quick dinner ideas for toddler?

Question

I always cook dinner from scratch but most of my recipies take 2 hrs plus to cook.I would like some ideas that take 30mis or so so that we are free to go out in the afternoon more.I would like the ideas to be from scratch with no processed food. Thanks x

not pbj thats junk food and we don't have that in the UK thanks

Answer 1

grab some chicken breasts/thighs and cut them into long thick strips like chicken nuggets. Crumb them in flour/egg/breadcrumbs and bake in oven for about 15mins. in meantime, cook and mash some potato/sweet potato/pumpkin and whack some peas and corn into a saucepan or microwave and serve a delicious toddler friendly meal in less than 30mins. not bad for mum and dad either.

get some pita pockets/mountain bread/burritos and cover with tomato paste or bbq sauce. Cut up various vegetables like cooked chicken, mushroom, tomato, bacon/ham, pineapple, capsicum and let him spread over 'pizza' base. top with grated cheese and bake in oven. You can use any ingredients you like for homemade mini pizza's. I even use english muffins as the base because they are small.

Get some long crusty hot dog bread rolls. cut open down the centre. fill with salad of choice and cooked chicken breast. top with dressing of choice like bbq sauce or mayonaise. Healthy and easy to eat. especially nice on hot summer days.

I don't know how you feel about little sausages but i also wrap the little ones in filo pastry with grated cheese and bake in the oven till crispy and browned. serve with a side salad and home made garlic bread.

hope that helps you out. It also sounds like you could do with a Slow Cooker or Crockpot. You can throw in all the ingredients in the morning and turn it to low and by the evening its all cooked. I make things like stuffed capsicums, roasts, casseroles and soups in there and its so easy and less time consuming but we all get healthy and delicious meals.

best of luck

Answer 2

I often do a chicken breast or fish in the oven which only takes 15-20 mins. Whilst that is cooking put on some new potatoes which take about 25 mins and with 10 mins to go steam carrots and 5 mins add brocolli to the steamer. All done in half an hour.

Can you not feed him what you eat then you can cook both meals at once. I nearly always do this so if I do shephards pie or fish pie for instance, I will make a little pot for the kids (try using a ramekin dish) and put ours in another dish. You can then cook the pie when the person is ready to eat it. This freezes well as well.

How about spagetti bolognese, you can cook the meat (just brown the meat and add onions garlic tomatoes courgettes and mushrooms and tomato puree and herbs then bring to boil and shove in the oven) slowly in the oven whilst you are out for the afternoon and then just do the spagetti when you get back. I would serve that with frozen peas (which I think are better than fresh as the nutrients are better preserved).

Answer 3

One of the best things to do is make a little extra when you cook and feeze them in individual size containers. I do this for my husband and son because I always work through the dinner hour. They open the freezer and see 10 different choices and are usually quite excited. Most things freeze well. If you're doing pasta undercook it just a little so that the microwave doesn't overcook them and make them mushy.

Second, invest in a slow cooker. Whether it's a roast beef, chili, tomato sauce or soup, it's super easy to put everything in one pot in the morning and have dinner ready at 5! An extra bonus about slow cookers... they make all meat super moist so you can buy cheaper cuts of meat and it'll turn out amazing. It's actually kind of a waste to put a super good piece of meat into a slow cooker.

Third, if you're doing dinner just for your toddler you can have a little fun. Toddlers rarely eat a completely balanced meal and diet every day. That's perfectly fine as long as over a whole week, they are meeting their recommended diet. So the kids think it's super fun if once a week or every two weeks you have a fun night with dinner. Feed them cheese pieces, cherrios, fruit, grated carrots, anything they can eat with their fingers and all by themselves. They'll eat it all up and not even realise it because it doesn't feel like they're eating dinner.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

The first thing is meal planning. Cooking and prep ahead make a huge difference. Cook extra rice when you make it one night, boil a few more potatoes for mashed, potato pancake, shepherd's pie, etc later in the week. Cook some extra chicken, steak, etc for putting in wraps or on pizzas etc.

Invest in a crock pot (slow cooker, not sure what you call them in England) where the ceramic part can go in the fridge. Then you can get everything ready ahead of time and just pop it in the cooker in the morning.

Asian noodles -cook in 1-5 minutes. You can get lots of whole grain varieties as well. Stir fry some veggies and throw them over top, add some thinly sliced meat if you want or just toss in an egg. You can use bottled sauces if you want, or make your own. Remember just because it is asian noodles doesn't mean it has to be an asian sauce. And herb, etc will help. You can cheat and buy the frozen veg mixes that have things like bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. Frozen veg are just as healthy as fresh.

Spaghetti squash with red sauce, just as easy as making spaghetti (and just as messy) but healthier.

Lentils -an overlooked food. Lentils cook in no time at all, there are tonnes of varieties and a million ways to use them. I even put pureed lentils in my muffins some times for added protein.

Pizza. There are lots of things you can do for the crust -tortilla, pitas, english muffins, or you can make your own pizza dough and either keep it in the fridge (I think it keeps for about a week) or freeze it after rolling it flat. Remember it doesn't always have to be tomato sauce on pizza either. Or call it flatbread ;)

Get a mandolin (not the kind that makes music) it makes veg prep a lot easier.

Make casseroles ahead of time. If its just the two of you buy some small casserole dishes the right size. Make a regular recipe (or double) and freeze the rest.

Answer 5

Steamed vegetables and a ground turkey patty.
Cheese cubes and whole wheat crackers with raw vegetables.
Cooked apples, frozen and cooked peas with mashed potatoes (instant).
Tofu cubes with rice and carrots.

Those are just a few of the things my step son ate that were quick and easy. Also, you could make food for the whole week on sunday and freeze it. It's really easy to do because you can cook two to three meals at one time and then divide them so you can have them frozen for those days you don't have time to cook. Just set them out in the morning to defrost.

Answer 6

Potato with mince beef, very quick. Chicken Mince patties are great and cook so quick. You can add whatever vegetable you like to the mince and grill or shallow fry, serve with Salad.
Tuna Patties, or salmon. Or No meat; just steam lots of veggies and mash. Omelet is good (as long as there are no known allergies) Cut up a small chicken fillet, coat with breadcrumbs and cook on baking paper in frying pan, serve with fresh salsa finely diced, like; Tomato, celery, cucumber, lime and coriander. Fruit Salad, whatever fruits are in season chop into small pieces and mix together. I always had fun making things up for my children and they were always quick and easy, yet nutritious. Buy a children's cooking book, some great ideas in there as well. :-)

Answer 7

Do you have a crockpot (or slow cooker)? It does all the cooking for you. You can search online for good recipes, or get a slow cooker cookbook.
You can try the website www.kraftfoods.com for some simple ideas. You can substitute anything processed with the real version.
The easiest dinner I make is chicken, broccoli, and pasta.
-Cut skinless boneless chicken breast into bite size pieces, marinate in italian dressing
-Trim and wash broccoli, mince some garlic
-Put a big pot of boiling water on
-saute the chicken over medium-high heat
-cook pasta according to directions on box (I use whole grain pasta)
-saute garlic in a bit of olive oil, add the broccoli and saute a bit longer
-Put all three in one bowl, add a bit more dressing and grated parm. cheese if desired

Answer 8

Spaghetti Bolognese
Mild Chilli - you can cook the rice when you arrive home.
Home made burgers - you make them before you go out, then cook them when you arrive home - serve with baked potato and whatever vegetables you like.
Stews
Chops - brown a pork or lamb chop in frying pan. Put it into the casserole dish with some onion and carrot, add a stock cube, cover with water and cook on low for however long you want.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

quick dinner ideas toddler