Healthy Eating

Quackers

I knew I'd find a thread talking about how shocked they were by last night Jamie Oliver! We were also gobsmacked!!

We've talked about it with our girls today and when I told my 10year old that the children didn't recognise ANY vegetables she was really shocked too.

I have 2 girls Alison - sounds similar to you as my eldest will eat absolutely anything but we do struggle with the youngest. She is 10. Her attitude towards food is gradually changing though. We got her a cookbook! She is cooking her own pizza for tea tonight. She loves the idea of weighing & measuring & mixing and cooking! I have to admit that she thinks the tomato base is a shop bought tomato puree type thing but its not! Its a home made one with added veg that I've whizzed up into a smooth paste - I'll tell her one day

It is about persistance. Dont give in and they'll eventually see that they have to eat it especially if there is nothing else inside the house. We did great until our girls started school - they ate exactly what we ate and thought a packet of raisins were sweets - until they went and got themselves friends who told them different:rolleyes:

Youngest doesn't like too many veggies but likes salad so often has a side salad with her meal instead - as long as she's getting veggies somehow I dont mind doing this for her.

Keep up the good work - you WILL get there and it'll be worth it.

Ticklemouse - I've been looking in health shops for those hemp seed tablets you've been talking about as I saw it on another thread but I cannot get them. Would you mind telling me what make they are? And do they ttse yukky? Thanks.

Debt_Free_Chick

It really tugs on my heart strings when he does this

He needs your "tough love" so you can't give in. Apart from anything else, it will prove to him that this method of getting you give in works.

And it seems I'm not the only one here who thinks this

Ted_Hutchinson

Ticklemouse wrote:

......snip.................
My big thing that I have recommended to lots of people, (who have thanked me when they have seen major improvements) is Hemp Seed Oil tablets. Excellent source of Omega 3, 6 and all those other EFA's needed. They are reasonably cheap, (Holland and Barrett, £3.70 ish for 60 tabs, 1 a day each boy)........snip..........

The website for H&B quotes £3.49 for Hemp Seed Oil 297 mg which typically contains:
Linoleic Acid (LA) 160-170 mg
Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) 40-50 mg
Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) 8-9 mg

You will see that these provide only about 300mg of EFA's so do not work out such good value as the Hemp oil from ZIPVIT which are A117a Hemp Oil 1000mg - 180 (size H) 11.45

In the discussion forum there is an Omega thread with details of the Durham trial which demonstrated the effect of EFA's on children, the trial used 500 units of EPA which isn't exactly the same as Hemp oil which contains the precusors to the Omega3/6 as the extent to which the body converts the ingredients of Hemp oil to Omega oils it is reasonable to assume a higher, rather than lower dose of hemp oil should be used to achieve the effective dose used in the Durham trial. Anyone using these oils should be aware that many research papers suggest the maximum effect may take several months to be achieved. It is also worth repeating that where there is an underlying medical condition this should receive proper medical attention.

Ticklemouse

Ted - thanks for the ZIPVIT link. Certainly very interesting. My boys are only 2 and 5 and the H&B tablets are small, so easy for them to take. How big is a Size H zipvit tablet? Couldn't find where it told me, but only had a quick look. Maybe I'll get some for me and see.

As for taste - as long as you don't chew the tablet, they don't really taste of anything. My 2 yo always chews the tablet though! Bet he wouldn't take it if I offered him the oil on a spoon.

the_cat

hi, I'm quite new to the site, so hope you dont mind me posting. A trick I have used with my two boys(age 12 and 9) was to sit them down and discuss the food they said they disliked. I agreed that everyone dislikes some foods and told them that they were allowed 10 (set your own limit) items each that I would promise not to make them eat. I then told them that I felt it unreasonable for them to say they disliked more than that amount and that they would have to eat anything not 'on the list' if they were given it. Of course to start with the list got filled up very very quickly with every new item I gave them! After that however there was a change - every food I tried they to start with said they hated, but when asked which food currrently 'on the list' they wished to take off and start eating, they became very broad minded and we soon got to a true list of foods they hated and they now eat pretty much anything and really enjoy trying new foods. It worked for me, so it could be worth a try!!!

Ticklemouse

Hi Cat and welcome.

What a good idea. Certainly something to think about for mine in the future.

Ted_Hutchinson

Ticklemouse wrote:

Ted - thanks for the ZIPVIT link. Certainly very interesting. My boys are only 2 and 5 and the H&B tablets are small, so easy for them to take. How big is a Size H zipvit tablet? Couldn't find where it told me, but only had a quick look. Maybe I'll get some for me and see.

As they contain 1000mg they are quite large (probably nearly 3 times the size of a 300mg capules) You could try the dodge used by some who have had trouble getting their children to take the omega fish oil caps. That is snipping the end off the capsule and sprinking it on toast, under the marmalade/jam, or mixing it in the porridge but I've only tried doing this with the Zipvit Omega Juice. I can't comment on what the Hemp oil tastes like if you put it on toast or in porridge but it won't do you any harm to experiment and see if you or your partner can detect it before you foist it on the children.

Unfortunately canniboids, which others may realise are derived from the Hemp plant, aren't present in these capsules and they are legal, however if you want your teenage children also to use them it might be better not to stress this point.

Alison_B

Hi, well tonights meal is over with and it was a reasonable success. I decided that instead of us sitting with a tray watching the TV, we would sit at the table and engage in conversation. I distracted my youngest whilst he was eating and he finished everything on his plate - it was only a small plate though but I am really pleased and praised him loads. The only thing they didn't like was the sparkling water with pure fruit juice in. They asked for coke or cordial but I just added more fruit juice to the water and they did eventually drink it. I told them that they were just used to such sweet things full of additives and preservatives that it would take a while to get used to it.

They wanted dessert so I said they could have a yogurt but that is something I am going to have to look into at a later point as I saw a woman talking on This Morning a couple of weeks ago and she said that a pot of yogurt could contain 7 teaspoons of sugar. I always thought it was healthy.

Anyway, I have got my feeling good hat on tonight and have ordered the Jamie Oliver cookbook that was advertised on TV last night. I thought it might give me inspiration for other things to give them.

Boy, do I feel smug tonight now.

Thanks

Alison

Cheapskate

I've had a few moans about melas I've served up when someone takes a dislike to peas or mushrooms or whatever, but we too have rule that you eat what's there, make your own or go hungry. I do avoid giving the kids one or two things they really don't like (& they have tried them), but sometimes I chop them up small, or say 'there's only a few, just eat them fast!' I've been watching Jamie Oliver too, & have to agree with him, & you lot, about what we give our kids. We eat fairly sensibly, plenty of veg, etc., but occasionally have fish & chips, pizza or whatever, but only a few times a year. Try homemade pizza with hidden veg, or homemade soup with loads of stuff chucked in - by the time it's well seasoned/has lots of nice cheese on, even fussy kids will eat the lot. My youngest son (13) is getting interested in cooking & loves to take anything homemade for his packup to school. My daugher (16) is a typical fussy teenage girl, but will still eat salad, chicken, homemade casseroles etc. They've often said that school food is rubbish & take a packup - sandwiches, fresh/dried fruit, fruit juice, veg pieces, OK sometimes crisps!, leftover pizza/cornish pasties from last night's tea - the list really is endless! Please have fun with what you give your kids - if they must have a choc biscuit say they can have it as long as they also take some carrot sticks & mini Philadelpia tubs - literally carrot & stick approach!

sevlow

Firstly well done for making the effort. I am a father of two now 17 & 14 and as I enjoy cooking we seldom eat "factory" food. I think the trouble is we all lead busy lives and just get used to thinking that fast has to be processed. This is not the case. The second problem is we all get used to a way of eating and if you try and change it overnight it can be very hard work for little priase or reward.

I would suggest you try and change things gradually trying one new meal a week until you find something they like or will try and then move on and try for a second hit.Dont be too radical.

How about this;

Chicken breast each.
New potatoes - par boiled or out of a tin
Shredded spring cabbage or spinach
thinly sliced carrots (use the slicer on your grater)
Garlic - you can buy pre prepared
Ginger - you can buy pre-prepared
!/2 lemon juiced
poppy seed

Add a little olive oil to a frying pan when hot add potatoes and cook until the outside has started to brown off and crisp. you only need a little oil - you are not trying to fry like chips just add colour.

wipe over pan or griddle with a little oil. Fry of chicken breast so that outside is nice and brown and inside juicy.

Add a little veg oild to wok. Add garlic clove and ginger and kook for 1 min. Add remaining vegetables and cook until hot through and the leves are wilted. When nearly ready add lemon juice and poppy seed.

Place spinach/carrots/cabbage onto middle of plate. Place chicken breast on top and surround with a few new potaotoes.


There are also lots of slow cooker recipes and mince type meals which can be really healthy. You can fry off the mince first and drain off all the fat.

Good luck.