I'm a mum & have banned McDonald's – it's cheaper for kids to eat sushi & scallops, people just don't know how to cook | The Sun
11/07/2022WE'RE ALL guilty of caving in and picking up a McDonald's for dinner occasionally.
But one mum has revealed how she would 'never' feed her kids junk food such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and chicken nuggets.
Vittoria Veltri, an Italian chef who lives in London, revealed her five-year-old son Alex pesters her for sushi rather than McDonald's.
And on the odd occasion the mum does cook chips, she has a strict rule about only cooking them in the air fryer, she told MyLondon.
The 38-year-old chef explained that her ban on junk food has elevated her children – five-year-old Alex and one-year-old George – palates.
Alex adores sushi, scallops and Italian meatballs and Vittoria revealed it meant her children were now adventurous with the food they eat.
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And the mum claimed that it actually costs her less to cook at home from scratch rather than by ready made junk food.
While the mum explained the boys have never been into a McDonald's or know what Coca-Cola is, she added it can be hard to control their junk food intake when they go to other people's houses.
She added: "Whatever I give them is nutritious. I cook everything from scratch with them.
"I never buy anything ready-made like chicken nuggets. If you check the packaging, there is very little nutrition in these products.
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"It’s very processed and that's not very good for their growth. Yes, it takes more effort but it's definitely saved money."
Vittoria said her parenting style has been influenced by her grandmother, who raised her in southern Italy, where the only sweet snack she had was 'a piece of bread with coffee on top and sugar'.
The mum-of-two revealed the secret to getting kids excited about homemade meals other takeaway was to get them involved in the cooking process.
She continued: "I involve them a lot. We go shopping together and choose things together. We talk a lot about nutrition.
"We have out little vegetable garden. We are growing tomatoes, lettuce and herbs, they are very much involved in the process."
Families will be glad to hear Vittoria has found she saves money with her methods during the cost of living crisis.
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The mum added: "People think it's much more expensive to buy fresh as opposed to junk food, but it’s not. That's because people don't know how to create this stuff, it makes it feel more expensive. People are not empowered. "
Vittoria also shared one of her go-to recipes which costs less than £2 per person that her kids always request.
Vittoria’s ‘go-to’ recipe
Vittoria’s baked pasta with ham and cream (and hidden courgettes). Recipe serves four people.
- 500g pasta
- 300ml cream
- 50g sour cream or yoghurt
- 1 egg medium
- 2 medium courgettes
- 250g sliced ham (cut into small pieces)
- breadcrumbs and parmesan (grated)
- salt and pepper
Put a big pot of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Once it boils, add the pasta and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packaging.
In the meantime, peel the courgettes.
In a bowl, mix the cream with the courgettes, one beaten egg, yoghurt or sour cream, and the chopped ham.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it. Add the pasta to the mix.
Put everything in a baking tray. Sprinkle it with cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake for 15 minutes at 220 degrees or until it has formed a crunchy crust on the top.
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