The Benefits Of Balancing Nutrition & Making It Simple With #HealthyRedMeat

Over the last 6 months I have become increasingly frustrated with meal times. 

With weaning Jacob and Joshua being fussy my enthusiasm for meal times has dwindled and the pressure at meal times has been back on! 

Recently I bought my first slow cooker in the hopes that I could combine mealtimes with batch cooking, which I love and so far its going well. 

I add extras into my large 8 litre slow cooker and it leaves me with spares for popping in the freezer so we can always have home cooked meals to hand when we need them. 

Recently I was challenged by the Meat Advisory Panel to create a recipe with red meat for the family. Since red meat can be a great way to include iron, zinc and vitamin B into diets amongst others essential nutrients I was totally up for the challenge after being a life long low-level vitamin B sufferer! 

I am sometimes a little more wary about discussing my views on types of foods but I personally think that everything can be good for you in moderation and that’s how I like to think when I am feeding the kids too.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, a public health nutritionist and mother, says: “Including a small portion of red meat in the diet a few times a week after weaning can help to bridge nutrient gaps and so help to maintain good health through childhood and beyond.”

So next it was time to create an easy family meal that I can cook in the slow cooker that contains, red meat and that I can batch cook and freeze to help keep tummies and freezers full with home cooked food too.

As with most of my cooking there is no strict recipe but here’s what I do. 

Beef & Veggie Casserole

Ingredients: 
Cubed beef (I used 400g) 
Frozen Carrots 
Frozen Petit pois
Frozen Green Beans 
Frozen Diced Onions
Gravy Granules 
Black Pepper

As you can see there is nothing like making it easy! However you could substitute for fresh vegetables if you wanted to prep them and had the time. 

I also haven’t added in set weights for the vegetables as you know your own family best. Personally I would love to add in mushrooms and sweetcorn too but Ollie and Joshua wouldn’t eat it so it really is super adaptable to your family. 

Method
Throw it all in! … It really is that simple. The meat is already cubed, but if you wanted slightly smaller pieces you could cut it up smaller if you wished. Throw in whatever vegetables you think are suitable for your family.

I threw it all in, added in pinch of pepper but stayed away from adding in extra salt as Jacob is too little to be eating extra salt and with using granules which already contain some salt there really was no need to add more. 

For the gravy I made this quite thick as the vegetables give off some water and it does thin it down in the slow cooker, however using instant granules means you can add more to thicken nearer the end. 

For a super easy to prepare meal that is nutritious and filling for even the smallest family member it was a total hit. 

To top it off there was enough to put 2 extra dinners in the freezer! 

Heres to more beef casseroles and easy tea times.

Disclaimer: This post is an entry for the BritMums #HealthyRedMeat, sponsored by the Meat Advisory Panel