Life pre-Bean, I must admit, was mainly fuelled by frozen meals and jarred pasta/Chinese/indian sauces. It wasn't that we couldn't cook; more that after a full day at work we just didn't have the inclination. All we wanted was something quick, easy, and which could cook itself while we relaxed with a cup of tea in front of something relevant like Come Dine With Me (!).
Now, however, there's salt and sugar content to think of, and proper nutrition. In other words, there's a reason to cook. So cook I do, despite the fact that each day I've probably done more work whilst at home than I ever did in my paid job!
A family favourite from my childhood - chicken, mushroom & pineapple with rice.
Of course cooking in itself is only one part of the equation. There's the shopping that goes with it. Suddenly I need to understand how to cook different vegetables; I need herbs, spices and a host of other "ingredients" in the house, and I need to remember to use things within a few days (we currently have some very soft, green-ish used-to-be-potatoes lurking in our vegetable hopper). And yet despite the culinary world that has now opened up to us, the answer to this age-old question of what to eat is still:
"Don't know really. We've not got much in."
It's rarely true; there's usually plenty in! But it's usually things to make pasta with as that is Bean's (and mine, to be honest) preferred meal. But Bean's Daddy insists that we need more variety than tomato & beef pasta one day and creamy chicken pasta the next. Shame really.
No, our big problem now is that Bean doesn't eat most of the things that make up our diet! She's not a fan of cereal (even the infamous Rice Krispies are being eschewed at present), nor bread; rice she struggles with, she eats very little meat and has to be in the mood for cheese. And this is what she does to sandwiches:
So...... Our meal options are generally as follows:
- Breakfast - fruit & yoghurt, scrambled egg and ham, onion or cinnamon & raisin bagel with cream cheese (1 small piece), and sometimes a few spoons of unsuitable sugared cereal.
- Lunch - wraps (nibbles a bit and then UNwraps), any of the above breakfast options or below dinner options, sometimes a sandwich (usually if we're out), plus snack things.
- Dinner - pasta, mild curry, peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, fish/fish fingers/fish cakes, chips, pizza-type things, salads, prawn crackers, garlic & naan breads. Then yoghurt, fruit, rice pudding etc for dessert.
Doesn't look too bad written down, but it's not even enough for a different option a day and, as she gets bored of having something all the time and so starts rejecting it, our options narrow. As of today, however, Bean discovered dipping (by stealing Mummy's ketchup :-0 ):
...so humus and crudities will be going on the to-be-tried list :-)
So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to give me ideas! (Please!!!) Write them as comments below and between us we should get some great menus going.
Have you tried various legumes? A great easy recipe is lentils. Soak them overnight to soften them up. When you cook them add pureed garlic, onion and a dash of olive oil. The health benefits are too numerous to post. :) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMmmm, sounds yummy! I've used lentils once or twice but not as the main part of a meal. Is it something that could be easily eaten with hands as LO hasn't quite mastered cutlery yet?
DeleteHi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteYou can also boil lentils after soaking overnight and then mix it with flour to make a thick dough. You may make pancakes out of the dough and serve with different sauces or vegetable curry. Even if your child have a pancake made of lentil, then he is getting many of the nutrients available in the wheat flour and lentil. You may also try a thick soup out of lentils and add sauteed vegetables to the soup for enhanced nutrition. Add spices/ herbs as per your taste.
I'd definitely like to give the pancakes a try! What's the ratio of lentils to flour, or what consistency should the dough be? How do you cook them and is plain white flour ok or should it be whole wheat? Questions questions questions! :-)
ReplyDeleteWe make our own pizza at home, which goes over very well. We also do pancakes and I often make muffins that include lots of veggies, such as zucchini or carrot muffins. They go over quite well with my little ones. This post is full of recipes, many that parents use to add variety and new foods into their family's diets. http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2012/09/meatless-monday-eating-alphabet-from-z.html - You could also try spaghetti squash (my youngest loves it) in place of pasta or make lasagna with zucchini instead of pasta. Good luck and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that link! I shall definitely check that out :-) I'm intrigued by spaghetti squash.....
Deletehave you tried pitta bread minipizzas make circles then smear tomato puree on top and add whatever u fancy like cheese, mushroom sweetcorn etc
ReplyDeleteI've tried pizza slices using bread, which didn't go down well! But Bean quite likes pitta bread so maybe that would be more popular :-)
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