To feed my 3 yo this for dinner...

[TheSheepofWallSt]

DS has been at nursery all day. He had breakfast at home, second breakfast at nursery, snack, lunch and afternoon snack.
He’s not going to starve.

It’s too bloody hot to cook so I ordered pizza from a naice chain about an hour ago. Still not here, restaurant can’t tell me how long it’ll be and DS needs a bath and to get to bed.

AIBU to give him:
Cutted up orange
Cucumber sticks
Carrot sticks
Breadsticks
Full fat Greek Yogurt bowl with crispies, but of dried fruit, chia seeds etc?

For dinner?!

I know it’s a bit shit. It’s just so hot and I really really don’t want to start making a dinner dinner now if he’s just going to fall asleep (filthy) before it’s on the table....

I don’t have any cheese. Or ham. Or anything animal based except the yogurt because I was a knob head, left the fridge open yesterday when it was 10000 degrees and everything went wrong in there.

My kids are 6 and 7 and we still do picnic dinner when it's hot or we've been out all day long. I make it acceptable by putting all the picnic selections into tapas dishes!

What's wrong with that? Sounds completely fine to me.
(possibly even better than the original pizza, depending what kind of pizza you ordered)

@Divebar

The mad mismatched contents of my fridge and pantry at the moment are also a mystery to me.

I got TWENTY packets of tender stem broccoli delivered from sainsburys this week. I’d ordered 2 and cocked it up with an errant 0. I didn’t realise until about an hour after the delivery guy had left and I found the bag lurking by the stairs.

I thought the shop was expensive, but just assumed it was market uncertainty driving up prices (and blamed Boris!)

Not at all- I still regularly give my 8yo this sort of dinner if she's had a big lunch. She loves it!

This post has made me really mad... of course that’s fine. It’s better than fine. Do you have any idea how many children are living in poverty, or have parents that don’t have the capacity to provide a perfectly balanced meal on a regular basis? We’ve gone way, way too far if we’re worried about a single meal (after a day of other good meals) lacking a bit of protein. Worry about his nutrition when you haven’t been able to afford meat/cheese for a month but in the meantime spend your mental energy elsewhere.

YANBU.. mine just had rice, tinned kidney beans and a babybel 😂 (a chilli of sorts I guess.. though it was the second day running). Oh and some carrot sticks and (dry ) crackers.

Minimal prep/cooking required in this weather. No idea what I will do tomorrow 😂

Oh yes... the mistakes I make on the Sainsbury’s shop when I order on the train in the morning.

Anyway I know you’re not up for cooking but if you’ve got flour you could make these flatbreads - easy peasy. Maybe wrap them around some tender stem broccoli with a yoghurt dip.

www.rivercottage.net/recipes/flatbreads

I’ll just leave that there.

@Springster

Calm down. Knowing that other people are worse off doesn't prevent me from worrying that I'm not always doing the best I can for my kids. Now, my kids are privileged... I am well aware of that, but if i skip something or give them something which is lacking, even for one day, I still have a little twinge of guilt. We measure our lives by our own standards, not by those who are much worse off. I'm not going to excuse my parenting by saying "well, others have it worse". It's perfectly OK to question if a picnic dinner is alright.

Which it is! Just not for every night.

@Springster

I actually grew up in food poverty. Well poverty generally actually. I remember my DM breaking into the electric meter for 50ps to buy potatoes to make chips because we had no money and no food, many many times.

Feeding my DS adequately is something I’m hugely paranoid about. It’s the same reason I compulsively overstock the pantry. Not ideal, western privilege etc. But it’s just the way I am. Sorry if that upsets you.

Have a bit more confidence in yourself op. Of course that's absolutely fine.

That dinner would be fine any night. Most people get plenty of protein and it’s good to have a veggie based meal more often than not. So none of this ‘it’s just one night’. It’s better than the carb and fat loaded pizza!

Actually I quite fancy that for my dinner. Sounds perfect

TheSheepofWallSt it's just nice to have a bit of reassurance about these things isn't. My 7 year old announced that unless dinner was ice lollies he would go without! The others agreed with him🙄

For one day it's fine. On a regular basis it's lacking in protein. and carbs.

You're fine. One of my kids had a sandwich for dinner yesterday, the other had a couple of brioche choc chip rolls and an apple! They had a big lunch and just weren't that hungry.

Did you think anyone is going to to tell you it’s not good enough? That you need to slave over a hot oven?

Yes, sounds healthier than the pizza! Yoghurt has protein in it. I wish my 3yo would eat and carrot sticks! But I guess he won’t touch broccoli, which is unfortunate given your glut. Loving the image of 20 packets!

I’m surprised you haven’t been ribbed more for the chia seeds- I am ridiculously middle class (DS’ fave takeaway is sushi FFS) but even I chuckled a little bit at chia.

He’ll be grand. If you’re really worried about protein, don’t you keep emergency fish fingers in the freezer? (Am presuming it was only fridge left open).

I was less worried about “nutrition” tonight than I was substance. I know his diet is fairly balanced generally (probably a bit too much cheese, Nutella and sausage but he’s fine overall)- it was the thought of him being hungry that worried me more

@NoSauce

On MN? I’m surprised nobody has...

You need to look at diet over a day and a week - there's nothing wrong with that diner.

On a regular basis, as long as there are enough carbs and proteins during the day, nothing wrong with it either.

We eat so badly nowadays that we get paranoid about what is a perfectly fine and healthy diet when there's no need.

Or maybe fish goujons?

I think it sounds a million times better, and healthier, than a pizza.

"picky bits" is vile but not nearly as bad as "salady bits" which makes me want to heave can you tell my Dm used to say it?

Can't believe there's no cutted up pear in there. Poor show OP - otherwise, very nice tea. And pizza for breakfast!!!

well, honestly OP... do you even LOVE your child??? Where's the lovingly prepared fresh balanced hot meal, cooked from scratch??

my DS had leftover chilli for breakfast today.... food is food! doesn't matter when you have it...