Ready meals for toddlers/preschoolers

[drspouse]

Sometimes it just has to be done, we have limited freezer space and I'm struggling with days when we can't all eat together. The baby/toddler meals have lower salt but are mainly just mush.
DS is nearly 3 and will eat most things but is allergic to tomato. DD has only just started solids so is a lot easier - if I need something instant for her I can measure out half a jar or pouch!
Personally I'm fond of the Innocent pots but they are a bit spicy for DS.

How about just a plate with toast/cheese/grapes/cucumber/ham?

I do it when I really really CBF making dinner and DS loves it.

We occasionally use the cook meals but find it just as quick to whack an omelette together with some crudités, or microwave a potato with cheese and beans!

He would eat toast for breakfast, lunch and tea if I let him, and we have a bit of a battle about how many times he can have hummus or peanut butter in the same day. So I'm keen to avoid toast for tea and lunch.

I find that if I'm doing something other than "turn on microwave, get plate out of cupboard", he starts to throw things around the kitchen. So beans in microwave good idea, but anything involving cutting up not so great, as it leaves a space for grabbing knife while I'm removing the tractor he threw at DD.

At this stage I went with a plate of whatever we had for tea the night before heated up in the microwave.

We often eat leftovers ourselves and haven't got any left (plus we like to eat tomatoes when we aren't eating together). I do try to save some but it doesn't always happen, hence the desire to have some on hand.

freeze left over portions /cook extra. reheat in microwave. ta da! half the price and twice as healthy.

Little Dish and Cook are fab.

But our DC2 is now 3yo and we just bulk-cook and freeze extra portions. Macaroni Cheese and Spag Bol being particular favourites.

IIRC the normal, grown-up lasagne ready-meals are supposed to be "healthier" (lower salt etc) than the Annabel Karmel version, so I just buy a large Cook or a supermarket lasagne when needed and whack a garlic bread in the oven and that's the DCs and us fed, with a side salad.

I've used the Annabel Karmel ones for similar reasons without anything dire happening to dd. The fish pie doesn't have any tomato in it.

That's helpful to know, ChristmasJumper. I will do some label reading.

We really have very little freezer space, and often run out of leftovers. I am just about holding my head above water and cannot rely on there being any!

2wired, I did check the Annabelle Karmel, there are quite a few without obvious tomato that have it in the ingredients so that's also good to know.