To do beans on toast once a week?

[MollyAndMuck]

Doing a different work pattern soon and two nights a week will be a lot of pressure to pick up DCs (infant age) from after school, feed them and not end up putting to bed too late.

I can't cook from scratch these nights and realistically don't think I'll be organised enough to batch cook for both nights.

AIBU to give my kids beans on toast every week for one evening meal? I know it's UPF but at least it's some kind of veg and very quick. They'll be having a hot lunch at school and are pretty good at eating it.

Spaghetti or tortellini with pasta sauce/pesto is also a good quick tea. Throw in som ham and peas if you want to be exotic. Mine would happily live on that.

I don't like baked beans (sorry!) but we have an "on toast" meal every week. Saves time and money.

Spaghetti hoops on toast
Egg on toast (or dippy eggs)
Cheese and sweet onion chutney on toast (do it, I promise) melted under the grill
Mushrooms and tinned tomatoes on toast
Sardines on toast

Cucumbers do complement simple bean and carb dishes really well, though. I don't like beans and toast UK style because the beans taste too sweet to me and the toast is too dense (are you really supposed to butter it?) but simple rice and beans is still a little dense and oily and so is great with a little side of crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and maybe a splash of vinaigrette. Avocado too, if you like. When it comes to beans, Estilo Mexicano is often an excellent guide! For toddlers, though, I'd probably go with a little green salad if they'll eat it or just some cherry tomatoes or any raw veggie finger food they'll eat - "not going" be damned.

Mr Organic beans and Heinz Organic beans are not UPF if you are looking to avoid. We've tried both and prefer Mr Organic..

Beans (on wholemeal toast in particular) is a really good source of fibre (which western diets don't contain anywhere near enough of) so not necessarily a terrible meal at all.

if it's not just the children eating beans on toast, so you need two cans, use one can of baked beans and one of cannellini (or pretty much any other type) beans.
Tastier, less gloopy, less UPF.

I am the only person in my family who likes beans. DH loathes them. Sometimes I will buy some thick white bread, slather it with butter, put one of those individual tubs of beans top sprinkle with cheese, make a mug of tea and sit and eat it off a tray with my feet up. It's like a luxury for me because I never have beans in the house!

Nothing wrong with beans on toast.

I think I'd make it 'something on toast' so beans, cheese, bacon (probably with beans), spaghetti hoops, fried egg, poached egg, scrambled egg, sardines...

I know your children are too young to do the cooking but things on toast is a good starting point when they are.

You could even make your own 'toast toppers' the day before. Fry mushrooms or bacon or onion or a combination in butter.

Once cooked add a tablespoon of flour and work in. Add milk and cook until it thickens. Cool and put in the fridge.

Use to either top the toast under a grill or heat through in the microwave.

My mum used to make 'milk cheese on toast'. Heat some milk in a pan, add a crumbled crumbly cheese, Wensleydale is good, and you end up with a sort of cheese sauce that you pour over the toast.

I like hummus on toast
& that does go with cucumber

The whole baked beans and upf.
Baked beans in sauce in themselves are not ultra processed foods. They become upf when many brands add extra preservatives or similar to keep the colour or make cheaper. The Same with many other items like bread. You can buy some bread in supermarket that isn’t upf also.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/nutrition/baked-beans-cheese-yoghurt-bread-healthy-convenience-foods/

If it helps, these brands are regular baked beans with no extra preservatives:

Lidls basic beans - 22p a tin
m and s - £1.45 a tin
Mr organic - £1.75

There will be others brands of you look. But generally it’s only processed not ultra processed if it has ingredients in you would find in your own kitchen.
You will often find the organic version is also not upf, ie I think the Heinz beans are but the Heinz organic aren’t.

I am aware of trying to eat less upf foods. Not perfect, but make changes where possible. I definitely buy them and give to Ds ( alnatura brand happens to be ok, and only one I can buy overseas).

If I was in the Uk I would definitely be trying the lidls beans above at 22p, otherwise look at other options depending on where you shop. You might find the beans you already use don’t have upf preservatives in anyway

I can't find it in myself to give much of a toss about a fraction of a gramme of modified maize starch once a week. It's hardly three pints of meths and a cigar.

Philadelphia under the beans on the toast.. yummy!

Spread some Marmite on the toast, beans then cheese on top. Delicious 😋

Some people don't deserve to own toast.

Just to say that spaghetti hoops on toast is just carb on carb. Baked beans are much more nutritious

Beans on toast is a perfect quick dinner. I spice mine up with a spoon of lime pickle or some onion.

I (or rather teen DDs) also do eggy bread, scrambled eggs on toast, instant noodles with a boiled egg and peas thrown in.

My low effort healthy dinner is tuna jacket potato - but they won't eat spuds like that anymore.
I also make pasta, pesto, fresh tomato's and mozzarella on top drizzled in olive oil which goes down well too and is quick.

We have more quick dinners in a week than anything else.
Raising fussy and underweight DC1 for 15 years means I don't actually care so long as she eats something and I haven't had to make two dinners!

Absolutely fine. You could grate some cheese on top and serve it with a side of carrot sticks or similar just to round it out a bit if you wanted to

I love beans on toast. It's more nutritious than spaghetti hoops on toast. My dc had it at least once a week.
Add some cheese or scrambled egg to vary it.
Or try a cheese or ham or mushroom omlette or some fresh pasta

I've voted YABU for asking such a ridiculous question. It's beans on toast FFS! Use low salt, low sugar beans with wholegrain sourdough to salve your conscience if needs must. It's hardly a kebab washed down with Coca Cola is it?

I'm 100% having beans on toast at some point today now.

As many other posters have said, there is nothing wrong with beans on toast for a quick dinner for your children.

Why?

Beans on toast 😋OP, bloody love it!

@LuckySantangelo35 I'm just not a fan of baked beans also psychologically (😂) I see it as a snack (awaiting the MN onslaught)

We love beans on toast!
Also jacket potato and beans or scrambled eggs on toast. Quicker and healthier than a ready meal or a take away

Horrified at all these suggested modifications.

Cucumber?

A little chopped this or that?

Adding a tin of cannellini beans?

Absolutely not. Grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce are all you need.

yes you are correct, plus its too soggy, even though
we buy real granary bread which is quite substantial,
from our wonderful real bakers

we had spaghetti hoops last night with cumberland sausage and mash,
then apple slices and herbal tea
food of the gods

It's fine. I actually think beans on wholemeal toast is a nutritious meal. We add cheese too. My son is a fussy eater and has it once or twice a week.