Little Dish Beef & Spinach Cannelloni

In a perfect world, impeccably-groomed and constantly good-humoured mums resembling a scarily-faultless cross between a Stepford Wife and Bree from Desperate Housewives would spend all day lovingly preparing homemade baby food packed with organic fruit and vegetables. Then their little cherubs, contentedly goo-goo-ga-ga-ing and counting their chubby little toes while it all is all being prepared, would happily eat every last spoonful of vitamin-filled goodness before dozing off for a nice long nap.

However, in the real world, most mums are juggling other equally important stuff like jobs and older siblings and housework and don't always have the time or energy to cook toddler meals from scratch. Or their slightly less cherubic little ones are screaming the house down because they're hungry and tired and don't want to wait for food to be prepared. Or mum is at her wit's end because she can't get her fussy toddler to devour anything that has even stood next to a fruit or vegetable.

Well, there's no need to feel guilty ! Little Dish toddler food is basically homemade food that isn't homemade ! OK, that's a slight exaggeration but as they say : "There’s nothing in our food that you wouldn’t find in your own kitchen. We only use 100% natural ingredients and never add salt or sugar. We create every recipe in partnership with our nutritionist, and each Little Dish is taste tested by a team of tiny tasters before we let it out of the kitchen." That taste-test is all important - it may be good for them but it also has to taste good, otherwise it's a waste of time.

Well, no problems there, when we were sent through their latest recipe - Beef & Spinach Cannelloni - to try out. 19-month-old Pierre was off his food, feeling grumpy with tonsillitis and teething, so it was big sister Juliette who took the hot seat. She may be 6 but it was the perfect portion size for her and she declared it yummy. She doesn't usually like spinach but she had no inkling that it was in there and, as all mums know, managing to sneakily hide vegetables inside tasty meals is often vital to getting their 5-a-day inside of them !

As a mum, I love the sheer practicality of a microwavable ready meal that even saves on washing up because you can serve it straight in the plastic dish (on a plate - we're not total heathens !). It's well thought out for little tummies and busy mummies - what more could we ask for ?!

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £2.59 (but currently 2 for £4 in Tesco, until 1st March)

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Little Dish children's ready meals

Plum Savoury Bakes

Ella's Kitchen Organic Toddler Pasta

Rachel's Taste Explorers Organic Yogurts & Squeezies

Hipp Organic Stage 3/4 Baby Tray Meals