Opinions on this BBQ lunch for adults and young children

[Owlsintowels]

Invited for a bbq lunch today. One of the inviting couple popped out to get the saus and burgers this morning so ample opportunity to buy other bits

BBQ for adults and 2 and 6 yr olds consisted of

One plain beef burger in a bun

One plain sausage in a bun

Option of ketchup or no ketchup

Some crisps to nibble

No salad. Not a cherry tomato in sight. No limp shredded iceberg. No cucumber or carrot batons. No pickles, mustard, mayo, fried onions
Nothing else

We met at 10am, went to park, kids had ice creams and shared chips as a snack since bbq was going to be 2pm. We joked about unhealthy snacks, kids living the dream eating just this food. I had no idea lunch wouldn't be a bit healthier

When I asked if there was any fruit I got given about 10 grapes per child

The hosts are very comfortably off, money is not the issue

I'm just dumbfounded this was their planned meal

We offered to bring something, w were told no thanks

We host them here just as much and would make potato salad plus salads, cucumber etc. My DC2 won't eat any veg so we'd also have houmous for his veg content plus piles of berries for nibbles. And crisps

Really interested in how many people think this is an OK lunch for such young kids

For context we had to leave our house early, and we got back home after at 6.30pm, so not much opportunity for us to get healthy food into our kids either end of the day, this meal was the bulk of the days nutrition.

We brought car fruit, and I'm aware noone will get scurvy or die

That sounds an incredibly dull BBQ - we'd have fish, some nicely spiced meats, salad, new potatoes, Nadia Sawalha's spicy rice (it's the only time I make it) and a decent desert - homemade pavlova if I have time.

It's very basic & dull but some people quite like dull & very basic.
My fussy kid wouldn't eat grapes, berries, hummous (or raw veg or any fruit). IIRC, at 6yo, the only F or Veg he ate was cooked carrots & brocoli. Or maybe it was just carrots.

Am just thinking you need to unclench a bit.

Since when was hummus not vegetable

Chickpeas are legumes not vegetables.

And one DC doesn't eat veg, my older one will.

Happy to agree it's only one meal, and the meat was all nicely cooked, plus plentiful ketchup!

Good idea about replying 'I'll bring the salad' to the next invite

I don't think I'm a demanding guest...

And don't get me started on drinks! They don't drink so don't have tea. I was offered coke or 7 up.

Ready to be told IABU by a few more people for adding this drip feed

Yes, this is an ok lunch for children (not wonderfully healthy, no).
Maybe they’re not very confident with hosting but wanted to see you and provide a bit of lunch..?

I’m sorry you feel you wasn’t fed properly.
I’ve just got to comment on the fact that your 2yr old can eat a large punnet of berries in a day?? Mine could too as he’s downright greedy but his nappies would be rancid for a week, he would probably have tummy cramps too.
Sorry to derail your thread but is it normal for a toddler to eat that much fruit in one day?

You might be right Rosemary.

They're good friends, we had a lovely time and said a very genuine thanks for hosting and for lunch

I was putting an imaginary market research hat on just interested in how many people would agree this was a pretty meagre offering and how many would say its fine and I should stop complaining

Also wanted to try the new voting thing out!

Our BBBQ is normally- burgers, sausage, chicken, lettuce, cherry tomato’s, cucumber, carrots, onions, radishes, spring onions, cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, rolls, fried onions, crisps, jacket potato’s and fruit (sweet clems, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, black berries, raspberry’s and kiwis). I find the kids eat half a burger, then pig out on the fruit, which is fine, that’s why it’s there. But rarely do little ones eat all their burger or hotdogs.

YANBU, whilst I don’t think our family eats anything like as much fruit and veg as you do, I would be very sad not to get a nice salad (or 2) and some strawberries with my BBQ. And onions. And maybe corn on the cob.

Are you not worried that they will see this? It's pretty recognisable

It's a crap BBQ but I wouldn't be grasping pearls from a health perspective just that it's a bit miserly.

Meh, it's a bit of a shit effort but so what, it's one day. I would probably joke privately with DH about it but I wouldn't bitch about my friends on a public forum.

Berries... I think if you're used to it you're fine with that quantity? They're pretty low in sugar compared to a lot of other fruit, mostly water, lots of roughage with all the skins and pips. Equivalent to a couple of squares of chocolate and a bowl of water+allbran plus a vitamin pill nutritionally I'd guess?

I am greedy and eat lots of fruit and raw veg to stop myself eating endless choc and crisps. I can happily eat a whole big melon in one go. My body is used to it. If I don't havemich fruit or veg for a couple of days I get headachey and feel very off

I'm no health freak, have just worked out how to satisfy my greed without becoming morbidly obese. I'm BMI 26 so really not a holier than thou eater

I don't t think that sounds like they made much of an effort, tbh. And I would always put out cherry tomatoes, green salad, cucumber sticks as a matter of course.

It's a bit of a shit meal, rather boring and I'd be slightly disappointed as a guest that was all there was... but I wouldn't stress about it from a health pov. You can feed extra f and v tomorrow. At least there was enough to fill you up, if it had been like one sausage each with no bun I could totally see your point!

It's a bit of a poor offering, but not everyone is good at hosting. I'm rubbish at preparing food and panic when I have to feed more than my own household but still try to have people over and hope they don't mind, as making the effort to see people is what counts I think.

I've changed somebody details and she doesn't MN

I hope I haven't been too rude, they are good friends and I was happy to see them. I was genuinely surprised.

If you're somehow reading - I love you both, and I'll bring some salad next time!

What's your real issue here? You are playing it from the healthy perspective, but you total exactly how much food then drop in the term meagre.

I doubt it's the healthy aspect, more it was the fact it was meagre and a bit shit. Which I agree with you, any bbqs we do, or have been invited to, have a selection for sides to go with the bbq meat. That's pretty much the joy of a bbq. So a plain burger and one sausage each is for me quite odd and meagre.

But it's how they eat, so you need to just shrug it off. They were the hosts so it was their call.

I wish I had been invited to a BBQ misses point of thread

@SnowyAlpsandPeaks please can I come to your next bbq? I'll bring ice cream!

Yanbu to think it's shit, it definitely was. But some people just aren't good at hosting events/dinners etc. Some people are more into it and like to put a good spread on.

2 hours travel each way? You were a saint to do that with small children, for sure. I'd be disappointed on that basis.

It's a bit rubbish hosting wise but the health aspects wouldn't worry me. It's only.one day.

They clearly aren't the most.generois you'll ever meet!

@Bluntness100 it's hard not to total it when it was literally 2 items

I meant meagre in terms of not much variety, not complaining about quantites.

There were plenty of snacks, I don't feel underfed

I am completely coming at it from a healthy food for kids point of view

There were leftover buns and meat. I'd have felt very comfortable asking for another if I was still hungry and I know they'd have happily gone without more themselves to let one of my family have more if asked. As it was we didn't need seconds

I don't drink tea or coffee so wouldn't think to offer it to guests. We tend to have some in though.