Feed a family nutritionally well for <€132 a week

ch750536 · 05-09-2014 4:42pm

?Cee?view wrote: »

I count 17 on my large screen. Even if they're the size of grapes that's a big portion.

Size of grapes is pretty close.

eta - Again though, it's not about 1 item 1 meal, it's about the progression going forward. It's also about the good things on the plate more than the bad. There is no such thing as a perfect meal, the world is full of individuals.

I'm looking to supply all I need for the family - right now we have massive numbers who are full of food but malnourished. This challenge is to eliminate cost from the argument against healthy eating.

Alf Veedersane · 05-09-2014 6:03pm

To be fair, I think we're all trying to judge too soon rather than to see the improvement over time.

I think that's the point of this exercise, I.e. to get to a good point rather than starting at one.

ch750536 · 06-09-2014 8:28am

Not the finished report but days 1 to 4, unfinished, unformatted and without comment. Busy day today & tomorrow so may not get to it until Monday.

This is the analysis of all foods eaten by the 4 of us which was purchased by me (not including eating out). Also missing is some nuts \ seeds etc.

Energy 20554.2
Carbs 2610
Fiber 475.9
Starch 901.1
Sugars 859.4
Fat 800.4
Monounsaturated 267.8
Polyunsaturated 285.8
Omega-3 17
Omega-6 167.3
Saturated 129.6
Trans-Fats 1.5
Cholesterol 586.4
Protein 894
Cystine 7.4
Histidine 15
Isoleucine 23.7
Leucine 41.7
Lysine 31.6
Methionine 11.9
Phenylalanine 25.1
Threonine 19.3
Tryptophan 6
Tyrosine 16.5
Valine 27.8
Vitamins
B1 (Thiamine) 21.2
B12 (Cobalamin) 100.2
B2 (Riboflavin) 28.1
B3 (Niacin) 480.3
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 49.8
B6 (Pyridoxine) 40.4
Folate 6504.3
Vitamin A 38306.7
Vitamin C 1872
Vitamin D 4305.4
Vitamin E 291.7
Vitamin K 607.9
Minerals
Calcium 16133.7
Copper 27.5
Fluoride 146.8
Iron 176
Magnesium 4012.9
Manganese 62.5
Phosphorus 11093.1
Potassium 40024.4
Selenium 3313
Sodium 14404.7
Zinc 101.3

Dotcomdolly · 06-09-2014 1:33pm

What age are the kids? the cals seem pretty low
20,554/4days/4people = 1284 cals each per day.

ch750536 · 06-09-2014 3:55pm

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

What age are the kids? the cals seem pretty low
20,554/4days/4people = 1284 cals each per day.

This is the analysis of all foods eaten by the 4 of us which was purchased by me (not including eating out). Also missing is some nuts \ seeds etc.

7&9

ch750536 · 07-09-2014 8:57am

Odd day yesterday so don't take too much notice of what is missing. Child 1 threw a book in child 2's eye causing some damage so normal stuff (like breakfast) just didn't happen.

Alf Veedersane · 07-09-2014 9:15am

ch750536 wrote: »

Odd day yesterday so don't take too much notice of what is missing. Child 1 threw a book in child 2's eye causing some damage so normal stuff (like breakfast) just didn't happen.

I hope you thew the book at Child 1...;)

kiwikid · 08-09-2014 12:24am

May be off focus of the thread but would you not set out the requirement for each human being fed, introduce clean non-processed foods, getting Enough exercise and eating until satisfied and work from there instead of all this number crunching?

ch750536 · 08-09-2014 8:24am

kiwikid wrote: »

May be off focus of the thread but would you not set out the requirement for each human being fed, introduce clean non-processed foods, getting Enough exercise and eating until satisfied and work from there instead of all this number crunching?

Focus of the thread is debunking the myth that healthy eating is expensive.

How to prove that is actually difficult. I don't have accurate numbers for average food spend, just average grocery spend. For this reason I can only compare what I buy vs what other people buy for groceries only. Misses all other food spend, like eating out etc but it is what it is.

Typically we do only eat clean non processed organic foods, obviously this is not a rule. We do get enough exercise and live a reasonably healthy lifestyle too. This is not the focus of what I am doing though.

The number crunching was requested from the forum. I used to do lots of number crunching but am now reasonably confident by simply looking back over the last 4 days of what we have all consumed and making a judgement on what may be missing \ required.

Example, first 4 days my protein was a little low so day 5, 6 & 7 more protein was introduced.

Macro's are excellent for me but the kids need a little more leaf \ colourful veg. I may take calcium supplements for a few days as my teeth are hurting me. I need to read a little more as to what this can be though.
Calories were fine for the kids, a little low for me at around 1700 per day but I can more than cope with some calorie restriction

Sat fats were controlled. Mono fats were good. Omega 3 was a little low for me (kids had salmon twice at grans) - still waiting on my algae so I have extra seeds in my diet for now.
Vitamins are fine, but more citrus is good. We supplement D3 as we live in Ireland.
Overall I felt we did a really good job to date in the first week.

Any constructive advice gladly appreciated. I know a lot of you have pointed out bad stuff but almost nobody has offered any real advice about replacing it or new foods to consider. I'm simply a student fumbling through this.

ch750536 · 08-09-2014 10:44am

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I hope you thew the book at Child 1...;)

He was devastated at what he had done to be fair. Didn't need any punishment from me. Child 2 wearing an eye patch for school thinking it's cool.

Alf Veedersane · 08-09-2014 10:50am

ch750536 wrote: »

He was devastated at what he had done to be fair. Didn't need any punishment from me. Child 2 wearing an eye patch for school thinking it's cool.

I really just needed to get that pun out of my system.

ch750536 · 08-09-2014 11:27am

Week 1 summary showed 10% of the nutrition coming from 30% of the spend. Basically healthy food is nowhere near as expensive as unhealthy food!

You never hear people moaning about that though.

Blacktie. · 09-09-2014 3:44pm

ch750536 wrote: »

Week 1 summary showed 10% of the nutrition coming from 30% of the spend

I don't know if I've just had a long day or what but I have no idea what you mean by this sentence.

ch750536 · 09-09-2014 4:29pm

Blacktie. wrote: »

I don't know if I've just had a long day or what but I have no idea what you mean by this sentence.

Most people think that good quality food is expensive. What I found was the opposite.

The €15 spent on nonsense food gave the lowest return. The €60 spent on high nutrition food gave the highest return both from a nutrition and satisfaction perspective.

So in real terms, the nonsense column was effectively throwing my money away.

loveisdivine · 09-09-2014 5:11pm

Wood wrote: »

You should read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith. While your at it don't force your choices on your kids.

Ireland has some of the best meat products in the world. The chicken is second to none worldwide if bought from a reputable source. Saying one portion of meat per day is excessive is complete nonsense, we are omnivores.

But, you think hula hoops and sugar are okay? carry on. :rolleyes:

I just wanted to point out that in reality anytime you choose the food for your child, you are "forcing" it on them. Unless you leave the decision completely up to them, then you are forcing them. Whether its meat or veg.

ch750536 · 09-09-2014 8:20pm

loveisdivine wrote: »

I just wanted to point out that in reality anytime you choose the food for your child, you are "forcing" it on them. Unless you leave the decision completely up to them, then you are forcing them. Whether its meat or veg.

Breakfast they choose.
Lunch they choose from a chart of different foods for school.
Dinner we choose to make sure they get all they need.

indigo twist · 09-09-2014 8:35pm

There's something really sad about this thread, and your complete refusal to take more knowledgeable posters' opinions on board.

Yes, your family is a unit, but you, your partner, and both of your children all have your own unique sets of needs and preferences.

Yes, you might be able to tick all of your little boxes looking at the family as a whole - but one (or more) family members may be suffering as a result. Looking at that massive plate of potatoes for yourself, it's quite possible someone else is suffering to allow whatever balance you have in your head that you want to achieve. Rather than considering each family member as an individual.

But, it's OK, you can give them crisps in their lunchboxes to make up for it. :rolleyes:

ch750536 · 09-09-2014 8:43pm

indigo twist wrote: »

There's something really sad about this thread, and your complete refusal to take more knowledgeable posters' opinions on board.

Yes, your family is a unit, but you, your partner, and both of your children all have your own unique sets of needs and preferences.

Yes, you might be able to tick all of your little boxes looking at the family as a whole - but one (or more) family members may be suffering as a result. Looking at that massive plate of potatoes for yourself, it's quite possible someone else is suffering to allow whatever balance you have in your head that you want to achieve. Rather than considering each family member as an individual.

But, it's OK, you can give them crisps in their lunchboxes to make up for it. :rolleyes:

Where have I refused to take on any opinion? I have asked for opinions 4 times. That said, sorry you don't get the thread probably my fault not yours. My kids eat really well, don't be too worried about them.

the groutch · 09-09-2014 11:50pm

ch750536 wrote: »

Most people think that good quality food is expensive. What I found was the opposite.

The €15 spent on nonsense food gave the lowest return. The €60 spent on high nutrition food gave the highest return both from a nutrition and satisfaction perspective.

So in real terms, the nonsense column was effectively throwing my money away.

depends on what your definition of nutrition is.
I could be wrong, but you seem to over-focus on the vitamins & minerals end of things and not enough on the macros end.
A lot of the "nutritious" things you list are all carbs, no protein or good fats.

ch750536 · 10-09-2014 12:02am

the groutch wrote: »

depends on what your definition of nutrition is.
I could be wrong, but you seem to over-focus on the vitamins & minerals end of things and not enough on the macros end.
A lot of the "nutritious" things you list are all carbs, no protein or good fats.

If you honestly have the opinion that after week 1 of trying to do this you find the foods we are eating are not good for us then I have to listen. I thought we were doing really well.

Can you be a bit more specific about what you would remove and what you would add?

Mellor · 10-09-2014 1:27am

ch750536 wrote: »

Week 1 summary showed 10% of the nutrition coming from 30% of the spend. Basically healthy food is nowhere near as expensive as unhealthy food!

I'm not surprised by that really. But I can't see how you arrived at the 10% nutririon. How did you calculate that?

And whats the nutritional breakdown for the week. That's hugely important.
Foods like kale, spinach and courgettes provide tonnes of vitamins, but leave you short on energy and many others items.
This is where the expense comes from for my shopping. Healthy fresh food will never compete on price with bulk pasta, rice, etc from a food energy survival point of view. But I'm happy to pay the premium to cover much more nutritionally bases.

ch750536 wrote: »

If you honestly have the opinion that after week 1 of trying to do this you find the foods we are eating are not good for us then I have to listen. I thought we were doing really well.

Can you be a bit more specific about what you would remove and what you would add?

I can't be sure how big each unit of everything is. So before I see the macro breakdown but (in my opinion) the diet as a whole is lacking fat and protein. And maybe a little high in sugar, but maybe not.

For your family, they can use meat and/or to increase both of these. It's obviously harder for you. How many grams of protien do you think you get per week (or daily average).

As for what to remove first, 26 packets of crisps is the obvious start. I appreciate that lunches are tricky with kids and packed lunches (I also brought crisp most days growing up, but our house had a poor diet imo). But that's only 10 bags per week. There's 16 more there. Even if the kids have 2 bags each at the weekend, its barely more than half of the total.

Remember these;

ch750536 wrote: »

No, they do not have crisps daily. Please quote where I said that.

ch750536 wrote: »

Thats why they have 2 packs a week. Seriously guys, you need to read what I write & not make things up.

ch750536 · 10-09-2014 1:56am

Mellor wrote: »

I'm not surprised by that really. But I can't see how you arrived at the 10% nutririon. How did you calculate that?

Hula hoops (for example) are empty, we all know that. Well, almost empty. I visualise cups of good stuff for each food type. This is based on my current knowledge.
Hula hoops vs Mackeral - no contest, I visualise a tiny cup for hula hoops and a much bigger cup full of good things for the mackeral.
Trying to put into words what we all do without thinking I suppose.

Mellor wrote: »

And whats the nutritional breakdown for the week. That's hugely important.
Foods like kale, spinach and courgettes provide tonnes of vitamins, but leave you short on energy and many others items.

Yep, my calories are proportionally lower than the rest of the family, as stated here before. I'm in a position to take a calorie hit as I am currently famine resistant.
That said, I'm proabably more guilty than anyone on the nonsense food, so I carry my share of calories there.
I don't have the time to give the macro breakdown that you ask for, I'm really busy at the moment. I do keep track of everything and will get round to it when I can.
Energy is spot on. We all wake at 8am, kids do sports, all do karate twice a week. We all do bleep tests for fun out the back most days. Kids crash by 8.30pm, I crash by 11pm normally. This is how we have been for a good while. I don't have any weak spots during the day and the kids certainly don't appear to.

Mellor wrote: »

This is where the expense comes from for my shopping. Healthy fresh food will never compete on price with bulk pasta, rice, etc from a food energy survival point of view. But I'm happy to pay the premium to cover much more nutritionally bases.

I agree. Difficult balance with carbs as many have stated here, the diet is already high in carbs, but they are so cheap!
There is the balance. The €20 with the organic farmer did me very well though and competes strongly with supermarket veg on price but destroys them on taste & nutrients.

Mellor wrote: »

I can't be sure how big each unit of everything is. So before I see the macro breakdown but (in my opinion) the diet as a whole is lacking fat and protein. And maybe a little high in sugar, but maybe not.

Yep, I didn't want this becoming photos of meals so chose not to do that. I get a lot of fat & protein from nuts, seeds, beans etc. I don't have a protein \ fat issue other than the previously stated omega issue (algae in the post) & even then the high amount of seeds \ avocado's etc should be fine.
The kids have at least 1 portion of meat per day, most days 2. Good quality meat is really expensive. They have beef tomorrow at a cost of €2.95 for their lunch! Kids also have nuts each day. They also eat at grans 3 times a week which is also meat but not logged. I always mention when the kids eat out so you know though.

Mellor wrote: »

For your family, they can use meat and/or to increase both of these.

Mentioned above, they get loads of meat. Too much in my opinion.

Mellor wrote: »

It's obviously harder for you. How many grams of protien do you think you get per week (or daily average).

I aim for 700 a week, more if I am particularly active. If I think things are a little low I will eat a large pack of nuts over 2 days (almonds, cashews, walnuts, brazils - as I did today) , perhaps with some vegan sausages which come in at 60% protein. If I am out of these I have hemp protein powder as a last resort.

Mellor wrote: »

As for what to remove first, 26 packets of crisps is the obvious start. I appreciate that lunches are tricky with kids and packed lunches (I also brought crisp most days growing up, but our house had a poor diet imo). But that's only 10 bags per week. There's 16 more there. Even if the kids have 2 bags each at the weekend, its barely more than half of the total.

It might be better if I describe these as 'packeted snacks' where the kids are concerned. We try to get something a little easier on them as all their friends have an easy snack. It's never Tayto's. Never, ever. It's normally something like snack-a-jack's, skips, popcorn, doritos. The lighter end of bad.
In my own summary I stated the same thing as you. I can cut down for me, but a family of 4, all at work or school consuming less than 1 pack per day each. I agree, not best practice but we are all human.
I am aiming to cut them down & I can see the negative impact.

Thanks for the positive input, really appreciated.

Greenmachine · 10-09-2014 2:51am

ch750536 wrote: »

Hula hoops (for example) are empty, we all know that. Well, almost empty. I visualise cups of good stuff for each food type. This is based on my current knowledge.
Hula hoops vs Mackeral - no contest, I visualise a tiny cup for hula hoops and a much bigger cup full of good things for the mackeral.
Trying to put into words what we all do without thinking I suppose.

Yep, my calories are proportionally lower than the rest of the family, as stated here before. I'm in a position to take a calorie hit as I am currently famine resistant.
That said, I'm proabably more guilty than anyone on the nonsense food, so I carry my share of calories there.
I don't have the time to give the macro breakdown that you ask for, I'm really busy at the moment. I do keep track of everything and will get round to it when I can.
Energy is spot on. We all wake at 8am, kids do sports, all do karate twice a week. We all do bleep tests for fun out the back most days. Kids crash by 8.30pm, I crash by 11pm normally. This is how we have been for a good while. I don't have any weak spots during the day and the kids certainly don't appear to.

I agree. Difficult balance with carbs as many have stated here, the diet is already high in carbs, but they are so cheap!
There is the balance. The €20 with the organic farmer did me very well though and competes strongly with supermarket veg on price but destroys them on taste & nutrients.

Yep, I didn't want this becoming photos of meals so chose not to do that. I get a lot of fat & protein from nuts, seeds, beans etc. I don't have a protein \ fat issue other than the previously stated omega issue (algae in the post) & even then the high amount of seeds \ avocado's etc should be fine.
The kids have at least 1 portion of meat per day, most days 2. Good quality meat is really expensive. They have beef tomorrow at a cost of €2.95 for their lunch! Kids also have nuts each day. They also eat at grans 3 times a week which is also meat but not logged. I always mention when the kids eat out so you know though.

Mentioned above, they get loads of meat. Too much in my opinion.

I aim for 700 a week, more if I am particularly active. If I think things are a little low I will eat a large pack of nuts over 2 days (almonds, cashews, walnuts, brazils - as I did today) , perhaps with some vegan sausages which come in at 60% protein. If I am out of these I have hemp protein powder as a last resort.

It might be better if I describe these as 'packeted snacks' where the kids are concerned. We try to get something a little easier on them as all their friends have an easy snack. It's never Tayto's. Never, ever. It's normally something like snack-a-jack's, skips, popcorn, doritos. The lighter end of bad.
In my own summary I stated the same thing as you. I can cut down for me, but a family of 4, all at work or school consuming less than 1 pack per day each. I agree, not best practice but we are all human.
I am aiming to cut them down & I can see the negative impact.

Thanks for the positive input, really appreciated.

What makes you think skip or Doritos are not as bad as tayto. You have not made any mention of the cost of hemp protein powder as far as I can see. From your figure in your blog it appears you are getting less than half the protein you claim to be getting. Show me a link to a vegan sausage that contains 60% protein, or any sausage for that matter.

ch750536 · 10-09-2014 3:25am

Greenmachine wrote: »

What makes you think skip or Doritos are not as bad as tayto.

Good call. Not sure. I don't have any in the house just now to compare. I'm not saying they are healthy, my own phrase was 'better side of bad'.

Greenmachine wrote: »

You have not made any mention of the cost of hemp protein powder as far as I can see.

I've not had to use it. I only detail prices of consumed items, not purchased items.

Greenmachine wrote: »

From your figure in your blog it appears you are getting less than half the protein you claim to be getting.

As I just stated above ^ I spotted my protein was a little low so had a booster day today. You'll see details of that tomorrow.

Greenmachine wrote: »

Show me a link to a vegan sausage that contains 60% protein, or any sausage for that matter.

Good point. Not sure where I got that figure from

They are 23% protein.

the groutch · 10-09-2014 11:45am

ch750536 wrote: »

If you honestly have the opinion that after week 1 of trying to do this you find the foods we are eating are not good for us then I have to listen. I thought we were doing really well.

Can you be a bit more specific about what you would remove and what you would add?

sorry, I might have been a bit too harsh, there is a lot of great healthy stuff there.

one thing I noticed is that there is no eggs and almost no fish involved, I would try incorporate them a bit more.

for yourself it might be worth looking at some of the meat alternatives out there eg. tempeh & seitan.
the Asian markets would be your best bet for those.

ch750536 · 10-09-2014 12:12pm

the groutch wrote: »

sorry, I might have been a bit too harsh, there is a lot of great healthy stuff there.

one thing I noticed is that there is no eggs and almost no fish involved, I would try incorporate them a bit more.

I've tried a million ways with eggs, the kids only like fried eggs. One eats only the yolk, one eats only the white. Efficient if they would share the egg...
Normally there is fish. We just had a chicken kinda week. There will now be salmon this week.

the groutch wrote: »

for yourself it might be worth looking at some of the meat alternatives out there eg. tempeh & seitan.
the Asian markets would be your best bet for those.

So difficult to source even tofu on the west coast. I can get them in Limerick, 1hr away. Not blown away with them either. I will stock the freezer next time I'm in Limerick though.
If anyone knows of a good way to source these it would be greatly appreciated.

the groutch · 10-09-2014 12:34pm

found this site, not sure how the pricing fits in with your budget though

http://plantgoodness24.ie/categories/27/Meat_amp_Fish_Alternatives/Tofu_Seitan_Tempeh.html/1/nazwa-desc

ch750536 · 10-09-2014 1:07pm

the groutch wrote: »

found this site, not sure how the pricing fits in with your budget though

http://plantgoodness24.ie/categories/27/Meat_amp_Fish_Alternatives/Tofu_Seitan_Tempeh.html/1/nazwa-desc

I tried them a while back, really expensive. Also +€6 for delivery. Because they don't get delivered chilled you have limited shelf life, just didn't work.

I think I need a real store to buy them from.

ch750536 · 12-09-2014 4:10pm

After the pointing out of snacks, we abstained this week (the adults). Very strange complete loss of appetite for the last few days for both of us. I've heard the rumours about packet snacks made to make you hungry, I have to wonder if this is what I am seeing now?

Theres also a bug going round at the moment so it might be that.

Very odd not being hungry though. Is this how 'normal' people are?

Alf Veedersane · 12-09-2014 5:52pm

ch750536 wrote: »

Very odd not being hungry though. Is this how 'normal' people are?

We don't normally snack, to be honest. There are times we think we might like one but that's usually on a day herself hasn't bought any after a few days of bringing home a treat.

Nothing crazy...A bar perhaps. But we don't miss anything that isn't going to be there

Mellor · 13-09-2014 9:15am

I snack constantly, everyday. My days eating is usually 3 meals and 3 snacks.

ch750536 · 13-09-2014 7:55pm

It's very odd and certainly the longest I have gone without ever wanting food in my adult life. Today I had a smoothie for breakfast, some nuts for lunch. I'm not hungry at all even with 2 training sessions today.

I'm drinking enough, maybe 5 pints today. Just no real want of food. Baffling.

ch750536 · 17-09-2014 10:22am

Learnt something new yesterday.

tldr;

However, you should note that organic in Europe is very different to organic in Ireland. In Europe, pesticide free hydroponics is classed as organic.

How come I never heard of that before.

indigo twist · 17-09-2014 10:58pm

ch750536 wrote: »

Learnt something new yesterday.

tldr;

"However, you should note that organic in Europe is very different to organic in Ireland. In Europe, pesticide free hydroponics is classed as organic."

How come I never heard of that before.

Usually when someone is linking to a quote to back up something, they'd ideally link to a reputable independent source, not to their own blog ...

papu · 19-09-2014 11:50am

indigo twist wrote: »

Usually when someone is linking to a quote to back up something, they'd ideally link to a reputable independent source, not to their own blog ...

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32007R0834&from=EN
Regulations are here ,

(d)

in addition, fertilisers and soil conditioners may only be used if they have been authorised for use in organic production under Article 16;

wheres the problem? It's still pesticide free , and it's still governed under the same guidelines as all the other organic crops?

ch750536 · 19-09-2014 12:29pm

So, this came about from talking to the local organic farmer. Summary of the conversation is, while he is impressed at the price of Lidl for their organic food, if he was to produce it the same here in Ireland (or UK) he would not be allowed to call it organic.

This is due to the definition of organic in the Netherlands being different to the definition of organic in Ireland.

However, this does not affect the import of these goods as being labelled organic.

Maybe he was wrong, in which case I can tell him the good news.

Penny Tration · 21-09-2014 12:58pm

I'm sure you won't take this as constructive criticism, but I'd suggest you all eat more nutritious, filling food than popcorn or crisps.

In the last 19 days, your family have eaten 46 packs of crisps/popcorn, and that's not counting the biscuits.

That's a huge amount!

Can i suggest that you give crisps/popcorn as a treat, not an every day thing. They're present almost each of those 19 days. Never mind that they're nutritionally void, the amount of salt in them has to be bad!

Rice cakes with peanut butter may be a better alternative

ch750536 · 21-09-2014 1:22pm

green_screen wrote: »

I'm sure you won't take this as constructive criticism

I don't take it as criticism at all, you kindly pointed something factual out and offered an alternative, I really appreciate the positive approach, thanks.

green_screen wrote: »

but I'd suggest you all eat more nutritious, filling food than popcorn or crisps.

In the last 19 days, your family have eaten 46 packs of crisps/popcorn, and that's not counting the biscuits.

That's a huge amount!

Can i suggest that you give crisps/popcorn as a treat, not an every day thing. They're present almost each of those 19 days. Never mind that they're nutritionally void, the amount of salt in them has to be bad!

Rice cakes with peanut butter may be a better alternative

If you're looking at the blog always look at the last week as this is a learning experience. In the last week there have been 11 'packet snacks' for all four of us, less than 0.4 packs per person per day.

Sad reality is that if I gave the kids rice cakes for lunch they simply wouldn't eat them. The kids are the only ones who eat popcorn, doritos etc (for the last week) and this is 1 pack each in their school lunch.

I started a thread in parenting asking what others put in their lunches and it looked to me like balance was always a good thing. If the school lunch becomes too negative they wont touch it. If it has something in that I know they will eat then at least they will open their lunch box.

In the past we omitted the snacks but it really backfired. We never give them crisps.

I do appreciate the advice though, it just has to be something more fun than rice cakes for them.

ETA : Got me thinking, maybe I do this -http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=76

Feed a family nutritionally well for <€132 a week

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