Little Explorers is here - what should we cook up next?

[LibbyMumsnet]

Last month we launched our Little Explorers ready meals with Iceland - and they’ve already been a big hit with families looking for quick, healthy and good value options their kids will actually eat. From Mac and Cheese to Chicken Tikka & Rice, the range has been flying off the shelves.

Now we want to hear from you:

If Mumsnet and Iceland were to create more family friendly nutritious products together, what would you love to see next? We’re committed to keeping them free of UPFs and packed with good stuff. Think lunchbox staples, frozen snacks, store cupboard saviours… are there products your kids love but you’d be happier if there were healthier or cheaper options?

📊 Vote in the poll - then tell us more in the thread below!

Would love to see some healthy veg nuggets!

would love to see some interesting, healthy lunchbox snacks and some healthy ice lollies or 'nice cream' for the summer

I'd like healthier sides to complete a meal like sugar free baked beans, mini corn cobs, or veggie and potato waffles.

Something for the freezer please

Quick fajitas and pizza rolls or healthy option pizza pockets

I’d love something easy I can make with our current food, like a veg-filled pre-blitzed sauce I can just add to my own pasta, healthier chicken bites, smaller sized burgers and meatballs made with low upf. Things I can have in the freezer as back up if we’re having something unhealthier/very spicy etc

Pre cut and frozen potatoes into shapes. I make my own chips but something like a face shape or butterfly would be handy instead of smile faces you can buy

A grab and go veg pot, carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumber sticks and peppers. I’d pay £3 for this on the go!

When visiting Canada, they have the most amazing fat free frozen yoghurt that is hard to distinguish between ice cream. I’d like more of that here.

Iceland is a bit of a beige-fest. I'd like more stuff that coeliacs could eat.

Plain, beige snacks for kids with ARFID (many of whom will only eat things which are beige in colour), or just very fussy kids! It’s so, so hard to find snacks that they’ll actually eat which aren’t sugar-filled.

Kid Veggie snacks that aren’t full of UPF . Also falafel . Maybe some healthier pudding options too like frozen yoghurt.

I'd like to see people who should know better not peddling highly processed ready meals as healthy

Have you read the ingredients??
They are UPF free.

Can we have some for adults?

I’d love a frozen moussaka for kids.

Also a cheese and potato bake maybe with broccoli.

perhaps a pea risotto!

Soups might be good too - my kids absolutely love minestrone, carrot & coriander, and chicken soups - but I make them from scratch to make them healthy. That’s tiresome.

Each dish should have more than one of your five a day. Most of the Little Dish meals have two. Upping the veg content should be an easy and quick way of getting extra veg into kids.

Some vegan options would be appreciated, especially including healthy vegan protein sources along with plenty of vegetables of course.

Ready meals are not especially healthy.
I would prefer to see you encouraging home-made food, rather than monetising parents' anxiety.

Low sugar options and foods without artificial sweetners.

Low carb ready meals.

Anything not containing milk/soy!

thanks that's definitely on the radar!

Thanks - one of the features of the Little Explorers range is no UPFs and absolutely no nasties like artificial sweeteners. We're also very mindful of sugar content - it's no so relevant for these first meals but for things like yoghurt and veg pouches which we're looking at we're setting quite aggressive targets for Iceland on sugar and iron content - if we can't make them the healthiest out (as well as delicious and affordable) there then we won't partner with them on that product line.

Thanks, noted and we'll discuss it with Iceland

Hi Jane958,
We’re really not trying to monetise parents’ anxiety - we’re trying to ease it, by helping them to feel confident about making a healthy choice even when they’re short on time. Of course home cooking is the ideal - but we know from the millions of parents on Mumsnet that for many families cooking from scratch every night simply isn’t feasible, which is why we worked with Iceland to create a range of ready meals that are nutritious as well as convenient - with no artificial preservatives, emulsifiers, or added sugars.

Thanks for the suggestion ribbonola - we'll definitely looking into it

Thanks Unbeleevable - all great suggestions!