As a busy mum with a constantly hungry toddler, I always find myself going back to pasta time and time again as a staple meal for her. So I thought I would share my reasons why it’s such a great food to have in your cupboard when you have a little one.
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It’s quick: Pasta cooks in around ten minutes and when you have a hungry toddler who wants feeding, you can’t afford something that takes a long time to prepare. Mix in some chopped tomatoes, herbs and grated cheese and you have yourself a quick and easy dish to satisfy the grumbliest of tummies.
It can be eaten cold or warm: Great for dinners but you can also batch cook it, leave it to cool and pop it in their lunch box for nursery or give it to them at lunch time after a minute in the microwave.
It’s filling: If your toddler is a snacker (and let’s face it- most of them are), pasta might just help them to get through until dinner time without filling up on snacks.
It’s versatile: There are many toddler friendly ways to make pasta- with a tomato sauce, macaroni cheese, chopped up sausages, tuna and mayo- there are so many variations your little one won’t get bored. Plus you can add as many or as few ingredients as you like to pasta, so if your toddler is picky, you can add it to only the things they really enjoy, even if that means making it plain, with some other veggie sticks to accompany.
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It’s cheap: If you were to buy pre-packaged toddler meals, it would cost you a fortune, whereas you can pick up a large bag of pasta for around a pound which will last you several meals so it’s budget friendly.
It’s great finger food: Fusilli and Penne are the perfect shape for little fingers so if your toddler is still not comfortable using their cutlery, this type of pasta can be easily picked up and eaten with their hands.
It’s family friendly: You won’t have to make a separate meal for your toddler and one for the rest of the family. A big batch of pasta can be enjoyed by the whole family, so you can enjoy it together, without the need for cooking twice.
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