What does everyone feed there children ??

[edgarsuit]

have two very hungry children.... ds4 dd1 they seem to eat all the time and are always hungry we used to be extremely healthy but i seem to have lost track of it slightly

I am stuck in a rut with our food options and sick and tired of all my old favs , i have exhausted all of my slow cooker recipes now and i'm looking for some simple healthy quick meals and snacks

they usually have .....

*scambled egg on wholmeal toast for breaky / or just toast with something on it .

ds has snack at school- dd has banana and rice cakes

lunch usually ham sandwhich / or soome other lazy filling with some veg then fruit or treat

afternoon snack is toast or leftovers bread sticks - by this time i have lost all inspiration.

dinner , spag bol mealtballs , casserole , chilli con carne , jacket potatoe , or chicken veg and some thing

no1 likes fish (except me ) the y dont like cheesy style pasta ds has started to b a bit fussy which is completely like him , although a phase i anticipated would happen soon ...

Have a look at the BBC good food magazine website - thousands of recipes and you can do a search for family meals, quick ones, cheap, etc. It's my go to when I'm short if inspiration.

Lasagne with lots of veg, veg cottage pie.

Spinachy beanburgers, lentil burgers, veggie burgers, savoury muffins eg broccoli and cheese

these all sound like there is a lot of cooking involved ... where do mums find the time I dont work and i find the evening very stressfull if i am not 100% organised .. i am looking to go back to work pretty soon.. i do a lot of slow cooker inventions which i put on in the morning and its ready at diner time but we are soooooooo bored of them now ..

Also i find we seem to spend so much more on food than every one else we do a big shop at the beginnnig of the month , a smaller weekly one but still ebnd upo buying at least 2-3 items everyday to feed them through the day ... ??

do normal people tend to have a few reciped that they use all the time ?

i will defo check out bbc now thanx

Batch cooking is the way I stay ahead. I cook and freeze, cottage pie, shepherd's pie, chicken and leek pie with puff pastry top, different soups, beef casserole, spag bol, lasagne, meatballs.

I often buy a whole chicken, spatchcock it (cut out the backbone so it cooks quicker) and marinate it overnight. It takes just 45 minutes to cook. Frozen veg is great to have on standby for emergencies and I batch cook mashed potatoes and freeze in portions.

Pasta is great in it's various forms. I make basil pesto and store it in the fridge covered with a layer of oil. Spaghetti carbonara is easy, just keep some pancetta, parmesan and eggs and you're done (sometimes I add frozen peas). Wraps in their various forms are easy. Just fry off the meat of choice, cut up the veg and that's it. Salmon cooked with some lemon and butter in foil (takes 15 minutes if that in the oven), served with boiled potatoes and veg.

You will eventually build up a system which works for you. I often serve soup with crusty bread and a salad on the side if I'm pushed for time.

i dont batch cook and have 3 boys... i rotate:
. lasagna (with hidden grated courgette )
. potato bake + meat,
. fish + brocoli/green beans ,
.mackerel (head and tail on for the fun) + brocoli/green beans,
. potato salad or green beans salad with tomato, tuna, egg, lentils whatever i think they would enjoy
. steak/fish and rice
. roasted chiken and sauteed potatoes
. pasta with grated cheese on top + cucumber sticks and cherry tomatoes
. sardines with whatever veg are in the fridge
. peas and carots (tin) and egg soldiers
. rice and grilled chicken
. veg stew + fish

then they finish the meal with either a yogurt or some cheese + as much fruit as they want (DS1 tonight: 2 big servings potato bake & lamb roast + 1 banana + honey yogurt + grapes + 3 tangerines + 3 plain cheese crackers)

My DS2 is soooo bored of broccloli and green beans i reallly need to find an alternative veg!!!