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Help - What do you eat?

8 replies

GerMom7 · 11/05/2010 19:23

I realise this probably sounds ridiculous but I have been bulimic since the age of 12 and am now, over 20 years later, in treatment. I have a 16 mo ds who is a nightmare to feed (I'm trying to convince myself I'm not passing on my own issues but finding the whole thing beyond stressful). I want us all to eat together as a family but somehow I rarely seem to manage it. I don't eat meat or chicken but am feeding them to ds.

As part of the programme I'm on, I have to keep food diaries and do meal planners, but I'm really struggling. As I really have no idea how 'normal' people organise food and eating, I wondered if anyone would be kind enough just to give me an idea of a weekly meal pattern for their family.

Thanks so much if you're able to help.

OP posts:
redhappy · 11/05/2010 21:19

Do you want evening meals for a week?
or daily food (meals and any snacks) over a week so you get a general picture?

Well done by the way. I had anorexia when I was younger, and found myself falling onto old habits after I had ds. You're being really brave and a great mum

A book that really helped me was [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Healthy-Eating-Planner-Featuring/dp/1840008237/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=bo oks&qid=1273609035&sr=8-8 this one]]

I have just finished with my copy, and my youngest child is 2.5. It's full of easy practical and healthy ideas, most of them quick too, which obviously makes a massive differnece if you are feeling stressed and under pressure.

Good luck x

bumbums · 11/05/2010 21:21

Hi, not sure if this will be exactly what your looking for but here's my lunches with the kids ( 14mths and 3yrs) and our regular family meals. The children often eat different meals to us so I'll be specific.

Lunches: Pesto pasta, beans on toast, sandwiches(cheese, tuna, egg), tomatoe sauce pasta, sausage roll, pizza.

Kids dinners: Pasta with cheesy white sauce and poached salmon, Spaggetti bolognaise, cottage pie, fish fingers and chips, sausage and mash, scrambled egg beans and toast.

Adults dinners: Spaggetti bolognaise, mushroom rissotto, jacket potato with tuna and salad, steak and chips,
There's more but have gone brain dead!

A good meal that the whole family now enjoys is a roast dinner. My DS went through a phase of only eating the potatos but now at 3 he enjoys the lot. (Has taken a lot of convincing)

I did baby led weaning with my DC2 as I found the weaning and feeding of my DC1 stressful and he seemed really picky etc.
My DC2 has loved all food from the start and I've been so more relaxed about the whole business. Might be worth you buying the one and only Baby led weaning book. Go back to a few basics with your DS.

Good luck with everything.

redhappy · 11/05/2010 21:22

I can never get the links right!

here

dairymoo · 11/05/2010 21:29

Here's a rough idea of what we eat:
(I am SAHM to DTs 2.8mo)

Breakfast: porridge with a tiny bit of brown sugar and fruit / muesli and fruit

Lunch: DTs usually have sandwiches (ham, hummous, cheese, tuna) and picky bits (tomatoes, cucumber sticks, fruit), I normally have a big salad with whatever the DTs are having in their sandwich chopped up in it.

Supper: Things like mushroom risotto, spaghetti bolognaise, roast chicken & trimmings, baked fish and ratatouille, BBQ burgers, salad and corn on the cob, various vegetarian pasta dishes.

I try and cook a main meal that I can reheat for the DTs the next day as, although I do sit down with them at 'tea time', I don't eat until my DH gets home which is after they are in bed.

Hope that helps.

ThePinkOne · 11/05/2010 21:30

My 3 year old dd, 1 year old ds and I eat all our meals together and DH joins in when he's home (so basically at the weekend).

For breakfast we have cereal. Usually each something different - me weetabix, dd 'cornflakes with milk and raisins' (she specifies the milk and raisins every day lest I forget!) and ds mini shredded wheat. I make them in the kitchen and we all sit at the table together and eat that. Then we usually have a 'shares plate' which I prepare while they're still eating - fruit cut into fingers/wedges which we all help ourselves to.

They usually have a mid-morning snack of a biscuit/half a banana/rice cakes.

Lunch is usually sandwiches (dd always wants cheese spread and I'm trying to make an effort to give ds different fillings rather than just the same as her!) a few crisps (share a packet between the 3 of us) and some or all of sticks of cucumber, cherry tomatoes, carrots sticks, rice cakes, raisins.

They also have an afternoon snack of maybe cheese and a breadstick, weetabix cake/malt loaf, homemade cake or a biscuit. Although the current favourite snack is banana mikshake in the blender with ice cream! DD would drink milk all the time if I let her but I don't or she'd never eat! So usually water or occasionally squash.

Evening meal, again sitting at the table together and again dished up in the kitchen. A lot of people prefer to put the dishes on the table though so that everyone can help themself to what they would like. Some meal ideas:

Pasta with tomato or cheese sauce. I usually add veg to bulk out whatever I'm making. When we have pasta or risotto I usually put some parmesan and a grater out on the table which the dc like to do themselves.

Risotto is my current favourite - maybe with prawns, ham, chicken, usually peas with whatever else and plenty of cheese.

Egg/beans on toast is always a handy one to have up your sleeve and I try to get over the idea that I'm not feeding them properly!

Fish, baked in the oven topped with pesto or tomato sauce and breadcrumbs. Served with mashed/boiled potatoes and broccoli/carrots/peas.

Mince based meals like cottage pie/spag bol can usually be substituted with lentils and you'll always find good recipes on here.

Stir fry with noodles. I usually cook it plain and we add chilli or soy sauce at the table.

Sausage casserole with rice. Peppers and other veg in the sauce (carrots, mushrooms, onion, peas - whatever will get eaten!)

Frittata - tomorrow night we're having courgette, onion and sweetcorn. Fry off, add eggs, top with cheese and tomatoes and grill to finish off.

We usually have something for pudding which I rarely plan. Jelly made in little pots, yogurt, custard, fruit, or cake if nan's been round!

I meal plan and shop with a list once a week. My plan tends to shift throughout the week depending on what we're doing and how much time I have to cook. I let the dc cook with me as much as I can. Ds has just moved on from sitting on the floor with a pan, to doing things like sprinkling cheese! DD makes this almost by herself! And has a special knife so she can 'help' me chop.

I hope this hasn't been really patronising but I thought I'd try and give you as much as poss and you can ignore whatever you think is crap or you already know! And ask anything I've left out.

HTH

ThePinkOne · 11/05/2010 21:31

Good god, that's my longest ever MN post. Apologies!

Smash09 · 11/05/2010 21:54

Firstly congrats for getting treatment, hardest bit (my sis suffered for similar length of time) and it will only get better

I think we eat a fairly average-healthy diet (except me as I'm on weight gain supplements, always have been due to a condition - but I like eating normal foods aside from that so I don't give my kids a preference for junk or spend loads on it).

Typical weekly foods:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and milk with some chopped dried fruit
Toast and peanut butter,banana, glass of milk
Porridge made with milk, with nuts and raisins
Scrambled eggs on toast
Beans on toast and grated cheese
Cheese on toast and an orange or apple
Bacon sandwich on wholewheat and a glass of juice
Muesli and yoghurt

Lunches:
Baked spuds and beans/cheese/coleslaw
Sandwiches with any filling, usually ham, chicken peanut butter, cheese, hummus or similar
Pasta and pesto or tomato sauce
Leftovers from last dinner
Soup and bread
Cheese on toast

All of above served with stuff like chopped raw peppers/carrots/cucumber... salady things
And fruit or yoghurt for afters

Snacks are homemade baked things like banana cake, flapjacks, cookies. The occasional packet of crisps or chocolate bar of course.

Dinners can be any cooked dish, I love cooking and it's always fun to try new recipes, esp as there are loads online, you never need to buy a cookbook if you don't want! Often it goes like this...

Sunday we have a roast chicken or sometimes beef/pork with lots of veg and roast potatoes
Mondays chicken curry and rice
Tuesdays pasta dish (macaroni cheese, spag bol, bake, carbonara, simple tomato sauce)
Weds some kind of fish - steamed/fried/baked with veggies and boiled potatoes or rice
Thurs some kind of bean or pulse such as a lentil dahl with chappatis/naan/rice or chickpea stew, bean casserole with cheesey topping...
Friday homemade pizzas!
Sat we are often out or get a takeaway or have friends over so cook something 'posher'

We often do have pudding, whether it's chocolate or homemade crumbles/pie etc and custard or just a little fruit and yoghurt. Depends how hungry we are. Certainly don't feel compelled to have a sweet, but if you do like to end the meal that way, one fun sized choc or some grapes is nice.

I happen to snack before bed but many don't. Usually cereal, toast, or cheese and crackers.

Good luck!

GerMom7 · 11/05/2010 23:45

Thank you all so much for taking the time to get back to me with all the detail and the book recommendation. I really really appreciate it. Sometimes I feel like I'm floundering around in the dark, so it's incredibly helpful to have something to refer to.

Thanks again x

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