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The MN food guilt phenomenon

362 replies

emkana · 21/11/2006 16:07

Tonight I am serving my children

Bird's Eye chicken dippers
Bird's Eye fish fingers
McCain Oven chips
Broccoli
Heinz Baked Beanz

I feel that my mind has been twisted so much that I actually feel bad at producing such a "poor" dinner. But that's silly, isn't it? I mean it's 100 % chicken breast (plus batter, 100 % cod (plus batter), potatoes and sunflower oil...

OP posts:
Fattymumma · 22/11/2006 11:13

when my little boy was 2 he survived on Nestle milkshake, Hotdogs and sausage and beans on toast. ....is that abuse? was i neglecting him? i was certainly very happy to feed him this food, my only worry was that his diet was as limited as it was, you could say that yes, i did revel in feeding my child crap.

but then you could also say that i had a child with autism who wouldn't eat anything else. leaving him until he was so hungry he would eat vegetables doesn't work with him as he would literally allow himself to starve. his meals are still very limited and im sure Moony would take a look in my fridge and fall on the floor witha mixed rage and shock but to be honest i really couldn't care less.

my kid eating! thats good enough for me.

Cod (you wonderfull lovely poisson you) has hit the nauil right on the head.

Pruni · 22/11/2006 11:13

Message withdrawn

oliveoil · 22/11/2006 11:17

Has this been done before?

Oh yes, so it has.

Fattymumma · 22/11/2006 11:26

SWMNBN would be sooo proud - this must count as a routine

Tortington · 22/11/2006 11:33

you organic people are rubbish.

get some sandles

Enid · 22/11/2006 11:49

and some smelly incense

Anchovy · 22/11/2006 11:52

One of the things that I'm always interested in is context. I always try and say to myself "what are the healthiest things to eat in these circumstances*". And everyone's circumstances are different, and everyone's own circumstances change every day. It depends on how much money you've got, how much time you've got, how tired you are, how fractious the children are etc. I don't think there are any absolutes.

My circumstances? Firstly, a nanny of the old school who cooks pretty much everything from scratch for the children and makes enough for plenty of leftovers for me and DH. Secondly, fit, well and healthy DCs who will and do eat anything and everything (which depends on luck as well as training). I could say - well I never eat processed food - because I pretty much don't - but that is because I am in circumstances where I am able to do so.

But I am strongly of the view that a bit of convenience food never hurt anyone. Fishfinger sandwiches? Yum, yum! Going back to my mantra of what is the best in the circumstances, I get the Birds Eye 100% cod ones, and have them on brown wholemeal bread (with ketchup - very good source of lycopeine). Which makes me a food ponce in some people's eyes
and a lazy, don't care mother in the eyes of others. But I can live with that.

For the record, Emkana, I don't do chicken dippers (but if I did then 100% breast meat ones are deffo the best ones to go for in the circumstances), but other than that your supper would pass muster in the Anchovy household. As long as there is some ketchup to go with it.

ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 22/11/2006 11:55

Have done Pruni Although not sure what you want with me..

FioFio · 22/11/2006 11:58

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ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 22/11/2006 11:59

Yeah right Fio I am a bloody mess (not literally a bloody mess!)

zippitippitoes · 22/11/2006 12:01

my auntie was notoriously fussy during the war...she hardly ate anything and used to drive my grandma to despair and i think my mum was quite fussy too they used to conspire together to not eat their dinners

FioFio · 22/11/2006 12:01

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ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 22/11/2006 12:03

Thank you Fio I am psychologically screwed up for sure, but this is a terrible digression for the thread itself so we had better shut up!

FioFio · 22/11/2006 12:04

This reply has been deleted

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ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 22/11/2006 12:05

Well yes precisely! (I bet you shagged him in the skip.. )

FioFio · 22/11/2006 12:06

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Enid · 22/11/2006 12:07

I suggest we all make this tonight nice green dinner

ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 22/11/2006 12:10

The very sight of that offends me deeply Enid..

2nervesleft · 22/11/2006 12:28

This Morning just said they would be serving kangaroo anus on the Bushtucker trial on ICGMOOH tonight!

Wot no chicken vaginas??!?!??!

iota · 22/11/2006 12:32

well 40 yrs ago I wouldn't have been stressing about my children refusing to eat mango or kiwi - because we didn't bloody well have exotic fruit in those daysn - apples and pears were good enough for us and my kids eat both of them

VanillaMilkshake · 22/11/2006 16:23

I was bought up by an older mum - and she cooked the meat, potaots and two veg thing, and until I was influenced by secondary school I was more than happy on that. Not to mention all her fabulous baking done on a Sunday while I went to church with my dad (also of the older generation).

WideWebWitch · 22/11/2006 18:44

I hate the way these threads always degenerate into

A) I defend my right to feed my child crap (fine, carry on! Don't expect me to tell you I do it though)

vs

B) you are scum you organic lentilly people who never have processed food, who tf do you think you are? (er people who don't like processed food, what's it to you if we don't cook it?)

vs

C) wtf do you all care, why are we even talking about this? (because it's mumsnet, which is a discussion board and these discussions, while cyclical and Groundhog Day in some ways, can also be interesting)

and again, I am NOT talking about any sn child.

Btw, snce you asked vvv, in the week, breakfast for all of us is at home, often boiled eggs and toast/cereal for children, usually toast in the car for me.

Lunches are packed lunches for me, dh and ds (no crap in them for any of us). Dd has lunch at nursery.

Supper for ds is at after school club and for dd is at nursery. Both are decent food, ds's school was visited by Jamie Oliver and pronounced good on food. Dh and I eat later when the children are in bed. Tonight it's left over home made veg biryani from last night. Tomorrow it's salmon steaks with veg. Our supper will take about 10 minutes to cook tomorrow, less tonight as it's just re heating. On Friday we're having chicken thighs. We both work ft oth, I sometimes do long hours, it still can be done ime and o.

TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 18:45

these threads are dull

WideWebWitch · 22/11/2006 18:47

And am I smug? No, I don't think so, I'm just doing the best for me and my family, as are most people here. But am I pleased that we don't eat crap? Yes. And I'm not anti tins/frozen food/the odd takeaway/chocolate/portion of chips and neither do I think sugar is the work of the devil. Coke, otoh, yep, I pretty much think that is

Papillon · 22/11/2006 18:47

I feel guilty cos have not bothered looking at this thread

but am part of the 10/10 so exempt really from such mundane issues

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