Easy Meals for Moms (That Aren't Toddler Leftovers) (Ready in About 5 Minutes)

Toast a thick slice of bread, mash half an avocado on top, and add a fried or boiled egg. Salt, pepper, chili flakes. It's ready in about five minutes, and the egg keeps you full far longer than toast alone.

Boil six eggs on Sunday and keep them peeled in the fridge. Then this meal takes two minutes.

Tip: Swap avocado for hummus or cottage cheese when you're out.

Spoon plain Greek yogurt into a bowl and add fruit, a handful of granola and a spoon of nut butter. It's thick, filling and needs no cooking at all.

If your toddler steals bites, make a second small bowl for them. Our toddler breakfast ideas has kid-friendly versions too.

Tip: Frozen berries thaw in the bowl in about 10 minutes and turn the yogurt pink.

Fill a container with hummus, pita, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, cheese, olives and a boiled egg. Pack two at once and keep them in the fridge. It's lunch you can grab in ten seconds and eat in pieces between jobs.

This is the meal to make when a nap could end at any moment.

Tip: Add a few crackers or nuts for crunch.

Buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it the same day. Then roll a handful into a tortilla with lettuce, cheese and a spoon of yogurt or pesto. Wrap the bottom in foil so you can eat it with one hand while you push a swing.

One chicken gives you wraps, salads and soup for most of the week. That's real value from easy meals for moms.

Tip: Freeze half the shredded chicken flat in a bag for next week.

Microwave a pouch of cooked rice or quinoa. Top it with steamed veg, chickpeas or leftover chicken, and a drizzle of tahini or soy sauce.

If you already steam veg for baby, steam extra for yourself at the same time. A steamer-blender does this without a pot, and our steamer-blender guide explains how. The downside: it holds a small batch, so it suits one adult portion plus baby's, not a family dinner.

Tip: Season your portion after you take out baby's. Babies don't need added salt.

Poke a sweet potato with a fork and microwave it for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until soft. Split it open and add warm black beans, cheese and a spoon of salsa or yogurt.

It's cheap, filling and needs one plate. A soft spoonful of plain potato works for a baby or toddler too.

Tip: Cook two. The second one makes tomorrow's lunch.

Spread mashed beans on a tortilla, add cheese and any leftover veg, fold it, and warm it in a dry pan for two minutes per side. Cut it into triangles. You can eat a triangle with one hand and save the rest for later.

Add a spoon of salsa and some fruit on the side. More quick family meals live in our toddler recipe collection.

Tip: Make three and freeze two, wrapped in foil.

Mash a can of chickpeas with yogurt or mayo, mustard, lemon and chopped celery. Eat it on crackers, in a wrap or straight from the jar. It keeps in the fridge for a few days, so make it once and eat it twice.

It's a good swap for tuna salad if you want a break from fish.

Tip: Add chopped pickles for crunch.

Heat a portion of frozen soup or a good carton soup and pour it into a big mug. You can drink it while you walk around, which counts as lunch on hard days.

If you made freezer meals before baby, this is where they pay off. Add a cheese toastie on the side if you have one free hand.

Tip: Freeze soup in 1-cup portions so you only heat what you need.

Blend frozen banana, a handful of spinach, Greek yogurt, oats, a spoon of nut butter and milk. It tastes like banana, it's thick, and you can drink it with one hand.

Pour it into a cup with a lid and a straw so it survives a toddler's elbow. A smoothie is one of the easy meals for moms that works during a feed.

Tip: Bag up smoothie packs in the freezer, then just add milk and blend.