Would you advocate cooking with lard in your childs cooking class?

[Tryphena68]

Hi Mumsnetters,

I'm not a regular poster on here but I'd really like a balanced opinion on something.

My daughter has a recipe for cooking in school today (Year 7) and it includes lard. The recipe is for cookies. I think this is awful, we've never bought lard, my 21 year old daughter didn't even know what it was when I told her this yesterday! I can't see why margarine or olive oil can't be used instead. So I haven't let her make the cookies, she is doing the alternative Cheese and Potato pie instead.

What worries me is the attitude of the school. Apparently since they have een making this recipe for years they don's want to change it and I am the only person ever to complain. I think it is wrong to teach children to cook with a bad saturated fat. When I asked the Head of Food Science about this she said a lot, but made the comment "Where do you want to take this? We use white flour, are you tring to say we should all switch to wholemeal?". I said well, yes! Why not? It would teach them good habits.

How do you feel about this issue? I am especially p off as we have huge healthy eating campaigns aimed at us a s parent to make sure the kids eat fresh food and yet they contradict this in school!

Thanks, if you got this far x

pmsl Kewcumber

Lardy cake! Of course! I knew I needed to bake something, just hadn't figured out what. . .

Seriously OP, have your DC never had pastry!? That's a bit weird.

Cranky this is a loon - does that look like something that makes sensible decisions to you? Seriously - I use the term affectionately to mean a person not making any blooming sense at all. I differentiate between the terms 'lunatic' and 'looney' - and 'loon' though I accept others do not

When i was at school all the home ec recipes were vegetarian, to avoid any religious dietary/vegetarian issues.....which had the benefit of teaching children how to use vegetables more.

I am surprised that there was lard in a biscuit recipe sounds disgusting to me, and i am a fan of cookies! I have bought Trex once (on Nigella's insistence) as we are Muslim and i wouldnt put that in biscuits either, i would def go for butter.

pray tell, what is this 'ready made pasta poster' of which you speak?

The Ready Made Pasta Thread

LOON! LOON! LOON!

SHAG! SHAG! SHAG!

GREAT CRESTED TIT! GREAT CRESTED TIT!

CHAFFINCH!

nice to see that you're covering your back, bella

I call them as I see them, cory

Thank you bruffin, for the link.

I still cannot say shag without a childish smirk, and usually pretend to the dc it is a cormorant.

Well, feck me!

FERRUGINOUS DUCK!

If I'm not mistaken

bustard!

Oi, Northern - there's no need for that!!!

I'm not going to say Loon any more anyway - it's childish.

GAVIA IMMER!

or

GAVIA PACIFICA!

(depending on whether I reckon it's a common Loon or Pacific Loon )

You are over reacting. I don't usually use lard but have been known to on occasions. It would have only been a small amount.If your childern have been taught good habits by you.then occasionally using or eating something you class as unhealthy won't hurt them, Chesse ans d Potatoe pie could be just as unhealthy as pastry. Cheese has a lot of fat in it.

There are no Common loons around here I'll have you know! Don't be an auk

Otis tarda!!!!!!!!

The question is, however, should one cook one's loon in lard or use non-hydrogenated vegetable fat?

Carduelis flavirostris!

Can't you just let her make the cookies with White Flora if you're that bothered?

This is what the packet gumph says:

"White Flora margarine is a healthier alternative to lard or shortening ? we?ve created it especially for pastry making, shallow frying and roasting. As it has less fat than traditional lard it?s not suitable for deep-frying.

In fact, one serving of White Flora contains just 3.4g saturated fat compared to lard which contains 6.3g.

Just like our spreads, it?s rich in good unsaturated fats (including the heart healthy oils Omega 3 and 6), low in bad saturated fats and trans-fats."

Lard, of any fat, improves the texture of cakes , pastry, cookies etc so I presume that's why it's in the recipe. I'm a bit surprised it's in a current school recipe as it's not used that much nowadays but I don't have a problem with it and it's not expensive.

I teach the subject and always give butter as the first option ( unless we're frying). Sometimes they bring low-fat spread which is the devil's own concoction and doesn't work. This causes problems if I haven't spotted it in time and some serious re-making then has to happen.

I fight a bit of a battle about fat in the diet all the time. Today's children seem to think it's some sort of poison, rather than an essential nutrient - can't think where they get such notions . During a practical making savoury plait ( flaky pastry, meat+veg, or veg filling) a pupil told me it was very unhealthy with too much fat. I told her to just have a small piece.

I'm more shocked by greasing the tray. It's 2010, there is silicone paper, so use it.Talk about making work.

Cannot believe one recipie with lard in would upset someone quite as much!!

How often after this lesson will your daughter be making these cookies?

Its part of one recipie in one lesson of her EDUCATION! Perhaps a recipie with lard in was specifically chosen so she does not grow up to not know what lard is and how to cook with it - as pastry made with lard is one of the best pastries you'll ever get.

Its like everything in life - its all OK in moderation! I dont think the school were suggesting you start bulk ordering it and use it for everything.

Cookies aren't meant to be healthy so i can't see that using lard instead of butter is much of an issue.

However, it seems a strange receipe...be interesting to see what the results are.

Perhaps the lard makes them extra crispy or stops them tasting too buttery or margie!

Hi,
I'm a food teacher (don't shoot me!) but would be more than happy to have a student bring in a substitute for the lard, did you think of it?...even from an 'experimental' point of view to see how the final product turns out compared to everyone else.
We get so many variations each lesson just by students using different brands of products.

I can honestly say in 10 years of teaching not required thus far for any of my school recipes, I have used it a couple of times though.

And, from a teachers point of view I would hope that you don't have to buy 'unsual' ingredients if only a small amount is required? this I believe should be supplied by the school or students share ingredients, it is such a waste otherwise.

Interesting choice of alternative recipe, I would have thought an alternative would be something similiar - a particular theme or a skill they are teaching?

Hope you child loves cooking classes