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!

Very little difference nutritionally between porridge for dinner or risotto for dinner yet no one would blink an eye at the risotto

Good grains, egg for protein, lots of b vitamins, calcium in the milk, chia seeds and the grains for fibre. Whats not to like?

I wouldn’t give porridge twice in a day. I don’t think there is anything wrong at all with a bowl of porridge for tea on nursery nights 3 times a week. But I’d try and mix up breakfast a lot more if that’s the case.

Why are people shitting the bed over the egg yolk? It just gives a slight custardy richness. It's a great idea.

Porridge with cheese in is nice, I have that sometimes. Also with peanut butter.

Porridge is a bland carrier, you can put everything with it.

God my child eats beans on toast for a weekly meal so she’d probably really judge me. It isn’t his main meal and isn’t unhealthy so I fail
to see the issue

No it's not a thing and sounds disgusting

I should imagine a risotto has a lot more in the way of vegetables. When we make risotto/pasta etc for the kids we pack it full of veggies. Porridge as the OP has described leaves little room for that as it seems to be largely fruit-flavoured.

But as someone else said, there are loads of recipes online for vegetable based porridge dishes. It’s not the porridge in itself (it’s a great basic grain), it’s just how it’s served.

Alternatively, instead of changing the evening porridge, OP could start doing a vegetable omelette or something like that in the morning, just to mix it up a bit.

It's healthy so I don't see the problem.

Since we all agree it’s healthy (although having it for 10 meals in a week isn’t exactly a wide and varied diet) I don’t get what you are asking?

😂 pimped-up luxury bowl! Fantastic 😁 Thank you.

To PPs: he's not a fussy eater, he just likes porridge. It's not "disgusting" 😮

At the moment he's mostly having it with banana or apple sauce and cinnamon which is lovely. He always has the egg yolk and chia seeds because you can't taste them and it really boosts the nutrition. PP reminded me to do grated carrot and cinnamon which I haven't done in ages. This is also nice with raisins and a sprinkle of brown sugar. We also have it with banana and honey or raspberries and peanut butter or almond butter. It's all good stuff.

Personally I like it with Nutella and desiccated coconut... but I don't let him see that.

He doesn't have it for ten meals a week. At least one day he'll have cereal or French toast usually for his breakfast. On Sundays we have a cooked breakfast.

Ooh, I have porridge for breakfast every day and totally going to try egg yolk tomorrow. And chia seeds. Sounds amazing.

@saveforthat yeah I agree. Gross

The cheek!!

Got to be honest I don't put it in my porridge but he's always had it that way and absolutely wolfs it down. Egg yolks are incredibly good for you.

For the people saying gross and I am by no means being nasty or aggressive but do you eat mayo on anything or enjoy a dippy egg with soldiers or a perfectly poached egg with a runny yolk? Eating a raw egg yolk by itself may not be appealing but when it is mixed in you honestly can't see it.

But you're assuming the risotto has veg, a risotto can be just white wine and parmesan

The OP shouldnt be criticised for serving what is ultimately a nutritionally good meal.

How the rest of the week pans out is a different matter, in and of itself there is nothing wrong or odd about porridge for an evening meal compared to something like a pasta dish or rice dish for an evening meal

My three year old eats loads of porridge. One of the few meals I can reliably get him to eat. I put chia seeds, maybe some nut butter, banana or another fruit in it too. He might get a little honey on top too. He’ll eat most things at nursery but is a lot pickier at home. After a long day of work I can’t be bothered having a battle over dinner.

Porridge has always been DD’s favourite supper/dinner after a too long or too busy day. It’s like a hug in a bowl. She always has cinnamon on it.

Definitely not unreasonable.

I often have a big, savoury lunch and a nice bowl of weetabix with banana in the evening, or some hot buttered crumpets/toast.

Big meals close to bed make me bloated anyway. Keep doing what suits you and your little one. Xx

Yes, it's definitely not raw either. I cook it into the porridge, just right at the end when it's mostly finished cooking. I don't stir it in when it's in the bowl or anything, it's definitely cooked into the porridge.

This. It's not great OP.

Aw, I made that thread! Or at least one of them 😄

Yes absolutely, with little ones with busy days it's about getting nourishing food that they will actually eat into them.

My kids did then, and still do, love home cooked dinners, so any concerns raised on the thread about kids not getting used to a variety of meals were for naught, as expected.

My DC also love porridge, and if they don't like what's on offer for dinner, a steamy bowl of porridge is usually what they are offered, and it is gratefully received.

since he's not having it everyday at breakfast I don't think it's an issue, especially since he's getting a cooked meal at nursery. I think I'd try adding more veg in though. You really can't taste the courgette in this one!
Coconut, chia & courgette porridge recipe / Riverford

And I really wouldn't worry about a large proportion of his diet right now being made up of porridge. People wouldn't bat an eyelid if he was having any other grain with different toppings a lot of the time. He's clearly getting good nutritional variety, and it won't be forever anyway.

I actually thought tea and supper were the same thing! (I refer to it as dinner which is why I am probably so out of touch) 🤣

He's having supper, not dinner.

Which makes it perfectly fine!