Jack Monroe #29

[no-no]

I bet she would. I just can't stand this from someone that has spent years peddling junk jumping on yet another bandwagon that she doesn't have any credentials for.

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OMG this would have been my idea of hell as a kid! I didn’t eat fruit (still don’t) and my mum would have boiled the veg to mush plus you’d need all sorts of seasonings to make it tasty. I know kids are healthier these days but given the choice I would’ve chosen the pack with Heinz soup. A few packs of chicken roll, bread and a multipack of monster munch would’ve done me.

There are too many posts to quote but I am so relieved there are parents who aren’t scornful of the examples posted (you’re feeding kids jacket spuds and beans, you monster!!). These sort of packs are only intended as a stopgap on the whole and are lunchtime meals not a weekly shop. I seen someone say their two year old would finish it all in a day or two *raises eyebrow*

I wonder if JM is going behind the scenes as we speak picking 93kg sacks of aesthetically pleasing root vegetables and fruit to feed to all these children.

 

[emm]

Yes I agree, that box looks lovely and colourful but where are the meals? The food provided is supposed to be for lunches, the one with beans and baked potatoes with biscuits looked better.
There are statistics that show that a large percentage of people eat the same lunch everyday. I remember there being a phone in on radio about it. For lots of adults a Tesco meal deal is their lunch; sandwich, bag of crisps and a drink. We have definitely lost sight of portion size.

When I am working I often ate the same lunch, ham sandwich, crisps, apple. That was it, it was enough for me as an adult but lay it out for a week and it would look rubbish!

Also most of this does need some skill/ time/ knowledge to cook, which as others have said so many people don’t have. This looks more like my weekly veg box than anything to make children’s lunches with

 

[Nottonightbabe]

Iced buns! Oh, the joy!

I think it was 20p a bun, I had a £1.20 allowance, so plenty of buns and twizzlers could be bought and shared

 

[BB09]

What she expecting the lunches to be? Granted the ingredients aren't top of the list of healthy foods but it's food. It's also food that has to be stored and cooked and the people putting it together have no idea on parents cooking abilities. These are also foods that lots of older kids could make and help themselves to if parents were out at work all day. I would genuinely like her to give some input. Tinned fruit maybe? Corned beef?

it’s also very tricky as i

What she expecting the lunches to be? Granted the ingredients aren't top of the list of healthy foods but it's food. It's also food that has to be stored and cooked and the people putting it together have no idea on parents cooking abilities. These are also foods that lots of older kids could make and help themselves to if parents were out at work all day. I would genuinely like her to give some input. Tinned fruit maybe? Corned beef?

yep not trying to also sound like “back in my day” but my parents both worked full time and me and my sibling lived off chicken super noodlesand white toast for lunch or plain pasta with cheese, I would never of dreamt of adding a vegetable to my food when my parents were not around or make fussy food - and neither did any of my friends - this is not to say oh just give them scraps I completely and 100% think the free school meals turnaround is amazing end of. But also remember being a kid /teenager and all I wanted was basic cheese sandwich for my lunch ( and then when we got a breville sandwich toaster we both ate about 3 of those a day) Or noodles Or whatever else took me 5 mins to make so I could go back out with my mates or watch tv.
Again, not meaning to sound ignorant or poo poo the free school meals I completely agree and think it’s brilliant I grew up with neighbours and friends who’s parents had no money and used them so I do fully understand the need for them. But just going by the shite me and my friends used to eat day to day ( packet of crisps and a Kit Kat chunky for lunch for vending machine..Would never dream of that now!!) a lot of my dinners in the week were oven chips eggs and beans or something that could be stuck in oven my parents both worked full time and did not have time to spend 4 hours making something it was just getting us fed.

Also completely separate but always makes me chuckle - there was a kid in my year at school who only ate ricicles and bananas- that was it for the entire time at secondary school ( apparently he choked on food as a child and refused after that to it anything else) I see him on Facebook occasionally and he’s now one of those wannabe cross fit guys who is all about nutrition! Always wonder if he still eats ricicles every now and then.

 

[MancBee]

I don't want to go all Mumsnet about portion sizes, or trigger anything about food and eating, but I do think there is something here about how we've lost sight of how much food is actually the necessary amount of food in recent years. I like vintage bits and pieces and I mostly use old plates I've picked up in charity shops over the years. They are noticeably smaller than the plates you'd buy these days, and I think that's because there was much less on them, but it was enough.

I think that means that when people look at that food, they think, 'oh it's not enough' because they are used to huge packs of potatoes, or multi-packs of tuna, or large lumps of cheese in their shopping. But when you portion out what's there, it is enough, it's just not what we're used to seeing.

This is why we have a child obesity crisis.
I am a child of the 50's, crisps, chocolate, cakes and biscuits were a treat.
Toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and a proper dinner in the evening. We drank water from the tap while we were at school, no cans of pop or juice. There weren't any overweight kids in my class. The only one in the school that could be called overweight, on reflection wasn't really that big.

As a family of 5 with only my dad working as a labourer we should have qualified for FSM, but dad wouldn't take what he called charity. We had so little that I do remember borrowing a shovel of coal as we had no heat or hot water. Coats were used on our beds to act as blankets. The whole garden was used for veg growing, so at least there was a supply of free veg.

Not wishing to go all JM and poor me though, we had a lovely childhood and made a game of hiding from the rent man or tally man. I can remember crying with laughter when my sister came down in the morning with her hair covered in ice because she'd gone to bed with wet hair.

I was 10 before I realised that the door in the hall was the door to the living room, it was kept locked because it was empty of furniture and we lived, ate, and cooked all in one room.

What we never went short of was food or love.

I know kids are healthier these days...............

Not sure that is strictly true, if you believe the experts that state there's a childhood obesity crisis.

 

[Yel]

Most of the food parcels are absolutely fine, this is 10 lunches. And if they're not it's not some big conspiracy about wanting to starve poor people, it's because people are doing their best with these programmes in challenging times.

There's an influencer family with triplet girls that live off dry pasta, imagine the outrage if parents were just given a 30p packet of pasta to feed a child 5 lunches. There's at least a portion of fruit / veg per meal and many adults don't get more than one portions a day as is.

No easy way to say this, but 20 years ago you use to have one overweight child a class and now 1/3rd appear to be.

 

[Harrybosch]

I’m on a well-being conference call right now, and meant to be doing breathing exercises. I’m obviously using this as prime Tattle catch up time. This is what we train for, folks.

I'm pretty sure I've not yet had a meeting since lockdown started where I haven't also been on tattle. Guys, I'm BUSY!

 

[TheDragonWithAFlagon]

OMG this would have been my idea of hell as a kid! I didn’t eat fruit (still don’t) and my mum would have boiled the veg to mush plus you’d need all sorts of seasonings to make it tasty. I know kids are healthier these days but given the choice I would’ve chosen the pack with Heinz soup. A few packs of chicken roll, bread and a multipack of monster munch would’ve done me.

There are too many posts to quote but I am so relieved there are parents who aren’t scornful of the examples posted (you’re feeding kids jacket spuds and beans, you monster!!). These sort of packs are only intended as a stopgap on the whole and are lunchtime meals not a weekly shop. I seen someone say their two year old would finish it all in a day or two *raises eyebrow*

I wonder if JM is going behind the scenes as we speak picking 93kg sacks of aesthetically pleasing root vegetables and fruit to feed to all these children.

Nah, it'll be tins of beans, spaghetti hoops, anchovies, supernoodles and banana ketchup. Nothing else, just those.

 

[Flumps]

Quite.

 

[Hunty]

IF ONLY Jack could take a leaf out of Nigel’s book View attachment 157011

Sorry if already posted but this made me hoot, since this is the answer I want to give everyone who pretty much asks JM a question on what to do with the tit they have in their cupboards

 

[Harrybosch]

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Quite.

What you forget is that JM is the most marginalised of all marginalised folk. When has Chetna ever made room for her?

 

[GrunkaLunka]

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Quite.

Jack thinks she deserves every platform, even BLM. And as for thinking she's the best suited, mate what experience HASN'T she lived through.

 

[MooBelle]

I bet she would. I just can't stand this from someone that has spent years peddling junk jumping on yet another bandwagon that she doesn't have any credentials for.

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Has anyone else noticed she doesn't tag either MR or JO in her replies. She mentioned them both by name but not done the @. My guess is they've told her to do one and not associate with her. Same thing with Alexis on IG.
Or maybe they've blocked her!!!

 

[Againagainagain]

The majority of my food budget goes on bloody school lunches and school snacks. When you try move away from the tuna sandwich every day it can get expensive.

I agree, a few of us at work used to take turns to provide lunch for each other and it was so expensive when it wasn’t the supermarket hoummus and rice cakes I would usually take for myself.

I work in a primary school using the voucher scheme and it is horribly flawed, we spent the first few weeks trying to to tie parents down to a regular phone number and then they wouldn’t have data or WiFi so couldn’t download it. Lots of printing, doorstep visits and frustration. For a family with 4 children it is £60 towards a weekly shop. It is a significant amount of money.

In England there is a universal FSM offer for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 but that was withdrawn after a few weeks which will have absolutely pushed some people further into poverty.

Finally...school dinners are better than they were when I was at school (90s) but they’re not nutritionally sound and often children will order the same sandwich day after day and remove the filling...a butter butty!

Last finally...I am of the generation that absolutely cannot cook. My husband calls me a one pot wonder as I do often ‘bung it all in’ but it has texture!!!! I promise!!

 

[Yel]

Has anyone else noticed she doesn't tag either MR or JO in her replies. She mentioned them both by name but not done the @. My guess is they've told her to do one and not associate with her. Same thing with Alexis on IG.
Or maybe they've blocked her!!!

They have so many people trying to ride of their coattails that they probably have no idea who Jack is, just another attention seaker

 

[kirkvanhouten]

We are going to be treated to a fully costed, JM box i think.

Heres what i think most people are missing, this is for lunch, yes people are poor and in need but this is solely for >lunch< for a >child<

One lunch of Jacket potato and cheese with a biscuit after is fine. I feel we are going to get something unsustainable, that aims to try fit in every nutrient and vitamin known to man. That is an effort and unattainable for many parents but everyone will lap up because they are not understanding the main point that this is >lunch<

This is just another publicity opportunity for JM. Many people onside because yes, some do need to do better. Piggy backing from Rushfords success for her own glory. Has even insinuated that this is HARDER because each constituency is different.

I think mince/vege mince would be a good option. Can be picked up fairly cheaply and could be changed easily from day to day - i.e. from a tomato base into chilli, into keema, into bolognese. Veg in the sauce etc. BUT this takes EFFORT which makes it sometimes inaccessible. I also feel like the portion sizes would be a problem. When my child has chilli at school i doubt she has the same amount as in an evening meal. Not that she would even eat either because she is extremely adverse to texture. Probs why sandwiches are a better option.

Im digressing and going on a bit.....

 

[emmer_moans]

Is frozen broccoli still available? It's quite nice in a cheese sauce, with or without cauli. Budget Bytes roasts it too, which I've not tried, but her recipes are usually really good.

Yes, I also picked up a frozen bag mixed broccoli and cauliflower so will try your suggestion, thank you . I expect by the sound of it there is either a crop shortage or distribution shortage.

 

[emm]

This is why we have a child obesity crisis.
I am a child of the 50's, crisps, chocolate, cakes and biscuits were a treat.
Toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and a proper dinner in the evening. We drank water from the tap while we were at school, no cans of pop or juice. There weren't any overweight kids in my class. The only one in the school that could be called overweight, on reflection wasn't really that big.

As a family of 5 with only my dad working as a labourer we should have qualified for FSM, but dad wouldn't take what he called charity. We had so little that I do remember borrowing a shovel of coal as we had no heat or hot water. Coats were used on our beds to act as blankets. The whole garden was used for veg growing, so at least there was a supply of free veg.

Not wishing to go all JM and poor me though, we had a lovely childhood and made a game of hiding from the rent man or tally man. I can remember crying with laughter when my sister came down in the morning with her hair covered in ice because she'd gone to bed with wet hair.

I was 10 before I realised that the door in the hall was the door to the living room, it was kept locked because it was empty of furniture and we lived, ate, and cooked all in one room.

What we never went short of was food or love.


Not sure that is strictly true, if you believe the experts that state there's a childhood obesity crisis.

I think there’s more of one extreme and he other, some parents are insane about healthy food for their kids and at the other end of the spectrum I read that 1in 3 primary school kids are overweight or obese.. I started primary school in 1990 and there was only one child who was overweight (and as you said looking back he barely was) it’s crazy how quickly things have changed

 

[Begborrowsteal]

I agree, a few of us at work used to take turns to provide lunch for each other and it was so expensive when it wasn’t the supermarket hoummus and rice cakes I would usually take for myself.

I work in a primary school using the voucher scheme and it is horribly flawed, we spent the first few weeks trying to to tie parents down to a regular phone number and then they wouldn’t have data or WiFi so couldn’t download it. Lots of printing, doorstep visits and frustration. For a family with 4 children it is £60 towards a weekly shop. It is a significant amount of money.

In England there is a universal FSM offer for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 but that was withdrawn after a few weeks which will have absolutely pushed some people further into poverty.

Finally...school dinners are better than they were when I was at school (90s) but they’re not nutritionally sound and often children will order the same sandwich day after day and remove the filling...a butter butty!

Last finally...I am of the generation that absolutely cannot cook. My husband calls me a one pot wonder as I do often ‘bung it all in’ but it has texture!!!! I promise!!

My son is a horribly picky eater (no one takes me seriously because hes big & strong ). His school offers good options but he will always pick the sarnie and remove what he doesnt like. Literally butter sarnies. He has come out of school some days crying with hunger and even puked one day. Its awful

I was in school through the 90s and we had pizzas, chips, burgers, nuggets, fizzy drinks (panda pops!), chocolates etc. Think it was around 1999 that they changed contractors and all that was removed and the only 'naughty' food was chips. All chocolates & crisps removed for fruit, only water or fruit juice etc. There was uproar

 

[Pocahontas]

Sorry if already posted but this made me hoot, since this is the answer I want to give everyone who pretty much asks JM a question on what to do with the tit they have in their cupboards View attachment 157055

I’ve always had a soft spot for Nigel Slater and his packages of food wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine.
Love his responses. So dry, and yet not abrasive.