meal planning for kids - what regular meals do yours have?

[NemosKnickers]

I've been thinking about the mental load stuff, and one of the things that wears me down is thinking about and shopping for what the kids are going to eat constantly.

I'm finding that by the time I've thought about, planned, bought and cooked what they all like and want, I have no inclination to do the same for myself and I end up eating toast.

DH has suggested that we have the same menu every week for them and we can eat the same or choose something else. We always sit and chat with them while they eat btw, (before folk pile in with WHY AREN'T YOU EATING FAMILY MEALS WITH YOUR CHILDREN??).

So, what are family faves for your lot?

Ours are currently -
pizza
tuna and sweetcorn pasta
spag bol
chicken curry (usually spice tailor korma)
occasionally they will accept a home made cauliflower soup, but not always
erm...

not very inspiring is it? And lacking in greenery.

What would go on your weekly menu?

The meals dd likes are:

meatballs in a white wine and cherry tomato sauce with spaghetti and garlic bread and marinaded olives

Italian chicken parcels with rosemary and garlic crispy potatoes and carrots

chicken curry with rice and poppadoms

slow cooked beef chilli served with cheese on a wrap

crispy chicken faijitas

oven cooked southern fried chicken breast served as a burger with skinny oven fried and salad

Pizza - especially if it's dh's homemade

pizza pasta (cooked pasta tossed in a delicious herbed tomato sauce from local deli, with fresh mozzarella and fresh parmesan, baked in the oven served with garlic bread and salad

beef bourguignon served with creamy mash, steamed cabbage and carrots

nigel slaters sausage and mash supper (sausages cooked in red wine and onion gravy)

High Tea (sausages, bacon, pudding, egg, hash brown, beans and toast)

roast chicken dinner with marrowfat peas

homemade cheese burgers in a brioche bun with wedges and salad

'hot-dogs' butchers sausages in a brioche hotdog bun with fries / wedged and salad

spaghetti bolognaise

cripsy duck pancakes with noodles and prawn crackers

fish and chips (from takeaway)

I'm useless without a recipe and would highly recommend the cookbook "nosh for busy mums and dads" we recently bought it and all meals have been a hit so far.

For pizza I use the dough mix which takes minutes to make and knead - the kids like helping too - and then they top with tomato puree (and squirt of ketchup) herbs and toppings of choice.

I did chicken nuggets recently which went down very well - bite sized chunks of chicken breast dipped in beaten egg and rolled in a mixture of polenta and parmesan (I'm gluten free) then baked for 20mins or so. Delicious

For the post school feeding frenzy I often take a sandwich or fruit to pick up and ds is hungry for dinner at 5ish but not melting down from hunger iyswim.

What do you find tricky with pancakes though? I'm pretty rubbish at cooking but can make a pancake...

Marking for ideas. Mine are 4 and 3 and I need to move them on from toddler food.

They eat a lot of plain meat or fish plus plain veg - healthy but dull!

Things I batch cook and freeze:

Lamb or chicken casserole (eat with cous cous and roast sweet potato)

Meatballs

Pasta sauces - bolognaise, spinach and cheese, tuna (I freeze in ice cube trays)

Fishcakes

Chicken curry (meridian jar sauce)

Risotto - pea and prawn goes down well

Burgers

Pitta bread in the freezer - good for mini pizzas

A good veggie option is halloumi burgers in brioche buns or pita, you can add sliced fried tomato and salad for extra veg and serve with sweet potato wedges/mayo.
A hit in our house.