Share your DC veg packed diets!

[UmuLuxury]

Off the back of all the ten a day talk. My DC do ok and I'd say I do offer about 7 a day. But offering does not mean they all get eaten by any stretch. I also think that things like veg in pasta etc can't possibly count to a whole portion can it?

If you have young (possibly fussy) DC what do your days look like where they are loaded with fruit and veg.

Disclaimer: I am not an alarmist who is going to make everyone swallow kale through a funnel because the news says xyz. Just interesting to hear other people's menus!

I have a DD aged 1.
I think yesterday was a "good day" in terms of veggies and fruit (it doesn't always look like this!). she's going through a hungry phase so is eating constantly!

Breakfast - porridge topped with sultanas and half a banana
Snack - apple and pear fruit pouch Lunch - pasta with a "full of veg sauce " I stash in the freezer (mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, courgette, onion and pepper)
Blueberries
Snack - half banana and a digestive biscuit.
Dinner - fish pie with leeks. Baby corn and peas on the side
Yoghurt. Blueberries

I do try and include as many veggies and fruit in things as I can - so veg in mash like swede , extra veggies in casseroles, homemade pizzas topped with lots of pineapple and pepper etc

Im never quite sure what constitutes as a "portion" so not entirely sure how many portions my DD actually eats!

My dd had a good day yesterday as I was bolstered by all the talk

Breakfast - avocado on toast with cherry tomatoes with apple juice (3)

Dinner- country veg soup and roll
Blueberries in yoghurt for after a (3)

Snack- apple (and a freddo) (1)

Tea- vegetarian bolognese (2/3 tomatoes, carrots, lentils, onions and peppers went in but the quantity she ate wasn't loads)

However I can't possibly afford that day regularly. Today she's having scrambled eggs and cherry tomatoes for breakfast. Soup again for lunch. Jacket potato and beans for tea- I suppose I could buy seeet potato and that would be a good substitute which counts.

Variety is the issue. I'm quite poor so avocado, berries, interesting veg aren't always an option. And we eat meat too so that will cut down portions. Ah well, to hell in a hand basket I go.

@Cookingongas

Sounds like your DD has a fab diet!

You may do this already but I use frozen fruit sometimes which I find a cheaper way of buying more expensive fruit - frozen blueberries and mango have been a big hit.

Bertie - thank you,
however, I am only giving you dd2s diet. Dd1 will not eat any fruit. Any. She's lucky to get 4 a day.

Frozen blueberries are a great idea- i tried frozen strawberries which were somewhat slimy, do blueberries fare better?

Frozen blueberries and mango both v good

@Cookingongas I found the same with the frozen strawberries!
The frozen blueberries are slightly squishy, but absolutely fine in something i.e. Porridge or with yoghurt.

Tinned peaches and pineapples are also a big hit here. Maybe not the healthiest because of the juice. But DD loves them and it means I get some more fruit in her! And cheap too!

Things got a lot easier for me when someone told me that a portion of fruit or veg for a child (or an adult) is what fits in the palm of their hand.

Made total sense to me as surely a portion for a 3 year old can't be the same as for a 6'6" 16 stone bloke.

So hidden vegetables in pasta sauce etc can be significant. Bit of celeriac simmered in tomato sauce and blended looks and tastes like creamy tomato sauce btw.

Also, having a breakfast that is like a normal meal, with savoury food and 2 portions of veggies plus 1 or 2 portions of fruit (as juice, smoothie, piece of fruit or a fruity pudding), made a massive difference. So scrambled eggs, toast with tomatoes and mushrooms, with a banana and some juice, or sausages with carrot & cucumber sticks and a portion of a fruity oaty crumble with some yogurt.

So every meal is 2 portions of veggies plus 1 or two portions of fruit, plus two snacks a day including a portion of either fruits or veggies.

Seems like, it'll be a lot of work, but factoring in leftovers etc, it's really not.

Today's menu was slightly less fruity as waiting for most of our fruit to ripen!!!

Breakfast - weetabix and apple puree. A few blueberries.
Snack - Ella's kitchen Fruit pouch . Rice cakes.
Lunch - cauliflower macaroni cheese with some Peas and sweetcorn. Slice of Homemade Banana cake.
Snack - rest of apple purée pot.
Dinner (to be eaten shortly) - gluten free sausage casserole made with mixed beans, carrot, tomatoes, leeks and chickpeas. Served with Leek mash. Broccoli
Yoghurt. Blueberries.

Not sure if banana cake counts as one of her five a day..... (Clutching at straws!)

I have one dc who is really fussy so I make a tomato sauce with sweet potato, carrots, celery, red peppers, onion and garlic and blend it and use it for pasta sauce and and as a base for pizza.

Banana pancakes for breakfast is also another way to get fruit into fussy eaters!

DS 16 months

Breakfast at home: Half a banana, weetabix with milk, mini orange

Snack at Childminder's: berries

Lunch at childminder- fish pie with three veg on side

Dinner at childminders - omelette with 2 veg and chicken -+ plain yogurt

Supper with us at home- slow cooker beef with 2 veg + rice (small amounts) yogurt berries

Milk and bed

Mine had

Hm fruit smoothie and porridge for breakfast - smoothie is quite large but still I'd say does this quite count as two portions?

watercress soup and carrots, cucumber and toms for lunch - soups has watercress and leeks so I guess 2 portions. Then 2 portions of crudités.

Apple and peanut butter snack
Satsuma - 2 portions but that's technically probably too much fruit in a day isn't it?

Vegetable lasagne with broccoli - reckon the veg lasagne only
Counts as one portion even though there are quite a few diff veg in there.

I have two, DS is 13 and DD, who is more fussy, is 5. Today they had

DS
Breakfast: overnight oats with grated courgette and sultanas (2)
Packed lunch: wholemeal sandwich with cashew butter, cucumber and carrot sticks, a pear, pieces of dried apple, handful of spinach, homemade flapjack, banana, 2x energy bites (homemade, date and nut based), grapes, celery stick. (8)
Snack at home:handful of frozen peas, nectarine, flapjack (2)
Dinner: homemade spicy squash and black bean burgers with salad and roll. Energy bite and raw choc square for dessert. (2) There were more veg in the burger but I'd only count two portions due to size, one for burger and one for salad.

DD
Breakfast:crackers with green pesto and cheddar cheese. Carrot (1)
Snacks: Apple, nectarine (2)
Lunch: Cheese sandwich, cucumber, red pepper, spinach then raw lemon and coconut cheesecake (3)
Snacks: frozen peas, kiwi (2)
Dinner: same as DS but smaller portions (2)

So 14 portions for DS who is a bottomless pit of a teenager and is not fussy (although used to be!) and 10 for DD. She is more fussy and that number is typical but harder work for me! That's a pretty normal day. It helps that we are all vegetarian and I'm vegan and cook everything from scratch so all meals are heavily vegetable based.