Lovely Rice Pudding For Dinner Again.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s nearly all schoolchildren had a cooked school dinner for lunch, myself included. People have mixed memories, the general consensus being that most of us didn't like semolina, tapioca or sago pudding but loved sponge puddings with pink or chocolate custard. Fish wasn't popular, nor cabbage, but cheese and potato pie or fish fingers and chips were considered treats. Personally my bete noire were spam fritters, I tried them once, was violently sick and was given special dispensation, never having to eat them again! Children of that era didn't make huge fusses about food, we weren't used to the inordinate amount of choices given to todays children, we got what we were given, both at school and home, mums didn't prepare separate meals for individual tastes, the menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. To my knowledge no child ever starved and there certainly wasn't the huge problems we now face, such as child eating disorders, child obesity and a diabetes epidemic.

Research has found that food standards are worse now than they were during rationing during the war. It's not rocket science, a trip to supermarket giant Asda today confirmed my worst fears. I observed young mothers, with small children in tow, filling their trolleys with super sized bottles of fizzy drinks, multi packs of crisps, bags of frozen chips, pizzas, chicken nuggets, cakes, biscuits, ice cream.......and having worked in education I can attest to the fact that many children's packed lunches were an amalgamation of junk food. Only 1 per cent of packed lunches in the UK meet the nutritional standards that apply to school food.

A primary school in South Yorkshire recently hit the headlines due to its headmistress banning packed lunches, this has caused some controversy, with several parents removing their children from the school. In the current climate of pussy footing around our children's fussy eating habits, which I believe we have perpetrated, parents fear that their children will 'go without' if served a school meal they don't like. Despite increasing scientific evidence that our diet of sugar laden, chemically enhanced, ultra processed food is having a significant effect on children's behavioural problems, some parents still eschew the option of giving their children a healthy balanced meal.

Given that in some parts of our planet children are still dying of starvation, it beggars belief that parents would remove their children from school because they can't have their luxury bar of chocolate or yoghurt for lunch. Compare many third world countries where children are lucky to receive a bowl of rice to the fact that 10 per cent of reception age children in the UK are clinically obese and you start to see things in perspective.

As a survivor of a basic childhood diet who has lived to tell the tale, I believe that parents directly or indirectly influence their children's food preferences and sadly think this is mostly governed by convenience, laziness and control. It's so much easier to give children ready meals and snacks to graze on.

When I was a child snacks had no place in my world, school dinners were a time to sit down collectively and model the behaviours of those around me, using basic table manners, sharing and interacting, anticipating 'afters' if we ate our dinner and understanding that there were starving children in Africa. When my friend Wendy Cooper was upset because she had fish fingers, which she hated, I swapped my meat and potato pie with her, we worked it out amongst ourselves, we didn't throw hissy fits or make demands, which, by the way, would never have been met.

Rice pudding is a homage to my childhood days, prepackaged cake and puddings that can now be picked up at the local convenience shop weren't an option for my mum, this was a lovingly prepared dish which we enjoyed all the more because it was a rare treat.

Rice pudding

100g pudding rice
50g sugar
Grated cinnamon (optional)
700ml milk, you can combine full fat milk with a tin of evaporated milk

Heat oven to 150c/gas 2
Butter a baking dish, tip in rice and sugar and stir through milk

Sprinkle some sugar and grated cinnamon on top and cook for 2 hours
Pudding should wobble and have a delicious crispy skin on top

'What is the matter with Mary Jane?
She's crying with all her might and main,
And she won't eat her dinner-rice pudding again-

What is the matter with Mary Jane?
I've promised her dolls and a daisy-chain-
And a book about animals-all in vain-
What is the matter with Mary Jane?

What is the matter with Mary Jane?
She's perfectly well and she hasn't a pain;
But, look at her, now she's beginning again!
What is the matter with Mary Jane?

What is the matter with Mary Jane?
I've promised her sweets and a ride in the train,
And I've begged her to stop for a bit and explain-
What is the matter with Mary Jane?

What is the matter with Mary Jane?
She's perfectly well and she hasn't a pain;
And it's lovely rice pudding for dinner again!
What is the matter with Mary Jane?
- A. A. Milne

Love Donna xxxxxx