To wonder what non British folk feed their kids

[Mamabear04]

I heard a comment the other day about how British folk fill their kids up on cereal, pasta, bread etc. While I do feed my kids plenty fruit and veg, make home made meals, don't allow too much sugar or salt, the base of what I feed them is some kind of pasta or bread, for lunch at least, to fill them up (we eat more rice and potatoes at dinner time). The person who commented was French and now I'm thinking out of interest (and ideas!), what do other cultures feed their kids if not pasta and bread etc?

Used to live in Germany I really miss being able to go to the bread shop. Very many different kinds of mostly sour dough beautiful bread with various seeds and lovely grains.

Isn't there a bakery where you live? There are two in our small town, both sell a lovely range of freshly made bread. You probably aren't looking for it.

Haha no Lördagsgodis 😊 other than popcorn some times. Going there next week so maybe I’ll be converted. We’re going to pick blueberries though!

I know what you mean about brown pasta.
However I do find there is one brand that is lovely
it's called integralle biologica

lots of different types and I think it tastes fab. Slightly more expensive than white but often on offer if you look and ocado waitrose have it.

No actually there isn't. We've also lost our fishmonger, which given we live in the South West of England and my favourite meal is fresh sardines, is a bit of a blow to say the least.

There's the tesco's bakery half an hour away but nothing like German bread as it is not sourdough and not with fresh grains.

I shall perservere with the break making...

bread makiing

I’m British and mine have always been fed on meat and vegetables, rice, root vegetables rarely ever carbs like pasta and bread. If you start them off on mainly vegetables, lots of seasoning like chilli and herbs etc then they’ll never be fussy eaters. The biggest mistakes parents make is giving them carby bland palatable finger foods like toast and pasta with no flavour.

You said your son doesn’t like Bread then proceeded to tell us that he has brioche or toast for supper 😂 😂

I'm coeliac with a Danish husband and it's a nightmare when we're over there as bread heavily features in both breakfast and lunch.

Pålægschokolade is the normal topping for my niece and nephew, i.e thin slices of chocolate. The idea that the entirety of Europe excluding the UK is feeding their kids super healthy food is absurd.

It’s strange to me too and I am British. I wasn’t fed separately as a child and neither have my children it’s much cheaper to cook a load of chicken drumsticks rice and salad for the family then to be buying packets of frozen goods then separate meals for mum and dad. It’s something I’ve never understood. If you feed them the same as you as a baby too they get used to having herbs and spices so won’t actually enjoy nuggets or fish fingers.

Really? Most people I know in the UK never eat crap like that. Everything we eat is very high quality and freshly prepared with as much home grown produce as possible.

Ultra processed food is more than half the food purchase in the uk

So no most people aren't eating fresh food from their garden

Chinese here with a white British DH. Mainly Chinese food probably 2/3 of the week for dinner then a mix of British and some Italian for the rest of week. We had pasta with smoked salmon garlic cream and three lots of veg last night and a side salad.

DS likes noodles for breakfast and will eat just plain rice with soy and spring onions. I personally have bran flakes. Lot of dim sum buns, I make some and buy some.

We do not have biscuits or cake except I buy a fruit cake from M&S at Christmas and some florentines.

Yes, the idea of a sandwich for lunch is ridiculous here! Always a salad, often lentil soup once a week then protein and children say "please can I repeat?" if they want more of each course. Yogurt only with fresh fruit for pudding.

Today DD(15) has had 2 natural greek yogurts with sliced banana
Nectarine
Cold hard boiled egg

Small Spanish type plain cake bar

Paella (made it together) with lots of veg and langostinos
Green salad
Ice lolly

Another banana

Disclaimer: she has gone out bowling and will have a cheeseburger.

She would never eat cereal for breakfast and never a sandwich for lunch. Occasionally toasted baguette type bread with olive oil and tomato for breakfast

From my experience of living in Europe,neither are many of those. Current rates of obesity across Europe are testament to poor diet.

But this is a Mumsnet food thread....

Bocadillo de Tortilla - a sandwich popular in Spain that's filled with Spanish omelette - main ingredient potato!

The French basically eat what you do, but with less fruit and more red meat and sugar. Vegetables are regarded as an inedible garnish, like cocktail umbrellas.

Ah yes, in Madrid, that and the deep fried calamari one! Bloody lovely.

Cannot seem to find it where I live now, in Valencia.

And I was really shocked when I started to read the labels and discovered that ‘quality’ food has as many industrial thickeners, stabilisers, and preservatives in as cheap food. They sometimes might have less fat or sugar (but that’s definitely not guaranteed) and they use ‘posh’ ingredients - but in terms of the damage to our gut bacteria they’re pretty much the same. What the food industry is allowed to called ‘natural’ in this country is a travesty. The industry is completely aware of all this and does it anyway. Poor families pay the biggest price in terms of health outcomes but we all subsidise this shitty corrupt industry through the additional load on three NHS.

These daily menus are great. I wish they all came with an approximation of shopping, preparation and cooking time though.

In much of Europe it's expected for women to give up work when they become mothers so they can make all this, go to the farmers market and bakery etc.Nothing wrong with that, but good food comes at a cost.

All the junk food and supermarkets in the UK came in the 70s when more women entered the workforce.

Ooo...do you live in Valencia?

I've never been to Spain, but I'm sending DD (17) there next week for a language course. I know it is a bit off thread, but is it really very hot currently and what is your favourite healthy snack on the market that you think students might eat?

Yes I know those are probably daft questions. Indugle me though!

What you're describing is not 'high quality' food. I'm talking about preparing everything from fresh ingredients.

I think that is a really good point, no matter how much I try to make things simple - (see today's thing - porridge, dhal for tea) - lockdowns, home schooling etc, have been so much work. I'm looking forward to DD going to UNI as she will perhaps find out how much work!

She asked me for the recipe for dhal. Yes, it is easy if you know how, but it is the knowing how which is the trick...

I mean, it's obvious that good food is better than bad food. Like a clean house is better than a dirty house.

Question is, how long are you prepared to spend cleaning your house (cooking)?

It is very hot! But teenagers seem ok! Where in Valencia? Lots of lovely beaches (not many English at all) whichis good for learning Spanish!

Teens eat really healthily, BUT love Burger King and things called "Valencianos" which are these plain cake bar things and "enseimadas" which are a similar sort of thing.

Cherries are about to be in season and they eat "pipas" toasted sunflower seeds, honestly they eat them everywhere constantly and leave the shells, it drives me mad! Hope your DC has a fabulous time.

Teens here do not tend to drink or smoke and they dress down.(Vans etc) Obvs. exceptions to this!