It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Bluegreen143

I try to keep food/diet/health messages simple… my kids know that it’s really important to eat enough F&V, and protein. I talk to them about sugar being a treat/occasional food, and home cooking being healthier (and nicer and cheaper) than takeaways, and wholegrains being better for our bodies than white carbs (but we do eat plenty of the latter!).

Both kids have had the experience of having hard/sore poos and are thus more motivated to drink plenty of water and eat fibre containing foods when I explain that these will help that problem; they know that sugar hurts their teeth (and the importance of tooth brushing) and I have once or twice deliberately allowed them to overeat sugary foods so they experience that it makes them feel not very nice/a bit sick if you have too much. 

It is hard though, I think you’re really wary of demonising food on one hand, but on the other it is important they learn healthy habits! Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do for the best. 

We do have a hard no on fizzy drinks until they are older, that’s the only thing which is banned.

 My DH developed the habit of drinking coke as his main drink and has several 2ltr bottles a week. It’s expensive and terrible for his teeth which are not in a good state now, plus it is unnecessary for him to drink so many extra calories! Fizzy drinks were an occasional but very rare treat in my own childhood and I never developed the taste for them as a daily thing - I just drink water. Might be coincidental but I rarely ever need dental work. My DC both prefer water to any kind of juice (they have diluted as an odd treat but not daily) and I’d like to encourage them to keep this habit.

sarahj1986

Our family does ok with fruit and veg. I’m very lucky with my daughter, she went through a fussy stage but she will now eat apples and bananas plus raisins if I can count them. She absolutely loves sweet potatoes and peas. She also loves “saucy” things like cottage pie, Spag Bol etc so I can hide a lot of purée veg in those. She will also drink orange juice but I do limit her to 1 or 2 little cups a day diluted with water. I myself eat most fruit n veg. I try to have at least 1 piece of fruit with my lunch, usually 2 and a glass of orange juice during the day too. Generally I don’t eat breakfast I’m not a huge fan I prefer 2 bigger meals a day. Most of our evening meals I cook from scratch and will have at least 1 portion of veg, I try to aim for 2. So yeah I think we do ok, some days are better than others 

Brambling

My dad grew most of our veg and as it was free meals tended to be up to five vegetables plus potatoes and we would then hunt the meat.  Old habits did hard so i do like a lot of veg for my main meal. I have no difficulties eating more than my 5 a day but cooking and shopping just for one i don't manage the 30 different fruit / veg etc a week, I do try to eat my 'rainbow' of fruit and veg 

I think what we don't eat or only eat in moderation is just as important in what we do eat

Nelliegrace

@joedenise It is an age thing from the 1950’s Austerity. We were used to smaller portions and treats were had very occasionally. Mars bar between four, an orange between four, and we were comparatively well off.
Several of the village children had cornflakes and water, others had bread and dripping, we had bread and milk, though I expect Mum watered it down a bit, the third of a pint of free school milk was a necessity.
I am not moaning, it is how it was and most people were in the same situation. We all wore hand-me-downs and home made clothes.
We were taught to sew and knit at school and to darn socks and repair clothes, girls and boys, because lads in the forces had to look after their uniforms. 

joedenise

I agree that things were very different back in the 50s  which is when I was born.  We ate mainly veg as my dad grew it on his allotments but that doesn't mean we need to eat in the same way these day.  We do eat quite a lot of veg but certainly not as much as when I was growing up.

Bread and milk was what we were given if we weren't well!  Definitely didn't have it when there was nothing wrong with us.

YorksLass

We eat lots of veg and salad stuff but not much in the way of fruit, DH in particular, although he will eat a handful of grapes or a pear occasionally.  I'll eat most fruit but was advised by my diabetes nurse to not have too much of it so I confine it to after dinner rather than a pudding.  Can't win.  

Usual weekly trip to the Co-op today, quite chilly out.  Small spend and used 0.90 worth of membership offers.  I also bought a reduced to clear item that scanned at full price but, after pointing that out, was refunded the difference.  I always have a look around and take note of their prices as sometimes they do have items cheaper than my main supermarket.  Not today though.  They really are expensive so I'm glad I don't have to rely on them for a full weekly shop.

annieb64

My Dad grew nearly all our fruit and veg so at this time of year it was sprouts, cabbage or leeks every day. It was a relief when the sprouting broccoli came in to be followed by asparagus.  
We didn't eat much fresh fruit in the winter once the eating apples were finished. We had cooking apples and then rhubarb otherwise it was bottled fruit.We had tinned fruit with evaporated milk for tea on Sundays. 
Once freezers became more widely available we had frozen raspberries and strawberries in the winter but the strawberries were a disappointment as they went mushy.

Nelliegrace

Always check the till receipts before you leave the store. It is a good test of the short term memory. It can save pounds. It is so annoying if you get home and find something on offer on the shelf label wasn’t at the till. With gaps in the shelves recently I have noticed some things placed deceptively to fill the gap over a shelf label for something cheaper. Tricky. 

Someone at Sainsbury’s has been imaginative during the shortage of vegetables. We have had purple Kalettes and packs of mixed greens, the sort of things we used to get on the allotment when there was just a bit of this and a bit of that ready to harvest, stuff you never see in the shops, like the leaves off the top of the broad beans. People had not bought them so we did well with the yellow stickered items. 

euronorris

The balance between ensuring they eat nutritious food, and trying not to instill an unhealthy attitude towards food (as in viewing foods as bad and good etc) is hard. I think we are doing ok, and she certainly seems to enjoy a wide variety of food, so 🤞

We do also have a ban on Fizzy drinks though. My husband doesn't really like then, but I grew up with them and am utterly addicted and my teeth have suffered as a result. So if there is some offered at a party or a friend's house, that's fine (so long as its not caffeinated), buy none at home for her. Thankfully, so far, she doesn't really like them anyway. She likes the idea of them, but when given a cup of lemonade (for example), she will have one mouthful, declare it 'spicy' and then not go back to it 🤣

On a separate note, I finally reached the payment threshold for the survey site I use, so will get £50 from that next month. Yay! I've had it for years, but always got frustrated with it and stopped doing any for months at a time. In January, however, I got serious about it and have done every survey they sent since. I got close to the threshold in January, but then the surveys I was being sent got less and less 🙄 at the end of last month I only needed one more point/£ (so frustrating). Then had one for 5 points/£s yesterday. So wahoo! Finally!

Toonie

I grew up eating very little in the way of vegetables as my Mum overcooked everything (tinned peas and carrots boiled for at least half an hour). As I got older and started cooking for myself I found veg that I liked and often have it either raw or very lightly steamed. Most evenings I have three portions of veg with my supper (carrots, peas, cabbage, green beans). I usually also have a couple portions at lunchtime and will have fruit with my breakfast.

I've just planted up a new tray of salad leaves in my window sill propagator, so that will give me some nice fresh bits in a few weeks when my current crop of peashoots has finished. I've been alternating peashoots, lambs lettuce, and mixed leaves alongside cress and beans sprouts to give me some variety over winter. The leaves take a little while to get going, but they still taste nice.