Running a healthier kitchen with a truculent teenager in tow.

One of the challenges of trying to either lose weight, or keep weight off, is the expectations and demands of your nearest and dearest.

How many of us have to navigate bags of crisps, biscuits, treat drawers and tubs of ice creams stored for those less concerned about their weight. Then add on the the belief of many of the ‘younger’ generation that diet is something for us oldies to worry about.

My youngest son is adamant that most vegetables spoil a good meal. Onions are clearly poisonous, tomatoes (unless blended) induce vomiting and anything exotic should not be found north of the Watford gap, let alone in Yorkshire.

Today proved to be a successful day in the battle to get some fibre and vitamins into his stomach without any grumbling. The strategy was in two stages. The first was my lunch with a home made carrot and coriander soup (with onions and chopped tomatoes included) blended to a smooth soup.

I enjoyed two large bowl fulls for my lunch but clearly there was no way he was going to eat such foul stuff. He opted for a tin of macaroni cheese padded out with chopped hot dog sausages.

The initial outcome of his choice was to discover it was disgusting…

He then resorted to the natural home of teenage boys, a bowl of cereal.

I was playing the long game and had made enough soup for stage two of the operation that aimed to get some vegetables into his system.

Tea was going to be Keema curry. 200g of lean minced beef padded out with half a finely chopped aubergine, more onion, frozen mixed veg and of course some curry powder (I was being lazy, sorry). Once this was all cooking along with a beef stock cube and water to beef the flavour up and a dollop of tomato purée my secret ingredient was added, left over carrot and coriander soup. This served perfectly as a sauce of the curry.

Served up with brown basmati rice and being eaten energetically by him I felt a victory had been achieved. The only minor loss was his grabbing taco’s from the cupboard for a Anglo/Indian/Mexican fusion. I accepted this a price worth paying for the surreptitious consumption of vegetables.

Dad 2 : Teenage Son 1.