need help with healthier food ideas!

[DoubleK]

ok, i hate to admit this to people, but i am the most unhealthiest person i know, i dont eat ANY vegies (mashed potato maybe once a week) and i live on chocolate and biscuits.. i also dont eat meat - apart from chicken schnitzel & minced beef for pasta.. and thats about it!

im starting to worry krystal will follow my path.. DP eats steak every night, usually with peas & mash/chips... that is about as good as our eating gets.

i need some help with little meals i can make and freeze for krystal, as she tends to refuse steak & chicken...

i have no idea how to make casseroles or anything else for that matter! but i need to learn!

what can i make with lots of vegies in it, thats healthy and appealing!

[maddysmummy]

a pasta bake with chicken and vegies???

[Phteven]

Rachy, do you have a SC? They're a mum's best friend because you can just chuck meat, veges and all in one pot and at the end of the day dinner's ready.
Here are a couple of threads for you
Slow Cooker Chatter #18
Slow Cooker Recipes

Stir-fries are a quick easy way to cook up some meat and veges.

[Lucy]

Rach, my advice would be to get yourself into a Newsagent and buy a copy of Super Food Ideas.....the majoity of the recipes in the magazine are great nutritionally, appeticing, using all "normal" ingrediaents available from the supermarket, and are budget concious.

Or also in the newsagent: have a look at the Womens Weekly cook books (they are only about $12 each, and all the recipes are triple tested & so they always work, and they are simple)....there is one called "Healthy Eating" which has great everyday meals in it that I would really recommend.

There is also another one called Fresh Food for Babies & Toddlers which is great.......it has loads of fast and nutricious meals that are perfect for families.......

Good luck.........

[MantaRay]

I agree that with Lucy that some suitable cook books would be a big help. The sort of things I like to do for the boys (and that they like to eat) are pasta bolognaise (you can put in any or all of tomatoes, capsicums, zucchini, mushrooms, finely sliced carrots, onion etc), zucchini slice / quiche / (you can put in zucchini, carrot, onion, corn, and/or peas), vegie bake is a good suggestion, also noodle/stir fry dishes are great, mild curry (small bits of meat and cook for ages so they are tender, tomato, potato, beans, pumpkin, brocolli, cauliflower, capsicum etc), spanish omelette as a quick option, tuna or salmon patties and you can add corn if you like (and serve with a salad) and casseroles are great. I'm sure I've missed heaps of things, but hopefully that gives you some ideas. I find the idea is to start with a simple recipe and just add to it. After a while it becomes much easier to ad lib. Good luck!

[Taia's Mum]

A slow cooker would definatly help you I think! It's so quick and easy and my god it makes daily life with a child so much better! I find it's easier to get vegis into DH by putting them in a casserole.

I used to have a crap diet and hardly ate any veg because they took sooo long to prepair and cook! So now I get the frozen ones that you bung in the microwave and steam them in a bag! I also eat a lot of chicken so I often buy some chicken steaks (97% fat free) from the frozen section in the supermarket, do the microwave veg and then just put a packet gravy over the top! Healthy and really quick and really tasty!

Goodluck!

[Netix]

Rachy, I have just suggested two books in another food chatter, and I would suggest that you try to get at least one of those books. Krystal will follow in the eating habits of yourself and DP, so if you have to prepare two different meals for you two already, she might want you to prepare her something different again.
I really don't to sound like I'm telling you off, because I definitely am not.
I think you should find a way to change what you eat. Do you live on biscuits and chocolate because you can't cook? (You don't have to tell me the answer). Go and explore your local greengrocers (not in the supermarkets!), and butchers.... See what fine food they have to offer you. Go to the library and flick through cookbooks on everything from casseroles to pasta, maybe avoiding the ones of cakes and wicked desserts. As much as I love sweet things and desserts, sugar alone cannot sustain us.
My little girl is almost ten months old, and she eats what we eat. Everything, even spicy food. I haven't bought any baby food for months. Create healthy eating habits for Krystal, but firstly, for yourself. And you will feel better for it.
I hardly ever make casseroles, but they are not difficult. Pasta and rice are all the go in this little black duck's house, but we do have the occasional stew and peasant style food. European habits die hard We eat a fair bit of steak, and chicken. Often , we have pasta, veg, and meat. Not pasta as in spag bol, but the Continental pasta and Sauce ones (be it continental/san remo/coles or safeway brands, even aldi have their own), with a heap of veges thrown in once it has started to boil again. Between the Man, the Boy, myself, and bub, we cook up two pasta packets, and at least two cups worth of veg, usually frozen peas, corn and beans. Its not hard.
Goodness, I seem to have rabbitted on. And I didn't tell you how to make a casserole! My apologies. But do get yourself on of these books, or anything similar.

[lilima]

I highly recommend the book
365 Recipes for Babies, Toddlers and Children by Bridget Wardley and Judy More.
It is great!

[DoubleK]

thanks girls!

netix, i cant cook! well i can make my own schnitzel & pasta, thats about it! my DP does all the cooking! (bless him!) but i would be happy to learn!

i will get myself some cookbooks and give it a go!!

[Beach Mama]

Try the taste.com.au website too - they have great recipes that are all sources from Super Food Ideas, Vogue Cooking and a few others - and the best bit is they are free! If you register you can save and recipes you like into your cookbook online and go back to it - and if you type in ingrediants you have it will match up recipes for you!
Good luck!