to be fed up with the Government telling me what to eat?

[meltedmarsbars]

Its never-ending, and now school have sent my dc's home with charts to fill in for "healthy eating" targets and "move more" targets, to record for a MONTH how they get on!

Its intrusive and patronising!

How do I tell them to bog off?

"always make a point of buying caged eggs"

Why? It must be a right PITA sourcing them rather than just buying whatever is on the shelf. Neither of my local supermarkets sell them.

I get my eggs from the farm shop-the hens are all wandering around, I can't think why anyone would want a battery farmed egg.

That was the question I couldn't be bothered to ask...

Each to their own. We don't all have to have the same views on animals surely. It's a free country, just about. (They're cheaper, that's all and I don't agree that supposed free range are often free range anyway so it's all just a bit of a con for the gullible even if animals had souls etc).

And the eggs are lovely.

My free range supplier isn't a con-anyone can see the hens at any time-they even wander around the car park.I don't think it is ethical to let animals suffer just so the price is lower.

But where do you get them from xenia?

I would have to get in my car to find battery eggs I think.

'Basics' range eggs tend to be from caged hens.

You surprise me Xenia.

(and it ain't often I can say that)

Not in twatrose they aint

Xenia must shop in iceland

Like kerry katona.

Do Twatrose even have a basics range? There isn't one within a 25 mile radius of me. [not posh]

Twatrose basics range is called "essentials".

I ROFLEd in the aisles the other day after spotting "essentials fillet steak"

I never visit shops really ever. They just come with the Tesco order. They are lovely eggs. mmmm People are just conned into XYZ is better. Don't believe what you're told. Do your own research. I've nothing to prove by displaying supposedly superior brands.

We don't all have to have the same views on animal rights nor on what the Government thinks is healthy eating.

But I do think people feel better if they eat fewer or even no processed foods. It's simpler too and probably how we all used to eat if we go back far enough. Mind you we had a life expectancy of 30 2000 years ago so things were not that good then.

at Waitrose Essentials fillet steak.

I wonder if that's what rich buggers buy for the dog?

Yes. Obviously rare breed beer massaged for the humans.

Was that xenia gets tesco delivery until I remembered my grand-dad who was very wealthy, and strewed largesse around in matters like property, but was a right skinflint with little stuff. I used to take my granny shopping every week and he'd go through the bags afterwards yelling (he was deaf) things like "39p???? for a tin of beans???" at the top of his voice. Was hilarious.

Sorry, can I just go back a bit to this comment from Xenia:

"It takes about 2 minutes to open a can of tuna, heat brown rice up in the microwave and to peel one raw carrot, then back to my desk to earn £x? per hour, much more fun than hours over a stove."

God, that might be a nutritionally balanced lunch, but it's bloody boring and plain - would hold no interest to me whatsoever and I wouldn't enjoy it so what's the point. My children would not touch something that plain either. Tinned tuna on its own may as well be catfood to me. I would rather put tuna into a tomato-based pasta sauce and put the veggies in that with garlic etc, (make a massive batch and freeze portions for later), or make a tuna salad with olives, cherry toms, onions and dressing etc - something with a bit of flavour than put it with some brown rice and a fecking raw carrot.

No wonder you are so quick to get back to work - I wouldn't want to linger over mouthfuls of your lunch either (not being rude, like!). It would be shove it down as quick as possible and tick off "eat health lunch" on my to-do list if I were you. This is why the idea of "healthy eating" puts people off - they do think to be quick and healthy it has to be boring and tasteless.

curlyhairedassassin I suspect that's the point. We are obviously foodies, while xenia is driven by work. We can't all be all things. I would be plunged into despair if I had to eat that lunch at work, even for one day as lunch is the bit i look forward to and plan and get excited about. I do like working, but food....

riven I suppose there is a point that battery eggs are on a par cruelty-wise with a lot of chicken reared for meat, dairy farms, even bad fishing practice etc etc. So if you're going to consume those things then battery eggs are no worse. My solution is to try not to consume anything like that, but still.

I would be VERY worried about how this information is going to be used.

What if a DC goes into school with a worksheet full of so called "bad" foods. Is that going to be highlighted to someone higher up? Will the teachers be asked to investigate further into individual situations if that is the case?

The concern is that these types of things can escalate to be something unnecessary if a child has just made it up because, for example, they forget to do their homework.

I just hope that the schools aren't using it to identify those children that are not being fed correctly as a plan to single out the families.

I would hope that the outcome would be that the school would have a large amount of information and prepare some decent advice from the results, that go to ALL the parents. It could give some helpful tips to those parents that struggle and those that don't, can just bin it!

Is big brother watching you, DawnAS?

Just spotted the post from meltedmarsbars at the top of this page. I'm a new dad and I think you're right, nobody should dictate to anyone what their kids should eat - and I suspect government would say they don't do that. I work for a government watchdog that keeps a close on eye on government spending and I couldn't resist responding to this thread. (Even though I must admit, my main interest on this site today is my eight-week old daughter and the fact that she just won't sleep for more than an hour or so at a time! More on that in a mo.)

Anyway, the sad fact is that kids' obesity rates are STILL on the increase. Especially in poorer parts of the country. If your under-five is categorised obese now, it's more likely they'll suffer all kinds of probolems in later life. There was a report out last week [see here: www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/health/financialmanagement/Pages/givingchildrenah ealthystartvideo.aspx] that said £10 billion (that's billion, not million!) has been spent by government on trying to improve the health of under fives in the past ten years.

So, something obviously isn't working. Government has a role, especially to help vulnerable groups in society. Many toddlers and kids simply aren't getting a good diet, but as parents I suppose we must take (some) responsibility - even if it's deciding whose advice is best on what's healthy or what's not. In the meantime, any advice on getting an eight-week-old to sleep for even a few hours at a time (night or day will do!) would be very welcome! ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz

But this homework stuff is not working - I am annoyed at the intrusion and I bet those who really need it will not even look at it.

8-week olds? Go for a walk with the pram.

Ta for advice re pram. That works until I pick her out of the pram, then it's back to the wide awake club! Never-ending wide-awakeness!

If the intrusion from school annoys you, I suggest you check with headteacher and/or the education department of the council first of all. They will probably have had some advice from the government about monitoring eating habits, etc. As for government, try DCSF - they'll probably reply if you tweet at them on Twitter: www.dcsf.gov.uk/

That's where you're going wrong! - don't pick her up! Once she's asleep, just park the whole shebang outside the back door/in the hall (take a layer of blankets off if indoors to prevent overheating) and she should sleep fine!

Back to the school food stuff - I have told Head I'm not cooperating!