To just give him ready meals?

[cogitosum]

Ds (2) is ridiculously fussy with veg. Did blw and he was great til about 1 then refused all veg (even child friendly carrots, cucumber etc). If I mix them into stuff he doesn't eat it. He's generally a good eater - he has loads of fruit and he'll try most things but if veg hits his mouth he'll spit it out.

I recently went to m&s cafe and got him their children's fish pie. He ate the entire thing peas n all! (And carrot mash). I've made him fish pie loads before and he'll pick out the fish and leave the potato and veg. I've tried copying their recipe and he still picks out the veg. But when I bought it as a ready meal he ate the whole thing again. Same result with their pasta bakes etc.

I'm tempted just to stock up and give him one a few times a week so I know he's getting some veg. Not cheap but worth it imo. Salt content seems ok.

So aibu to give up solely cooking him fresh food. It'd make my life easier! And does anyone know if there's an unhealthy catch to the m&s children ready meals or why they are apparently like crack to him?

As long as they're not too salty or full of shit, I dont see why one or two a week will do any harm?

I wouldn't go all out on ready meals, though, or he won't ever acquire a taste for your cooking

God that's not unreasonable at all. Regardless of how picky your child is or isn't, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a ready meal or two per week, especially if he eats plenty of fruit and drinks lots of water (not too much juice).

My 2.5yr old is fairly good with veg but on stubborn days I sometimes give him a bit ketchup to dip his veg in, or make gravy just for him (he'll eat pretty much anything if it's coveres in gravy).

I also grate courgette into practically everything I cook, that might be worth a try?

Ready meals can taste quite bland sometimes so maybe that's why he likes it? No strong flavours maybe?

My dd is similar. Back when I could cook, my meals would get eaten but the occasional ready meal would be hoovered up in record speed in comparison.

Yanbu

But could you trick him I.e tell him its m&s, show him the packet but serve up your own?

Tried grated courgette! Have really tried everything!

Should point out I'm not the health food fanatic I've inadvertently implied in the OP. So this would be on top of the occasional chicken nuggets, sausage and chips type junk not his only foray into non fresh cooking!

Dd whos 3 loves M&S ready meals. They do mini meals of corned beef hash, fish in sauce meal, cottage pie etc.

She has about 4-5 a week

We use the asda children's ready meals quite a lot and they get eaten quickly and without fuss. They seem to be full of veg and low fat/salt content too. Might be cheaper than M&S?

DS (1yo) has grown up M&S ready meals, they're not actually particularly high in salt when you compare them with things like beans or cannedsoups (there is 3.5 g salt in a can of Baxter's tomato and basil soup ) etc and he eats about 1/4 of one as a portion and I devour the rest They tend to have nice sauces so I can add extra veg and sometimes some potato to pad it out a bit.

They're really tasty, nice strong interesting flavours, and are easier for during the week

I try to make sure his ready meals are fairly educational, so something different that I'm unlikely to make often from scratch like moussaka or curry!

Honestly OP, just do it.

I am at the end of my tether too with my DS, same age as yours.

Homemade stuff he just refuses to eat. Green bits he points at and says 'That's not good!'

Do anything to get him to eat stuff - at least he's eating!

At home DS eats toast, eggs, apple sauce, peanut butter, bananas, yogurt, biscuits, cheese, tinned peaches, cucumber. crackers. That's about it.

At nursery he eats anything apparently.

WHY do kids like ready meals though? Because it's in a cute little packet? Because he's in a cafe? Because it's full of salt?

You might find it different when you serve them at home. Both of mine were much better at eating when out than when at home. DS, in particular, would nosh down all sorts of stuff while burbling "yummy" and then refuse exactly the same meal served at home.

Also, I highly recommend Finger food for babies and toddlers by Jenny Maizels. There were quite a few things from that that DS really enjoyed, especially the tomato sauce and the fish cakes. (I still have a very fond memory of DS chewing a fish cake with a dollop of English Mustard that I hadn't blended in properly. His eyes watered, but he kept tucking in. )

We've had them at home and he eats them. I don't think he even sees the packet so can't be that. I still maintain they're lined with crack.

aww wheres all the "have you tried..." posts :(

Kids are funny arnt they, both of mime love veg, I used to have to hide meat under veg.

They still only way a little meat at 7 and 10 and they both dislike fruit but veg is fine.

My point is ynbu. Do what you have to do to get it in them and if he loves he's fruit I wouldn't stress to much.

My 4 year old and 2 year old have M&S 'Mighty Meaty Pasta' once a week and it is the easiest, most pleasant, stress free night of the week.

Yeah I did the same at that age I has a fussy two yr old I got asda 'good stuff'.

Yanbu.

He likes the food, he's getting some veg, you get a night off cooking which he won't eat anyway

Win, win

It may be that the cooking processes make ready meals more palatable for children. My dd works in the development of chilled meals, so I hear a lot about food safety, cooking times, temps, cooling times, etc. (zone out)

I really like the M&S kids meals. I often have them for myself when I'm feeling lazy. Some of them are reallllllly tasty.

Exmil you could be onto something there - DS won't eat mince unless it's in anM&S ready meal. I think there is more tender and more finely ground

What about sneaking some fresh veg into the ready meal. Just to see if you can trick him into eating it.
Absolutely nothing wrong with feeding your child some ready meals

I'd just go for it. Maybe when he's used to always eating up and enjoying his dinner, he'll be less picky overall - burning new neural pathways and all that. I don't know about the M&S meals but I'd be surprised if they were desperately unhelpful, and if they do have veg in which he's eating that sounds pretty good to me!

Are you letting him eat them from the plastic carton? If so you could maybe put your own into an empty container? Or a similar glass one you pretend is the new M&S container?

They won't kill him but I am nervous about nuking food in plastic after spending most of my twenties living off ready meals and wondering what awful chemicals are racing through my veins

How about these 'vegetables in disguise' sausages? www.secret-sausages.com

And making home made soup (blended). Or, perhaps make your own food and freeze in foil containers so DC thinks they're M&S?!