A few months back, we started making freezer meals, meal planning, and meal prepping. It has been a huge help. Especially, when we are rushed for time, and I have 4 kids ( and a grumpy husband) starving and whining about being star-ving.
My number 1 secret weapon, PB&Js in the freezer. I buy 2 extra loaves of bread and make them into sandwiches and pop those bad boys in the freezer. They are a lot cheaper to make, than to buy at the grocery store. According to my children, they are delicious even if still frozen. Just put the sandwiches in the fridge or on the counter to thaw. I just put them in my husbands lunchbox and they are thawed by the time he has lunch.
We had enchiladas for dinner one night and I didn't use tortillas (it was a low carb/no carb recipe). Afterwards, I wrapped the left overs up in tortillas and, individually, in tin foil and froze them. Weeks later I was able to pop them in the oven for about 25 mins and we had a quick and easy lunch.
My kids love to eat pepperoni tacos, as they call them. Its shredded cheese and pepperoni on a tortilla and microwaved for about 35-40 seconds. Its something they can make by themselves and quickly get back to school work.
I try to always have fresh fruit and veggies available for them to munch on. My children could eat an entire watermelon in a single day. I like to split the melons and pineapples in half and serve one half one day and the other half the following day, that doesn't happen often. Now that we have chickens and its hot, I do give them a few slices and the scoops of seeds.
Getting the kids to eat most leftovers, or as I like to call them Whinese, is a struggle. I have the perfect example going on right now in our house. My son begged, like with praying hands- BEGGED for me to buy ribs. I saw some on sale, brought them home, and cooked them. He was surprised and happy. I had a little less than half the slab left over that night. I put them in the fridge. Set them out for lunch the next day, no interest. Dinner time last night, I brought them out again and made a box of noodles and added cheese and milk. When I called the kids to get their plates, I heard a lot of, "I'm vegetarian" and "this again".. but they ate the ribs and the cheesy noodles.
Here are a few quick and easy lunches we like
- Boil a pound of noodles. Leave them plain and in the fridge. The kids can add whatever toppings they want.
- Frozen sandwiches -PB&J, turkey and cheese, ham and mustard
- Salad available for eating
- Tuna fish available (melt cheese on a sandwich)
- Grape tomatoes and cheese cut into cubes
- Crackers and peanut butter with raisins
- Tortilla with apples and peanut butter
- Slice of bread with spaghetti sauce, cheese, and pepperoni
- Quinoa and frozen fruit
- Cottage cheese and fruit
- Baked Grapefruit
- Sweet potato with cinnamon and butter
- Baked potato with salsa
- Bagel Bar -add whatever topping they want
- Cheese Wedge with crackers and cucumbers
- Yogurt with nuts and fruit
- Hard-boiled eggs with celery and hummus
- Eggs with cheese and diced lunchmeat or veggies you can make in the microwave
- Nachos - chips, cheese, salsa, sour cream, meat..
- Toast .. Cinnamon and sugar is the current favorite in our house. Avocado is a close second.
- Pancakes - make a whole box at a time. What isn't eaten that day gets put in the freezer.
- Muffins - make a few different kinds of batches and freeze what isn't eaten that day
- Soups - if I make a crockpot of chili or french onion soup whats leftover that night gets split into two meals, a freezer bag and a fridge container. Frozen leftover chili will be used on nachos and hotdogs in the future.
- Rice - cooked and available in the fridge
- Meatballs -possibilities are endless .. subs, sliders, with pastas, with sauce
We usually have carrots, apples, bananas, oranges, and frozen fruits and veggies on hand. My kids are online and they come to us with food ideas. Some foods are bizarre and some look totally delicious. We like to have them cook and help with meals. I try my best to incorporate their food ideas into our weekly meal plans.
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