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.

Thanks for all your responses. Refreshingly honest ..

Is there a ‘go to’ recipe or chef book that the British health conscious go to ? For everyday dinners ?

I am in Australia but I find we have no comparison to Mumsnet & a different sort of culture in how people communicate. I find there’s more analysis on mumsnet forums than what I would get from other Mothers IRL.

I have hashimotos and was a chubby child so I feel as though I’m always fighting this battle. Am also an emotional eater.

There is a bit of gaslighting with women very slim, not all the time, sometimes. I find that old “I eat whatever I want” - even my slim ex MIL says that. You do a bit more probing and find out that they’re doing the soup diet twice a year or eat big at social occasions but not at other times. I think what “eating a horse” means to a size 8 and to people battling with weight issues is a whole different thing.

Thanks for not gaslighting me and telling me it’s all genetics, and the odd Pilates class ;)

Definitely I feel as a Mother and being overweight that I feel like im wearing my flaws on my sleeve. I feel especially as a single mum it limits my social opportunities with men and even on a friendship level. I think meal planning and great recipes could be key.

I don’t want to look like PM, don’t think I ever would, but I would like to be able to wear a cornflower blue summer casual short ensemble and feel elegant.

Yes sadly, that should be a normal diet. Not 'being on a diet' but your actual diet. People with lots of money don't need to get a takeaway pizza or stick chips in the oven because they are too tired to cook or need a chocolate bar boost because they are exhausted, but a non processed diet is what we should be eating. Its difficult though. And yes, she has acres of time to go to the gym.

Absolutely this! I have a rule that I only drive if I genuinely can’t walk it (time constraints, work etc). Love walking, parents love walking and my kids love walking. Out and about every weekend.

The amount of people that jump in the car for a 5 minute car journey because they can’t be bothered to walk, is half the reason why there is such a huge obesity crisis.

If you walk as much as possible, get out and about at the weekend, you can generally eat a pretty normal diet (never deny myself a treat) but dont snack on rubbish every day.

OP, I suggest you look at "Mediterranean diet"

I stayed slim and relatively toned through my 40s because my lifestyle naturally supported that. I had a physical job, and I walked if the place I needed to get to was walking distance. I have always prioritised good quality plain food, don’t especially enjoy takeaways, or biscuits, or sweet drinks. Drink the occasional glass of wine only.

But it takes a lot of bandwidth for some people to do that. We are all different.

MN is the wrong place to ask because the majority of posters are extremely sedentary.

Pippa Middleton has done a few endurance events and has an athletic figure. You’d be surprised how much decent food you can eat if you exercise at an essentially elite level. It’s not 1200 calories:…….

Do you incorporate alot of walking in your life? Not driving everywhere and just being active means you really can worry alot less about what you eat. Also great for mental health which world help with the emotional eating you mentioned.

I'm in late 30s, 3 kids and i don't have the muscles like PM but I'm similarly thin, flat stomach.

I love food but don't eat or enjoy ultra processed food so i rarely eat anything processed (save as my DH and kids - i opt to make my DC packed lunch).

We all eat porridge made with half water, half oat milk (the only UPF is our diet), cinnamon , raisins with frozen blueberries on top, pepitas and walnuts. My kids love this breakfast too.

Snack - kids and myself; chopped vegetables and homemade hummus.

Lunch; sandwiches with artisan bakery sourdough and things like smoked salmon, cucumber, good quality cheese, lettuce. I also make rye and seed thins and sometimes use this instead of bread.

Snack: fruit or vegetables or greek 10% fat yoghurt with organic honey and nuts.

Dinner: made from scratch curries, fish, vegetables, pasta (3 times a week usually), soups (lentil, pumpkin, minestrone, etc).

We do occasional restaurant lunches, dinners, pub lunches - usually fish. Gelato, homemade cake, dark chocolate, bought good quality pizza from Italian restaurant as our main foods. If kids have a birthday party, they eat whatever's provided (no meat) - i notice a lot of kids eating jam or plain cheese sandwiches, processed chicken, plain pizza, crisps as a large part of their diet which just doesn't resonate with me.

I love cooking and come from an extended family with a big foodie interest, our family WhatsApp always has pics of what my brother and sister are cooking for their families constantly. I'm not originally from the UK and have found it interesting that a lot of adults here eat very basic food, minimal cooking skills, interest in food is low, i think that has a lot to do with it.

Exercise wise, my husband runs 4 times a week and i do home yoga daily (20 mins) and then a sporting activity once a week but i walk and cycle everywhere with kids in a cargo bike so i get a lot of incidental activity.

Family activities will be outside, gardening, walking, swimming and we don't go to the cafes afterwards like most families do - we bring bananas or apples and eat them while walking or cycling home.

Money obviously! I imagine they will have a private chef who can cook healthy low carb meals for them individually, they won't be constrained by having to eat the same meals as their kids and partners.

They won't have to worry about buying what is cheap and fills their family up. They won't be going round the supermarkets being tempted by whatever sweet treats are on offer.

They won't be going out to work and have nannies to look after their children so can exercise daily and go for health treatments.

It's certainly possible to look like this without money, but it's a hell of a lot harder.

I’m sure there must be a genetic component

Im in England, I don't talk to other mums IRL like on MN but I post what I actually think, uncensored here. You just quickly learn to censor yourself because it's awkward and unnecessary to say what we really think.

I don't think this is an Australia thing, I think it's a common experience.

A slim woman might be telling her honest truth: oh I eat everything and whatever I fancy but what she fancies might be a bit of grillee chicken and broccoli or what she wants is half a cupcake or maybe one or two pig outs a week but you can bet she doesn't have the same 'what I want when I want' as an obese person. A slim woman's 'normal portion' is a child portion for someone bigger or might be her only normal portion for the next few days.

The other thing to remember about those with chefs and PTs is that in the case of the former, the women is instructing them and in the case of the latter she still needs to follow their instructions. I could be richer than God and it would still be up to me to tell my chef to make me steamed fish and salad rather than cakes and creamy pasta, and to eat what was prepared in moderation; and it would be still up to me to put the work in at my gym sessions. They don't do it for you.

I have a tiny bit of insight into this as my cleaning lady was Pippa’s cleaning lady for a while. She said Pippa is an amazing cook and they eat very well, all from scratch, all organic.

Someone said about how once you gain it’s harder to lose.

Think I’ll probably do Ozempic to lose the weight. I don’t see it shifting with the old fashioned method, I’m up against too much.

I don’t think she eats pizza or cakes or crisps or chocolate in the evening. It will be lots of fish, vegetables, salad, avocados, bananas, maybe protein like chicken as she is an athlete. As for what she cooks, maybe similar for the children? Pesto pasta?! All kids like that. I’d love to eat like she does if I had someone to shop and cook for me.

Tbf I have a lot of ‘normal’ sized friends and when we go out, no one eats fast food or cake or biscuits or creamy milkshakes. Not sure what they eat at home of course. I find it’s younger people my dc’s age eg late teens, early 20s who are eating the rubbish and ordering uber eats and can’t stop. I know a few sporty young people but most are overweight and ‘body positive.’ Completely different attitude to food and their weight than my generation (1970s - 1980s.)

Pippa is a brand ambassador for Hoka, and I'd assumed that meant she was a runner.

When I'm fully fit, I'm flat of tummy and gapped of thigh, and if you asked me to run a Half tomorrow I'd say "sure, where?" and can eat pretty much what I want, and when you weekly mileage is high and you throw in a couple of sessions of other activities too, it really does become pretty effortless (but takeaways only on days I've run >10k)

The Middleton women are all v narrow in the hips, so I think as well as being active they were lucky with their genes.

Do tell, do tell.

Please ellaborate !!!!!

I don't have a car so walk and cycle everywhere - on its own as a woman in her 40s, it absolutely is not enough to mean I am PM type slim

That’s pretty much all she said. She is super discreet

Looking that good is a full-time job.

Couple of hours cardio but more importantly weight training everyday.

No body fat = no wobble

Muscles need energy = Reasonsbly high protein diet, steak steamed veg and tons of fruit with dairy based full fat yoghurt.

All high quality organic too like pps said.

Yes someone who is slim might have a different idea of 'pigging out' but it doesn't mean they are starving themselves. They are just used to eating normal healthy amounts. Processed food and sugar is what does it. Do you eat sugar? How much? Having a sugary treat every day is too much and lots of people don't do that. But also it's having the time to exercise. Although I admit I was a bit surprised in my baby group that most Mothers were super skinny 8 weeks post partum. Maybe it was because they were younger than me. I know I treated myself a lot pp. I thought you were supposed to when breast feeding!

I eat normally, walk most places and size 8. Work in an office but weekends are active (out and about).

Im amazed at the people on this thread saying ‘she has cleaners’ - cleaning is literally brilliant free exercise! Yes you wont get perfect stomach muscles from it, but it helps keep you active and keep the weight off.

Completely agree with this, and that is what I meant - they’re telling the truth but our perspectives are different.

Yes, I think you’re right, people will be more honest on here and it’s not just an Australian thing.

I think what I mean is that (I don’t know about UK) culture but there’s a lot of political correctness and toxic positivity on the subject of fitness and diet. A lot of platitudes and “just be happy with yourself and focus on health”. As if we are talking to a preteen and not each other.

Other than peanut butter, lime marmalade and the occasional chocolate bar everything i eat is home grown, shot or caught, i have an active life but here i am the exact same shape as my Greek Granny, short and round, 2 stone over weight and no amount of dieting, or exercise shifts the weight. My arms and legs are toned, my tummy doesn't jiggle neither does my bum but i am well padded and round. All done to my genetics so bugger all i can do to change it.