You know the advice - 'eat with your kids, that way they'll eat more'? I need suggestions for 'tea' type meals...

[caspercat]

As DH doesn't get home till 7ish, is difficult to do the dinner thing as a family, but we manage it most weekends, and on the days i don't work, DD (21mths) & i manage to eat a decent dinner together (Cottage pie, lasagne, pasta, fish & potatoes etc).
However, lunchtimes i find really tricky. I used to have a sandwich while DD slept (she would have barely eaten maybe some toast before her nap). Now her sleep is getting later & shorter, it's prob a good idea that we eat together. But i don't know what to have!!! She can't master sandwiches yet (the fillings fall out, unless is just cream cheese), & if i did a salad she'd only eat the tomatoes! No point us having different things, cos she just grabs things off my plate even though she then doesn't like them! And i'm trying to eat healthily, so something like beans on toast, or cheese omelette not appealing.
Sorry this has ended up so long, but has anyone got any suggestions? What do you have? Also, generally only have 1/2 hour or so to make anything as take her to various groups in the morning.
HEEEEEEEEELP {smile]
(please)

My DDs love this kind of lunch. EVERY DAY. Then in the evening they have a cooked meal which might be spagbol, fishfingers, chicken drumsticks etc. Seems to work well and DD1 (who needs routine) gets quite upset if the meal types change.

Casparcat, I'm afraid that while salad etc may be appealing to your healthy diet, it's not actually a good diet choice for her unless it is with a fat and a carb and a protein of some form.

Omelettes, scrambled egg on toast, cheese sticks and apple slices with bread and butter, jacket potato with cheese and tomato (you could have tuna and salad ), quick cook pasta with cheese and cucumber are all good and quick

And also pitta bread filled with stuff. Or maybe pizza - can cook in 10 mins.

Hi FGS . Is it homemade pizza?

Crisps really shouldn't be on the lunch menu regularly, surely

But then I live in France where crisps are picnic food only and the snack lunch for little ones doesn't exist, so feel free to ignore my preachy preaching...

Mine love Quavers and pombears. I don't think it matters if they're mixed in with plenty of healthy stuff. I'm not a saint, so I can't expect them to be.

Hello Coco - hope you're well. Ahem, homemade of course.

My DD has about 10 hula hoops or pom bears on her plate most days. She also has cucumber, grapes, ham, apple, banana etc. I do not feel guilty about that. She needs fat in her diet and is actually very into veggie stuff so doesnt get much.

Phew! What a response, loads of ideas.
pointydog, i agree re the sardines in tomato sauce - when i worked in an animal hospital, we fed that to cats who wouldn't eat, now they just remind me of cat food (gross). But i will try the ones in oil!

Have thought about soup & boiled eggs before, but have to admit the ensuing mess has scared me a little. She barely gets porridge in her mouth without it going everywhere, & i can just see her crushing the egg into tiny pieces & eating the shell , but i guess she'll never know how to eat them if she doesn't get the chance to practice.

And nelliesmum, i do give crisps, Organix if i've got them, but DD loves Wotsits & Quavers even more

Thanks again, any more suggestions still welcome xxx

Is that France where mothers are advised to feed their baby girls carrot juice to prevent excess weight gain, and pregnant women are placed on a strict diet if they gain more than 10 kilo?

Boiled eggs and soldiers

frittatas

cous cous and roasted veg (can be made night before and you have left overs for lunch)

home made chicken nuggets (with grated cheddar, minced chicken breasts and some crushed garlic)

fish finger sandwiches on wholemeal or in pittas

lemon sole goujons and sald / oven chips

a picnic - sandwiches, scotch eggs, quiche, cocktails sausages, chicken drumsticks, cucumber, cherry toms, etc etc

cheese and biscuits with grapes

jack pots with tuna mayo & grated cheese

Colditz - never heard of the carrot juice thing (yuk) but yes, they get a bit if you gain more than 15kg when pregnant, depending on your starting weight.

But anyway, I still don't think crisps are a suitable alternative to bread, pasta, rice or potatoes on a regular basis. Too salty, and not enough real flavour.

Sorry, that sounds utterly poncey.

But you know what I mean

I make broken sandwiches ie: bread with cream cheese, a pile of ham and a pile of tomatoes and egg mayonnaise sandwiches (again broken up). (Messy)

Pasta with tomato sauce.

Pasta with cheese sauce.

Wraps / Pitta bread with ham / cooked chicken.

DS would eat his own bodyweight in crips if I let him (but then so would I). He has crisps every couple of days. He has a balanced diet though [justifying it to herself emotion].

Tomato soup shockingly messy, it's true, even if very thick. Chunky soups not so bad if you're scared of mess, I do potato and sweetcorn chowder quite often.

SmugColditz - i never for 1 minute suggested giving DD salad without some kind of protein, fat, etc, am quite that you seem to think i would deprive her of good filling stuff just so i could nibble on some rocket for the sake of my waistline.
Am just trying to find a happy compromise. But your other ideas are great, thankyou x

But casparcat, I don't know you really, and there are some shocking ideas about what is good and bad for children. I have had raised eyebrows at my 2 year old drinking full fat milk, for god's sake "Shouldn't he be on semi skimmed now?"

I'm sure she gets a fab diet and I really do understand the dilemma of making it good for you AND your child!

Fair enough, but i don't think i'd be asking the original question if i didn't want to feed her healthily.
Anyway, tried omelette today - let's just say i enjoyed it more than her. Still think it's the texture, will keep on trying. she loved the sweet potato wedges i did with it though. She stole some rocket from my plate, then looked at me like i was trying to poison her . Still doesn't like cucumber either!
Anyway, fishcakes tomorrow i think, then on holiday for a week, so it's someone else's problem!
Thanks for all your tips, have definitely helped x

My DD isn't keen on omelette either but she really enjoys pancakes with cheese. We also love pizzatoast.

i like this thread.

dd1 (3) and dd2( 15 months) and i have lunch togethee everyday. i have tried:

cheesy omlettes , with beans on toast

cream cheese spread on toast

fish finger sandwiches

wholmeal pasta in tomato sauce and sweetcorn or peas

steamed fish in parsley or buter sauce with mixed steam vegetables

risotto with fish or chicken

doing a big salad with cooked chicken, olives, sweetcorn, cucumber, cherry tomatos etc

boiled egg and soldiers

barley and vegetable/lentil soup with pieces of chicken and mini pasta pieces