to ask what 'processed/pre-made' food other people actually feed their young DC?

[Thurlow]

Just curious really. 20mo DC currently still eats well and we've been able to keep snacks still as oatcakes, veg sticks, that sort of thing. But I'm a pretty crap cook, so the meals aren't lovingly homemade stews or that. Yesterday she had supermarket filled pasta and sauce, few extra veg packaged food other parents actually do feed their young DC. Especially as often you come across threads where squash/chips/chicken dippers are considered the foods of the devil

Off the top of my head, we feed the toddler:
Fish fingers
Baked beans
Pre-filled pasta
Pasta sauces from jars (does that count?)
Very occasional microwave baby ready meal
Fishcakes
Quiche
Processed meats like haslet, cheaper sandwich ham etc

What pre-made or processed food do you feed your DC?

[tethersend]

Well, I certainly never feed the DDs Pot Noodles.

Oh no.

[catgirl1976]

YY to baked beans, quiche, occasional fish finger, occasional pasta sauce from jar and occasional M&S baby ready meal.

He's had a McDonalds once and joined us in a Chinese takeaway for my sisters birthday.

[abigboydidit]

2.5 year old gets orange squash, dairylea, sandwich ham and pasta sauces. He had allergies so were limited what could give him but I would happily have given him fish cakes, fish fingers, baked beans..

8 month old gets rice cakes and breadsticks, hummus, pesto, Philadelphia cheese, potato scones.

[melonribena]

For 14 mth ds

Fish fingers
Mini waffles
Bakes beans
Picnic sausages - he loves them!
Occasional jarred sauces
Microwaveable rice??
Malted milk biscuits
Bacon
Sausages
Precooked chicken
Sandwich paste
Ice lollies

I'll keep thinking!!!

[natwebb79]

My DS has fish fingers, chips (although chopping a sweet potato into wedges, brushing a bit of oil on them and whacking in the oven for 20 mins is dead easy and makes you feel more saintly, ha!), potato waffles. Not much to be honest because I'm lucky that both me and DH like cooking from scratch. If I hated it then I'm sure I'd resort to more convenience foods.

[natwebb79]

Oh hang on, forgot about lunch! Ham out of a packet is a favourite, cream cheese, dare I say he probably has a biscuit every day. He runs a bloody marathon's worth every day though so I'm not too worried.

[Squitten]

In our house I'd say that main culprits are pizza, fish fingers and baked beans. Sometimes me and the 2yr old will get a sandwich and packet of crisps from the supermarket at lunchtime and there's the odd take away curry if they are still up when we are having one.

I just liberally sprinkle frozen mixed veg into their morning cereal to balance it all out

[CircassianLeyla]

We do fish fingers, baked beans, noodles and jar pasta sauce. I am sure there is more.

5/7 nights they do have fresh cooked food and they have packed lunch that is sandwich/fruit unless DH goes to the supermarket and buys a 28 pack box of bloody crisps.

[bakingaddict]

Most of the things you've mentioned parents feed to their children whether they are upfront about it or not is a different matter.

I am a good cook but resort to meals like fish-fingers, chips and beans about once a week and my 2yr old has chocolate, crisps, juice and sweets not every day mind but she still has them. I allow a certain amount of junk into a varied and balanced diet because I feel that they can be accommodated as treats

Just watch the salt content though, switch your baked beans to low salt ones

You can get the same effect of jar pasta sauce by reducing down a tin of tomatoes with some herbs. These kinds of pasta sauce usually have a lot of sugar in them other than that your fine.

[FortyDoorsToNowhere]

I think 60% of DC diet is like this.

As long as DS is eating I don't care where the calories come from. He is borderline at being underweight.

[natwebb79]

He would have baked beans but I'm Leguminophobia (not even joking!)

[RandallPinkFloyd]

If no one minds I'm going to lurk and see if I can steal some ideas.

In all honesty I would feed my DS anything if there was even a small chance he'd eat it! He doesn't 'do' hot food

[sweetiepie1979]

Baked beans
Fish fingers
Pasta (not the sauces though)
Everything else is home made
Actually no she had bacon and sausages too
She dies have crisps and choc though. She is 27 months x

[MortaIWombat]

bread
butter
jars of tomato puree
ham
cheese
etc....

I grow my own apples, cherries, pears, strawberries...courgettes, fresh cucumbers, etc. And sometimes I even remember to freeze/bottle/jam some of them.

But really, most stuff is processed in some way. I just check the ingredients. Chips made with potatoes and oil and frozen for my convenience are just fine by me. So are fish fingers with cod, breadcrumbs, salt, cucumin, oil. Just watch out for sweeteners, colourants, etc, and try not to get too hung up about stuff! Don't forget that even 'fresh' fruit and veg from shops has been irradiated/waxed/perfumed. Life is too short, really.

[PlatinumStart]

In terms of actual meals and things like cakes etc 99% is made from scratch - the only exceptions are occasional fish fingers and baked beans.

BUT my DC (8,7,2.5) eat way more processed snacks junk than most people would tolerate. Crisps, sweets and chocolate are a fairly regular part of their diet. I find it difficult to worry

[fuzzpig]

Lots of things mentioned above but also DCs were having stuff like cheestrings, pepperami etc until we agreed to cut them out

[HippaHey]

My 17 month old eats fishfingers, beans, pasta etc for meals and rice cakes, breadsticks for snacks. Im lucky in that she loves fruit and veg so can usually add a lot of fresh veg to a quick meal which makes me feel a bit better

Shes also partial to a gingerbread man from the bakers while we are out and about shopping!

[gordyslovesheep]

casting my mind back we did things such as:

fish fingers
pasta and sauce
bread, cheese, cucumber
breadsticks and humus
croquettes
sausages and mash
roast chicken dinner (if we where eating it)
bananas
yogurt
beans
cat food ...if they could get to it without me noticing

[Floggingmolly]

Mine are addicted to cheese strings, but won't touch real cheese.

[tethersend]

I'm sure I read that cheese strings were just cheese anyway.

[Floggingmolly]

Are they? They certainly don't taste like it!

[FreudiansSlipper]

baked beans, sausages, fish fingers (he only likes the expensive ones from sainsburys), bread, ham, cheese, pasta (make own sauce), crisps, biscuits

He loves mcdonals would eat it everyday along with crisps despite me making nice home cooked food :(

[Longtalljosie]

Fishfingers or chicken dippers, frozen peas and tomatoes are a regular Friday tea at ours. I got the idea from an episode of Charlie and Lola

[pigletmania]

Oh so you guys are in the same boat as me

Spag Bol
Beef with gravy
Rice
Potatoes
Baked beans
Dairylea
Canned meatballs
Ready rice
Any fruit and veg
Pom bears
Oreos
Mr Kipling little cake bars
Occasional chicken nuggets happy meal
Curry (care of pataks)
Home made shepards pie, stew

Ds eats anything, he is the human Vax

[pigletmania]

Ds is 20 months btw