Britain's Fat Fight

[AdamJames]

The lack of knowledge from the parents about what they were buying for their kids was a tad alarming.. don't these people look at the back of the packet ever? Although thinking back to the bad old days I guess I never did..

That was exactly my thought: I never, and my parents never, were in the habit of looking at nutritional info, and certainly never weighing things!

I thought it was a point well made when HFW had parents watch their children pour cereal into a bowl - nobody weighs stuff so the "amounts per portion" are useless for most people.

I've only started weighing stuff in the last year or so. I can't remember a single time in the past I've weighed a portion of nuts when I open a packet, but now I'll always measure 30g.

I suspect a lot of people will only bother to get some accurate scales and start weighing stuff after they have become ill and realise they need to think about what they eat.

 

[AdamJames]

That salad drawer full of chocolate was a sight to behold!

Yes, well jealous I was!

 

[AdamJames]

I homed in on the lady helping him to sell the fresh fruit and veg in that boarded up area. Fruit sold but no one wanted the veg other than a few carrrots. Some of them looked at heads of cabbage and cauliflower with suspicion. I wondered if they felt they needed too much prep before cooking. I wish they had cut up some of that veg and showed them how quick and easy it was and versatile and economical. Maybe Hugh will come back to it.

I have to admit I could relate to that - for a few weeks now I haven't bought any veg that needs cooking. But I do buy a lot of veg that doesn't - celery, spinach, avocado, tomatoes, peppers etc (well okay some of those are fruit but you know what I mean). I think I go through phases. A while back I was always sticking broccoli or sprouts or asparagus in the pan with bacon or belly pork. That was literally effortless - same pan as the meat and it steamed very well with a lid on it.

 

[Guzzler]

I was not jealous. My first thought was that the whole family will now need to be educated, that salad drawer will seem normal to those children and childhood habits are the hardest to break as an adult.

 

[AdamJames]

I was not jealous. My first thought was that the whole family will now need to be educated, that salad drawer will seem normal to those children and childhood habits are the hardest to break as an adult.

I suppose I am one of those children who has now become an adult, and have found those habits very hard to break, hence me wishing I could still get away with it! I don't remember the salad drawer ever being quite THAT chocolatey, but the contents of the fridge were often along those lines. And the contents of the foods cupboards.

I lived in an area that looks very like the "rough" areas shown on the program, and the attitudes towards nutrition, and the availability of junk food and chip shops etc were very similar. I was also brought up by a single mother who worked, didn't have much time to make me and my sister meals, and didn't have the Internet or recent insight to help her understand nutrition etc.

It is indeed very, very hard to break out of what you get used to when you are young.

 

[Guzzler]

I suppose I am one of those children who has now become an adult, and have found those habits very hard to break, hence me wishing I could still get away with it! I don't remember the salad drawer ever being quite THAT chocolatey, but the contents of the fridge were often along those lines. And the contents of the foods cupboards.

I lived in an area that looks very like the "rough" areas shown on the program, and the attitudes towards nutrition, and the availability of junk food and chip shops etc were very similar. I was also brought up by a single mother who worked, didn't have much time to make me and my sister meals, and didn't have the Internet or recent insight to help her understand nutrition etc.

It is indeed very, very hard to break out of what you get used to when you are young.

Maybe it is a generational thing. I come from a deprived background and both my parents worked full time but my mother would start peeling veggies before she took off her coat on returning from work. We were latchkey kids, once we were older we would prep up for Mum. Our diet was poor in terms of quality but that salad drawer had me agog, that is not food it is what I call fodder and the point I am trying to make is that the people in that household (the adults) know that it is not a healthy balanced diet.

 

[PenguinMum]

Some of them did actually say that it was too much trouble with fresh veg though? Perhaps you missed the comments? I agree that they ought to have done a little display of cutting up the veg

Lol missed that moment or forgot! I think there is this inability to tackle whole veg. The supermarkets have an ever increasing range of prepared veg in the salad section which sell like hotcakes!! So busy or younger people may see this is veg and must think you almost need butchering skills to tackle a cabbage or cauli. It takes no time to chop up, its fresher, you often get enough for more than one meal and it is cheaper.

 

[AdamJames]

the point I am trying to make is that the people in that household (the adults) know that it is not a healthy balanced diet.

That's a good point, the parents clearly knew full well it was bad.

I can easily forgive my mum however. She has a strange mind - she could regularly solve the Sunday Times cryptic crossword, but genuinely struggles to do simple things like play a DVD, and recently we've been trying to get her to understand nutrition / carbohydrates etc and her eyes just glaze over. I'm proud of her though, she's always contributed to society, working in the caring services etc. I don't hold my poor relationship with food against her, in spite of her telling use recently that she feels guilty about our diets when we were younger. It's only because of a lot of the recent stuff on telly and in the news that it's beginning to dawn on her just how bad it was.

 

[Guzzler]

Lol missed that moment or forgot! I think there is this inability to tackle whole veg. The supermarkets have an ever increasing range of prepared veg in the salad section which sell like hotcakes!! So busy or younger people may see this is veg and must think you almost need butchering skills to tackle a cabbage or cauli. It takes no time to chop up, its fresher, you often get enough for more than one meal and it is cheaper.

Those pre prepped bags are such a rip off. I had this argument with my DIL, she said that it just takes too long to prep a salad and I replied that if perhaps she stepped away from the soap opera she could use that time more wisely. Yes, it wasn't just an argument but a full blown row. A row that was worth it in the end, she now says that she sits and peels veg ready for the following days meals whilst watching her beloved soaps (and she does watch ALL of them).

 

[PenguinMum]

You were brave but it had a good result! My only concession to those packs is baby spinach. I hate cutting up swede but I do it because I love the end result. Mashed buttery, peppery swede is essential with lamb for me. I try and choose the longer ones so I cut it vertically in half and its plain sailing after that.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

That salad drawer full of chocolate was a sight to behold!

Reminds me (not that I've watched the programme) that before diagnosis I had a desk drawer at work full of bulk packs of Mars Bars, Turkish Delight, Flake, KitKat and sometimes Cadburys Dairy Milk. Stress comfort food.

Ah, memories.

 

[Diakat]

You were brave but it had a good result! My only concession to those packs is baby spinach. I hate cutting up swede but I do it because I love the end result. Mashed buttery, peppery swede is essential with lamb for me. I try and choose the longer ones so I cut it vertically in half and its plain sailing after that.

I usually get the knife stuck halfway through and end up waving it around lice a medieval torture implement until I slam it down on the chopping board. But I agree swede is yummy.

 

[Guzzler]

You were brave but it had a good result! My only concession to those packs is baby spinach. I hate cutting up swede but I do it because I love the end result. Mashed buttery, peppery swede is essential with lamb for me. I try and choose the longer ones so I cut it vertically in half and its plain sailing after that.

Aye, spinach and watercress are the only things I buy in bags. I love swede but prefer turnip which we don't see a lot of in our supermarkets these days.

 

[slip]

That family with the chocolate salad drawer - I noticed there wasn't any items in their kitchen that would be used to make a wholesome family meal, it was all snacks - crisps and chocolate and a few tins of beans and spaghetti in 'tomato' sugar laden sauce.

As previously discussed further up, did they know it was wrong? yes and no, are they capable/knowledgeable enough to do something about it? probably not. Those kids probably haven't ever tasted broccoli, swede (which I hate!) or courgette etc, their parents probably have but back when their parents cooked for them as adolescents and have now forgotten what to do with them.........and besides convenience food is.....well..........just so **** convenient!

 

[PenguinMum]

I usually get the knife stuck halfway through and end up waving it around lice a medieval torture implement until I slam it down on the chopping board. But I agree swede is yummy.

Lol Me too! I dont thnk my boys will evergo to that trouble.

 

[ringi]

Frozen veg can be as good as fresh and is often cheaper depending on the time of the year.

 

[Guzzler]

I usually get the knife stuck halfway through and end up waving it around lice a medieval torture implement until I slam it down on the chopping board. But I agree swede is yummy.

Halfway through? My mother taught us to slice it first then peel the slices. Slicing allows the cut edge to move away so the knife doesn't get stuck like some sort of Excalibur.

 

[Diakat]

Halfway through? My mother taught us to slice it first then peel the slices. Slicing allows the cut edge to move away so the knife doesn't get stuck like some sort of Excalibur.

I'll give it a go...

 

[eggs11]

I have long been irritated by WHSmith's chocolate factory-looking till area and the fact the cashiers ask you if you'd like some discounted chocolates with your book - erm no. They might as well ask 'do you want fries with that?' - though I guess the McDonald's vouchers given with your receipt is nearly the same thing!

The programme reminded me a lot of Jamie Oliver's previous crusades - so I felt a lot of deja vu watching it.

I found it interesting when the doctor explained how processed food - not junk food as such, but ready meals based on old-fashioned classics, like cottage pie, were going to be worse for you than home cooked food from an energy consumption point of view - many people might avoid the sweets and chocolates but live off these.

I hope they delve more into Hugh's own weight gain reasons besides his wine consumption - I mean if anyone has got good access to lovely fresh vegetables then it's him - he grows them on his farm and yet he still has battled the bulge!

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Interested to know if cooked chilled pasta from the stores is better for you than fresh cooked at home due to resistant starch.