Can anyone spare 5 mins to help me with my shopping list?

[rickman]

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i don't do squash, surely fruit juice is better (unsweetened)

What do you feed them that you consider a bit crappy? Maybe we could come up with some alternatives?

well a lot of people think I am mean but I only give my two water to drink.

I stopped giving juice when dd1 was drinking loads and not eating anything. Within 2 days her appetite had improved enormously.

We never have it now. Sometimes dd2 has some of daddys oj but thats it. Ocassionally they have a carton of ribena in the car/supermarket.

I would say it is the single most important thing for getting children to eat more.

meant to say, your xp sounds lovely (not )

You can get fruit sugar instead of sugar and concentrated fruit spread instead of jam...

still bad for the teeth but not such an energy hit, or at least it might pacify your xp...

That is, if you think his point is fair! Perhaps you would rather tell him where to get off!

i was v surprised when i started reading food labels - stupidly assumed cheese strings were real cheese! lol. my 4 yo refused healthy food until i stopped giving him rubbish. if they are hungry they will eat and it is really worth the extra effort to cut out additives, both my kids have calmed down massively

I don't suppose I'll be much help, but it's a bit quiet at the moment so I'll try! I would say that if you think that squash might be a problem it's much easier not to have it in the house, so it really is juice or nothing.

Two things which I found helped when dd was that age (and very faddy) were home-cooked versions of junk.

Instead of chips, cut potatoes (ideally Charlotte) into small cubes (about 1 cm), drizzle with olive oil, bake for about 20 minutes tunring, and then call them special chips. I guess you could make them more chip-shaped if it would help, as long as they're not too thick.

Home-made fish fingers- get something like salmon (or anything really), cut into strips and do the flour, egg, breadcrumbs stuff.

This may have nothing to do with what you were asking about really, and apologies if I'm stating the obvious!

my dd will only drink water, tea or occasionally some juice - I try to give her juice as hv says is good for her consitpation.

How about peanut butter instead of jam in sarnies?

come on we need some of your 'junk' meals to deconstruct!!

Although I still say no juice or squash the most important thing.

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Maybe they could just drink water rickman - save you money and if she's really thirsty and there is nothing else...........(well maybe buy a fruit juice to have in reserve and hide it).
I've been thinking a lot about food regarding my lot too recently and in particular about their lunch boxes and am stopping buying things like processed cheese products and replacing with normal grated cheese etc.
However, I'm quite sure this is just another means of attack by xp and that you feed your children as well as the next person. You know yourself what things are healthy and what is not and buy accordingly. Like all things, moderation is the key.
Don't allow him to make you feel this way, please. You deal with them all, all week. Won't do him any harm to find some coping strategies of his own. What does he feed them? Is he prepared to shop and cook for you? There may be food related issues with playing up - e.g. maybe the colours in sweets etc, so perhaps buy chocolate for a treat instead etc, but don't let xp get at you this way.

oh god rickman, the food he eats sounds fine. your xp sounds like a controlling tosser (sorry)

I would put money on the fact that if you gave up squash or juice your ds will eat more.

actually, we notice that kids go mental about twenty minutes after they have a load of sugar. might be something to mention to xp?

I've been trying to cut out "rubbish", but am fighting against dh's propensity to go and buy all sorts of junk stuff because he likes it!

I've reduced squash to a minimum. I give the boys fruit juice (pure juice, not juice drink), often diluted and they will go and help themselves to this rather than squash.

I know exactly what you mean about how you feel when food you have spent time preparing is refused - mine used to refuse it without even tasting it. Since I've given them less junk (only given in the first place because I knew they would at least eat it), I've found that they will eat what I give them - not always with good grace, it has to be said.

Can you describe what your children will eat and then I might be able to suggest acceptable alternatives?

i hate to say this but really fruit juice isn't much better than squash. It still fills them up in a way that water doesn't and has lots of sugar (ok fruit sugar but still sweet).

Just read what you feed them and it sounds absolutely fine. I agree with the others and xp is just using this issue to batter you with. So they are playing up. Children do that whether they are fed good food or junk. He needs to learn to cope better.

Sounds like you're doing brilliantly to be honest. Tell him to take a running jump, I would.

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well dd1 hates sheperds pie too, she really hates mash so I don't give it to her (annoying as dd2 loves it so I have to make two meals).

What does she like to eat?

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totally agree with enid re squash and fruit juice (fruit juice is basically a sugar solution after all, and a piece of fresh fruit is far more nutritious). Their diet sounds fine BTW. It doesn't really matter if it's a bit unvaried, as long as the basic elements are there.

Well, actually, her diet sounds remarkably balanced, if you allow for the fact that there are no vegetables in that lot. Will she eat pasta with sauce? I made a pasta sauce with about 8 or 9 vegetables in it and the boys love it. If not, then I'd just ensure that she gets a multi-vitamin until she's older and more likely to expand her diet.

Dilute the juice to make "squash" - it goes further and better for their teeth ! Also only offer it with meals and water in between. Would she eat jacket spud - part coudl be grtaed cheese,the other an alternative filling for her to try. How about salads which you could make in advance, when you have time - pasta with sliced sausage or ham and cherry tomatoes, for example.

Presumably he only feeds them organic homemade stuff which they eat with relish and demand more of . Yeah right !

I give mine juice with meals but insist that they have eaten at least half their meal before they drink the juice, or they just fill up with juice and can't manage the food.

agree absolutely with enid that fruit juice is very sugary & fills little tummies up. we have sugar free squash at home which does have sweetners in but doesn't fill ds up. worth a try?