Modern mums cook up to 9 meals a day

[Sandra Piddock]

According to this story, modern mothers are more like chefs, because they cook up to 9 different meals a day to accommodate the fussy eaters in the family.

When my kids were small, I hardly ever cooked chilli con carne, because two of the three kids preferred baked beans to red kidney beans, and the one who liked baked beans didn't like it too spicy. I therefore had to make three versions of chilli to suit the 5 family members. However, I'd never have cooked multiple meals every night. Would you - or do you?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

nope never - unless it was a food allergy/intolerance in which case every one at the same thing.
I brought up my brother and sister and they ate what they were given (family of 6). They could only say they didn't like it after they had tried it and neither had the option of knowing what it was beforehand. It worked wonders. My brother is now a chef and pushing his work place to cater for vegans as well as veggies. I did, when they were much younger, keep the hot spicies to a minimum, but they were exposed to them. The idea of catering to each child whim appalls me, unless they have allergies/intolerances in which case everyone should eat what that person can eat where possible.

For our wedding, all guests had vegetarian food, because I decided I was not having a reception where I could not eat everything that was served. It has worked well over the years. My in-laws always cook something veggie/vegan when we are over and will then sometimes have some meat/fish on the side, cooked seperately that they add to their plate - similar to meat & 3 veg, but where one of the veg is a veggie dish. My grannie did the same for a while, but then everyone had veggie food on the day of the week she had us (Wednesday's after school).

Now when I am over at BBQ's with my step father, we have to watch of raw onion or spring onions/chives and leeks in his food due to an intolerance, but any salad we make and take over, has a small amount taken out before those ingredients are added which is his portion - he is intolerant to those veg... and I always take at least something I can eat, being allergic to dairy is a nightmare - it gets everywhere including in bread and marg and even some homemade jams!

In this household - no children, there is no dairy. Only I am allergic to it, but all meals are cooked according to what I can eat. Any guest gets the same unless they specifically bring cow's milk for coffee/tea they don't get it. Most are happy with nut milks or soya milks we provide. I should point out that on our cycle tour, where we were completely unable to obtain a veggie meal, we ate what we were given (not sure I enjoyed the white smoked salmon & mushroom omlette I had in Belarus, but we ate it !)

 

[Sandra Piddock]

Colly, that's a sobering story indeed. Fancy having to have toes amputated at the age of 36. Interesting to know it's not a modern phenomenon, though.

My niece was very finicky in some ways as a child - the only vegetables she would eat were raw carrots, and she announced that she would only ever eat lamb. We got around that one by serving every meat we cooked with mint sauce, because she knew you only had mint sauce with lamb. Actually, it goes well with chicken and pork as well! My sister-in-law cooked that way to avoid having to do different meals for everyone, and now, at 30, my niece is very adventurous with food. Often, it's just a phase, but if you pander to it, it can go on for years.