Is this an acceptable lunch for a 14 month old?

[AnonEvent]

I’m usually pretty good at serving DD whole meals, usually what DH and I have had/will be having (with no salt).

Today she’s a bit overtired so my window to get her fed before her nap (or all hell breaks loose) is small so instead of the fish cakes and veg I’d planned I’ve just given her; oatcakes with Philadelphia, sliced beetroot and steamed green beans.

She’s eating it well, but I feel like it’s a bit of a parenting faux pas, it’s not the sort of ‘meal’ I’d consider lunch, but is nuitritionally relatively sound.

Have I committed a no no? And what do you do if you’ve got a five minute window to get something ready (and nothing pre-prepared to hand)?

That's fine. It's food. That's all that is required.

That's pretty much what my 20mo gets every day, we fridge raid at lunchtime and then eat a hot cooked meal at dinner. Sometimes if it's chilly we'll have soup or something similar but by and large it's a platter made up of protein, carbs and two or three fruit or veg options - and then a yoghurt or fruit afterwards.

Oh good, that’s reassuring. It’s probably better for her than (breaded, fried) fishcakes anyway. What would Annabelle Carmel say?

I feel a fair bit of pressure to provide her with solid, ‘proper meals’, and always feel really organised and in control when I have a freezer full of tiny pies, bolognese and risotto.

That sounds absolutely fine. At that age, we often did just picnicky snacky cold foods for lunch - crackers with cheese or ham, ham and cheese roll ups, sandwiches, breadsticks and hummus, etc. with raw veg and fruit or yogurt. We were rarely home for lunch so it had to be something I could easily take with us and assemble while out. I wouldn't stress about. Better to have a happy, well-rested child than one who got the exact lunch you had planned. Also, frankly better for her to eat with you and what you're eating, so if you ate the same thing at the same time, then great.

It’s fine.

It is a lunch type food i never fed mine proper meals at lunch time would be a sandwich or a bita this and that really give yourself a break ☺

Food is food. If she's eating it and is sated, don't fret. In fact don't fret over food at all if you can help it. Individual meals are less important than what she eats over the course of a week or so.

We were rarely home for lunch so it had to be something I could easily take with us and assemble while out. this is true, often we're out so take a 'picnic' it's no different (just warmer indoors).

I'm going to bosh together some lentil soup for her dinner. That feels pretty wholesome.

Sounds very impressive to me!

Oh and in case it sounds like some kind of stealth boast about my DD eating steamed beans, she picked the individual 'peas' out of the beans and discarded the bean part, licked the Philadelphia off the oatcakes (and tried to feed me the soggy biscuits), and scoffed two beetroots and looked like she'd mauled some prey. Then ate the edge of my banana bread while I turned around to get her water. At least she's temporarily sated, she'll probably wake up demanding (quartered, because I'm a weed) grapes.

I wish my 21mo had eaten a lunch like that. He has totally refused cheesy pasta and ended up with some popcorn and an apple.
You sound a bit over-anxious about it actually.

I spent hours and £££ making organic faff from scratch for lunches that were barely touched. My most successful lunches were the random bits from the fridge: some dairy, some protein, some carbs, some veggies etc

Mine had a crumpet with butter, handful of wotsits and an orange I’d say you’re doing fine.

downwenttheflag glad I am not alone!

she'll probably wake up demanding (quartered, because I'm a weed) grapes.

DS is literally eating quartered grapes as I write this!!

Well if you're feeding your baby the wrong stuff then I must be really fecking it up! We live in a hot country and he's at nursery full time so, as I worry about safe food storage during the day (nursery are great but I'm paranoid), I usually send him with a plain yoghurt, a whole avocado, some crackers and an Ella's cereal bar! Nursery staff said they think it's a good lunch so I don't worry about it.

Dinner is tough because by the time we get home he's starving and sometimes won't wait for me to cook. He quite often gets something quick like porridge for dinner, or toast with something (mashed banana or avocado, peanut or almond butter), or some fish fingers. I make him meatballs, patties etc. from scratch but they don't always get used.

I think what you prepared sounds like a lovely lunch

thethoughtfox I went through that with DD too, painstakingly making home made fish fingers, various organic things with various unpronounceable pulses in. And all she’d eat at that stage was Ella’s Kitchen pouches.

Serious craving for Wotsits now.

I am a bit anxious about it Down but not catastrophically or paralysingly anxious, I think maybe because I didn’t BF I see this as my opportunity to given DD the best nuitrition I possibly can, also juggling a long working week, shoved into four working days means that I need to be super organised, and when I’ve got nothing immediately to offer DD for lunch before she loses her shit, I worry it’s a symptom of having lost control a bit.

Thanks for the lovely tips Fartniss I’d almost forgotten ‘mashed stuff on toast’ which was our go to for ages!

That lunch sounds great! I'd feel pretty good about it, to be honest. Maybe I need to up my game!

My 2.5 year old had bread and butter, a handful of wotsis, 2 ritz crackers and some sultanas. Your DD’s lunch is positively gourmet in comparison.

Gosh my dd had a chocolate spread sandwich and some quavers

Anon it’s a funny thing this parenting guilt isn’t it - I was just thinking earlier today that despite having been EBF until 6 months, his diet is now pretty bad and he relies on Movicol for constipation. Total contrast to my older son, who had formula much earlier and now eats anything.
Sounds like you’re doing a great job.

Is this for real?! My 22 month old had two slices of ham and half an old biscuit he found under the sofa.

Yes it’s fine.

My dc have always had a snack type lunch ( chopped veg, chunk of cheese, couple of crackers, few grapes. That type of thing) then we have a main dinner in the evening

Just wait until all he wants is a rice cake and a satsuma and NOTHING else will be acceptable no matter what you offer

My dc have always had a snack type lunch ( chopped veg, chunk of cheese, couple of crackers, few grapes. That type of thing) then we have a main dinner in the evening

We call it the ‘fridge fling’ and it’s the standard lunch here too. Basically take whatever is in the fridge, chop it up and fling it on a plate!

I’m disappointed this thread hasn’t descended into 20 pages of virtue signalling about the salt content of oatcakes or something.

It’s a perfectly fine lunch.