How to help children eat healthily?

[OldieMum]

I've been feeding dd (7 months) on home-made baby food, organic jars and juices, but am only too aware of how soon she'll be bombarded with advertising for junk food and additive-laden snacks. How do parents with older children deal with the effects on their children of advertising, or of seeing other children eating junky snacks? Also, what kinds of policy changes do people think could made to help children eat healthily (eg in Sweden advertising aimed at the under 12s is banned)? What would you like to see the government do about children's diets?

It's all very well saying making beefburgers or whatever only take a few minutes, but they don't really. I know, because I have made them myself too (and intend to again when I can, but sometimes the prepackaged ones get used instead). It's working out you're going to cook them, planning all the ingredients to buy, preparing all the ingredients (chopping the damn onion with tears streaming down your face), clearing up all the mess afterwards (I am not a tidy cook). Nothing particularly time consuming on paper but added up makes it a lot more time consuming than getting a couple out of the packet.

Or is it just me who sees recipes which say "10 minutes preparation 20 minutes cooking time" and mentally double the figure to make it realistic?! Am I just a terribly slow cook/clearer upper?

... and that's all assuming you enjoy being up to your elbows in eggy mince! (I do some times, but I have to be in a cooking mood...)

GeorginaA I would rather take a few extra minutes preparing and clearing up being safe in the knowlege in what my kids are eating.
As I said earlier I abhor processed meat with all the added extras I have heard of.But I will try my best to give my kids some varieties of "junk food" but a homemade alternative.

LOL Georgina - its actually getting them to stick together and stay that way thats the issue for me. I've tried and failed on all Annabel Karmel's meat balls, chicken nuggets in cornflakes etc.

Sonnett - your system sounds very similar to mine. Except I get the delivery on Thursday evening because I work Tues-Thurs so most of the cooking gets done Fri-Mon. I also have the guilt thing going.

Lindy those classes sound great. Who runs them? I'm sure if there were some in our area my DS would love to go in 18 mnths or so.

Sonnet, I also work 3 days a week, but still don't know how you do it. I wonder if the internet shopping is the way to go. Are you cooking all day on the days you are not working? I have a couple of big problems. One is that I think I'm intimidated by cooking - I have never cooked a casserole or roasted a lamb in my entire life. Another problem is that I am just not organized enough. I never have the foods on-hand and can't run out to buy the fresh veggies or meat. The few times I have tried to be organized, the food has spoilt before I've been able to use it. What this means is that we eat convenience food (pre-packaged frozen/microwavable mostly) more times than I am willing to admit here. The only thing I do make is speghetti. Our nanny makes sauce which we do freeze. I do make a fresh salad at least once a week, and I try to make a quick chicken dish with rice at least once a week. That's it though. Any advice on something else quick? Or how to get better organized?

Bozza - I'm so glad it's not just me

Incidentally, does anyone have any good slow cooker recipes/recipe books they can recommend? I have one, and I love the idea of a slow cooker, but there's only really one recipe that we love and the others are a bit mediocre - was hoping for some more inspiration!

Ditto for pressure cooker recipes for similar reasons.

Organic scrambled egg with organic ham chopped into takes five mins max. It's what ds will have for his tea tonight! I'm off to make it.

Yes my dd had scrambled eggs with chopped courgettes, peas and mature cheddar plus half an apple, some banana and a natural fromage frais for supper (All organic) . It took no time to prepare.

Lindy, awww...thanks

The kids had baked beans for their tea tonight (on wholemeal toast with grated cheese on top) because I've had such a stressful day with them I can't be bothered cooking. Bad Mummy. DS2 had grapes and babas [bananas] for pudding, but DS1 ("fruit...yuck!" ) had ice-cream..

DH and I? We're having an Indian and a bottle of wine. Yes I know it's only Wednesday. So shoot me

I wish DS would eat eggs. He hates it always has done and it's a shame because they are so good for them and easy to prepare.

ds is indifferent to scrambled egg - neither loves them or hates them and I'm much the same. Which unfortunately means that we don't tend to have them for lunch much! (We eat together) I echo katierocket in that it's a shame because I agree - nice and quick and healthy.

marhtemoo, that type of meal combination is just the sort we have too

When there's lots of rushing around after work picking up sons from school and nursery or childmider, then ferrying the oldest to cubs, having an hour at home then back to collect him, supervising homework, and cooking one supper for them and one supper later for dh and I, it's a wonder we don't all live on oven chips. Janh, I know what you mean!

Try this for ideas which are great for everyone. It's a Nigel Slater book which recognises limitations and can be adapted to everyone (as can most of his books). It gives a good idea of things to keep in the cupboard and has loads of stuff which can be made quickly.

(Bk it includes couscous)

my 2 year old likes fried egg and tomato, chopped up into bite sized chunks and fried in olive oil - takes about 2 minutes to make . Seems a pretty good combination to me (although I hate both eggs and tomato so don't join him ).

Tinyfeet the way I do it is this. And it takes a lot of effort to be bothered but also cuts out a lot of stress and rushin about wondering what to have. On a Tuesday night I write a shopping list including the ingredients for 3 meals I have chosen for the next week (this week it is pasta with chicken & broc, mexican sausage pie and some new bake thing with gammon, potatoes and courgettes) and all the other general things we need. Then on Weds at work I do the Asda order. It gets delivered Thurs evening. Then 3 out of the 4 days (Fri-Mon) I cook four portions of the above meals (because DS is only 2 that makes enough for two sittings for us. The other day we go out or visit or get a takeaway or have visitors. I then freeze half of what I cook. If I have a bit extra in the freezer we can have the previous weeks meals, other wise we might have the same Friday and then Tuesday.

The main drawback with this is that I sometimes forget to defrost the meal beforehand like today for instance. My shopping budget is £50 including the delivery charge and I rarely go over this. Will only work if you don't mind choosing your evening meal several days beforehand - ie not much spontaneity.

i find chipmates from iceland are good at getting children to eat more veggies.also good old fashioned tomato sauce seems to help most food go down.

SamboM, I work full time aswell, though get home earlier than you (at 6). But dd wouldn't last 5 mins - never mind the length of time it would take to cook up a meal. So she immediately gets last nights leftovers. Often veg, potato, bolognese, chilli, curry etc. Then I get to cooking our dinner...usually taking 20-30 mins. Then we eat it (dh & I) and dd usually eats a bit from our plates. If we have no leftovers than she would have some mix of these : egg, cheese, frozen peas or corn, fish fingers, waffles, yoghurt, olives, toast, beans, spaghetti hoops, plain pasta or rice, apples, bananas, grapes or other fruit. As you can see some good stuff and some not so good, but convenient. I would think she has a reasonably heathly diet - but does get biscuits/chocolate occasionally. I think tougher times will come when the peer pressure starts.

Doormat - I've enjoyed reading some of the ideas below and plan to try those home made pizzas this weekend

Oh thanx bigbird.LOL Those pizzas are really nice.:Please let us know what you think of them.

twink, thanks for that, i already have the book but haven't looked at it in ages. from what i remember, the timings of the recipes work out pretty well - i've found a number of quick and easy recipes are only that if your techniques for chopping etc. are up to professional chef standard. thanks for reminding me to take another look

My favourite topic I am also from the healthy nazi food brigade

To answer the original question... here are my "secrets" for healthy eating habits

1. show babies what you are doing when you're cooking
2. get them involved in cooking, make them smell and feel the ingredients
3. teach them about ingredients... DS 3yo knows how to make several things already and DD 2yo is now able to recognise several vegetables from a garden (including aubergines, courgettes, green beans, broccoli,...)
4. eat with your kids when you can
5. don't keep "bad" stuff at home - it is different from : "the banning of it makes it seem more exciting" - I am not banning it I just don't have it !
6. I shop - not my child.... so if he wanted something I disaprove of I will say NO and offer an alternative and I don't budge (well I have on a few occasions and regrettted it!)

I agree with those who said that if your child eats healthily it will crave for healthy foods - my only soft spot is chocolate but I only give 70% dark and try not to do so past 3PM as it contains caffeine.

My kids hate milk so it's only water or fresh organic juice if we're having a picnic. Come to think of it milk (and cheese for DS) are the only things they won't touch.

What horrifies me are people's shoppin g baskets... fruit shoot, bags o 12 packs of crisps, custard, supersweet cereal and yogourts, chocolate biscuits,....

Pupuce, I wondered where you were when this discussion was going on but you were on holiday IIRC so that's why you only recently joined in! Just thought I'd add a link to another recent Gross Meat Story for anyone who's interested...

There is a brilliant book, called "The food our children eat" by joanne Blythman. I really recommend it for when your confidence falters slightly and you wonder how on earth you are going to do it. eg when first child starts being given things in other places (eg nursery) or starts becoming fussy. It has some quite good recipes too, but covers all the typical issues, such as visiting grandparents (who ply them with choc), going to a childminder, b/day parties etc.
This is a very educated thread, and I think the point re advertising is that it has a very strong effect on those who are not so educated and who simply don't understand about nutrition, and are likely to have the attitude - if they want to eat it, great. Then the circle starts - your child mixes with them at school and doesn't understand why they have diferent things in their lunch boxes, etc

saw in the paper today that the govt is considering banning junk food adverts during children's television.
about bloody time too!
wonder if it will ever happen. they are getting a concerned about child obesity (finally) so maybe it will?

Peer pressure! My ds, 25 months, has just spent the w/e begging me to buy Pumpkin Seeds as a snack after being offered some for the first time by one of his little friends. Bet if I had given them to him he would have refused, as he's starting to refuse to try things he doesn't recognise.