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)?

Parental guilt really is something isn’t it Down? I go through phases of thinking “I’m doing a really good job here” and then phase of “oh shit I have literally no clue what I’m doing, I’m just blindly riquocheting through life”.

You’ll all be very relieved to hear that DD ate her lentil soup for dinner (and two Babybels, half an apple, half a pitta and some houmous.

I’m surprised at the lack of virtue signalling too Lules - I was braced (own brand oatcakes have the least salt).

Crikey Moses.

DS had big lunch and tea at nursery so for dinner he had

A falafel. Too much hummus. A tiny bit of toast. Some cucumber. Some mozzarella. A bite of tomato. He licked a sweet potato wedge. A few raisins. Half a banana.

I would say that 75% of our meals are a combo of hot and cold snacky platters at the mo (full time working lone parent, and he's teething).

I'd feel guilty, but when I slave over homemade organic fish cakes, cottage pies and lamb stews, he's disgusted and chucks them.

I'd rather he ate a varied random relatively healthy diet that he enjoys, than having a battle over an instagrammable, batch cooked gourmet number that he won't enjoy.

My daughter has dinners for her lunch (aswell as dinners for dinner)..I WISH I could give her a few pickys..nothing wrong with that!

DD2 had a Happy Meal for lunch today, so... 😁

She did turn her nose up at at least three different varieties of veg at dinner time though, so the variation is there.

My ds2 (29m), was a fantastic eater and has become more 'discerning' ;) My take on it is: give only good stuff and then at least what they decide to eat is decent...most of the time. It eases my worries and in fact he's turned a bit of a corner. I do a lot of picnic lunches, varying the protein and carbs, and have 1/2 egg lunches a week also. It's really fine. My fella is a beetroot gobbler too! :)

I go through phases of thinking “I’m doing a really good job here” and then phase of “oh shit I have literally no clue what I’m doing, I’m just blindly riquocheting through life”.

That is what being a parent is all about! My eldest is 25 and I still feel like that!!

Be glad she eats it!! You might find in a years time she is turning up her nose at beetroot and green beans. Sounds great by the way and definitely fine. Good as she can feed herself.

I would be delighted if my almost 3 year old would eat those items!! LOL!

Mine had a beautiful chicken stir fry with a huge selection of veg.

All that was eaten was the carefully removed noodles and a satsuma.