Do people really not know what to eat?

[WilderHawthorn]

Watching ‘what not to eat’, and the family they’ve found are just hopeless. Four small children all shovelled full of UPF junk, parents both obese, freely admit to eating crap constantly.

How adults choose to feed themselves is their choice, but to feed four small kids that much junk? It’s bordering on abuse. An apple/banana costs the same as a packet of crisps, jacket potato is one of the cheapest meals you can make, basic porridge oats and milk for breakfast, it’s not difficult to eat whole foods, so why rely on packaged things?

Freely admit I judge those who feed their children this way and truly despair over childhood obesity stats. I work full time, have 4 DC, DH works full time and I volunteer. I’m very time poor and partially disabled, I still feed my kids well and it doesn’t cost me a fortune. Taught myself to cook. There’s no excuse!

You can do everything "right" and some kids just don't like stuff.

We're lucky that DD would prefer and apple, a yogurt or a banana over most snacks, but obviously there's still days she only wants crisps or biscuits. She loves pizza but only the stuff we do in the wood fired oven.

On the other hand she has been raised on homemade everything and will turn her nose up at that for bacon or sausages if given the choice.

They're individuals with their own tastes and minds. And I often think that I wouldn't eat something I genuinely don't like so why would we force DD to? Different if it's something we know she likes and she's just playing up, but in general, they like what they like. Forcing things will cause more problems down the line.

DD has also been brought up on everything homemade, but the moment she tasted fast food that was the only food she willingly ate!

I don't force anything but I'm also not a short-order cook.

She won't eat soup, well, that's fine, she can eat the buttered bread that goes with it. If she wants to waste her time trying to pick every shred of onion out of a pasta sauce, that's her choice. I do find it depressing though.

The saving grace is that my SD was much, much worse as her Mum subscribed to the "she must eat SOMETHING" rule and would keep offering options until she ate, until she would only eat a very limited number of foods, and now at 16 she's a lot better.

I sort of subscribe to the same rule of "she must eat something" but if she doesn't eat what I've cooked, when she's hungry she can have fruit, yogurt, etc. There's no secondary option.

If DH and I are fancying something we just KNOW she won't like, then I will do her a small taster portion which she'll try, 90% of the time say she doesn't like and then I'll give her beans on toast or something. But that is rare, she'll mostly eat what she's given or take the fruit option later if she's being narky.

I thought that was the bun and it just dried out

My homemade bread doesnt rot either. It just goes rock hard, it wont go 'off'.

How is she with beans and lentils? Ive been watching some quite remarkable youtube recipes where they make sausages, salami and mortadella out of lentils/beans/nuts

They look incredible and no rubbish in them like fake stuff. She wouldnt even know what it is.

I dont know how they would actually turn out if I tried them though and they are somewhat labour intensive but once you make a big batch you would ust have them there.

Probably not! She will eat sausages, but only certain types. She won't eat pork and apple or pork and caramelised onion or anything like that. It could be worth a try though.

I mean Im not saying they're like meat, dont know what the taste would be like, Im really intrigued but wouldnt be able to eat them all and it would take a time to make them just for one but you might want to experiment

The last one is with tofu though, but there are tons that dont use anything other than beans/lentils/nuts/oats etc

I liked the couple in the first episode - Rob and Vicky - the couple in the second seem very jovial but I haven’t watched it through