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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To tell you about my lockdown kids meal wins

46 replies

Edenspirits · 27/01/2021 18:32

I am so so so so so sick of lockdown & cooking constantly for 2 kids - I can barely be arsed to chop an onion let alone have the mental space to be creative in the kitchen (I normally love cooking but all joy has been sucked out of me)

So I set myself the challenge of how to get veg in my kids with least possible effort and preferably zero chopping of very much Grin

disclaimer- they do normally get fresh veg

Here’s my evening meal menu- aibu to ask for your meal wins too? I am veggie but the kids eat fish too:

Monday - frozen Mediterranean veg, frozen roast potatoes, frozen veggie sausages in one big oven tray. Frozen broccoli and peas on the side

Tuesday- whole meal pasta & frozen sweetcorn in one pan - tuna and mayo added at the end. With chopped cucumber and tomatoes (I did chop something)

Weds- frozen mixed veg stir fry with packet brown rice & quorn crispy nuggets

Thurs- Jacket spuds, beans, cheese with pre prepared salad

Friday- vegetable dhal (frozen veg & red lentils) with pre bought naan breads and pre cooked rice

Saturday- veggie chilli (mixed beans in tomato sauce out of a tin), tacos. I will make guacamole out of real avocados, grated cheese!

Winner winner no chopping and barely any cooking.

Lunches are often ‘fresh’ supermarket veggie soups with bagels & fruit.

Tell me your meal wins if you too are barely clinging on to any cooking sanity!! I feel a bit more relaxed this week as a result!!’

OP posts:
Rexasaurus · 27/01/2021 18:48

Mine wouldn’t eat any of that, but then they do have food issues. If your kids are happy sounds good to me 👍

Taken a note of your vegetable dhal though for future reference for me 😉

Edenspirits · 27/01/2021 18:50

@Rexasaurus the dhal is so easy! I add veg stock & lime juice & cook it down! Lush!

OP posts:
rhowton · 27/01/2021 18:51

Is there any chance you will have me for dinner please?? 🙋🏼‍♀️

Bubbinsmakesthree · 27/01/2021 18:53

Nothing wrong with frozen veg, often has better nutritional value than fresh!

ClaraBean · 27/01/2021 18:55

I'm very lucky as dp loves cooking. But my go to when I can't be arsed (which lately is basically all the time!) is king prawns cooked in garlic (lots!), pepper, salt, chilli flakes and olive oil. Stir it all up. Scoff. I use mushrooms instead of prawns for the veggies in the house. Even my very fussy autistic ds loves it.

ClaraBean · 27/01/2021 18:56

I should add I stir the prawn mixture onto spaghetti and scoff!!!

SadderThanEeyore · 27/01/2021 18:56

@rhowton

Is there any chance you will have me for dinner please?? 🙋🏼‍♀️
She can't, she's vegetarian 🤷‍♀️
Edenspirits · 27/01/2021 18:57

@ClaraBean that sounds lush! My kids love prawns so going to try that one next week!

OP posts:
bjjgirl · 27/01/2021 18:58

Get them to chop and help prepare, it will be the best long term solution, maybe even bringing back your joy?
I've challenged myself to teach the kids to cook this lockdown they now bake independently and chop etc (9 and 11 and are very safe)

Edenspirits · 27/01/2021 18:59

@bjjgirl I know- I have done a bit but we are all a bit jaded! DS 13 makes a salmon pasta dish!

OP posts:
blackcat86 · 27/01/2021 19:04

Would they eat a veggie burger in a brioche or wholemeal bun? You could make them ahead if time i like making homemade wedges but slicing a skin on potato and shoving them in the oven with some oil. You can make the with sweet potatoes to

playthegame · 27/01/2021 19:05

Lovely meal ideas. Might try the Dahl myself.
I tend to use a lot of frozen veg. We do shopping monthly and fresh veg just wouldn't last.
I even use frozen chopped onions to save cutting them up!

EternalOptimist7 · 27/01/2021 19:05

DD12 is SUPER fussy so I am envious of those meals! She eats no fruit or veg at all.

Edenspirits · 27/01/2021 19:06

@blackcat86 good idea- I love a veggie burger!

@playthegame I love a frozen chopped onion too 😂

OP posts:
FFSAllTheGoodOnesArereadyTaken · 27/01/2021 19:06

Not very healthy but nachos always go down well with everyone in my house.

I have very fussy children and I've just discovered a meal that 'works' for them - stir fried rice. I do stir fried rice for the grown ups and for the kids I use a 6 hole muffin tray, and fill each with a different ingredient. So hoisin sauce in one chopped omelette in the other, chopped peanuts, peas, carrots and sweetcorn. I give them a plate of rice and spoons and they can put on the toppings they want. It's apparently a great meal even though it's disgusting when I give them the same thing already on one plate.

Not amazing advice but it's a win for us!

Edenspirits · 27/01/2021 19:07

@rhowton come on over!!! 😁

OP posts:
SuperSharpShooter · 27/01/2021 19:08

I’ve given up on chopping and frying onion n shit for chilli/pie/nolgnaise/soup etc.
Everything gets chucked in the nutri bullet, zapped mixed with the mince and other ingredients stock/toms etc in a big oven dish (I usually batch cook) and bung it in on low for a couple of hours.
I starts off all sloppy but a couple of hours slow cooking soaks up the soggy veg. Gone are the days of stirring pots on the stove and browning onions!

Wbeezer · 27/01/2021 19:09

Sounds nice but can i recommend a mini electric rice cooker too avoid the precooked rice, if its in those unrecyclable packets. The rice cooker is my lockdown food revelation!

SummaLuvin · 27/01/2021 19:10

YABU. There is a board for these threads, and it's not AIBU...

bjjgirl · 27/01/2021 19:11

Scissors to chop up green beans? An easy win? I always roast my veggies pre peeling and chopping if doing for a soup as it makes it so much easier

bjjgirl · 27/01/2021 19:12

Butternut squash in the oven with a garlic and sweet potato, turn the oven off after 45 minutes and leave them in, an hour later they will all be ready to hand peel/ squeeze blend with water and add chorizo

iklboo · 27/01/2021 19:12

YABU. There is a board for these threads, and it's not AIBU...

🚨 AWOOGA! AWOOGA! THREAD POLICE. THIS IS A RAID! 🚨

SuperSharpShooter · 27/01/2021 19:13

@ FFSAllTheGoodOnesArereadyTaken
Oooh, I like that muffin try idea! Mine aren’t too fussy but annoyingly one likes peanuts the other cashews and other stuff like that that makes some mixed up foods a pain in the ass. We do fried rice adding little bits at a time and dishing out, finishing with everything in for me and other half.

Lockandtees · 27/01/2021 19:14

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

Beamur · 27/01/2021 19:15

Oven baked salmon with soy sauce, ginger (jar) and garlic (tube) with noodles and broccoli. Cook noodles in pan and steam broccoli over it.
No chopping bar the broccoli. Did try frozen but it wasn't liked.