all suggestions welcome ! foreign student

LilMissEmmylou

some kind of roasted and stuffed squash could be nice? Ask her if she has a fave veggie meal and perhaps it will give u a good idea of what she likes done with the vegetables?

Some nice soup could be good too. Good luck!

beedeedee

If veggies is all she wants - yes then just give her those. Steamed, roasted, pureed, any varieties.......see if she would like anything like gravy or ketchup to liven 'em up a bit, then lay them out in a nice way on her plate - and let her get on with it.
Does she eat anything like yoghurt or fruit? That could be offered as a sweet.
Obviously her idea of an "evening meal" is not quite the same as yours - but you are fulfilling your obligations.
If she wasn't eating at all, then you would have to let her Tutor/College know, but if she seems healthy and is attending all her classes - I'd just let her have her veggies and no carbs. She'll be OK.

Hardup_Hester

You have my sympathy Amandajane, she sounds just like my lodger, I showed her the list of the 30 meals I'm cooking this month & she would only eat one! I now leave her to fend for herself & she lives on museli, fruit & veg. I have resorted to hiding chocolate, wine & grapes as otherwise she leaves none for me.

davetaylor

I did roast veggies last night. It was dead easy. I used potatoes, parsnips, carrots, garlic and onions. Sliced them into chunky bits, popped them into a freezer bag and added some Olive Oil and some dried mixed herbs and shook them all about. I actually left them like this in the fridge for a while. Then I popped them into the oven at around 180 for about 35 mins I think.

The effort is in the peeling and chopping. You could always do a huge batch at once and freeze a load of chopped and peeled uncooked veg for future use? Oh, I like a bit of spice and added a lot of fresh chillis also.

Dave

Olliebeak

amanndajane wrote: »

she`s been to england lots of times, she couldnt wait to get away from her home, she goes out partying all night everynight(sits in her boyfriends car with the ngine running and stereo on loud) so no i dont think she`s home sick she seems healthy enough i`m not worried about how much she is eating, but i am obligated to provide her with an evening meal, i tried all the normal stuff that the school suggest, and i spoke to a woman at work who origunates from jordon, she said i`d tried all the right things(what she actually said was that it sounded like the student is leadng me a merry dance lol) but all she wants is vegetables which is fine, just it`s a bit limited to be giving her steamed veg night after night

:rotfl: and here's me imagining this poor little waif of a 12 year old. Miles away from home, maybe missing her parents and all that's familiar and slowly becoming anorexic because she was unfamiliar with the Engllish food! How wrong could I be .

Would be nice if maybe the boyfriend took her somewhere for a meal instead of them making a meal of life on your doorstep and waking up the neighbourhood :mad: .

Like anothe r poster suggested, cook the veg and let her help heself - cabbage, cauli, broccoli, peas, carrots, sprouts(those will teach her!). What about peppers stuffed with couscous - that may seem a little more substantial?

Good luck with her!

moanymoany

I can understand that you feel concerned about this young woman's food and that she may not be eating enough. I teach English as a Foreign Language and have had lots of students stay with me.

One stopped eating much, picked over the plate, didn't want this and that - then I discovered he went to Macdonalds every evening before coming home. After that I didn't worry if he didn't take much.

In your place I wouldn't start making special food for her. One of the reasons we take in foreign students is to make money and I always budget very carefully to make sure I do - while presenting them with nice meals and packed lunches. I would cook the family's meal and prepare the usual amount for the family, simply cooking extra vegetable portions for the student. Extra carrots, extra cabbage - whatever you were preparing anyway. Having read what you have said about her I don't think she will be too bothered. She seems able to speak her mind and if and when she wants something different she will ask.

Good luck, it is a responsibility to take in a foreign youngster. Keep it simple, she is here to fit in with you - not for you to fit in with her. The bread and butter to hand is a good idea. She will get it if she is hungry and it won't get chucked if she isn't.

ceridwen

...well - if she says the reason is "no carbs - because I dont want to put on weight" - okay, shes probably heard that British food is fattening (:rolleyes: I wonder why - since much of it is!). You could try explaining to her that the Slimming World Green Plan includes lots of carbs (unlimited potatoes, pasta, rice) and one still loses weight.

Idea - maybe saying that you're all on a diet (well - just while shes with you! - lol) and thats the one and thats why. Yep - that diet really does work too.

Seakay

I'd ask her for her mother's phone number (because you are so worried and want some ideas for meals) and then phone her and give a full and frank description of your student's behaviour - you could limit it to eating behaviour if you are feeling kind. Tell student why you want number before you phone - if she's that happy to be away then the threat of contact may be enough to change her behaviour.
See what mother says (do it when student is in the house in case mother wants to deliver a rocket) it may be helpful.
If not then serve what you normally do, but from dishes, not straight onto plates. Explain to student that British custom dictates that if you help yourself then you have to eat it. If she continues to eat nothing then just keep your fingers crossed that she has less energy to be so b***** annoying.
By the way, are you in a position to impose a curfew? It sounds as though your hospitality is being thoroughly abused at the moment.

PasturesNew

amanndajane wrote: »

she`s been to england lots of times

amanndajane wrote: »

she goes out partying all night everynight(sits in her boyfriends car with the ngine running and stereo on loud)

amanndajane wrote: »

i am obligated to provide her with an evening meal, i tried all the normal stuff that the school suggest, and i spoke to a woman at work who origunates from jordon, she said i`d tried all the right things(what she actually said was that it sounded like the student is leadng me a merry dance lol) but all she wants is vegetables which is fine, just it`s a bit limited to be giving her steamed veg night after night

She is clearly over 18 and an adult. You have done your duty of trying by every means possible to find out what she wants. if all she wants is veggies then just give her veggies and leave it at that. She's probably eating things when out with her bf anyway. She's not starving.

amanndajane

Seakay wrote: »

I'd ask her for her mother's phone number (because you are so worried and want some ideas for meals) and then phone her and give a full and frank description of your student's behaviour - you could limit it to eating behaviour if you are feeling kind. Tell student why you want number before you phone - if she's that happy to be away then the threat of contact may be enough to change her behaviour.
See what mother says (do it when student is in the house in case mother wants to deliver a rocket) it may be helpful.
If not then serve what you normally do, but from dishes, not straight onto plates. Explain to student that British custom dictates that if you help yourself then you have to eat it. If she continues to eat nothing then just keep your fingers crossed that she has less energy to be so b***** annoying.
By the way, are you in a position to impose a curfew? It sounds as though your hospitality is being thoroughly abused at the moment.

unfortunately because she is over 18(she`s 24) i cant impose a curfew i`ve had other problems with her to do with smoking, i had a strict policy about no smoking in the house (1)myself and my son are both asthmatic
(2)i hate the smell it leaves on everything ! however the other day i smelt really stronmg smell of cigs as i walked up the stairs, i knocked on her door and walked in asked if she was smoking in the room, she said no i`m smoking out of the window :eek:! so i made sure she realised that was unacceptable. then she started chucking all her cig ends all over my drive, so again i told her that it was unacceptable, i thought she`d got the mesage UNTIL i had a call from my neighbour while i was at work to inform me she`d been chucking them over the wall onto her drive :eek: when confronted she totally denied it (even though they were most definatley her brand that she`d brought in from Jordon !)
If i wasn`t so desperate for the money i`d ask her to leave, she is so arrogant and rude !