Mumsnet Talk

I am very tired and lacking in enthusiasm so what meal ideas could you think of.
(Sorry if this sounds lazy!)

Our DD has whatever we're having she doesn't eat anyway so no point making something different

I feel guilty making them have something if they don't like/want it so I sometimes cook them something separate.

Tonight I was thinking of Jacket potatoes but the DC both said they don't like.

you are mad. you will turn them into fussy eaters. i cook one meal and they eat that or starve.

Pasta
Pizza
Eggs
Beans and cheese on toast

Not mad, my DH loves spicy food. The DC don't.

And "turning them into fussy eaters" is a load of crap. Each child is an individual and they all have different palates.

I think it's less that they will turn out fussy eaters as such, but it does give them the thought that if they don't like something that they have a choice. I cook 2 different meals for adults and for grown ups just because mine are small at the moment and I don't want to eat at 5pm. But they do sometimes think this is a restaurant and they can say "I don't want that for dinner, can I have.....". Errrr, no. You get what you are given and be grateful! If you feel you have the time to make two meals it's up to you. Just make sure they understand that it doesn't mean the choice is theirs and try to eat the same when you can at weekends etc so you enjoy eating as a family. After all that, I've not helped any with the dinner ideas. I kind of try to rotate the carbs in their meals (rice, pasta, potatoes, gnocci, couscous etc) and then think what to put with it. It's often just a scrabble about in the fridge. I get them making their own eggs (omlettes, eggy bread, scrambled eggs etc) and they enjoy that a lot.

For sure, couldtryharder, I wouldn't give them something different once I'd made it just because they changed their mind or didn't fancy it though. And I do agree that all eating the same meals is important, but not every night.

I think its ridiculous to assume that children should eat everything and that they are all the same and should all like the same foods.

Well we eat the same unless we fancy something spicy which they wont eat, and we all eat around 5.30pm.

For days when i need to cook them something quick/people are in or out at different times i do;

Scrambled egg and toast
Omlete
Baked pots
Pizza wraps
Freezer surprise (ala tonights dinner)
Cheesey pasta
Tomato pasta
Picnic of cheees on toast, fruit,yog and small cake
Fish cakes (only quick if you have pre-made and keep frozen stash in freezer)

Thats all i can think of, also i dont force my kids to eat stuff they dont like, i make things they do like but im trying a new recipe this week of Morrocan meatballls and if they dont like them after they have tried them i will make them a nice filling supper.

Can you not freeze portions of your normal meals for the nights when your having something they won't eat? Then no extra cooking needed just defrost and reheat.

I'm like couldtryharder - mine are only 19mo and 3.1yo. I don't want to eat at 5pm and my husband doesn't get in until later than that, so they eat at 5pm and we eat at 7.30pm(ish)

I batch cook things like spaghetti bolognaise and casseroles then defrost. Or do them pasta/pizza/frozen fishcakes type food.

I don't know if this makes my two fussy or not ... my eldest was but my youngest seems to eat most things (touch wood!). We rarely eat as a family as my DH doesn't finish work until after the children are in bed. So these are some of my meals I have in the freezer and defrost and cook as appropriate. I cook pasta and green veg fresh each time.

My quick fix dinners:

Pasta: (lots of different shape, usually cooking time around 6 mins)

I make a big batch every so often of the following and freeze small containers:
Bolognaise
Cheese sauce (with mushrooms & cauliflower)
Tomato sauce (with peppers, mushrooms, courgettes,etc.)
Except cream sauce & veg with small bits of salmon or sometimes chicken which I make on the day as I don't think it would freeze well (although the salmon usually comes from the freezer)
Grated cheese and butter.

To the cheese and tomato sauces I usually add chicken which I cook "fresh".
Lasagne in small portions (left overs)

Potatoes:

Shepherds pie (make a big one and freeze smaller portions)
Bangers and mash
Roast potatoes with a meat of some sort.

I also have fish/crab cakes, chicken fingers and fish sticks in the freezer as well. More often I serve them with pasta with grated cheese and a green veg.

Rice:

Stir fries
Haven't tried curries recently as we generally like them spicy and my eldest wouldn't eat.

Eggs:
Omlette (veggies/ham/etc.)
Egg on toast

Pizza:
Buy pre-made dough and then add my tomato sauce (from the pasta) and put cheese on top

Green veg is usually peas or broccoli or cucumber.

I try to rotate them but my two prefer pasta over anything else and we also usually go out to eat with them once a week as well (pizza or something like that).

Seems that mylifeischaotic and I cook similar things. My children are 4 and 2, so similar ages.

As quick meals DD1 likes scrambled eggs, homemade pizza (dough is a faff but after that v easy), she doesn't like things mixed together so plain pasta with meat/salmon/veg but FGS do not mix them.

Plain boiled rice with things on the side. Last night we had shepherds pie which she loved.

She will often just ask for a ham sandwich so i do it with cucumber & carrot sticks. & a yoghurt.

Anything with noodles - chicken & veg stir fried & mixed in (I break the no mixing rule here, she seems ok with that).

She's 3 btw.