With everything going on in the lives of families, finding time to prepare a meal can be quite stressful for many parents. Take some time to plan a rotating menu for those days when you're too exhausted to spend hours in the kitchen, yet you don't want to pick up fast food. Be sure to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats.
Breakfast
Make a fruit salad, suggests the Kidzworld website. Cut fruit into bite-size pieces, and serve it with yogurt and slivered almonds for flavor and crunch. If this isn't enough to satisfy your children's appetite, serve a side of toast or oatmeal.
Make a fruit smoothie for mornings when your kids need to eat on the run. Mix 1/2 cup of yogurt with 1/2 cup of frozen berries or peaches, 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup of milk in a blender. If your child prefers a sweeter smoothie, add small amount of honey.
Breakfast trail mix is another quick and easy early morning meal that can be eaten on the way to school. Mix 2 cups of whole-grain-cereal squares, 1 cup of nuts and 1 cup of dried fruit in a bowl. Scoop individual size portions into resealable bags for grabbing on the way out the door.
Lunch
ShowMomtheMoney.com offers a variety of options for quick, low-cost meals your kids will enjoy. Make sandwiches out of English muffins, waffles or hamburger buns. The fillings can be anything with protein, such as leftover meat, hummus, peanut butter, cheese or eggs. Include a side of raw vegetables and yogurt-based dip, and your child will have a wholesome lunch to get him through the afternoon.
Pasta can be served with a variety of toppings besides traditional spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle Italian salad dressing on leftover pasta, add diced vegetables, meat and beans, and your child will have an easy lunch that will satisfy his hunger. You can even offer your child choices of one item from each food group for a custom pasta main dish.
One of the parents on the ShowMomtheMoney.com site recommends using flour tortillas to make wraps. Pull out some leftovers, fill the tortillas and roll them up. You'll save time and money on these lunch wraps.
Dinner
At the end of a long day, dinnertime can pose challenges of preparing a meal the whole family will enjoy while everyone is milling around, hungry and tired. A well-stocked pantry can eliminate problems when the stress level of cooking dinner becomes more than you can handle. One quick and easy meal is whole-wheat pasta topped with spaghetti sauce from a jar with cooked canned chicken, frozen diced peppers and frozen diced onions. Add a tossed salad, a loaf of crusty Italian bread, and you have a delicious, nutritious meal most kids will enjoy.
Most kids enjoy breakfast for dinner. Serve oven-baked French toast, fresh fruit and yogurt for a healthy meal that covers all the food groups.
Combine leftover meat from a roast or rotisserie chicken, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of mixed vegetables, a handful of rice or pasta and a cup of broth for a hearty soup. Simmer the soup until the rice or pasta is done. Serve it with whole-grain bread and milk.
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