Giving up cooked dinners for DC.

[TheFairPrincess]

I have 3 young DC, eldest is 6. Previously they had packed lunches for school/preschool as DD was nervous of school dinners.

She had one as a quick fix this week due to a forgotten lunch box and enjoyed the experience, so now she'll be having hot school dinners.

Dinners at home are a bit of a nightmare at the moment. Fussy eating/genuinely different tastes means it's hard to cook balanced meals that everyone will eat. It's got to a point where I'm cooking multiple different meals. I'm wasting time, money and sanity on this. There are a couple of universally loved cooked dinners which I will do on the weekend.

I was thinking of getting the packed lunch bits I would normally get for school lunches and serving "packed lunches" for the kids dinner. Is this awful, or normal? The meals will be balanced nutritionally, but not hot.

Does anyone else do this? And if so, do you have any tips for branching out and still adding in challenging tastes eventually?

I would do this put probably do oven chips or a pizza to go with it.
Cold meals are fine though, especially when the weather is still warm. And fussy kids are hard, you need to get something in them and if they eat cold packed lunch stuff it's fine.

Perfect you fine I reckon!

Sorry, perfectly fine.

We used to do this pre covid. They had a cooked meal at school and a packed lunch at home. How is that any different to the other way round? It worked well as it fitted in easier with after school clubs and hobbies.

Thank you :)

My ones are a little strange, they really don't like oven food. My DD will eat a cheese pizza but it's very hit and miss with the boys. The only hot things they will all consistently eat are homemade cheeseburgers, chicken casserole and tomato soup with grilled cheese.

I think I will go ahead with this, it's so liberating for me, they eat it and enjoy it more, will still sit at the table and I can get a good variety of bits. I work and study which is starting again in October so I will have even less time.

The main problem I'm having is how to switch the main carb up, they are very unadventurous sandwhich wise

We do quick dinners if she's had a hot lunch at school. Either a sandwich, snack plate or something like cheese on toast, omelette, bowl of soup.

I agree, it's actually no different, most people only have one hot meal a day don't they! My dad always cooked a hot meal every evening pretty much without fail and I will still be cooking for me and DP so it feels a bit strange, but they will eat more and there will be less waste this way.

I remember having a boiled egg and soldiers for tea.... Sounds like a plan.

I think this sounds a great idea! Especially of you're in England should get the universal free meals and as long as they are eating enough at tea time I think a picky tea as we call it is fine. You never know eating main meal with friends may encourage to try new things too.

I don’t get the thing about needing a daily ‘hot meal’- where does that come from? I’ve heard others saying it but no understanding of the justification esp if it’s warm outside.
I think a nutritious cold/ packed tea is a great idea, esp if DC will eat it & it makes life easier. My DC love that kind of thing, we often have ‘picky bits’. I put in some raw carrots & cucumber, houmous, sarnies with whole meal bread/ Pitta, pistachios- sorted.

What will the packed lunch/dinner consist of?

I have a fussy eater and he isn't less fussy about his cold foods than he is about his hot

Ido this alot if I know my Dcs have eaten the hot school dinner (guaranteed it if it is the roast meal). Then we have a supper which may be sanwiches and crudites or boiled eggs and toast. I also do a weekly breakfast for dinner, so this week it was a homemade sausage and egg muffin, but often toast and baked beans etc.

I know the DCs will not eat the Tuesday curries at school, so we have a cooked dinner then. (they get a sandwich option at school). If the school meal is going to be a hot meal they will eat then I am happy to step back a bit for the evening meal.

@Cornishbelle absolutely, the school encourage all children to eat meals and I was discussing with the teacher about it as she hasn't had one before, and she said the same, that they eat more and different food because their friends are :)

Nothing wrong with it at all in my opinion, often do it with my children for the same reasons. They probably eat more this way than serving a hot dish they'll fuss over.
Have you tried wraps rather than sandwiches? Mine aren't keen on a sandwich but will eat wraps or crakers. Sometimes I just do breadsticks with ham, cheese, hummus etc on the side rather than a 'sandwich'. Or the part baked baguettes which you cook in the oven go down well.

My kids love having a 'surprise plate' which is essentially a picnic tea. Usually sandwiches, cold meat, crisps, raw veggies, chopped fruit, boiled eggs, cubes of cheese, hummus, and anything else we have kicking about like yoghurts, smoked salmon, berries, nuts etc. They have those plates with the separate compartments and like having different bits in each and slightly different things each time.

If the food is nutritionally balanced and they get a reasonable variety over the week, what does it matter if the food is hot or cold?

Absolutely fine. Started doing this with DS when he was under 1 because a hot meal in the evenings seemed to disrupt his sleep. Something on toast (avo, eggs, cheese) with a small side of fruit and veg is standard here.

@Crunchymum my kids seem so much less fussy with cold stuff! They will eat cucumber slices and carrot sticks with gusto, any fresh fruit, but try to give them a dish of something and they just look at it like it's from another planet.

So I did come up with a little plan which I can mix and match - 2 veg, 2 fruit, carb based thing, yoghurt, protein (meat or cheese), treat, cup of milk. Feel like that hits all bases and they are guaranteed to eat it.

Sounds fine, that's the normal way of eating for people who are active during the day and then winding down on an evening ready for sleep. A big dinner at midday to keep you going and then a lighter tea in the evening.

They have this kind of thing and eat so much better from it than a big plate of something hot.

Photo not working

Omg I love that multi compartment plate it's so cute! What a good idea @CrasterKipper

Yeah that makes sense re the larger meal in the day. I do intermittent fasting so that's another meal planning hassle

Absolutely! I had this exact conversation with DH last night because I'm suffering worst with pregnancy sickness in the afternoon/evening and can't face cooking. I'm going to be cooking something hot and/or more substantial for DS (toddler) at lunchtime and hopefully manage to eat it myself, then just do sandwiches/wraps/pitas/salads/cheese + crackers/etc in the evening. DH can take leftovers to work, or buy something from the canteen there if he feels he needs a hot meal.

I used to live in Germany and it was very normal to only eat a hot lunch and then have bread/meat/cheese/fruit for both breakfast and dinner.

@GunsNShips

We used to do this pre covid. They had a cooked meal at school and a packed lunch at home. How is that any different to the other way round? It worked well as it fitted in easier with after school clubs and hobbies.

Well it's different because school dinners are mass catering, usually bland, boring and stodgy, and you have no idea what they actually ate, or the quality of whatever they ate. I wouldn't do it as I would want to know they had proper home made cooked balanced meals with plenty of vegetables and variety. But if it works for you, that's your call.