On Saturday me and Max got the opportunity to head up to London to meet with the fabulous people over at Little Dish and hear about their new range. Little Dish were founded in 2006 by Hillary Graves who realised that there was a gap on the market for wholesome chilled ready meals for kids. She wanted to provide something that was packed with nutrients and vitamins so that parent's wouldn't feel guilty for not being able to cook a decent meal when the family was in a rush. 

We are a family of Little Dish lovers so we knew that their products were great and something to look forward to as a last minute meal when Max wasn't interested in something that I had left in the slow cooker for dinner. We are a busy family, I am at work whilst the boys have dinner and Max goes to bed and Scott is at work when I make lunch for Max and I. It seems like we never stop at times so there is always a day when I forget to take something out of the freezer or forget to preheat something. That is where these mini meals come in. 

Most parents have no idea how much to feed their children. There are no set in stone guidelines for things such as calorie intake, protein and all we hear is no sugar and salt. In fact this can lead to the food aimed at toddlers to be bland in texture and flavour and lacking in nutrients when the companies try and cut out those unwanted nasties. Most parents worry about their child eating enough, getting the right stuff in their diets and making sure they are growing up trying new things and new flavours. In fact it can take up to 30 attempts for a child to fully appreciate a new food. 

Little Dish products aim to give the child at least one of their five a day, give the the opportunity to try new textures and flavours whilst leaving out salt and sugar and using 100% natural ingredients. Honestly I find it hard to make something like that at home most weeks so for a company to be able to provide so many varieties of dishes for kids is seriously impressive! The best bit about them is that they are all able to be frozen so you can bulk buy and cook them from the freezer within 4 minutes. To say that is anything less than impressive is an understatement. 

We got the opportunity to have a taste test with some of the Little Dish products against some of the competitors and the Little Dish products stood out by miles. From the gorgeous flavours to the fact it looked like proper food! At one point I was desperate to wolf down the Mini Cheese Ravioli myself and vowed to take some to work with me one day. 

We had a taste of some of their new dishes and the Pork and Apple Bites stood out by miles as my favourite. Melting in the mouth it felt like something that my mum would have cooked me and my brother as kids rather than something out of the chilled aisle in the supermarket. I've always steered clear of other toddler meals in the past as they are bland and almost grainy and powdery from sitting on a shelf all day. Something that puts me off knowing it has things like meats and veg in which I always feel should be fresh or freshly frozen. 

One thing that really impressed me was the amount of dishes they had on offer. Not only did they have the 4 or 5 I had seen in Tesco but a range of 13 dishes, many of which were dairy and gluten free to appeal for all children's food needs. Not only have they got an amazing range but they have just teamed up with Kid's Company on their newest meal (a Lamb Hotpot dedicated to Prince George) to donate money from each sale to help feed disadvantaged and hungry children that would otherwise go without a hot meal. I think this is amazing and really shows how much they want to help improve the health and well-being of children. Not only by providing these meals in the first place but helping other children as a result of their gorgeous dishes. 

Thank you Little Dish for not only teaching me some key nutritional facts about children that have helped me shape Max's meals but for showing me what amazing food you create for kids out there. Not only do I not feel guilty for giving Max ready meals, but I feel great knowing what I am feeding him is great, if not better than some of the stuff I make at home for him! 

Little Dish products can be found in Waitrose, Ocado and Tesco in the chilled sections and are priced at £2.50 per dish. 

*Note, we were invited for a taste and nutrition session with Little Dish, all opinions are my own.