To feed my kids fruit and veg 5 days a week

[Justus3girls]

In a nutshell my kids eat really well. 2 sometimes 3 pieces of fruit in lunchbox every day. Then veg with dinner most nights (exc Friday & Saturday)
Recently they're been moaning that they eat a lot of veg and why do they have to have it every night.
Its just always been my thought that they have to have it as it's healthy.
Unless we have curry its generally veg or salad with every meal.
Sounds boring when I write it down.
I was going to cook a roast but they asked me not to as we had one Thursday.
I feel bad chucking frozen food in the oven as doesn't feel like cooking but then I'm starting to feel mean dishing them veg every night.
Am I a mean mum & need to chill out with the veg?

Adding veg to things like fajitas, currie or pasta bakes seems less boring to kids than having meat with veg on the side. I’d say we have veg included in most of our meals in one way or another.

I'm very lucky as my children actually like vegetables. Eldest doesn't like fruit though. How old are your children? My two have never questioned it as they're used to it

It’s just normal eating to me. Fruit and veg every day. Never thought of it separately. If I made pasta, I make sauce from onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes and either add tinned or frozen veg or serve with salad.We has 3 veg with our toast dinner today. It’s 5 a day not 5 a day 5 times a week.

Roast not toast

I’m struggling to think of a single meal we have that doesn’t have some form of fruit or veg in. Even if it’s a frozen meal like fish fingers and chips they have beans or peas with it. Breakfast has either a handful of berries on top or a sliced banana or a glass of orange juice. Lunch box has carrot sticks, cucumber and pepper sticks and some fruit- normally an apple or orange. Tea normally has 3/4 veg in. Yesterday I made spaghetti bolognese- in the sauce there were tinned tomatoes, onion, mushroom, carrot, pepper and courgette. Served with salad on the side.
Twice a week we have vegetarian meals. Veg curry, risotto, vegetable stews etc.
If anything we all need to eat more fruit and veg not less. Excellent idea to start cooking different meals and getting out of a food rut.

It's only 'mean' (and I mean that very lightly) if you feed them boring plain veg every day. There are so many interesting ways to incorporate veg into your daily meals. Maybe have some spiralled zucchini noodles with lemon and garlic butter instead of regular spaghetti/linguine from time to time. Perhaps some cauliflower rice to go along with a curry. Roast some sweet potatoes, maybe have a bit of ratatouille, or grilled corn. Experiment with spices and sauces and different flavour profiles. Veg doesn't have to be boring and a chore.

Also remember portion sizes for children, a couple of tablespoons of peas is about a portion. Frozen veg is as good as fresh vitamin/mineral wise.

Chips aren't veg!!

I do fruit and veg with EVERY meal plus snacks. It's not too much!

What about stir fries? Great way to get lots of veggies in or have a look for Jamie Oliver’s noodle omelette it’s lush and packed with vegetables. Also what things like carrot and swede mash or doing something about different with them? Like stuffed peppers or mushrooms or cutting them up small and putting in with cous cous or rice?

Both teenagers, both giving me a lot of my mates dont have to & dad doesn't make me. Your so mean etc..
Just wondered for a min am I mean? Clearly not and maybe they don't have enough according to everyone on here.
Oh well I won't be forcing more on them, I'll just change it up a bit.

Vegetables aren't a punishment or boring chore. They're food.

Stick some veg in the curries. Courgette and broccoli goes really well, the latter especially if it's bright green and not soggy. Swap macaroni cheese for cauliflower cheese.

Mix stuff into tuna mayo. Serve jacket potatoes with salad, lasagne on a bed of salad, put lightly cooked cabbage into mashed potato to go with sausages, instead of chips.

Don't buy sweets or biscuits - the cherry tomatoes will soon become appealing if there isn't a packet of chocolate digestives.

Make sure it isn't just the same 3 veg at every meal.

It's a non-negotiable.

OP Inthink you have an odd attitude to food. Fruit and veg are not at punishment or a hard work eating thing which requires effort. They are just part of all meals.

If your children are starting to ask this, it sounds like you've given the impression, however unwittingly, that they are hard work or not as enjoyable as other foods. If you think meals without veg or fruit are somehow nicer and less 'mean' it's your attitude to the food that's the issue to be honest.

Just assume some fruit or veg goes with every meal.....and then you won't have to consider if to include or not, just which ones. Easy.

Maybe you can try out different cuisines as well. Louisiana Creole food typically includes plenty of veg and that has always been a hit with my sister's kids. Another one would be Thai food. Her eldest son (he's 14) loves this Mango salad she makes. Fruit and veg in one dish!

And I agree that the children can only eat what's in the house.....so if you don't buy whatever the veg alternatives might be, they can't have them nor think some foods are nice and others mean.

This is hilarious. Only on mumsnet would someone moan that their kids eat too much veg.

OP do you like veg?

Are you forcing them to eat the veg? I serve veg with nearly every meal, sometimes DD will eat loads and sometimes she won’t. I’ve always tried to treat as neutral as other foods as I think it makes it unappealing if you make a big deal over them eating it.

Pasta’s not the same as pastry though.

Pasta is flour and eggs.
Pastry is flour and butter or lard.

Neither are particularly good for you, but they’re not the same thing.

Pasta is good for you, particularly wholewheat pasta. Great source of carbohydrate especially for busy children.

As long as you can afford it then buy more different varieties and try different cuisines. I eat about 10 a day and my teenager eats about 7. I'm a single parent and a low income earner but we eat the best we can reasonably afford. Fruit and veg doesn't have to be boring at all.

Sounds like you’re meals are boring OP. Sorry.

Although I do admit I’m lucky because my DS will choose fruit then veg over any other food.

You're the one who's doing them a favour! We should all eat a large variety of fruit and veg - rather than 5 a day it's more about a lot of variety, eg at least 20 different types per week.

As others have said, make sure they are happy to eat some veg (peas and carrots with one meal, broccoli and beans the next etc etc) and also some fruit. Make a spag bol with blended carrots, peppers and celery in by all means, but they need to know that they will be benefitting in all sorts of ways by having these veg, so it's better if they know they're eating them really.

If they're old enough, get them to watch Dr Chatterjee on YouTube, or listen to his podcasts. Food is SO important.

I understand the problem with teenagers as my 17 year old isn't always keen, but he does know the benefits.

Weirdest humblebrag I’ve read but ok.

Is that not normal op, it’s everyday here.