Please help me with my family's diet, its terrible

[xxxJess123xxx]

Hi all, I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Both typically fussy. No allergies.
Our diets are absolutely terrible as I seriously can't cook. I'm the type of person who can't make an omelette or burn pasta for christ sake.
We eat shit basically. Ready meals, nuggets and chips, pizza. Lunches are sarnies crisps and some grapes etc.
I'm feeling like an absolute rubbish mum and I want to change but I seriously can't cook.
Does anyone have any stupidly easy, cheap to make, fool proof recipes for dinners for my family.
I am slightly overweight. Kids are good weights and take a multi vitamin each day. Eat far too much chocolate etc
I feel so ashamed 😞
Thanks x

Couldn't manage to cut the pie properly but it tasted OK. I felt very proud when my 2 year old was eating the veg and mash and saying mmmmm its yummy mummy 😍
My 5 year old didn't eat any, I expected it as she is the fussiest one.
Does it look OK? I feel so happy I managed it. Not sure what to try make tomorrow x

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Well done! It looks tasty and perfectly cooked. You can do this!

That looks lush, I could just eat that right now 😋

Well done!

Would happily come to tea and have that.
Try not to worry about your DD - I believe studies show that it can take 10 times of offering / trying new foods for people to get used to them so just keep offering and she will find new foods she enjoys over time.

@xxxJess123xxx

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That looks lovely, keep going and your older child may come round. It takes a few times for food to be tried before it is accepted.

I have the Annabel Karmel kids cooking book too. And I use it quite a lot. Super easy recipes with pics.

You're not a bad mum. You've just not been taught how to cook.

I've found youtube videos helpful so you can see what people are on about when they issue supposedly simple instructions.

And Jamie Oliver and Delia smith have both done beginners cooking books with simple recipes and instructions on things like boiling an egg. Delia smith's how to cook is especially good.

Good luck. You only need a handful of go to recipes. Then you can do pizza, sarnies, beans on toast and jackets when it all feels too much!

Thank u so much everyone, I feel super proud of myself xx

That looks brill. I had a "freezer dessert" tonight - I have a bag of frozen summer fruits from tescos (blackberries, raspberries, black currants) - I poured some into a bowl, microwaved on low power until warm, (only a minute), then served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and a sprinkling of sugar as it was quite tart. Was lovely, full of nutrients and only took 2 minutes. You could do it with yoghurt instead for extra healthiness. Or crumble some biscuits into it for extra luxury!

There’s loads of great advice on here, but I haven’t read the full thread so apologies if I’m repeating others’ advice.

Veggies are the easiest things to add to a plate to make it healthier. My kids love crunchy things so I often give them a whole, peeled carrot, a big chunk of cucumber, sliced red pepper, sugar snap peas or mange tout ( both with the tips cut off) on their plate with their hot meal and veg. tomatoes would be good too, but my kids refuse them! Mine love avocado but hate celery, it’s worth trying a few things on their plates if you can. My son tends to eat his crunchy veg before anything else.

If you can afford it, try various different veg on them. Asparagus, broccoli, peppers, courgettes, mushrooms, tomatoes are all lovely chopped up and roasted with a tiny touch of oil. If they like sweetcorn, you could try wrapping mini cobs in tin foil with a bit of butter and roasting them for 20-25mins. If you’re giving them a sandwich can you add cherry tomatoes or sliced apple to the plate instead of crisps?

I have 300+ cookbooks, but even I would admit that your best bet is to search some hashtags on Instagram reels or TikTok - fast, easy recipes in video format so it’s really easy to see what to do. I saw a lovely looking lemon broccoli pasta just the other day. Roasting tin or one pot ideas are great too. V v easy. And if you want to learn how to cook fabulous Yorkshire puddings (not healthy, granted) Jamie’s Ministry of food cookbook has the perfect recipe. 😀

12 years ago, I was a really nervous and uncertain cook. It’s lovely to have developed the confidence to cook, good luck on your journey!

Oh, and well done on your meal tonight! It looks great and how brilliant that your 2yo loved it.

Well done op!

I agree with others, maybe try one new recipe a week. Can you get the kids involved? Pizza dough is easy peasy. The kids can add the toppings. Pasta bakes are another easy one. Pasta, veg, pasatta or tinned chopped tomatoes, mixed herbs and a sprinkle of cheese on top. Breaded chicken homemade is easy as well and usually a hit with children. Buy chicken mini fillets, whisk an egg in a bowl. Dip chicken in egg, then in flour, then in breadcrumbs (you can either buy panko breadcrumbs in the shop or blitz a couple of slices or bread in a blender). Cook for 25-30 mins at 200 degrees. A favourite with my kids, I cook 2 slices bacon in the oven for 15 mins and add that to my bread in the blender with 20g cheese. Cheesy bacon chicken strips. Slow cookers are also good. Precook a pack of chipolatas sausages in the oven until browned, pop in the slow cooker with a tin of mixed beans, a tin of chopped tomatoes, 300ml stock, cubed peeled and chopped potatoes, mixed herbs and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours and serve with some crusty bread. Fool proof. BTW you are doing a great job already. You have raised perfectly healthy humans. None of us are born with the ability to cook. We all have to learn from somewhere!

@xxxJess123xxx -
Jacket potatoes - sooo simple! and you can play around with nutritious fillings (tuna, avocado, cottage cheese, beans etc)
I also struggle with omelettes but scrambled or baked eggs are super easy.
And remember that tinned vegetables and beans still count as 1 of your 5s a day - nothing wrong with them :-)

Your lunches don't sound bad at all, and in terms of cheap, easy and healthy breakfast ideas - try overnight oats. No cooking involved, just assembling and refrigerating. Much better than sugary cereal xx

I like some AK recipes as they work for the whole family and you can get them here:
www.annabelkarmel.com/
Or on Facebook page.
You can get loads of simple, easy to follow recipes online. I agree with loads of others on here, start with one dinner each week.
Jacket spud, cheese and beans covers all the bases!

I chuck frozen peas and sweetcorn (my kids love mini corn on the cob with butter and pepper- about £1 for 8 in frozen aisle) into most lunches and dinners and I feel like I am Delia 🤣🤣 you’re doing a great job.

I got an ex a child friendly cookery book and got him to cook with his children. The instructions were very basic with clear steps with pictures.

It was 'Perfect meat dishes' from Anne Willan. She does a whole range of books - Perfect salads, perfect chicken dishes, perfect pasta etc. The way it's written and presented is great for learning how to cook more than just the basics. She also does Perfect chocolate desserts!

Delia smith how to cook 1 & 2 explains the basics of cooking and the pizza dough recipe in there is lovely.

That looks amazing. :) Actually- i might have chicken pie tonight too, it looks so good.

Good on you OP. Don't worry too much about your DD5, she just needs to get used to something new!

Pizzas are great as said upthread. I have a sort of mental blank when it comes to making any sorts of bread (and stuff it up every time) so i buy the simple pizza bases you can get from the supermarket and then add toppings to that. When DH and I first got together I got a regular supermarket cheese and tomato pizza and added extra onions, peppers, avocado (my secret pizza fave) and fresh sliced tomatoes, ham and chilli. DH was amazed. He said it had never occurred to him you were 'allowed' to build your own pizza!!

You can always cheat. If it makes it easier buy prepared veg that you just have to finish.

I also agree to put veg with everything. I use the steam fresh stuff. Don’t forget that if there’s anything you can cook like mash potatoes/root veg mash to always make extra and freeze in portions.

You can also buy frozen berries to add to plain yogurt. Just take out a portion an hour before you want to add to the yogurt. Turns it a lovely colour and tasty.

I shop at Morrisons and cheat all the time. Not because I can’t cook, but I’m time poor. I like cooking, but not a purist and do anything to make life easier.

Examples:

Tray of ready to cook Mediterranean veg, once cooked I blitz with a tin of tomatoes for a pasta sauce. You could add extra veg, like fresh sliced mushrooms or chopped sweet potatoes (you can buy frozen) and that becomes a tomato sauce for everything. I use it for bolognaise, chilli, meatballs, pizza base sauce (just buy bases ready made) or on its own with fresh pasta.

With the chilli we have it with rice or put it in a wrap with some salad from
a bag, pre grated cheese and Val it a burrito. Generally we’ve with corn on the cob cooked in the microwave.

Linda McCartney veggie sausages, ready made root veg mash, gravy and peas.

Something on toast a beans, spaghetti, scrambled egg (do on the hob, low heat and keep mixing), mushrooms.

Soups are really easy too and can be batch cooked for the freezer.

I’d start small with the life hacks and then become comfortable to practice other things.

Don’t beat yourself up :)

You're not a shit mum at all. A quiche is a good place to start: just buy ready roll short crust pastry and shape it in a quiche dish (Jamie Oliver quiche dish is good because you can push the sides off after its cooled). Beat 4 eggs and add milk up to 500ml. It it's a bit less or a bit more it really wont matter. Add whatever you want: grated cheese, ham, sweetcorn, courgette, literally whatever. Put in oven at 180 for 20-25 mins until the top is slightly brown.

Learn to make a tomato sauce: chop an onion and garlic. You can buy this pre chopped i think and freezable. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a bit of salt. You could also add red pepper or a bit of spinach. Blend it so its smooth. Boil some pasta till its soft (about 10 mins). Stir in the sauce and sprinkle cheese on top.

Oh @InterestRateUpOrDown mentioned wraps.

I have a super fussy DS aged 12. I use wraps alot to make 'fajitas' but a very simplifed version. I just pan fry chicken strips in olive oil until cooked. Then I put out the wraps and plates of shredded lettuce; diced tomatoes; diced cucumbers; tinned sweet corn and grated cheese. For me I add avocado, chilli and sour cream. DS gets to pick what he wants and often gets more variety in that way and he has some contol over it.

and yes, I echo all the posters who say start small and build up. Try something new weekly or twice weekly and build up as you build your confidence.

:)

For frozen veg like above, once cooked add a blob of butter and mix through and it makes them taste way better and good extra fats for children.

Your pie and mash look great. Great that one child likes it. Now one liked the mash for example you could always try nuggets with mash so there’s one element you know one child likes. Can add cheese and mix in mash also for cheesy mash.

Glad to hear you’re proud of yourself because you should be!

It looks great. Keep making it once a week.

Do you have something in mind to try for the next meal?? You can always just add some raw vege sticks to one of the meals you already do just to add something a bit healthier.

Another idea might be to try boiled eggs for lunch on the weekend. If you cook them a bit long and the yolk is a bit hard it doesn’t really matter.

Keep going, it’s lovely to see someone who is willing to look at what they are doing and make some changes

Also to add, I had never cooked a meal in my life until I was 30 and met DH. Both my parents were amazing cooks so they did it all. Then I lived on takeaway. The only thing I could cook was cheese on toast and I used the plastic cheese slices.

The first meal i ever made myself was from Delia. It was cooked spagetti, a bit of garlic olive oil, sliced fresh cherry tomatoes and loads of parsley. It was a revelation. Delia's version had I think spinach and cream but that was a step too far.

I am now a very enthusiastic cook and very confident (except for any sort of baking which flummoxes me).