This World Cup has been a bonding revelation for me and my two sons. They hadn't really shown much interest in watching the game before, preferring to entert themselves by playing it for real in the park (or on their Xbox).
But FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out - is a powerful thing, and the buzz around the playground at their primary school has meant that if they didn't know their Ecuador from their Honduras or their Robin van Persie from their Arjen Robben, they would be out of the In Crowd.
This has meant that, come 5pm, me and the lads have spent a lot of time in front of the box - and I've spent a lot less time in the kitchen cooking their tea.
But what kind of father would I be if I let their beanpole bodies go un-nourished. What was needed was a solution: a healthy fast food solution that they could (virtually) make for themselves.
And here it is: these colourful chicken pitta pockets are great for getting lots of crunchy, healthy veg into your kids and some decent, tasty protein, too.
The secret's in the marinade. After all, what child on the planet can resist tomato ketchup?
And the best bit: they can eat them at the same time as cheering on England Holland.
Serves 3-4 kids
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1.5 cm slices, across the grain
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
Lettuce, cucumber, sliced peppers, anything else nice and anything colourful you fancy
4-6 wholemeal pitta breads
For the marinade
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
Half tsp ground cumin
1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a shallow dish. Add the chicken slices and leave to marinate for about 1 hour.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan. Take the chicken slices from the marinade and shake off any excess. Fry the chicken in the pan for around 5-7 mins each side, until cooked through.
3. Use a sharp knife to create pockets in the pitta breads and fill with chicken slices and veggies.