Feeding a 2 and 4 year old

[bionicfrecks]

Help! I feel like my kids are going to turn in to human chicken nuggets and chips if I don't seek help!

Both my partner and I work full time and so feeding during the week isn't a problem as nursery feeds them lunch and tea, so they have things like toast and fruit at home when we eat when we get home.

Its the weekend that I struggle. Its always the same old "beige" food - frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets/fingers/fish fingers with a variety of frozen potato goodies like chips or waffles - They are just so quick and simple when im trying to manage the basics of running the house and keeping on top of chores. Any ideas of quick and simple dinners for them please that don't require much prep.

Thanks

What do you eat? Children can eat pretty much anything you have- if you have an omelette for lunch, why can't they? I think the only way to raise not fussy children who eat a varied and healthy diet is to eat with them the food you'd be eating anyway (unless of course, you are a fussy eater yourself or on a medically restricted diet etc)

In terms of ideas-

Today mine had broccoli soup for lunch; chop and onion and a garlic clove. Slowly fry in a pan while you chop a head of broccoli and a potato up. Add broccoli and potato to the pan, with enough stock to cover. Leave for 20 minutes and blitz with a hand blender. I then add blue cheese or cheddar stirred through to melt and flavour.

For tea we are having caramelised pork belly with Chinese greens and rice.

Other easy meals are

Jacket potatoes ( make extra to cut into potato wedges which can be quickly fried and served with chicken thighs/ pork chops and veg)

Omelettes

Stir fry

Tray bakes- Spanish chicken with peppers and chorizo

Steamed salmon and greens with rice

Egg fried rice

Scrambled egg or beans on toast

Popular meals in this house:

Pasta Bolognese
Mild chilli and rice
Chicken Korma and rice
Sausages and mash (Not healthy though!)
"Fajihtas" (fry chopped peppers, onion, carrots (you can use ready prepared frozen veg) with a bit of fahjita spice from a spice rack jar. Fry chicken as well or add extra veg. Serve in a wrap with a little bit of cheese and sour cream (or my family prefer mayonaise) and salsa from a squeezy jar for those who want. This is the kind of meal which can be constructed at the table to each person's taste and eaten with fingers.)
Pasta bake (Pasta, jar of pasta bake sauce, cheese)
Stew/mince dinner. (Fry onions and minced beef in a large pan. When meat is Brown add boiling water. Throw in chopped potatoes, carrots and mixed herbs from a spice jar. When cooked, add gravy granules.) Even nicer with ketchup in!

I always try to serve 2 veg with a meal. My kids prefer to eat real veg rather than soups stew and casseroles.

At those ages mine ate what we ate. So just normal food, although the little one was very partial to cheese on toast with tomatoes as a weekday supper. However, definitely things like a Sunday roast followed by apple crumble and cream, custard or ice-cream.
They both also loved lentil soup or curried parsnip and apple soup. Other than that normal adult food in child sized helpings for main courses with a piece of fruit for pudding, if required.
Never did anything "special" for them, but this was 30+ years ago.

Chicken and veg skewers
Fritata
Quaesidilla
Fish baked with lemon and herbs
Chicken breasts stuffed with garlic cheese wrapped in bacon
Pasta with smoked salmon, cream cheese, peas and sweetcorn

I tend to cook a bit extra of our dinner and then they have it the next day. My LG eats before us, but I try and give her 'proper' food. Tonight was spag Bol, she's had chicken tikka and a roast in the last few days.

At weekends we all eat together at lunchtime, but my kids are the same ages as yours and we eat after they've gone to bed. Lunch at the weekend is usually jacket potatoes on Saturday and Roast on Sunday.

For dinner easy stuff they like:
Stir fried chicken and veg rice
Sausages mash and greens ( often freeze extra mash)
Pasta with five veg sauce (batch cook and freeze)
Home made chicken nuggets and corn on the cob
Fish curry (batch cooked and frozen)
Easy fish pie

I like to do a big batch of Bolognese with hidden veg, and chicken risotto is another favourite in our house.

Tray bakes with chicken thighs are also really easy. I do it with potatoes (chopped up smallish) and carrots and onions left chunky. I add herbs and salt and pepper and roast in oven for about 40 mins at 180 if I remember right. You could do lots of variations on this with different veg/herbs/sausages instead of chicken, etc.

Do your kids like pasta?

If so I agree with making your own pasta sauce.

On average mine will have basil passata, courgette, carrot and maybe sweet potato. You can cram a lot in. Freeze half the sauce for the following weekend. And it doesn't take long to make. I boil the veg in stock. Drain water. Add passata. Herbs. Maybe a little honey. Tomato puree. Blend. Done.

My 3yo likes

Pasta pesto

Lentil shepherd's pie (can be frozen in advance)

Noodles with mushrooms, sweetcorn and beansprouts

Jacket potato and beans

Beans on toast

Risotto

Veggie sausages with home made chips

Veg fried rice

Crackers, veg sticks and hummus