Are there any good ready meals for toddlers?

[Janetw12]

MNers seem really good at home cooking and coming up with great meal ideas - but can anyone help me to find really good ready meals for toddlers?

Jars for babies are fine if you no time, but what happens once they need more substantial food?

[thisisyesterday]

you could always cook and freeze portions of food

but if you want something even quicker then the annabel karmel ones are ok (even tho i really, really dislike promoting anything of hers!!!)
and the little dish ones
not cheap mind you

[TheVisitor]

You can make meals just as quickly as a ready meal for a hungry toddler. Beans on toast with a glass of milk is a good meal, as is a fishfinger buttie etc.

[littleducks]

Have you heard of cook? they are very good if you have a shop nearby though I hear their delivery charges are extortionate

[Georgimama]

Right, let's actually answer the OP's question shall we?

Little Dish

and

Annabel Karmel Eat Fussy

are both stocked by Sainsburys, Tescos etc and have no preservatives, sweetners etc. DS loves them.

[thisisyesterday]

yes, if only the first person to reply had said that georgimama

[savoycabbage]

Everybody did answer the question...thisisyesterday said exactly that and then visitor said beans and little ducks said cook.

I was going to say beans too. Or an egg.

[Decorhate]

M&S used to do frozen bags of rice with peas & maybe something else mixed in. Found them handy when mine were toddlers. You can just defrost a small amount at a time.

[littleducks]

Anabel Karmels are not good apparently..there was a panorama documentary critising them for containing too much salt and then she claimed that they were supposed to be two portions so had double the salt.....except the portions were tiny

Cook meals I would actually eat and taste like normal food

[TheVisitor]

Er.. Georgimama, I think you'll find I did answer the question, Mrs Supercilious.

[BertieBotts]

Quick meals for DS are fish fingers/chicken dippers and frozen veg (the micro steam bags). Or small portions of spaghetti bolognese etc which I freeze.

[SeriousWispaHabit]

Those fresh filled pasta are pretty quick. I just serve with a bit of butter and some grated cheese.

Fresh soup eg covent garden also quite nice although too salty for too often.

[tiokiko]

I bought the Little Dish fish pie for DD about a year ago and was really unimpressed - there was hardly any fish (can't remember the details but when I looked on the label it was something like 10%) and I thought it looked really unappetising.

If you can get to an M&S then they do some nice toddler meals - chicken curry, lasagne, fish pie etc which all look and taste pretty good and I'm happy with them as occasional standbys.

Agree fresh filled pasta is good, you can freeze most of them and cook from frozen which is even more handy.

DD also likes ready-made falafels, quiche, tortillas (omelette rather than Mexican type), beans etc.

[linziluv]

My DS loves M&S ready meals...good selection too but the cottege pie seems to be a winner! I know they taste nice as I have them occasionally myself as they're a nice small portion!

[Fiddledee]

M&S are the only ones that DC will eat. A life saver at times when even boiling pasta seems like too much effort.

[Meglet]

I stock up on the sainsburys and AK ones when they are in the reduced pile then freeze them. They are lifesavers for busy, can't be arsed to cook or wash up days.

fiddle I'm glad other people have days they can't even be bothered to cook pasta .

[The3Bears]

I always have a m&s kids meal in the freezer for if we've been out all day and are stuck for making something, ds loves the fish pie one :)

[PatTheHammer]

Have not given DS one for ages (it is a cost thing for me rather than a cookery snob thing) but a while ago I bought the Little dish fish pie and chicken and butternut thingy when they were on offer and froze them. He hoovered them up...but then he does most things you put in front of him

MIL says that the DCs have enjoyed the M&S for kids ones at her house.

If the kids are realy hungry and I've just got in from work I find the following quick and easy stand-bys; Jacket potato and beans, cous-cous, fresh pasta, little muffin or pitta bread pizza, omlette and they love salmon fish-fingers.

[floweryroyalweddingbouquet]

DS2 eats loads so the AK etc ones aren't really enough for him now. However I would just like to butt in to say DO NOT GO FOR THE 'LITTLE DISH' CURRY. It's vile and tasteless and both my two wouldn't touch it.

As you were.

[PatTheHammer]

Oh, just remembered that they had a sainsburys 'little ones' macaroni bake a few months ago that was reduced and they both hated it.

[onepieceofcremeegg]

Another vote for M&S. And if you have a very young child just give half and save/freeze the rest for another day.

M&S (bigger branches) also do chilled snack pots around £1. Things like meatball pasta and cheese and tomato pasta.

Mine weren't so keen on little dish. Some of the veg/potato was a little crunchy for their taste (and they're not fussy!). Also we found M&S more generous portions.

Asda also do some varieties that are organic if that is a factor(and fairly reasonably priced)

[onepieceofcremeegg]

Also some supermarkets do kids' pizza in the fridge with the ready meals. e.g. tesco do a mickey mouse shape for about a £1. That's a great meal imo with some chopped up cucumber etc.

[Swedes2]

Cook! are excellent.

[Janetw12]

Thanks for all your suggestions - off to M & S me thinks!