Healthy and easy Meal ideas!

[mumofone]

I'm looking for healthy and easy meal ideas for lunches and dinners to provide children with, any good ones?

Also I was thinking of providing a free lunch snacks and drinks but do you generally charge for dinners? I thought I may need to because these would be significant costs otherwise, what's the 'done' thing?

[Sammy Jo T]

I'm looking for healthy and easy meal ideas for lunches and dinners to provide children with, any good ones?

Also I was thinking of providing a free lunch snacks and drinks but do you generally charge for dinners? I thought I may need to because these would be significant costs otherwise, what's the 'done' thing?


I luuuuuuurve Annabel Karmel recipes so have incorporated some of those in my menus. I cook all my daughters meals from scratch and still batch cook and freeze so intending to do that on a larger scale. :)

[FloraDora]

Only provide breakfast, snacks and lunch. All gone by latest 5.30 plenty of time for parents to eat with their children...never been a 4.30/5 dinner person......always ate at 6/6.30 with my family ...always worked full time...it worked for us. My parents put meals in slow cookers- not me.
If a LO is late and still here when we eat our evening meal( usually 7/7.30 then they are welcome to share). I have juggled early eating which means quick, instant sauces, fuel rather than gourmet.....verses take time, fresh ingredients, put music on, enjoy preparing together, all healthy no packets etc... The latter wins. Of course I have no children living at home and DH and I are happily married for 37 years.....we love cooking together.

My LO's have various 'fussiness', one eats all veg, no fruit, one eats fruit, no veg, none are great meat eaters if not wrapped in breadcrumbs, potatoe are hit and miss, pasta liked by some, not others, none are big sandwich fans, all love crackers cheese spread only, no cheese, one likes tuna others never, all like DH fish goujons. And olives!!.... .it goes on . So , our menus are very much planned so that all will like something and try something, leads to a mix of interesting ideas for a lunch!! Not a menu that would suit everyone.

DH made chicken and veg Cornish pasties 3 weeks ago , little mini ones, children loved them for lunch...had them again today...all eaten with enthusiasm. They are a winner with all!!... Pity they can't just eat these and fish gujons and olives everyday!!!!

[mumofone]

I luuuuuuurve Annabel Karmel recipes so have incorporated some of those in my menus. I cook all my daughters meals from scratch and still batch cook and freeze so intending to do that on a larger scale. :)

Thanks Sammy, have you got a particular annabel Karmel recipe book you use? I currently use her baby recipes for my 7 month old but would be no good for toddlers!

[Sammy Jo T]

Thanks Sammy, have you got a particular annabel Karmel recipe book you use? I currently use her baby recipes for my 7 month old but would be no good for toddlers!

I use quite a few from her weaning book actually an adapt them for the family. Things like the chicken and apricot curry and cod with butternut squash and cheese sauce are a favourite.

I also cook from this book which is fab and again can be adapted for the whole family. Have included a few meals from this in my menu too:


Easy Indian Supermeals for Babies, Toddlers and the Family: Amazon.co.uk: Zainab Jagot Ahmed: 9780992964306: Books (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Indian-Supermeals-Babies-Toddlers-Family/dp/099296430X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423691095&sr=1-1&keywords=indian+toddler)

[AliceK]

I have always included all meals in my hourly rates. If a child is here for the meal time they get the meal, breakfast, hot lunch, cold tea. Many parents have commented on how providing all meals is such a bonus for them and they seem to appreciate it. It was a pain when I was doing a cold lunch and hot tea but after I found out that nutritionally a child should have their hot meal at lunchtime and I swapped it is a lot easier now.

xxx

[mumofone]

I have always included all meals in my hourly rates. If a child is here for the meal time they get the meal, breakfast, hot lunch, cold tea. Many parents have commented on how providing all meals is such a bonus for them and they seem to appreciate it. It was a pain when I was doing a cold lunch and hot tea but after I found out that nutritionally a child should have their hot meal at lunchtime and I swapped it is a lot easier now. xxx

Thanks Alice, what kind of things do you serve up for your hot lunches and cold teas?

[AliceK]

Thanks Alice, what kind of things do you serve up for your hot lunches and cold teas?

This week so far they've had for lunch: Fish Pie with veg, HM Pizza's, Cheese & Onion Pie, and Lasagne.
For tea they've had: Chicken pitta, Cheese and assorted crackers, Toasted muffins, Cheese on Toast. All served with veg batons, assorted fruit and yogurt with maybe a piece of cake after on some days.

It's so much easier to do a hot lunch as I have more time. After the PM school run not only are there more children but if we get in at 3.40pm and I have children starting to go home at 5pm then tea needs to be on the table by 4.15 latest so it's too much rushing around. If it's a cold tea I can do it within 10 mins with a bit of forward prep.

xx

[mumofone]

This week so far they've had for lunch: Fish Pie with veg, HM Pizza's, Cheese & Onion Pie, and Lasagne. For tea they've had: Chicken pitta, Cheese and assorted crackers, Toasted muffins, Cheese on Toast. All served with veg batons, assorted fruit and yogurt with maybe a piece of cake after on some days. It's so much easier to do a hot lunch as I have more time. After the PM school run not only are there more children but if we get in at 3.40pm and I have children starting to go home at 5pm then tea needs to be on the table by 4.15 latest so it's too much rushing around. If it's a cold tea I can do it within 10 mins with a bit of forward prep. xx

Thanks AliceK :-) Out of interest dyou know where it's quoted that a hot meal is best served at lunch than dinner?

[AliceK]

Thanks AliceK :-) Out of interest dyou know where it's quoted that a hot meal is best served at lunch than dinner?

. Have a look at The Childrens Food Trust, Eat Better Start Better. They advise that the majority of a young childs nutritional needs should come from the lunch time meal. Childrens Food Trust | Pre-school (http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/pre-school)

xxx

[mumofone]

. Have a look at The Childrens Food Trust, Eat Better Start Better. They advise that the majority of a young childs nutritional needs should come from the lunch time meal. Childrens Food Trust | Pre-school (http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/pre-school) xxx

Cool, thanks so much AliceK :-) I best get reading :-)

[mumofone]

This week so far they've had for lunch: Fish Pie with veg, HM Pizza's, Cheese & Onion Pie, and Lasagne. For tea they've had: Chicken pitta, Cheese and assorted crackers, Toasted muffins, Cheese on Toast. All served with veg batons, assorted fruit and yogurt with maybe a piece of cake after on some days. It's so much easier to do a hot lunch as I have more time. After the PM school run not only are there more children but if we get in at 3.40pm and I have children starting to go home at 5pm then tea needs to be on the table by 4.15 latest so it's too much rushing around. If it's a cold tea I can do it within 10 mins with a bit of forward prep. xx

Do you class a "hot meal" as literally anything served warm? Or more a classic traditional meal?

Ie. Would a toasted sandwich (served warm/hot) be considered a hot meal?!

[AliceK]

Do you class a "hot meal" as literally anything served warm? Or more a classic traditional meal?

Ie. Would a toasted sandwich (served warm/hot) be considered a hot meal?!

No to me that would be a light meal which I would do PM, my hot lunches are proper meals.

xxx