soup!)

However, my toddler DS is an absolute nightmare eater, he's ok with fruit (luckily) but won't touch veg (he'll sometimes eat a carrot, depending on which way it's been sliced ) ...That stretches to potatoes too, which can be a proper pita.

So my point is, a lot of parents' issues with their kids meals is just as much nature as nurture, and when every meal time becomes a battle, you'd probably turn to the freezer too.

I agree with you up to a point- I know some people feed their kids only beige crap then expect them to suddenly start eating anything start 6-7 years .

My theory is you can quite easily turn a good eater into a fussy eater with a crap diet, but the reverse rarely works.

I got lucky, my DS has always been a good eater and there's only very little effort involved on my part.

I agree to an extent, BUT I also think all things in moderation and a balanced, healthy diet is key. E.g.: my children are not allowed coco pops/Frosties etc at home. But when we go camping or on holiday they are allowed them. Main meal in the evening always contains at least 1 but more often 3 or 4 different veggies. They both eat fish x 2 a week at least (and not in fish fingers!)

I am fortunate in that both my kids love their food and eat pretty much everything but I have worked hard for this (and I'm not saying those who have tricky eaters haven't by the way!) If we eat out I often show them the adult menu and ask if they'd like a half portion of something from there instead of the children's menu. Mainly because they don't actually like fish fingers/nuggets etc.

On the flip side, I am perhaps less strict about sugar than I should be- they are allowed pudding every day or a small treat from their treat box- e.g. A fun size choc bar. But because they both eat v healthy meals and snacks I am more relaxed about this. I keep an eye on their weight (NOT making a big deal of it though) and they are both hugely sporty and energetic.

I do find it sad that so many kids eat utter rubbish the whole time, seeing obese kids makes me sad too- but it's so easy to judge from the outside looking in... I am by no means a perfect parent at all- the food thing is just one aspect I'm doing ok at.

As I said before, moderation is the key, and banning certain foods or never allowing children any control over what they eat is asking for trouble!

My 7 year old is fussy and until recently only ate similar to what you described (thankfully starting slowly she's opening to more possibilities). However as a preemie who had texture issues until almost 3 we were glad to get anything in. My 2 year old eats anything (apart from olives but then I'm not a fan either) and loves curly kale and lobster and is another restaurant calamari swiper amongst other things so I suppose like adults they are all different.

""I don't really know anyone who eats only freezer food every day,""

They do around me. They load up at Farmfoods and get a taxi home. If they go to the Lidl we the Road, first, it's usually for white bread and fizzy drinks/sweets.

I agree children don't new special food and my boys have always enjoyed eating the same as us and a wide and varied diet including lots of vegetables, salmon, fresh tuna, steak, nice cheeses etc. They also enjoy homemade chicken burgers, burgers, yoghurts etc. That doesn't mean they never get fed an easy meal and in fact last night we all (including me and DH) had fish fingers, waffles and mushy peas for tea! No harm done as they'd had homemade cannelloni for lunch.

The OP does seem a bit sanctimonious and looking for attention but I can't say I disagree with it. I took my DCs (DS12 and DD10) on a city break this weekend to Edinburgh and my DD was generally disgusted by the "kids meal" options. In almost every place we ate it was the same chicken nuggets/macaroni cheese/spag bol/fish fingers set of choices. She doesn't eat a lot so an adult's portion of "real" food would have been largely wasted on her (unlike on DS, who has reached the age where he is constantly hungry and insulted by the prospect of the kids menu), but that doesn't mean she needs to live on the reheated frozen garbage that is the staple of most kids menus.

In many of the pubs where we live they offer half portions of most of their regular menu items at half price, and she can always find something she likes in an amount she can consume.

It makes you 'so sad'? Bit of an overreaction there.

People aren't thick, they know fishfingers and potato waffles aren't as healthy as a fillet of salmon and new potatoes, but it's really not that bad either.

Are you under the illusion that all adult food is healthy? Before DC we lived on takeaways and junk. Now we eat a lot healthier but I'm still not going to sit and eat salmon and new potatoes every night, so I can't ask my kids to either.

Funnily enough I buy wholemeal bread, hummus and porridge as well as fishfingers and potato waffles.

It's not one or the other.

I give mine things like fishfingers peas and chips/egg beans and chips sometimes. I mean, who could deny their darling babe of a kid the joys of a fishfinger sandwich?! What I don't do, though, is give them that and not be eating it myself - as if it's beneath me. I agree with you, "kids food" which is basically cheap and long life or frozen crap, is generally pretty grim. I never give my kids things like coco pops for breakfast as I think it's a pile of shitty nothing to start a day on, and most (prob 90%)of what I give them is fresh and organic. I'm not above chucking a dr otker pizza in the oven, or swinging by a McDonald's drive through after a mammoth day, but it's nowhere near to being their standard daily diet. I don't get why, outside of financial reasons, people stuff their kids full of nutrition-free beige food.

OP, I hear ya! So many people see food as a means of quelling hunger, rather than a means of gaining nutrition. It's an epidemic. 30% of children are obese. But we can't talk about that because if can be seen as offensive and judgemental.

I always think it would be nice in restaurants if instead of the kids menu being full of freezer food, it was just half portions of the regular menu.

People eat out a lot these days so it might encourage them to try things.

I WISH I could get my 3 to eat fucking fishfingers!

I'm not worried. DH and I eat a wide wide range of food and homecooked food every night (much later than the preschoolers) so I expect they will eventually pick up the love of food and variety from us once they grow out of this 'controlling food' stage.

Well I can assure you that as much I enjoy watching my 16 month drop every last piece of his dinner on the floor, I'd still rather serve him fish fingers or chicken nuggets and make sure he actually eats something. It's all very well in theory OP and most of us do our best but as a single mum working full time with a long commute it's not always that easy and not always worth the battle. Today my DS happy ate the chicken nuggets but threw the boiled potatoes, green beans and baby sweetcorn I served it with on the floor. I still.count that as a win because he isn't going to bed hungry. I'd be interested to know your circumstances and how many children you have. It's very easy to judge when you don't know someone's story

Actually Calvin, I don't think it's so much quelling hunger as quelling boredom, or anxiety or discomfort or any other unpleasant emotion.

I disagree with you op. My kids eat healthily. Everyone I know kids eat healthily.
My kids eat really bland stuff, which is clean and mostly raw. I add crap to it to change it in to a meal for the grown ups.

Also, just by the by, sticking to the recommended maximum of 'free' i.e. Added sugar not found naturally in fruit/veg/milk for children is very hard. I do try, but it's very very little. I imagine a lot of kids are having at least x 4 the recommended max a day if not more. It also doesn't help that labelling should be clearer. For eg, natural, plain yogurt has sugar but it is all natural so doesn't count as free sugar. I think fruit/flavoured yogurt should include info on how much of the sugar is naturally occurring and how much is added...