It genuinely fills me with dread and anxiety to have to think about 3 meals a day for everyone.
4yo and husband are pretty fussy.
11mo is weaning so lots of mess (doesn't bother me) and food wastage because of throwing etc.
I worry I'm not being varied enough, especially with the 11mo and trying to think about how to get good meals into her just stresses me out (it did when my 4yo was a baby).
For teas, she has what we're having as we do BLW and I just make sure she has some veg etc for finger foods as added extras. (4yo doesn't really eat veg, did as a baby but started getting very picky at about 2yo)
Breakfasts are either some sort of carb (potato cakes, crumpets, toast etc) with fruit, sometimes Weetabix or porridge (both with fruits in) and sometimes pancakes with fruit in them or eggs, either scrambled or poached but she generally won't touch them. (4yo mostly wants cereal but also loves pancakes and will eat egg yolk only)
Lunches are as stressful as tea. 4yo mostly has a sandwich, toastie, peanut butter on toast, crackers and cheese or pasta (with fruit and cucumber/avocado etc). And 11mo will sometimes have pasta, falafels, peanut butter on toast etc, I try to avoid sandwiches because she struggles a bit.
When I look online it seems to be a lot of suggestions (NHS etc) of like a hot lunch and to be served a pudding and finger foods too. I don't know where there would be time in the day to organise all of that and the 4yo won't eat those kind of suggestions and I end up making like 4 different lunches and teas.
I'm also trying to do advance meal plans so I can better budget my shops and this also causes me anxiety to try to balance healthy (ish) meals for everyone including for when I'm at work and OH has to sort things (and has limited kitchen skills).
Has anyone got any tips to reduce the stress and anxiety of bloody meals and been through similar? (If I was rich I would definitely hire a personal chef 😉)