Written  by Judith Lynn - Paediatric Nutritionist. Founder and Owner of Little Monkey Nutrition.

A very quick, nutritionally balanced and tasty meal for the whole family. Great way to get vegetables into children in a fun way. This recipe is also great to get the youngsters involved in cooking.

Ingredients (makes 1 portion)

2 mini wraps or 1 pitta bread or 1 x half slices of soda farl or slice of bread.

Tomato sauce – see recipe.

Mozzarella cheese ready grated or fresh.

Topping off choice ie bacon/pepperoni/sweetcorn/onion/mushroom/pineapple etc

Tomato sauce Ingredients (this can also be used as a ketchup or as a sauce for pasta)

1 tin of tomatoes or 4-5 large fresh tomatoes            

1 clove of garlic                                                                 

Tablespoon oil                                                                   

Splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Salt & Pepper                          

Chopped basil

Chopped Spinach

Method

1. Heat oil in the pan & add the crushed garlic, let the garlic fry for a few seconds until you can smell it cook.
2. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, grated carrot and courgette.
3. Reduce heat & simmer for 5-10 mins until the sauce thickens.
4. Once thickened - add the finely chopped spinach & basil. Optional – you could blend down to a smooth thick sauce, but I personally find this unnecessary.
5. Wraps – stick 2 wraps together with some beaten egg or cream cheese and place another wrap on top of this and press down until they have stuck together.
6. Spread the sauce on top of the wraps to the edges
7. Tear the fresh or grated mozzarella into small pieces & add on top of the sauce
8. Add toppings as desired and put under a heated grill at the highest setting for 5-10 mins.

Tips for Fussy Eaters

Get your child involved in making this with you. The more autonomy they have, the more willing they will be to eat it, because they have chosen it for themselves and have ultimate control. Let them roll out their own base to a shape they want, allow them to spread on their own tomato sauce, sprinkle over the cheese themselves and choose their own topping. This is a very powerful strategy that works really well. Please be aware that it might not work first time, but please don't let that put you off from doing it again. Make this a weekly or fortnightly occurrence and you will start to see barriers drop and your child look forward to this family fun mealtime!

Want to learn more about how to overcome fussy eating in your child? Have a look at my 'Overcoming Fussy Eating Masterclass' which includes 60 minutes of strategies that once implemented work quickly to help encourage your child to expand their food choices, reduce mealtime struggles and improve nutrition. Click here to find out more.