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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do your kids always have their 5 a day?!

138 replies

TeddybearBaby · 18/07/2018 09:49

This is a really boring one, I’ve never posted before. I’m feeling stressed about nutrition - more dc than me! I really believe in ‘everything in moderation’ and try to get a bit of all the food groups in.

Do you all make sure your kids have at least their 5 / 7 a day? Aibu to stress about this?! DS and DD will probably have around 2/3 pieces while at school and I was going to make macaroni cheese because it’s their favourite and they need a nice chilled out night. Both very tired from the end of term etc. but I’ve started stressing that it means they won’t have their 5 a day 🙄.

Maybe I’ll put mushrooms / broccoli or salad with it. But what’s your opinion, is it fine to sometimes not have your 5 a day or is it a MUST?!

OP posts:
Namelesswonder · 18/07/2018 10:08

Nope, DD2 is v fussy (as a result of a heavily restricted diet due to multiple allergies) and only eats sweet corn, baked beans, apples and grapes, even if she ate them all in one day she wouldn’t get 5 a day. Dietician advises vitamin tablets. DD1 gets 5 a day most days but not all.

Original poster
TeddybearBaby · 18/07/2018 10:10

Thanks for all your messages. I feel better and I have some ideas / tips that I’m going to use. And reassurance for not always managing it.

I think this feeling is coming from the fact that my ds is leaving school this week and starting secondary school in September, I have an uneasy feeling. Worrying about things I wouldn’t usually. Bit out of my depth.

Thanks for all your replies x

OP posts:
Fitzsimmons · 18/07/2018 10:10

DD who is 2 has 4-5 most days. DS who is 5 is very fussy (hates most fruit and veg) and probably gets 2-3, usually carrots, peas and apples as that's all he will eat.

PattiStanger · 18/07/2018 10:11

No and neither do I, don't obsses about food, as long as overall you eat a healthy diet with everything in moderation you'll be fine.

5 a day is a guideline, it's not any kind of law or must do, don't stress yourself or compare to everyone else. Do you best and enjoy the short childhood.

littlepeas · 18/07/2018 10:11

My 2 sons do, easily. It is much more of a challenge with dd, who probably scrapes it most days, but mainly by eating fruit, very little veg (she only eats the tops of broccoli and cauliflower, sometimes spinach, plus tomatoes in a sauce and other things like peppers/courgette if they are whizzed up into the sauce).

dameofdilemma · 18/07/2018 10:12

Most days yes.
School lunch has one vegetable side dish and dd usually eats it (unless its courgette) and always has cucumber. They still get fruit as mid morning snack at school too.

Fruit either when d gets home from school or after dinner. Dinner always has two veg.

Much easier on weekends as dd snacks on fruit during day and we eat a lot of veg (dp and I don't eat meat, pasta or cheese and as we're cooking, dd eats what we eat).

Obvs trickier if its a weekend with lots of eating out or parties etc.

ShapelyBingoWing · 18/07/2018 10:13

I don't count it as such but looking at it, yes, I think she does eat 5 portions or more most days. But then, she's a child with an enormous appetite so I keep a full fruit bowl and bulk out meals with veg to keep her weight in check.

Yokohamajojo · 18/07/2018 10:13

One of them possibly but absolutely not everyday but the other one not even near

RoboJesus · 18/07/2018 10:14

Usually between 10 and 20, never below 5

BlooperReel · 18/07/2018 10:15

Usually yes. For my eldest I always put at least 2 (try for 3) pieces of fruit or veg in their packed lunch e.g. cherry toms/sliced peppers/strawberries/grapes/apple. They love veg luckily so will happily eat brocolli, peas, sweetcorn, runner beans, cauliflower etc with dinner too.

Youngest loves fruit and has it as a snack at preschool, so gets one at least from there. Bit trickier with veg, only really likes sweetcorn and peas, will reluctantly eat carrots, but likes pickled red cabbage!

SaucyJack · 18/07/2018 10:18

My younger two always do. The oldest sometimes not- but she's going through an awkward teen phase of eating utter crap for lunch at school.

I'd never do a cooked dinner without veg though. Mac cheese goes with most salad or green veg IMO.

OnlyBaBaBiss · 18/07/2018 10:20

20 portions of fruit and veg a day?!
Do they eat any of the other food groups? I certainly wouldn’t be hungry for much else after 20 portions of fruit and veg, are you counting portions right?

Padparadscha · 18/07/2018 10:21

My eldest is a very fussy eater, so he definitely doesn’t. It got to the point where he’d basically just lick food and say ‘that’s enough’, so if he eats anything I call it a win. I always put a portion of veg (or beans Blush) with his dinner and don’t make a fuss. Whatever is eaten is eaten. At least with it being so hot I know he’ll eat fruity ice cream! I give multivitamins everyday and cross everything he’ll get over it eventually.

Currently weaning the baby who seems to love all fruit and veg tried so far, long may it continue.

ImFreeToDoWhatIWant · 18/07/2018 10:23

No they don't, but then ds2 has hfa and currently eats precisely 1 type of fruit and two types of veg. He eats apples as long as they're cored and cut in to 6 wedges, and raw carrots and raw red peppers as long as they're cut into long strips, of which he will have four in a portion but no more. He won't eat them cooked or cut into rounds and he won't eat the apples whole. He will currently drink a particular brand of green veg smoothie and has a large glass of that a day in addition to the apple and either the pepper or carrot. I make the strips as wide as I can get away with to maximise the amount of volume he eats but if they tip over into what he determines as wedges they'll be refused entirely, sigh!

DobbyIsAGoodElf · 18/07/2018 10:24

One of mine easily eats 5 a day becuase she loves fruit and veg. My other one probably eats 1 a day in fruit juice Blush he is a stubborn and strong willed little sod though and will throw up if forced to eat something he doesn't want to. I occasionally get some into him by hiding it in sauces, soups etc but it's a daily battle.

My DP barely ate any fruit or veg at all and lived of ham sandwiches and lasagne until we met and now he eats everything so I'm sure that my fussier child will eventually diversify.

TheTurnOfTheScrew · 18/07/2018 10:27

Monday to Friday, yes. Much more fruit-based than I'd like though.

  • glass of juice at breakfast
  • packed lunch has a piece of fruit for break, one for lunch, and a pot of crudities every day
  • supper will have one or two (very occasionally three if a vegetarian meal) veg servings, piece of fruit afterwards.

At weekends we're much lazier and far more crisp-based, so almost definitely not.

gingercat02 · 18/07/2018 10:27

Mostly. He usually has cherry toms, berries/grapes, 1 other fruit at least and veg on main meal, can't guarantee he has veg at school but perhaps sweetcorn. He's nearly 10

BrutusMcDogface · 18/07/2018 10:29

20 portions of fruit and veg?! Really!? Could you give us an example of your menu, please? out of pure nosiness

In answer to the op, I have 3 kids. One of them-yes. The second- would live off fruit but doesn't eat many vegetables. The third- not on your nelly.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 18/07/2018 10:31

Fuck no, but I make them take a multivitamin every day.

IToldYouIWasFreaky · 18/07/2018 10:33

Yeah, usually but we are vegetarian and DS is not a fussy eater so it's not too much of a struggle.
On a usual day he'll have a banana with breakfast, one portion of fruit, one portion of veg in his packed lunch, then probably 2 or 3 portions of veg with dinner and another 1-2 portions of fruit for snacking. So around 5-7 most days.

Of course, there are days, especially at the weekend when I realise he's maybe had one piece of fruit all day but the odd day like that doesn't hurt.

I always do veg with macaroni cheese - usually frozen peas and sweetcorn.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 18/07/2018 10:33

Nope.

Eldest might have 3-4, she quite likes most fruit and salad.

Youngest has a tantrum if you even suggest she could look at some fruit. Won’t touch it, or salad or veg. Has fruit juice every day and that’s it.

BertieBotts · 18/07/2018 10:35

I don't count! I think it's important to stick to mainly "real" foods rather than processed stuff, that's about as far as my thoughts on nutrition go. Obviously we do eat some processed stuff as well but I try to keep a balance. If nothing else processed foods are hugely expensive.

Thinking about it... he tends to have one portion in school snack. Assume 1-2 portions at school dinner but no idea if he eats them. Dinner will be anything from 1-3 depending on what it is. He knows he's allowed to snack on fruit, cucumber bits etc so might get himself one more (but some days he'll choose crisps instead).

So could be between 2 and 7 in a day. He is 9.

Matilda1981 · 18/07/2018 10:35

Mine probably just about do get their 5 a day this time of year! They do eat a lot of fruit and they eat veg with school lunches - if their dinner is something like macaroni cheese they always have a selection of cherry tomatoes/cucumber/carrot sticks and sweet peppers so they get some veg in the evenings.

PickleJuice · 18/07/2018 10:38

DD easily everyday by lunchtime, DS hell no. Probably more like 5 a week Blush .

RocknRolla · 18/07/2018 10:39

Most days yes. My dd is 5 and has autism so this could change. She starts the day with a smoothie and toast and banana. Then has a fruit snack usually green grapes, for lunch the only thing she will eat just now is vegetable soup. She won’t eat any cooked veg though so every night she has a portion of beans with her dinner.