Those of you with really healthy diets....

[FondantFancy66]

.....what do you eat? Our diet isn't too bad, and I love cooking, but since having baby twins last year (I also have a toddler) life has been very busy and I've become a little bit lazy. Conscious that the twins will soon be on solids, I need to take a few steps to get back to a healthier diet. I'm particularly interested in vegetarian recipes because I'm personally getting a bit sick of meat. Also, breakfast. What do you and your small children have? I'm in a cereal and toast rut, I'm getting bored, and I'm worried about sugar content of cereals (although toddler's favourite is Shredded Wheat, which I don't think is too bad) and getting sick of dull, sliced bread. Lunch as well, looking for quick, easy and healthy.

And how do you get toddlers to eat vegetables?!

Thanks!

Do your toddlers eat pasta? A good way of getting veg into children is to cram loads of veg into pasta sauce. Something like this recipe: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1508645/pasta-with-tomato-and-hidden-veg-sauce

Nice, healthy breakfasts - porridge (can get a bit dull IMO so I liven mine up with fruit, usually banana), scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast?

I make my own bircher muesli sometimes as well which is quite nice.

Pasta sauce is about the only way I can get veg into him - I grate carrots, courgettes, peppers etc, but if he sees even a speck of green he turns his nose up.

Eggs for breakfast could be good. I often do eggs for lunch, but breakfast might be good sometimes. I suppose it takes no longer to scramble some eggs for us all than it would to put cereal into bowls.

How do you make your own muesli? Do you have a recipe you follow?

For bircher muesli I soak oats and chopped dried fruit (apricots) in apple juice (about 60g oats to roughly 6/7 tbsp apple juice I think) and leave this in the fridge overnight. In the morning I add 1 grated apple and some milk to loosen, then top with yoghurt and usually some bananas or raspberry.

This is very nice but I have to say I don't do it very often because I am lazy

When dc are off school I have an eggs for breakfast, veg for lunch rule- so scrambled eggs or egg and soldier breakfast, and the homemade soup for lunch. Mine hate veg but love soup ( they're not very bright ) with a fruit snack or some cherry tomatoes with breakfast they have 5 fruit and veg in them before tea ( which is the the meal I let them take or leave. They are offered everything and it's up to them if they choose to reject it)

But I'll be honest and say during school time it goes to pot- cereal and sandwiches abound.

We alternate cereal and porridge with raisins for breakfast. Another fan of soup and pasta sauces for increasing veg intake. I grate carrot or courgette into omelettes or cheese on toast. Pudding is natural yoghurt with chopped up dried fruit.

I'm introducing more rice and jacket potatoes at tea time because on a school day we can often end up with triple wheat (cereal/sandwiches/pasta). Omelettes are a life saver.

On tired/hectic days we have oven pizza!

I have fridge porridge some mornings. Half fill a jam jar with oats, add two tablespoons greek plain yogurt, half a mashed banana, a few raspberries or blueberries too if you have any kicking about and then top with milk. Shake and stick in the fridge for an hour or two.

Or scrambled eggs take a minute or two only.

A big treat for the DC at the weekend are homemade pancakes. Thin ones, flipped etc with sugar and lemon. Not sure esp healthy!

'Pasta sauce is about the only way I can get veg into him - I grate carrots, courgettes, peppers etc, but if he sees even a speck of green he turns his nose up.'

This ^

DS (2) actually says 'Not good!' and points to the (tiny) green bits and pouts! How does he know!?

Try making a batch of veg soup every week.

Then at least if you have a bowl a day, you know you are getting the veg in.

Also, keep fruit in plain sight - that way you are more likely to snack on it.

Could you do a huge veggie bake with lentils and/or pasta in it?

Grate veg, fry. Add tinned toms. Add chickpeas or red lentils. Simmer. Mix with cooked pasta, top with cheese, bake. Or add a bechamel on top instead (jarred!)

That way you can eat it and the kids can too? if you top with cheese you'll increase protein/ add interest for the little ones?

Home made soups here for lunch using our soup maker which is amazing and so quick and easy. We have all sorts, leek and potato, pepper leek and sweet potato, vegetable broths, homemade tomato, my 3 year olds adore soup. You could make any of these thicker to feed babies.

My two also quite like making their own fajitas - chicken, onion, peppers, cucumber, lettuce, some grated cheese with a wrap - making it themselves they seem to like it more.

Eggs for breakfast are good, also fruit salads with yoghurt. My two like chopped Apple, grapes and strawberrys with some low fat strawberry yoghurt.

Lunches we sometimes have the skinny bagels which are more low cal than bread anyway!

My two also enjoy smoothies, usually just lots of mango and pineapple with some apple juice and lots of ice...good way to get some fruit in them.

My kids also really like fish, haddock and salmon, you can get them with some sauces and then have some rice and vegetables.