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How do you feed your children in the evening when they are busy?

27 replies

tootsietoo · 25/08/2016 07:18

DD1 (9) swims several times a week, either at 6pm or 7pm. DD2 (8) also does a couple of gym classes and we often have other things on after school too. DH is never home at a regular time so I don't plan to feed him in the evening and we've never had a regular sit down evening meal. DD1 has just said that she doesn't want to eat a proper meal before she swims (not that I usually do "proper" meals at 5pm) and I am bit lost as to what to give them. They need something when they get in, enough to give them energy for a few hours of activity, and it is often late when we have finished, a bit late for cooking food. It doesn't help that I don't enjoy making food at all, and that DD1 is overweight and DD2 is a bit too skinny so they have different intake requirements!

Please could you tell me how you do food in the evenings for busy children? Thanks.

OP posts:
tootsietoo · 25/08/2016 12:53

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I could fill the freezer up with soup and pasta salads are a good idea. It probably needs to be a mug of soup with toast fingers or something at 4 when they get home from school and then a bowl of yoghurt and fruit or similar before bed. I've always had DD1 on packed lunches because of worrying about her weight, but if they both had school dinners they'd have their one hot meal at lunchtime and then I could keep the evening food fairly light.

OP posts:
PrincessHairyMclary · 25/08/2016 07:22

What about light meals? Soup and bread or something on toast. A pasta salad made the day before is brilliant if we need to get out of the house quickly. I agree with her the full means aren't great when you are going to exercise. I would have something light as above and then a bowl of cereal/porridge and fruit before bed.