Porridge for dinner

[Nowtwrongwithporridge]

Friend of a friend was unimpressed that 3 days a week my 3 year old son eats porridge for dinner. She's very into her home cooking. I cook from scratch too but I'm really not passionate about it. I cook basic meals like chilli, risotto, bolognese, homemade soup, lasagne. Roast dinners I buy a cooked roast chicken and roast my own veg, do my own potatoes. I'm just not passionate about it, and I'm happy as long as the food is healthy, whereas she's really goes to town with the cooking.

My son does 3 days a week in nursery and when he gets home at 4 he's tired and a bowl of porridge hits the spot nicely. He bloody loves porridge and often has it for breakfast too. I cook it with an egg yolk and chia seeds in and he usually has it either with sliced banana on top or applesauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

I think that's a lovely hot meal after a day of playing outside in the cold at nursery. It's healthy so I don't see the problem, especially as he has a hot meal at nursery every day. Today was fish pie. They have a different hot meal and pudding every day as well as two healthy snacks provided. Friend of friend reckons it's not good enough and he should have a "proper" dinner. Honestly, I often have porridge for dinner myself too!

Your friend is obviously being judgemental and unkind - ignore her!! You're clearly giving your son healthy meals and it's absolutely fine. I used to give my son porridge every single day, albeit it was for breakfast, but it doesn't exactly matter! She needs to mind her own business.

our nursery gives tea at 3.30pm and so it’s supper afterwards anyway.

YANBU, that sounds fine to me as part of a varied diet.

This is the thing he is often having it twice on those days as he has it for breakfast more often than not. I'm mad for porridge with various toppings too so I think I've passed that on to him.

On days he's not at nursery we eat pasta dishes, curries, risottos, soup and things like that. Im sure I remember a similar thread on Mumsnet that was the same thing except the mum was giving a cold dinner every night. Like sandwich and raw veggies to dip with humous etc. She also argued that they were getting good hot meals at school anyway. I don't see the problem. It's healthy and they eat it and that's all that matters

It's absolutely fine. I also think cold dinners are fine. I also do that sometimes occasionally although all my children are older. It's clearly healthy, good and filling food

Me too - I'm inviting myself to yours for dinner 🤣

Honestly, it's three times a week when he's had a larger lunchtime meal than usual. It's healthy, he's happy - that's all that matters.

@AmICrazyToEvenBother

Your name resonates with me!

He eats huge meals at nursery and (obviously) tries more new food there than at home. I actually saw it as a win for me that I don't have to bother on those days with his dinner!

Is it going to do any harm? No, probably not. But I’d try to offer a different breakfast if you can on those days, because porridge for 2 out of 3 meals isn’t much variety. It’s quite bland food and I would want to make sure he’s eating lots of different types of meals.

I think it probably also depends on when he’s going to bed. Both of mine definitely would have breakfast, morning and afternoon snacks, a hot 2 course lunch at nursery, but then still come home at 5, have another snack (fruit, for example) and then a hot dinner. Just a bowl of porridge wouldn’t have filled them up, but nursery was til 5pm and we didn’t eat dinner until 6:30-7pm.

Is he getting enough veggies if he’s having porridge for two out of three meals?

A friend sent me a recipe for carrot cake porridge, that will be one more veggie anyway? Cook the porridge with grated carrot (and grated apple if you like), cinnamon & nutmeg. Mix in cream cheese to serve.

He does sometimes have a bowl of cereal or French toast for breakfast. Porridge is his favourite and what he'll ask for though. I think it would be a bit much to have porridge for dinner every day. But 3 days a week? Doesn't seem a big deal. On Sundays we have a cooked breakfast and he enjoys sausages and bacon.

He's home from nursery at 4 and asleep at 6 so porridge is a really instant way to get something hot and nutritious in him. I think with bananas or applesauce and cinnamon it's definitely not bland.

Oh my goodness I used to make the same! I don't know how I've forgotten about that. Grated carrot and cinnamon. I'll definitely start doing that again.

I always cook an egg yolk and chia seeds in it to up the nutrition. I reckon he's getting enough veg especially as his favourite meals are all things I can put a lot of extra vegetables in: bolognese, soups, curries...

An egg yolk? 🤢
(I don't eat porridge, is that a thing?)

I add it at the very end and stir well. It just melts into the porridge, you wouldn't know it's there.

Porridge for dinner is fine but porridge for breakfast every day and 3 times a week for dinner isn’t ideal nutritionally and might make for a fussy eater. I would try to keep it to one serving a day. Are there any other quick and easy suppers he enjoys? Something different for breakfast, at least?

Yeah, I’d keep it for one meal a day. Breakfast or dinner, he can choose, but not both.

It's an unusual choice for dinner, but it sounds healthy enough. Do you think he eats enough vegetables?

Different people have different standards, somebody that cooks from scratch every night and makes puddings is bound to think porridge 3x a week isn't great for a growing child

You can put egg in mash potatoes as well and you honestly can't tell

Good way to get some extra omega 3 and iron

Have you tried rice pudding instead to ring the changes? Sunday supper as a child, bloody loved it!

I have been watching videos about life in Japan and they add egg yolk into a variety of different dishes because it adds a creaminess and texture. It seems strange if you are not used to it but apparently is amazing in rice dishes.

It's not even an issue

Porridge is great

Soluble fibre etc

It isn’t 3 times a week though, if he usually has porridge for breakfast, as well as 3 times a week for dinner. That’s 10 meals out of 21. Almost 50% of his diet is porridge.

Are all the food groups represented?

Yes.

Crack on!

There's nothing wrong with what you're giving him, especially as it's a pimped-up luxury bowl of porridge which sounds rich and delicious! Your friend is bonkers. It's not gruel.

That sounds fine.

It is absolutely not a thing. 🤢