Thursday, September 9, 2010

KITCHEN MAKEOVER?

The latest Preseason Task is to chuck out all the crap in the cupboards.

Hmmm.

Now in some ways this is easy. I'm 3/4 of the way there anyway. We don't have a lot of the usual crap in the cupboards. Not like some places - so I've been told by my poor "deprived" children. We have healthy cereals. (Except that Ms 17 puts brown sugar on her weetbix.) We just moved to organic weetbix because Himself has to reduce his iron intake. (And we all prefer the taste.)

We don't have packaged biscuits and soft drink in the house as a matter of course. We have lots of fruit, and there's always veges.

The girls do like to get something 'yummy' for afternoon tea, or for school lunches, and look through the shopping bags expectantly if I've come home from shopping. I do give in sometimes, but more often, lately, I'll suggest they have a piece of toast! (Even that is tempting for me - toast and butter!... she didn't mention anything about that did she!)

But I will have a mutiny on my hands if I get rid of white bread, white rice...  Even the Daddy complains about brown rice. (me? - I actually prefer it!)   Yes, I always have multigrain bread in the freezer, but there is high drama if I don't have white. I have gone through this battle before - and the Drama Queen will go without lunch, rather than take multigrain. And then buy who knows what at school. Better to occasionally have 'run out' of white, than trying to make wholesale change all at once.

I also gave up the battle to put everyone on lite milk. (I myself have no-fat - which I weaned myself down to years ago and now prefer the taste.). I gave in and have to keep buying whole milk for Madam, because otherwise she will go without breakfast!   If I push it, I'll get a lecture from her along the lines of 'do you want me to get an eating disorder?!'  Bloody smart-arse teenagers these days! If your kids are much younger, count yourself lucky - you have a chance to change them. Ms 11 is much easier to convert to a cause.


My eldest also WILL NOT eat fish - so that makes things a bit difficult for family meals. The only thing Himself  isn't keen on with food is tinned fish - so, sheesh... there goes another family meal option....

With my Drama Queen, I have to take the subtle approach. Over the past year she has made more 'good' decisions about eating more healthily.. and it's definitely one of those situations where I have to stand back and let her come round of her own accord. Next year she'll be off and away to uni, so it will be a bit easier with one less 'variable'.

Meanwhile, with the stocking of the pantry, I have some concerns of my own. (Wonder where she gets her fussiness from?)   Anchovies? Are you kidding?  And kidney beans and me are NOT friends - I hate them with a passion - so it's going to be difficult to follow a menu plan that has them. :-/

Mostly I think I am going to have to take a more subtle approach. I don't really need to bin anything we already have. I will have to make strong choices for myself (eg. the orange juice! - even if I do buy the 'fresh' stuff) - and then gradually change.

I am making things hard on myself by not bringing Himself in on this at the start - but I will need some proof for the sceptic (who thinks I should be able to do all this on my own) before I can really get him on board.

3 comments:

  1. It's rough having to cook for so many different personalities. Like you, I prefer whole grain everything, they prefer white. I want baked, they want fried.With cheese. And the sugar! Aagh! "I want something sweet" they say, so they go buy sweets. "Eat fruit" I say. "Strawberry ice cream has fruit" they say. Bah.

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  2. Indeed! And never mind the temptation, even we SAHMs don't have time to cook multiple meals every day to cater for everyone!

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  3. (Pssst.. confession - I don't actually prefer wholegrain bread - though I am slowly converting. I am a big sucker for freshly baked white bread or rolls, with butter.... (not marg... BUTTER!).... aRRRGHH

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