Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Feeding the masses, what would you do?

37 replies

Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 19:17

Well there's only five, but two are vegetarian, neither eat veg, one doesn't like cheese or anything with lumps, other three are kind of ok but are twigging on to everyone elses fussiness. Apart from the fact that our shopping bill is approx £1000!!!! a month, it is soooooo stressfull trying to please everyone, so, here's the rub, would you send them off to school dinners. Primary for three of them has a varied menu, no turkey twizzlers here, but the older two are in secondary where I imagine they will have chips everyday!!! What would you do, I am living in catering hell, advice please.

OP posts:
compo · 08/02/2006 19:19

I would try tough love, put down healthy nutrtional food in front of them and if they don't eat it they go without. Or bribery -no pudding unless main course is eaten. No sweets, chocolate, cake or crisps. No fizzy drinks etc unless healthy main meal is eaten

foxinsocks · 08/02/2006 19:19

would certainly send the primary 3 off to school dinners

starlover · 08/02/2006 19:20

sorry, 2 are vegetarian but eat no veg and one eats no cheese????

what on earth DO they eat????

robinpud · 08/02/2006 19:27

Get tough.
If you have it in the house, they will eat it. If you don't buy it in the first place then they can't.
Ask them to make a list of meals that they will all eat and let them see how limited it is. Their diet now affects their life later so they need balanced meals.
Begin by offering 1 meal each night. If you don't like it after trying then you might let them have bread. Anyone who refuses to try it isn't hungry. Make the meals suitable for all tastes but the lumps thing is going to have to get sorted. These are mental preferences not real dietary needs.
£1000 on food for a month is unbelievable.

The only way you will get anywhere is by being consistent.

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 19:39

Thanks for all your replies. It's actually the two veggies that are the problem not the primary school ones. They eat Quorn mince and chicken but are totally adverse to anything other than smothering it with tomato sauce or gravy! It's been 18 months now of trying to convert them to healthy food which to an extent they have embraced but I've just run out of patience with them. Done the tough love thing, eat it or go without, and you've guessed it, they go without. I HATE throwing food away, and yes, £1000 month on food is madness.

OP posts:
Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 19:42

Here's the fussiness of the veggies, one will eat strawberries but not strawberry yog, one will eat raspberry yog but not raspberries, one will eat oranges but wont drink orange juice. PLEASE i have literally tried everything, i think school dinners will save my sanity especially as I am trying to organise my wedding in 5 weeks time with literally nothing done yet!!! The shopping also takes ages as I have to check everything for the veggies, even drinks!!!! Sorry to ramble but I've had enough.

OP posts:
starlover · 08/02/2006 19:43

i would also get tough. let them go hungry! how old are the 2 veggies?

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 19:46

Veggies are 13 and 14. I've done the tough bit but have to be carefull as dd1 is long term ill. Just need a break from the 'what can I feed them that they will all eat', first thing they ask at dinner is 'what's for pudding'. Wondering if the shock of school dinners will bring them to their senses.

OP posts:
starlover · 08/02/2006 19:48

to which you reply... nothing if you don't eat your dinner!

seriously, they are old enough to realise that they have to eat properly.
and one of them doesn't eat lumps?????? at 13/14????

starlover · 08/02/2006 19:51

tell them that if they don't start eating properly they will get malnourished and end up with their hair falling out, nails breaking, teeth falling out and bad skin!

seriously, if you're on a veggie diet then you NEED a full and varied one so that you get all the nutrients the body needs.

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 19:53

I know, it's like having a baby again. You would not belive how stressfull dinner time is here. I've done the eat it or there's nothing else, we've done the food we will eat list, chips, mash and gravy, chips!!!!! Even packed lunches are a nightmare, normally it's a roll, pitta bread or sandwich with filling. Well dd2 veg decided she didn't like marge, then the veg pate they both didnt like, one likes quorn ham but not quorn chicken, can you see that I am at the stage of, ok feed yourself shit at school, wait till you get fat and spotty then come and talk to me about yog with lumps in it!!!

OP posts:
Sallystrawberry · 08/02/2006 19:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

starlover · 08/02/2006 19:55

i know what will work..... take them to the doctors!
and tell them that you are very worried about their health because they don't eat properly. get GP to back this up.
my friends mum did this and she ended up having to have weekly weigh-ins because they thought she was anorexic (which she may well have been leaning towards if i'm honest).... but it did the trick! she started eating again.

they WILL eat if theyt are hungry and if they don't then there is something wrong with them taht really does need sorting by a doctor

starlover · 08/02/2006 19:56

just make sure you ONLY have healthy food in the house.

NO chips
NO crisps
NO chocolate
NO biscuits.

of course, you can have a secret stash.... but if it isn't there they will have to eat properly!
do they take any vitamins?

robinpud · 08/02/2006 19:57

I would suggest that you cook fresh veg and fruit only. You can use lentils and pulses for protein, nuts if they will eat them. that way you know everything is vege.
Veg chilli
veg risotto
veg stir fry
veg curry
roast veg
pancakes
lasagne etc etc etc. If need be cook the same meals each night each week for the kids, whilst you have something more varied.
You can then be tough and can be sure it is all suitable and the time you spend reading labels in the supermarket could now be spent on thw cooking.
NO PUDDINGS UNITL PLATE EMPTY.
SAVOURY SNACKS ONLY
I know I am shouting but am falling over at the thought of a thousand pound shoopping bill each month

I do practice what I preach btw, so i know it isn't easy! This is about power not food isn't it?

starlover · 08/02/2006 19:58

agree totally with robinpud!

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 20:04

Thanks again everyone. My cupboards and fridge a are full of healthy stuff it's just that if I make a korma type curry they will scrape the sauce, I made a lovely vege chilli with various beans, they picked them out so it was just sauce. DD2 who doesnt like cheese will pick the cheese of a cheese and tomato pizza even if we are out, this is basically expensive pizza base!!! I'm done with tough love at the moment, my sanity is paramount. With one thing and another over the last 18 months have been diagnosed with actue depression and just want a short term out. Does anyone send theirs to school dinners?

OP posts:
poppiesinaline · 08/02/2006 20:04

Get the 13 and 14 year old to come shopping with you one week and get them to come up with recipe ideas and buy the veggie food and then get them to cook it! then maybe they won't be so fussy!! Poor U!

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 20:05

Sorry, Sallystrawberry, (one of mine wouldn't eat you as a yog, but would as a fruit!), no they don't make their own lunches.

OP posts:
Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 20:11

Bumping for my sanity and bank balance, someone must do school dinners, anyone????

OP posts:
starlover · 08/02/2006 20:14

ok my mum made me have school dinners and i hardly ate anything and then my hair started to fall out! the doctor said it was stress!!!

though, not sure it'd be the same with yours as they are older. think your suspicions about chips would be right though!

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 20:17

Blimey starlover sorry to hear that. I just don't know what to do, I am stressed out of my head over lumps in a yog, scraping cheese of a pizza and having to shop for kids who like one thing one day and not another. Am seriously hoping that school dinner monotony or rubbish food will make them appreciate what I am trying to do at home.

OP posts:
Beetroot · 08/02/2006 20:18

vege spag bol is so easy

starlover · 08/02/2006 20:19

try it! i think mine was more to do with our maknky dinners and evil dinner lady tbh! lol

if it saves your sanity a bit then give it a go, you can alwayts stop if it doesn't work out!

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 20:21

Hello beety, I know veg spag bol is easy but Quorn mince has lumps!!!!!!

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread