Struggling with Dinner Ideas: Seeking Easy, Kid-Friendly Meals for a Busy Schedule

[emilye22]

Wack a can of baked beans, a can of timned chopped tomatoes, a packet of sausages and a splash of Worcester sauce in to a slow cooker and cook on low for like 4-6 hours (90 minutes to 2 hours in a casserole dish in the over but unless you have one that deals really well add half a can of water). Use a timer on the slow cooker if you won’t be home so it comes on 4-6 hours (the length of time will depend on how long yours takes to heat up, the manual should be able to tell you, my old one was 6 hours my newer one is about 5, but honestly you can put them on for 6 and it won’t get dry or anything and I often do).
I usually serve with jacket potatoes with I either do in the over if I’m home or in my older slow cooker (wrap the potatoes in foil, shove them in the slow cooker and cook for the day on low) or mashed potatoes.
It’s super easy. And really warming. Plus most kids will happily eat it. I sometimes put a bit of grated cheese on top..
If there is 2 adults you may want to add another 1/2-1 can of beans. I have a teenage boy so I use 2 cans of beans, 1 of tinned toms and a pack of 12 sausages. It’s usually demolished by the 4 of us with just enough left for me for lunch the following day (it’s really good in a roll for brunch)

 

[damian1]

I’m same, one of my sons is vegetarian and the other is a veg dodger, they never have any suggestions of what they might want. It’s a nightmare. Can’t help really, but you’re not alone

 

[ineedjesus7]

www.simplycook.com

 

[lordisgood]

I make lots of different meals inspired by countries all over the world.
But my families favourite dinner is breaded chicken with rice and katsu sauce lol

 

[healihealiheal]

If I was you I would get the kids to write down meals that they will eat and then meal plan for the week. This is what I do. I dpnt have money to waste on food so if my son doesn't like what I've cooked, I remind him that he gave me the list of his favourite dinners and it's that or nothing. He soon changed his tune xx

 

[sepiaanddust]

Contact the school ask for their menus and replicate different weeks of it if they eat those dinners x

 

[kaseyd82]

Cereal. Cereal is acceptable at all meal times

 

[mark1976]

@kaseyd82 many a night I get fed up with fussiness. Cereal is a top option here.

 

[kaseyd82]

@mark1976 cereal when you're late home, cereal when you CBA, cereal as a treat night. Give them a satsuma for pudding and it's a balanced meal right?

 

[prechard]

Jacket potatoes / tuna pasta salad / chicken stir fry / egg and beans on toast / sausages or fishfingers and chips / pizza and salad / spaghetti and sauce / tacos / salmon and potato salad

 

[sophiaaihpos]

I chuck what I like in the slow cooker while I'm making something for the kids so it doesn't feel like I'm making 2 meals I put it on high and I cook a chili etc in about 2hrs. My son is rather starve than eat territory so he has what he likes and everyone happy

 

[grebotto]

I meal plan. I spend less on food as i only but what i need plus we dont waste anything. If they get hot meal in school something simple (toasted sandwich, wrap, porridge, soup) is enough. My daughter lives off toasted tortilla wrap with cheese in it and porridge
Mashed potatoes, mashed baked fish fingers, mix it, put it in an ovenproof dish and cheese on top - bake until cheese melts
Tortilla wrap with cheese, ham, bacon etc in. Fold it in half and fry both sides until cheese melts (i use fry light to fry)
Tomatoes, carrots, pepper, onion, garlic etc. With some water and passata and spices in a blender to make a sauce. Pasta, sauce and cheese (add mince if you want but you dont even need that)
Jam on toast (our new favourite)
I always have some crackers at home and apples, grapes etc so if anything else fails it is crackers, cheese and fruit
My daughter is 4 and a very fussy eater. I dont know how she survives on the amount of food she eats. I feel your pain, she will just not eat anything at home i cook and i am not a bad cook. But eats everything in school / brekkie club strange kid

 

[joshbutcher]

I love cooking so may not be the best person to give advice but here are some of the things on our rotation (no separate menu for the kids)
- risotto (we like mushroom but could be any)
- salmon with new potatoes and veg
- halloumi and tsatskiki wrap
- chicken and leek pie
- mild veg curry with rice
- fajitas (chicken, beef)
- homemade pizza (we make the dough but you could by the base and just do toppings)
- Spagetti Bolognese (I replace half the pasta with zoodles to get more veg into their diet

 

[solvalou44]

My kids can be fussy sometimes, I started to sit down with them and plan a week at a time their dinners. I get them to choose what they want and then I do my shopping weekly to the dinners they choose, no wastage then and then u kinda no what’s for dinner everyday. Their fav meal is pasta bake with sausages, takes 40 mins and very minimal preparation. We also have a pizza night every Friday but they make their own pizzas, ready made bases and the toppings of their choice, plus they enjoy making it

 

[debbie23]

Mayflower chicken curry, rice and veg goes down well in this house. Also sausage, mash veg and gravy or beans/spaggehtti (I have chicken sausages, they are normal), pasta (some with sauce, some with grated cheese through it) or with meatballs, pizza (can choose toppings), roast dinner with various things they like. Jacket potatoes (various fillings) I also batch cook things I like, so don't always have to cook from scratch each night.

 

[4n6theology]

Ask the school for their menus, My kids school do 2 weekly menus so I’d alternate them. If schools on wk 1, cook week 2 at home?

 

[joshdolern]

Take the kids shopping, they have to choose their dinners, 3/4 items per plate and has to include a veg or salad...mine goes between a broccoli or cucumber

 

[sirtaxedalot]

@joshdolern I’ll choose the broccoli x

 

[faithfulsteward7]

We do a lot of pinch of nom recipes, a few staples I know they eat Bolegnese and macaroni cheese. Trying to do a beg night each week to eat more. Always eat separate from the kids on a friday so we can do a fake away they won't eat

 

[classictvshowsfan]

I use Hello fresh for 3 meals a week, I let my daughter choose 2 of the meals she likes, it comes with everything in the right measurements so no waste and there are lots of options to choose from