Dinner for a toddler

[Maaofatoddler]

My DS is 2 and goes to a nursery until 5pm. As both me and DH work full time.
I’m struggling to find ideas on what to feed him for dinner. His last meal (tea) at the nursery is between 3.30-4 pm.

so sometimes he’s eaten well but sometimes he’s more hungry. Until a few months ago he was satisfied with a cheese snack and/or some fruit, and then his milk bottle.

Very recently he wants more food in the evening so obviously I struggle and scramble to prep a healthy meal. But not always he’d eat more than 2-3 bites.

please help 🙏🏻

Pasta
Poached Chicken breasts with veg
Sausage and mash with gravy
Soup and toast
Homemade pizza
Wraps
Homemade pie or quiche

What time do you and DH eat, and what sort of things do you have? We just have our dinner early and give DC what we're having, so it doesn't matter if he eats it or not (normally he does) as no extra effort. But if you're eating separately and much later, you could try making extra and reheating yesterday's leftovers for DS after nursery?

Oh, and if you give something like beans on toast, or soup with bread, you can start by just heating up a little bit. Then if he's hungry you heat up a bit more, and if he isn't, you can save it in the fridge for the next day.

We find batch cooked foot handy here - soup and toast fingers and different pastas, or just something from the freezer like mini pizzas.

I really dont overthink the late tea when DD has been at nursery as I know she would have had a healthy balanced diet all day!

We all eat together, so whatever we’re having. Sometimes DS (2) will eat nothing if he’s had a big tea at nursery. Sometimes he’ll eat a bit, sometimes lots.

Omelette
scrambled egg
various things on toast
noodles with some pre cooked meat and frozen veg
fresh pasta especially fresh ravioli (it freezes so you can take a portion out each day)
sometimes a bowl of cereal goes down well if my DC just want a supper type meal

Agree with batch cooking or serving leftovers from you and DH's meal the night beforehand.

How is the food at nursery? If he otherwise eats well, don't martyr yourself over making gourmet cuisine every night. I'm sure he could survive on a round of toast or crumpet on the nights he's not as hungry.

Quick things, scrambled eggs, noodles, cheesy pasta.

They tend to not like much flavour so it makes it easier to whip something up.

Plain pasta with ham and raw carrots.
Peas, boiled potatoes and some meat
Tuna pasta
Scrambled egg
Beans on toast
Jacket potatoe with a topping
Rice, chicken and green beans
Humous, toast and salad
Ham, cheese toastie and corn on cob

I used to portion up (deliberate) leftovers from our dinner the night before then just microwave it. If he didn't eat it I didn't mind so much and it was ready super fast

Batch cooked foot?

Its easier than cooking one foot at a time 😂

We eat dinner early and give DDs what we have. I use it as an opportunity to give them tastes of a different foods in a way where it doesn't really matter if they don't eat it, because I know they've already eaten.

Mines the same and always hungry despite having had a hot lunch and tea at nursery. I don't worry about cooking as I know they've had a hot meal already. I make a picky plate (multiple sections) to snack on including things such as:
Bagel with Philadelphia
Or Crackers with cheese
Or crumpet
Or toasted pitta fingers & houmous
Cucumber / veg sticks
Apple slices
Banana / satsuma / pear
Berries
Yoghurt / fromage frais
Mini pot of peaches in juice

Thank you so much everyone for the excellent suggestions. I’ve saved some messages (screenshots) so I can refer them back.

normally DH and I have a late dinner between 8-9 after DS has gone to bed. So we can watch some telly (not cartoons) and gobble on. The curry / food is generally separate. DH will absolutely NOT have non-spicy non-chilli food. So I always make DS food separate and along the lines of Asian food I have at home.

A picky plate with assorted items is a good idea.

Boiled egg, toast

To be honest I just give them what they fancy after nursery - they eat a plant based healthy menu 4 full days a week so they just need full tummies before bed. They went through a phase of peanut butter on anything, yogurts, they always want cheese, Weetabix or porridge, the odd cheeky treat, they always want fruit or fruit pouches. Occasionally they'll want a jacket potato or if I know it's something for tea that they won't eat I'll get a kids ready meal for a treat which they share between the two of them and generally wolf down. We only have 45 mins ish between getting home and bedtime so anything goes 🤷🏻‍♀️

I would think of it as a pre-bed supper so maybe toast and cheese/scrambled egg or cereal (porridge/weetabix etc). Keep it light and easy.

I think you need to get into the habit now of all eating together a bit earlier. It is part of family life in our house, we all eat at 6pm and always have done since the children were weaned. I do not have time to cook twice, it means my evenings are free for hobbies or whatever, we spend time together as a family and my kids get to eat 'real' food not just kids menu nonsense. If DH and I want spicy food I just add the chilli at the very end after I've dished up the kids' plates.