Is this ready meal OK or am I am bad mother for using it?

[qk]

I have DS (4) and DD (2). DS has mild ASD and is extremely fussy, usually existing on just toast and juice. DD eats anything in vast quantities.

Tonight, DS announed that his "favourite meal" is macaroni cheese. He's said this before and I cooked it from scratch 4 times. One time he ate half a small portion, the other times he ate none. So when he announced it today, I presented him with this microwave meal version:

www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=265239393

DS ate his entire plateful (about 1/3 of this 400g pack) as did DD and I ate the rest. I served it on its own to avoid discouraging DS from eating it at all.

The ingredients are here and I can't see the problem - is it bad for me to have served this to the kids?

Cooked Pasta (39%),Skimmed Milk , Mature Cheddar Cheese (19%) ,Water ,Single Cream ,Wheat Flour ,Cornflour ,Butter ,Sunflower Oil ,Salt ,Mustard Powder ,White Pepper. ,Cooked Pasta contains ,Water ,Durum Wheat Semolina.

They ate raspberries for pudding (DD's request).

I know that it is not a great contribution to their 5 a day, but next time, I would try serving with brocolli, which DD will eat anyway, but not sure about DS.

Any opinions/advice?

it sounds ok to me

sounds fine ...too much stressing over ready meals if you ask me

sounds fine to me

Fine for occasionally, probably a bit high in salt for small children but offer with veg, no problem IMHO.

Not as though it's full of funny additives, I would give it to my fussy pair! I let my 18mo have pasta with cheese and pesto though, also a bit high in salt, because he loves it

I really wouldn't worry unduly. If you have a child with SN who has a restricted diet I would say that any food (within reason!) is better than none at all.

That dish does have a huge amount of fat (and saturated fat) as well as a pretty hefty dose of salt, but as long as you're not all having it every day I wouldn't be concerned.

If he eats it,serve it. You're hardly going to give it three times a day seven days a week.

they are salty - too salty
we eat ready made macaroni sometimes also, as it is one meal everyone in the house will eat without fail

Good...I will try it next week with broccoli - will be a great result if DS consumes that!

re the salt: DS ate 1/3 of the pack and the total salt in the pack was 1.3g. That's about 0.4g of salt for him and I thought a 4yo could have 2g a day?