To wonder what posh Mums cook for dinner…

[Primrosecottagelover]

I have just seen Pippa Middleton’s bikini photos on the DM. Three different bikinis so far, washboard abs & nothing jiggles as she chases three kids. She could easily pass as a fibreglass mannequin. I’m wondering why it is that the Middleton women and affluent women (even middle class at my child’s school), always seem to be so impossibly slim. I struggle with my weight and I would love to see the groceries, fridge contents, packed lunchboxes and dinner plans of the other half. Obviously I know what healthy eating and cooking is but, the bodies of Mothers these days is next level. Why am I struggling to keep my tummy from flopping out while women in their 40’s pull off wearing linen mini shorts (not in UK) and high waisted jeans.

And people used to wash all their clothes by hand. I am not doing that. What people used to do has no relevance to my life.

@ItsAllAboutTheDosh you make it sound over and over again as if people who live differently from you are living some kind of sackcloth and ashes existence of penury. It’s fucking tiresome. Cooking is in no way comparable to washing by hand. Or do you think that we SHOULD be eating ultra-processed convenience foods?

And yes, I make virtually everything from scratch including cakes, muesli and occasionally bread. I have made yogurt but I prefer to buy it. There’s nothing wrong with buying plain yogurt, it’s not UPF. I hate to break it to you, but it’s not uncommon to make things yourself because it’s healthier, cheaper or simply you like doing it.

You don’t want to do that? Fine, but stop with the disingenuous comments implying that people who DO want to do that are somehow in the wrong.

@BrightYellowDaffodil you are missing the point. You say over and over again this is what people used to do. I am simply pointing out that people used to do lots of things we no longer do. I do not see it as a justifiable argument.

I make most evening meals from scratch. I do not make everything else from scratch. That is fine if you do make everything from scratch.

Cooking from scratch is undoubtedly healthier but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be slim. I can get quite fat from homemade food... calories are calories. I know people who eat processed food but very small amounts and stay slim.

You say over and over again this is what people do. I am simply pointing out that people used to do lots of things we no longer do. I do not see it as a justifiable argument.

Those two statements don’t fit together. We used to make food from scratch, lots of people still do. That some things we used to do - laundry by hand, capital punishment, bear baiting - are no longer done does not mean everything that was done previously should or could be abandoned on principle

I’m not saying we should make food from scratch because it’s historically accurate or in some way harking back to old times, it’s because generally it’s healthier.

But I’m so glad you think it’s acceptable for me to make food from scratch. Are you going to allow people to eat the healthy diets they like without snarky comments about their “joyless” lives too?

I see you’ve edited your post. But my argument for cooking from scratch is not based on it being because it’s what we used to do. It’s because it’s generally healthier and better.

And yes, you can still make food highly calorific and unhealthy, but you’d do it consciously and the food would not contain the emulsifiers, preservatives and other unnatural crap that goes into a lot of commercially prepared food.

@BrightYellowDaffodil I edited my post to correct a grammatical mistake, nothing else.

@BrightYellowDaffodil I have never once said that cooking from scratch means you live a joyless life. I said that if your diet is so restricted that you can not eat with friends or eat out then it strokes me as a joyless existence.
And yes there are comments in this post describing very restricted diets.
But you keep imagining what I have said instead of reading my comments accurately.

Yes, and I’ve addressed your comments about eating with friends and family above. Maybe try reading that?

I can’t see where I’ve said you think cooking from scratch is joyless.

You think they’re restricted diets and we clearly disagree. If you want to justify eating crap by saying people who eat perfectly normal diets are “restrictive” then that’s up to you.

I cook everything from scratch, not only is it healthier and better but also cheaper. Even granola, ice cream, bread, yogurt and definitely cakes etc are all homemade. I really can’t stand the commercial granola you buy- so sugary. I agree though on the yogurt, you can buy very good commercial stuff that is additive free.

Obviously I now have the luxury of spare time but even when I was working full time with 3 children under 4 I still cooked our evening meals from scratch every night. I just don’t like the quality of ready meals/ sauces etc.

If I ever taste something like a Pringle I find the artificial taste completely overwhelming. It’s just what you get used to. I sometimes find it hard to eat out unless it’s a really good restaurant as the food just doesn’t taste as fresh or nice as home cooked and it’s just so expensive.

Not all our Grandparents ate that way sadly. There was a poster on another thread who said hers only ate exclusively processed food as they felt it was more hygenic. Remember Mother's Pride bread? Been around since the 1930's and nutritionally empty.

Yes anyone can make choices but I think it usually takes confidence and inter generational social capital - wisdom passed down - which with today's shrinking social mobility is becoming more scarce.

All those adverts for Just Eat, people having to work their t*ts off ....doesn't help.

Processed food is such a big con. It's making people ill. When we talk about removing ultraprocessed food from our diet, it's not just for health and weight, it's to save us from many illnesses and even mental ill-health.

I try to make most things from scratch. All our meals are though we do have the odd freezer meals with chips and fish.
We don't tend to buy cakes or biscuits but we do buy bread, wraps and crisps.
I've just made some granola this weekend and it tastes really good.
Im aiming to start baking spelt bread next. I've ordered a couple of large baking tins and will get going with that.

@Teddleshon just out of interest, is this a significant departure for you compared with your childhood role models?

Food is connected with class in any country, not just the UK - for the hoummous and pitta munchers in Greece (poor people) there is even a nasty rhyming saying - Goodnight to you, may you fart all night (because of the moummous and beans, and pitta) - Kalinichta, kalinichta, thaklanis alinichta! Like everywhere else - meat and fish for the rich, carbs+bits of meat or fish (paella, risotto, pilau) for the poor. About 30 years ago Carluccio went on TV and he specifically cooked 'stewed cabbage in animal fat' for the students (!!!!) and lean veal in courgette flowers for non-students.

In China only poor people eat rice.

Do you have anything to support this statement?

Living there and being told that by multiple people when I wanted rice with my food.

I never heard that before.

What I have heard is that in many countries, generally in Asia, where rice is a staple food...no one eats brown rice.

Interesting. I have never lived there but my head office is there so I have been to many meetings and conferences. There has always been rice - during conference meals, when out and about, and being dined out by hosts at quite fancy places.

I have heard that, too. That brown rice has an association with being poor.

Yes and they don't view it as healthy...we all think brown rice is good for us. If you actually read about it, it's not.

But the person who has an ED may not think of it as disordered.

Nor an anorexic think of themselves as thin; or an alcoholic think they drink too much - but they’re in the grip of a disorder and not seeing themselves objectively.

Anorexics or compulsive overeaters/bingers aren’t eating what they want in the sense being discussed - their eating patterns are driven by compulsion.

Lots of people don’t have sweet tooths or like chocolate. I still like unhealthy snacks from time to time but prefer them savoury.

but some of them might say they are. The public usually gets to see the extremes of Eds in the media but there are subtle gradations on the spectrum.