bourbon-biscuit

Yes, ready made meals and pre-made hummus are junk food I do buy hummus but I buy it knowing it is a processed food and a treat - mostly I make it (cos they always use shite oil in the pre-made stuff, and too much salt) and it takes about ten mins to make heaps.

christmasoompa

I don't think it is really tbh, I just think you need to be organised. I make big batches of things like pesto sauce etc, and then freeze them in individual portions, so it only takes me 10 mins to serve up a meal to hungry children despite work, business, house renovations and everything else getting in the way!

Have you seen the Jamie Oliver book 30 minute meals? That's just brilliant, my kids love everything in it and it's all so quick and easy, I use it loads. He did a 15 minute one too, but I wasn't so keen on that.

I'm very lucky as my children's school lunches are just amazing, all organic and from our local farm shop, so I know they've had one really good meal each day and if time is short I can just give them a poached egg on toast or porridge or something like that for supper. But most nights I'll still cook and we'll all eat together, I agree that it's so important.

TommyLuck

Yeah ... in my experience telling someone to be organised when they're already some who feels they're perennially on the edge of running out of time or are reticent to change, as people often are doesn't go down well.

But you're right, preparation in the key.

Also changing perceptions; porridge for supper, for instance. A breakfast food surely? Only because society tell us so.

Why not porridge for supper. A rich blend of nutrients, certainly is mixed with whole fruits.

I often have raw coleslaw and/or spinach with my breakfast, accompanied this morning with scrambled eggs, toast and a bean stew from Tuesday night - the comments over the years; "salad for breakfast?", "lunch-time already?" ... It's only really the likes of Kelloggs and other marketing from food companies in the last century or so that brain washed us in to thinking if it's ain't bread or cereals it really ain't breakfast.

Why is salmon and eggs on toast considered a treat?

In isolation it costs more than a bowl of cereal, but over a year, I'll bet I do a hell of a lot less snacking mid morning than the average cereal eater which goes towards equalising the cost and usually that snack isn't particularly good for you either.


I should add to anyone still reading, I'm not a food nazi - I don't go around shouting at people when they put a muffin to their lips. What irritates me is the denial people are in, constantly asking me questions about my lifestyle, in terms of food, like it's some sort of oppressive regime, that it's extreme, as they wander into the office in the morning for the umpteenth morning in a row holding an 500ml open can of V.

It really isn't, I haven't felt as fit nor had such a sense of well being as I do in New Zealand - physically and mentally.

Whilst we think in terms of exercise and portion control keep keep waist lines slimmer, we forget completely about the nutritional value of food.

The Weezer

All this talk of food brings us back to Davros' comment about feeding himself for a week on £14.50. If you eat simple, fresh and healthy foods, it's certainly seems possible to do it in the UK. It's not possible if you buy all pre-made, prepackaged foods, treats, and lots of meat.

As for eating fresh foods, it's the only way I've ever eaten. We never had pre-prepared, or canned prepared foods when I was growing up. I only know how to cook with fresh ingredients, because that's the way I was taught. I think that's true of many of us oldies from non-English speaking households.

It's been a bit of a culture shock living in NZ, where one of the most beloved national dishes seems to be canned spaghetti on white bread toast.

christmasoompa

Totally agree.

Why only non-English out of interest? My parents are English, and everything I ate growing up was made from scratch. My mother even makes her own mayonnaise, yoghurt and filo pastry for goodness sake! Absolutely nothing out of a jar for her. She taught me to cook that way, although I must confess I do buy mayonnaise in a jar I'm afraid.........

Bo-Jangles

Same can be said for us English-speaking oldies too, I can only laugh at the younger ones and the likes of Tommyluck that think its quite a revelation to be cooking and giving their kids real food It's like listening to the born again Christians; they come across like the newly enlightened ones and sounds so utterly preachy, self righteous and quite pathetic about it.

Sally Redux

Bit harsh, sorry I've wandered into your forum and found Tommy's post quite interesting, maybe because I live in a place where 'school dinners' are things like nachos and chocolate milk

The Weezer

I only said that because it seems to be the case more often in "ethnic" households. But now that I think on it, several of my friends in the US cooked fresh food regularly, and they were from English speaking households.

The Weezer

I think school lunches are pretty horrible in many places, not just the US. At least there your children will sit at table to eat. In NZ, the poor things have to sit on an outside bench with no table, or eat on the ground. Kiwi kids don't often get milk at school, either Milk is too expensive here.

Sally Redux

It's not a lot better here tbh, just a few sunbaked ones outside.

A Rush And A Push

As of term 1 this year all primary school kids get a free carton of milk every day, if their school is signed up for it. It's funded by Fonterra, not the govt.

I think where the kids eat lunch must vary from school to school, mine eat out on the deck in summer but in the cold/wet eat at tables in the classroom.

garethwm

Tommyluck, your story was awesome. Congrats and well done!

Pom_Chch

Agree, I think Bo's comment was a wee bit on the patronising side IMVHO. I don't think TL's comments were coming across as a preachy at all.

Good on ya TL, I enjoyed reading your sentiments. It's good to hear you are raising your daughter with good eating habits *bows down to "preachy enlightened self righteous" God that is TommyLuck*

TommyLuck

Thanks Sally.

Thanks for the thinly veiled insults. Good to see a self professed oldie sticking to the abuse tactics of a playground bully. How very adult of you

Damn right I'll preach.

I was 18 stone at the age of 18 and was blissfully ignorant of the problems associated with my weight and eating habits. Fast forward to now and I look back and realise what I was getting myself in to.

So yes, I am newly enlightened because my food education as a kid, looking back, was shocking. Food education now is no better and food companies making their $$$'s don't care. Which leaves it up to parents, like me.

You might think this is all bleedin' obvious, but for hundreds of millions of people it is not.

Look around you, body image, fad dieting and overweight and obese people are very much part of 'normal' life.

People don't know what to think, nor believe and as a western society we get fatter and less healthy putting strain on our bodies, our physical and mental health, our health systems and our families.

I'm not and never have said "look how well I've done", for me it's not about that. I've just got myself back to what should be normal for me. My story is only deemed a success by others because my health and my body were, in my opinion, an utter failure to start with!! There is no glory in this, just a desire to be an inspiration for the start of new lifestyle for people like me.

But as I get the message out there, as someone who has been relatively newly converted, if just one person takes remedial action because of what I've done and have to say about it, then I'm happy to take the criticisms people like you come back with about me being pathetic. Because it is categorically not as black and white as you seem to think it is.

It's a rather damning reflection of society that I'm being called pathetic for trying to give back my story to a society that is suffering with health issues, all while food and pharmaceutical companies boost profits with little care for the PREVENTION of health issues and disease.

I think you need to take a look in the mirror. But then you can't please everyone.

TommyLuck

Thank you.