Mom confession: I’m always looking for ways to make my life easier. As a full-time writer and stay-at-home mom on the two-under-two timeline with two toddlers, life is crazy. Add a little quarantine in the mix to spice things up and you can imagine the struggle. 

Constantly making meals to feed my growing boys is hard. We’ve tried a number of meal kit services, and love them all, but honestly even that’s a lot of work on days where deadlines are tight and tiny tummies are bottomless. 

CCBB02B8 229A 475F B0A4 5900DD073645

Charlie approved (Tara Finley)

We recently tested out Little Dish, ready-made toddler meals found at Target (I’m a mom, so my natural habitat). They come in neat little glass containers – which are great for keeping bugs and rocks in, Charlie would like to add, once you’re finished with the meal. 

We tried out their mac and cheese and pasta and tomato sauce, two dishes that my boys love. Super easy to heat up and serve, the meals are made with 100% natural ingredients and taste pretty good, as evidenced by the cleared plates I saw before me. 

I love them because they are nutritious, made by a mom like me, and I can get them via Target’s drive-up service because this plague seems never ending. My kids love them because they taste good, and the jars left over are a special prize in which they covet. Win-win. 

AA2FC191 ED6C 4E7C 8D23 98BC1966B088 2

A Little Dish (Tara Finley)

How are they different from what is already out there, like my tried-and-true Annie’s Mac and Cheese? The obvious answer would be that they are premade, making them my personal hero for long days. The less obvious answer I’ll let them answer for themselves: 

“Little Dish use wholesome, nutritious ingredients to curate delicious fresh meals for your toddler, just like those you would make at home if you had the time,” the company explains. “Our meals contain no added sugar and no additives or preservatives, which is why you’ll find them in the fridge, not on the shelf.”

Found in the produce section of select retailers (list here), each  health conscious dish has been crafted  by founder mama Hillary Graves and child nutrition expert Dr. Nicole Avena. 

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.