Apparently Tuna isn’t a suitable food for a primary aged DC (Lighthearted AIBU?)

[TunaIsOk]

This is from ExH after he video called DD (Aged 7, Year 3) and she told him she’d had tuna pasta for tea (her favourite).

His text to me says that he doesn’t think Tuna is the right food to be feeding a primary aged child.

I asked him if he’d looked at the school menu for lunches recently. Tuna Sandwiches and Tuna Jacket potatoes available every day, three times in the 4 week menu there’s some sort of Tuna Pasta Dish available on the hot menu, it’s very popular from what I’ve been told.

DD often opts for the tuna dish if it’s there.

No reply.

But am I being UR to give DD tuna? I know I'm not don't worry!

For context, tonights was fresh from the fish monger this morning but I do use tinned as well. There was also sweetcorn, tomatoes and peppers in it as well as a tomato sauce I make myself.

Occasionally, fine, because tinned tuna is made from younger animals which have had less time to build up pollutants. Several times a week for a female child, not ideal.
www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/fish-and-shellfish-nutrition/

@Mundra

You shouldn't have tuna more than twice a week due to the concentrations of heavy metals in the fish- this is even more important for children who are small, and thus have lower safe limits of heavy metals in the bloodstream.

Yes I heard that, but I’m not sure where.

@incognitoforthisone

Oh, and re the mercury issue - the NHS website suggests that pregnant women only eat 'up to four cans a week' but doesn't warn of any issue with children or other adults eating it. And the NHS weaning website also has tuna recipes for small babies with no warning about how much they shouldn't eat. So I'd be inclined not to fret about that, personally.

@incognitoforthisone Don't worry I don't worry, if it's on the school menus then I assume it's perfectly ok for me to serve it too

X post.

Do you think he was just randomly being a PITA OP? Or was he more likely struggling to remember something he heard about guidance?

A simple “why” and wait for his answer. I assume it won’t be forthcoming.

[quote CharacterForming]Occasionally, fine, because tinned tuna is made from younger animals which have had less time to build up pollutants. Several times a week for a female child, not ideal.
www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/fish-and-shellfish-nutrition/[/quote]
@CharacterForming She's having it once a week, she doesn't eat the school sandwiches or jacket potatoes. And in a 4 week menu the tuna pasta is offered 3 times but all in different weeks, I occasionally make it another time in the week but she never has it more than twice which is the recommendation on the NHS website you linked.

Bah, ha, ha. I'd almost enjoy shit like this. It's so preposterous it's quite funny.

Start writing them all in a little book. You could leave it in the toilet for guests to enjoy.

www.theguardian.com/society/2004/jun/25/medicineandhealth.food

This guardian article is from a few years ago, and cover the food standards age cy guidance then.
Personally, I don't eat Scottish salmon at all, either, and limit sausages, bacon etc for my family too.

"food standards agency" that is meant to say.

@Mundra

www.theguardian.com/society/2004/jun/25/medicineandhealth.food

This guardian article is from a few years ago, and cover the food standards age cy guidance then.
Personally, I don't eat Scottish salmon at all, either, and limit sausages, bacon etc for my family too.

@Mundra Says no limit on tinned, and school only use tinned (as far as I can tell, it's a state primary so very much doubt they can afford fresh).

I’m interested in what age he thinks people can start eating tuna.

Have text him to ask why and at what age she can start having it, will update if he replies.

I think some of the fear of mercury in tuna comes from the USA where Albacore tuna is more common and a warning was issued about 15 years ago telling pregnant women to limit consumption. The warning didn't apply to anyone else. Here we usually have skipjack which does not have nearly such high levels of mercury. The NHS is happy with children eating tuna. The only restriction it advises for tuna is that women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should limit their intake to no more than four 140g tins a week ! You can get at least two adult portions out of a 140g tin and 3 child portions. Assure your Ex that your 7 year old is not pregnant and not trying to get pregnant.

Well he is bonkers.

But I wouldn’t give tuna to a child (or an adult) more than twice a week. Too much heavy metal etc… that will be detrimental to health

@Mundra that's your prerogative, of course. I had the impression OP was looking for sensible, proportionate advice about her DD having tuna pasta for dinner, not to be sent down some weird orthorexic purity spiral.

@ItsDinah

I think some of the fear of mercury in tuna comes from the USA where Albacore tuna is more common and a warning was issued about 15 years ago telling pregnant women to limit consumption. The warning didn't apply to anyone else. Here we usually have skipjack which does not have nearly such high levels of mercury. The NHS is happy with children eating tuna. The only restriction it advises for tuna is that women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should limit their intake to no more than four 140g tins a week ! You can get at least two adult portions out of a 140g tin and 3 child portions. Assure your Ex that your 7 year old is not pregnant and not trying to get pregnant.

That’s not true.

That’s the reason why pregnant women are advised to not eat tuna etc… more that twice a week.
Tuna are at the top of the food chain. Unfortunately that also means they have higher concentration of all the crap we have put into the oceans.

@ItsDinah

I think some of the fear of mercury in tuna comes from the USA where Albacore tuna is more common and a warning was issued about 15 years ago telling pregnant women to limit consumption. The warning didn't apply to anyone else. Here we usually have skipjack which does not have nearly such high levels of mercury. The NHS is happy with children eating tuna. The only restriction it advises for tuna is that women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should limit their intake to no more than four 140g tins a week ! You can get at least two adult portions out of a 140g tin and 3 child portions. Assure your Ex that your 7 year old is not pregnant and not trying to get pregnant.

@ItsDinah

Assure your Ex that your 7 year old is not pregnant and not trying to get pregnant.

This made me giggle

What does he feed her when she stays with him?

Why aren't you having fun with this?

With every mad bastard thing he says respond:

"OMG I CANT BELIEVE THEYVE RECALLED ALL THE TUNA/CHEESE/CRISPS - IS THAT DUE TO THE RUSSIAN INVASION "

Nitrites and pesticides increase the risk of cancers, along with overconsumption of acrylamides.
People in the UK really do need to look at what they're eating a bit more closely. That's not orthorexia, it's future -proofing.

Classic MN lighthearted thread,

OP- "ex says Tuna isn't suitable for a school child "

MN posters- "Tuna is toxic"

I would not feed Tuna to any child. Google it.

Tuna is an endangered fish.
Though I like to eat it I don't as the oceans stocks are depleted.
Look at any mediterranean port to see the abandoned canning factory. Check it out as a favourite filming location for Montalbano.

TBH, a balanced diet doesn’t mean eating tuna - or anything really - for multiple meals per week and sometimes twice a day. It can be difficult with children, though.

Of course Yanbu. He's an idiot and just wanted to try and control you.