So DH has just told me that the DCs diet today has been rubbish. I disagree what do you think?

[Virgil]

Ok so it's not exactly going to win awards for healthy day of the year but I genuinely don't think what they've eaten today is too bad.

Two Weetabix with raisins (and sugar)
Slice toast with marmite
Strawberry and banana smoothie

Lunch spaghetti bolognese which had mushrooms peppers onions, tomatoes in it as well as beef mince and some lentils and herbs
Muller fruit corner for pudding
Water to Drink

Large lemon curd cupcake at movie time (plus a lick of the bowl each)

Ham roll with crisps and grapes, another lemon cupcake and a glass of milk

It's not that bad is it?

"There are issues to do with the complexity of flavours of cooked food that make it more physiologically satisfying than raw food - so you are less likely to get food cravings or need to snack later."

But surely the uncooked diet that primates evolved on is more psychologically 'natural'? My DC seem to have a natural suspicion of cooked 'blended' food such as stews, and take much more naturally to things like raw carrots, apples, bananas, tomatoes, raisins, nuts etc.

I agree that to an adult palate cooked foods are more interesting, but I would dispute that they are inherently more healthy.

While my teenagers will happily eat pizza, or a toasted cheese sandwich, they would not eat a cheese and tomato sandwich. They will eat bread or cheese but not raw tomatoes. Two of them really like a variety of cooked tomato 'things', one a lot less keen.
I think I'll go and visit Bonsoir some evening!

These food threads always end up hilarious the same.

It was asked for yesterday I think so not sure if the poster who asked is still interested, but instead of hummus (which I'm not mad about and only eat occasionally) I use chick peas to make a dip - you just warm them up in a little oil, stir in some curry paste and continue heating until it is cooked through. Then mash with a fork/potato masher and add water a bit at a time until it is smooth enough. I like it anyway :)

"But surely the uncooked diet that primates evolved on is more psychologically 'natural'?"

Natural for Neandarthals perhaps, like facing the elements naked in all sorts of weather.

Yes it's a perfectly natural diet if you can hang by your tail and eat a banana upside down but since most humans can't even peel a banana properly I too suspect we should stick to cooking our food.

"most humans can't even peel a banana properly"

Rilly?

Well my DD doesn't hang by her tail, but has a definite preference for food in its original form.

Obviously palates are affected by culture and develop as the child gets older, but I think it makes evolutionary sense that children go food in the form of ripe looking fruit and veg, and of course sweets capitalise on that by apeing brightly coloured sweet fruit. She also has a a preference for plain sliced unflavoured meat rather than stews, which I suppose ties in.

I think a piece of cold roast beef with salad, fruit and rice cakes is every bit as healthy as (for example) pasta with a cheese sauce, or lasagne. Hot isn't the be all and end all.

However I would imagine that Neanderthals would have happily donned anoraks had they been available.

Oh cote, you're back. Can you please explains the difference (in your mind) between a ham roll and a ham sandwich?

Surely that would depend greatly on whether it's a rowie or a buttery.

I have no idea what you are talking about...

If you listened to everyone in this thread there would be fuck all left to eat!

Quite.

most humans can't even peel a banana properly

Oh, FFS! As long as they get the skin off and can eat it, does it matter if they peel it 'properly'?! I am blound to be peeling improperly, since I wasn't even aware there was a correct and incorrect way to peel a banana...

After reading this thread, I reckon I'd better go upstairs and check my DC are actually still alive, since today they have eaten several portions of fruit, a sandwich for one meal and had ham (not even naice ham, oh the horror!) for lunch, plus gammon for dinner too. Oh, and biscuits and sweets.

Waving -my daughter, who previously ate everything, turned the same at about 2. She's 3 1/2 now and would happily eat meat or fish and veg. I suspect this is healthier than the 'mixed' dinners that I'd like to cook (and freeze!).

Gammon! Oh good lord. Take them to a&e forthwith.

Looks ok to me! Tell him to feed the kids on his day off and see if he can do better. And no taking them out to a restaurant either!

So Virgil, have your DC keeled over from malnutrition yet?

And perhaps even more importantly - did your grumpy DH cave and snaffle a lemon curd cupcake?

Novack- What is the correct way to peel a banana? I need to know whether my way is up to standard.

Somebody at work (it's quite shocking really, the amount of time we spend discussing fruit in the staff room ) mentioned you are apparently supposed to peel them from the other end.

Supposed to according to who and for what reason? Who sets the banana peeling rules?

Apparently it just makes the actual peeling easier (I don't know maybe it takes more pithy bits off?)

I can't see any benefit that would make it worth actually having to dig my short nails into it rather than just snapping the stalk at the 'wrong' end though.

Unless peeling it correctly turns the banana into some magic calorie burning superfood. I might give it a go then.

I think if you give the non-stalk end a squeeze, it opens easily and you can peel it.

However, calling it the 'right' way, as opposed to a slightly easier or different way is clearly completely nobbish. As if the banana cares or other people are judging your banana opening skills.

I am so confused, although also a little amused. Why can't children over 2 have full fat milk? And seriously, one slice of ham a week?! Sofia I live in LA too and ignore quite a lot of my paedetrician's advice for weaning DD after she gave me 2pages of what food she can have when and have followed British advice of no nuts or honey before 1 seeing as DS was fine on it (for the love of god why can she have egg yolk from 8months but no egg white until 10months?!). IME LA is just the place to learn weird hang ups about food - either it's beige and vegan and devoid of anything but essential nutrients, or it's junk. Weird. And no yoghurt either? Bugger.

I think we're past it now but I'm paranoid and joining the party late so this is what DS (3.5) had today:
B - bran flakes, raisins and 2%milk, apple
L - pasta, pesto, peas and green beans. Raisins
D - cheese toastie, cooked carrot, ham and a banana. And a lemon drizzle cupcake for pudding (we baked the other day too but I've scoffed most of them).

At nursery he would also have had a 2nd breakfast of oatmeal, a post nap snack normally quesadilla or scrambled eggs, and late afternoon snack of crackers or similar. He only really drinks water, occasionally milk (preen)

It's a heck of a lot better than what I can coax ds1 to eat - I'm seriously worried he's gong to get scurvy!

The coaxing is such a pain.

DS1 is pretty good with fruit and veg, doesn't like some and tries to pick them out but he is getting a varied diet. DTs are 2 yo and love fruit, will eat veg if its hidden e.g pasta sauce but its a long haul trying to get them to eat it straight up. I keep putting it on their plates, going try a bit, DS1 is having his broccoli, nothing and then DTD has a try at some broccoli, sucess. I know they say its takes 8 times to get them to eat a new piece of food. 8 times, I'd be delighted with it, its been about 8 months of trying with broccoli. Now if only DTS would eat it.

I know we'll get there in the end but it can be difficult to make sure they get lots of variety on fruit on veg.

Well, in the name of science I peeled DS' banana from the other end this morning. Just squeezed it a bit. Can't say it made a difference. I'm baffled!

My DS (6) needs every bit of fat he can get, he's such a beanpole, so full fat milk all the way for him