Let’s face it – family life is hectic. So when it comes to making sure our children are eating well, things can sometimes get a bit hairy.
As a mum of three, I run the mealtime gauntlet every week. My children – who are aged between three and seven – are cyclically “on” or “off” certain foods.
The trouble is, I never know when their tastes are going to change.
One day my toddler may be happily munching his way through all of the tomatoes on his plate. The next, it’s: “I not like dat mato.”
My eldest won’t go within sniffing distance of a strawberry, while her younger sister cannot bear to hear the word banana.
They are all different. We are all different. So, my question is – how do you do it at home?
Can you help?
I am on a mission to discover how families living in our area tackle mealtime madness.
Are there any tips we can share with other readers to make life that bit easier?
Whether your children are one or 21, most parents or carers will have experienced that frustration or lack of inspiration when the words “I don’t liiiiike that” are uttered at the dinner table.
Anyone who has broken bread with a toddler will know you never get everything right.
It could be upset at the colour of the crockery, the temperature of the milk… or just that weird stringy bit on a banana.
And what of the heavy feeling that comes over you when you’re planning out the weekly shop? Raisins, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli – will any of this pass their lips or will they simply request “chocolate” and be done with it?
What’s your favourite family meal?
I also have a theory that families have at least one or two failsafe dishes in the mealtime repertoire that everyone will eat.
To kick off my mission, I am sharing my recipe. It’s tomato and pepper chicken – a simple dish that can even be adapted to suit different tastes and dietary requirements.
I tend to cook up a pot for the five of us and serve it with rice. If I have a little more time, I heat some mini wraps, grate some cheese and slice up some avocado.
It’s so versatile it can even be eaten with baked potato or pasta.
It doesn’t contain salt and it can also be batch cooked and frozen for convenience.
Sharing is caring
I hope that by sharing this meal it might help other families expand their menu options.
My goal is to build a collection of tips and recipes for our readers to try out so I would love to hear from you about how you tackle mealtimes and the go-to recipes you cook up at home for your families.
Recipe: Tomato and pepper chicken
Serves 4/5
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika (unsmoked)
- 1 pepper of your choosing, diced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 500g chicken breast, diced
- 500g passata
- Black pepper, to season
Optional:
- Fresh coriander (chopped) or dried leaves
Method
- In a pan or casserole dish, heat the oil and fry the onion over a medium heat. Once it’s beginning to soften, sprinkle over the paprika and allow it to coat and sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Next, add the pepper and cook for a minute or so until softened.
- Stir in the ground coriander and cumin (if it’s a bit dry, add an extra slug of oil – but be careful not to pour in too much!) Coat the vegetables and stir for a minute or two so that the flavours are released. Don’t allow the onion and peppers to burn.
- Next, tip in the diced chicken breast. Ensure the meat is browned on all sides but not cooked through.
- Pour in the passata (you can also use a tin of chopped tomatoes, but the sauce may take longer to reduce) and bring to the boil.
- Season with black pepper, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through, stirring from time to time.
- If required, add in some water while cooking. And, if you wish the sauce thicker, simmer with the lid off for some of the time.
- If you are using fresh coriander, this can be sprinkled on top just before serving. If it is dried, I usually add it in 2-3 minutes before serving.
- Serve with rice, pasta, mini wraps – whatever works!
