Sandwich ideas for nursery

[Blankiefan]

9mo DD is doing well with weaning, 3 meals per days - a mix of AK type recipes or whatever we've had. All of her meals during the week are at nursery (which we provide).

We're conquering texture well after some great advice here, I've been adding Cous Cous to loads of her purees for texture and am pureeing less thoroughly now.

I'm a bit worried tho that she's now getting enough carbs. As we tend to eat microwaved pouches of rice with most dinners, I'm not comfortable keeping a portion to reheat (as it'd be rice re-heated twice which doesn't seem safe to me). Because of this, she often doesn't get a portion of carbohydrate with every meal. It seems a huge faff to start boiling 8 pieces of pasta on top of all the other work to prep meals... I feel a bit tied to my cooker and freezer but would rather give her homemade meals.

She gets carbs with breakfast (either porridge or weetabix and the nursery give her toast) and the Cous Cous usually in one of her two main meals. She has a couple of portions of fruit and there's always a couple of rice cakes per day but I think her diet lacks finger foods (and therefore carbs)

I'm considering changing her lunch to sandwiches but what can I put in them to add variety across the week? Also, something that's practical to be made in advance (so, not avacado that would go yucky) and not be a huge amount of work in the morning (happy to assemble sandwiches before the nursery run but I don't want to start boiling eggs in the morning, etc)

So far, I'm thinking - cream cheese, but then what?

I know I'm over-thinking this but please let me know what you do.... TIA

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

There are some great suggestions here. Just try to make sure you use white bread at this age. It's not essential but whole wheat isn't recommended at this age.

If you want to up her carbs try these for a weekend breakfast and they freeze well too.

These have always been a firm favourite with my DC too

[Sengi]

Sandwich ideas: grated cheese, cold meat eg shredded chicken, mashed hard boiled egg, tinned salmon/tuna/sardines, hummous. I also use any odds and ends of purées on toast or as a dip for breadsticks etc.

For carbs, cook a batch of pasta/rice/mash and freeze in baby sized portions (I use a silicone muffin tray, then put in a freezer bag when frozen) so you've always got something to pull out of the freezer.

[3boys3dogshelp]

Boil eggs while cooking dinner then make into sandwiches in the morning.
Baby pasta stars only take a couple of minutes to cook and are a good step up from cous cous.
Piece of bread and butter as finger food alogside puree.
Cook potato in microwave then scoop out and mash with puree.
Agree re not reheating rice but pasta (with sauce on) reheats fine.
Try not to cook special meals too much, best for her to have your food as much as possible really. I exhausted myself making ak purees for ds1. No time with ds2 he had what we were having and he is a far better eater now. Ds3 is 9 months. So far this week he's had thai green chicken curry, pasta and meatballs, steak and salad and chilli. Just has the meat chopped and has baby pasta so I don't have to chop penne.

[Blankiefan]

Great ideas - thanks loads.

Sengi - does pasta freeze ok?

[Blankiefan]

Thanks 3boys - I forgot about baby pasta. I've got a bag in the cupboard!

[Mrsgrumble]

I don't know if you are a fan of using the freezer but I cook meals for our DS of similar age and freeze.

Courgette, peppers, passatta and lentils with pasta
Stew and potatoes
Shepards pie
Leek and potato
Cheese and brocollo and potato

[Sengi]

Yes pasta freezes fine. Either microwave with sauce, or just pour over boiling water to reheat from frozen.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Yep pasta freezes fine. We often make 2 lasagnes at a time and stick one in the freezer

Don't nursery provide lunches at all?

[willowisp]

Just wanted to add the white bread. No one told me & as a result my dd suffered horrifically with constipation for months.

Oat cereal for brekkie is good.

I would add cucumber & carrot sticks too. Get lots of flavors in, homemade mackerel pâté is good - smoked salmon, coronation chicken.