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Showing posts with label snack pack lunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snack pack lunch. Show all posts
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
101 healthy snack ideas
This website is a list I really need; and the quoted statement below hits the nail on the head for me....I do well when I'm prepared and have time (and desire:) to work in the kitchen. Let's face it.....I actually did do better in the food department when I lived in Wisconsin...why? Because 75-85% of the year was spent indoors! That's not the case anymore in the land of beaches and palm trees....I have to scrounge for indoor/kitchen time:)
https://apps.facebook.com/mylistfb/u/ughh?a=st&mlrdr=t

"For many busy people (including me), the most dangerous time for lapsing into a bad habit (junk food) is when hunger strikes at an inconvenient moment. And the most dangerous of all could be pseudo-healthy packaged foods (non-fat chemical pudding bars, "diet" desserts, etc.) Keep these ideas on hand for when that happens, and you'll be ready to power through in a healthy way!"
1. Spicy Black Beans add 1 tbsp salsa to 1/4 cup black beans; top with greek yogurt for a creamy kick
2. Raw veggies and Hummus (with red/green pepper strips is easy and delicious)
3. Jicama sticks sprinkle with lime juice and dip in chili powder - crunchy and delicious!
4. Avocado cut in half, remove pit, sprinkle with lime, salt and olive oil and eat (I could live on this)
5. Plain Yogurt topped with nuts and/or fruit
6. Use cucumber slices as crackers Spread them with hummus, super-thin cheese slices, or olive tapenade
7. Apple dipped in Nut butter Almond, sunflower, peanut, etc.
8. Fruit "pie" Take whatever fruits you have in the freezer and pop them into a microwave-safe container. Microwave until bubbling, add complementary spices (vanilla, cinnamon, etc.), sprinkle with some chopped nuts. Instant happy!
9. Applesauce sprinkled with fresh cinnamon
10. Banana, kale, and almond milk smoothie
11. Almonds Raw, unsalted, organic
12. Carrot-Mango Smoothie Two Carrots, 1 cup frozen mango, 2 tbsp lime juice, and about a cup of water. Blend until smooth and thank me later -)
13. Homemade frozen pops blend real fruit (strawberries, mango, banana, watermelon - or a mix of whatever you have!) and freeze as-is, no need to add anything at all, particularly sugar!
14. Coconut-Chia "Pudding" Few tbsp Chia in Coconut Water or Coconut Milk, wait 10 minutes, then eat or store in fridge
15. Quick Quesadilla Whole wheat (or corn) tortillas with any leftover veggies inside (keep pickled jalapeƱos on hand for this) - throw in cheese, or not, and microwave until warm
16. Hard Boiled Egg cut in half, add salt/pepper, and enjoy
17. Sunflower Seeds
18. Cottage Cheese
19. Trail Mix - make your own! Mix dried fruit, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, granola, whole-grain cereal, etc.
20. Raisins
21. Lemony Avocado With Endive Dippers ⅓ chopped avocado + 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Scoop with endive leaves.
22. Rice Cakes
23. Asian pear slices
24. Dried Fruits
25. Mixed fruit salad Cut up whatever you have, and toss with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
26.Air-popped non-GMO popcorn
27. Inside-out mango Cut crosshatches into a (pitted) mango half, and sprinkle with lime juice and cayenne pepper. Turn inside out and eat! (yes, this is messy but worth it)
28.Clementines
29. Sweet Potato Fries one small sweet potato sliced in thin sticks, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° (or hotter if your oven allows) for 10 minutes
30. Handful of olives
31. Veggie wrap Wrap a lettuce leaf around an organic pickle spear, and any veggies you have on hand (peppers, carrots, etc.), add mustard or hummus if you like
32. Blueberries
33. Ants on a Log Spread sunflower seed butter on celery and top with raisins
34. Steamed Veggies Delicious as-is, with a splash of olive oil, garlic, lemon, etc.
35. Peanut Butter and Bananas On whole wheat bread
36. Dr. Gupta's Calming Creamy Turmeric Tea
37. Rosemary Mash Hand-mash canned white beans with olive oil and chopped fresh rosemary. Serve over radicchio leaves for color/flavor contrast.
38. Cherry Tomatoes
39. Organic String Cheese
40. Small Green Salad Add a spritz of lemon/olive oil dressing
41. Bean salad Whatever canned beans you have, plus diced onion, any herbs on hand, and add a glug of olive oil and vinegar
42. Kabobs veggies on a stick, lightly broiled in the oven
43. Organic Carrots slice on the bias into "chips" for fun
44. Grilled Pineapple Put on the grill or a skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes or until golden
45. Baked Apples One smallish apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and baked until tender
46. Warm Pumpkin Seeds 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.
47. Strawberries
48. Veggie Egg Salad Whole wheat tortilla rolled around egg salad and shredded carrots
49. Warm Tomatoes Cut plum tomatoes in half, broil with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese
50. Bowl of bran flakes Add 1/2 cup milk (or substitute) and berries
51. Guacamole with veggies
52. Trisquits (the original ones with just 3 ingredients) dipped in cottage cheese or hummus
53. Cashews
54. Sugar Snap Peas I love to put a bag of these out instead of popcorn on family movie night - they disappear!
55. Half of a fresh peach with a scoop of cottage cheese in the middle
56. 2-Ingredient Creamy Garlic Broccoli
57. Strawberry Salad 1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and a dollop of dijon mustard
58. Baked (or microwaved) potato topped with salsa
59. Apricots
60. Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with fresh fruit
61. Frozen Grapes Red and green, seedless
62. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus drizzle asparagus spears with olive oil and grated parmesan cheese, bake for 10 minutes at 400°
63. Banana Smoothie ½ cup sliced frozen banana (or add a little ice), ¼ cup plain yogurt, blended until smooth
64. Fruit Chips Crispy dehydrated apples, pears, etc - YUM!)
65. Tropical Juice Smoothie ¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, apple juice, and any frozen fruit you have on hand, blended
66. No-Chop Gazpacho Combine tomato juice, cucumber, bell peppers and onion in a mini chopper/blender; pulse just until chunky. Add a splash of red wine vinegar.
67. Frozen Banana Peel before freezing
68. Oatmeal simple and delicious
69. Sliced tomato with a sprinkle of feta and olive oil
70. Kale Chips Tear kale leaves into large pieces and place on a baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil and bake at 375° until crisp. While still warm, sprinkle with salt.
71. Stuffed Mushrooms Briefly microwave button mushroom caps until softened. Fill with leftover pesto or tomato sauce
72. A couple of squares of dark chocolate 70% cacao or more
73. Sun dried tomatoes (real ones - click here for the best explanation I've seen)
74. Chickpea Poppers Completely dry canned chickpeas. Mix with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, season with dried oregano and garlic salt and roast at 400° until crisp.
75. Cocoa nibs over canned pears
76. Pecans
77. Frosty Melon Blend honeydew with plain yogurt, and ice if desired.
78. Nutty Banana Blend Blend frozen banana with fresh peanuts and a splash of almond milk.
79. Orange or Grapefruit slices
80. Pistachios
81. Stuffed Figs Split plump dried figs and stuff with toasted hazelnuts. (this is from Rachel Ray, and is DELICIOUS)
82. Strawberry-Banana Smoothie Frozen strawberries and bananas blended with a little almond milk (or similar). Easy peasy and delicious.
83. Edamame Easy to keep on hand in freezer
84. Baby potatoes Microwave them for 3 to 5 minutes, sprinkle with pepper and sea salt
85. Roast Cauliflower Sprinkle with olive oil, pop in oven and pull out when browned. Eat.
86. Radish slices slice thinly and enjoy all the crunch of a potato chip, with none of the nasty.
87. Tortilla "Pizza" Add thin tomato slices (remove seeds/liquid) and finely sliced/diced fresh veggies to a basic whole wheat tortilla. Bake directly on the rack in a toaster oven for about 10 minutes at 350 - delicious even without cheese!
88. Whole grain cracker smeared with goat cheese Add an apple slice or grape for extra deliciousness
89. Watermelon + pistachios + lime juice
90. Sliced Cantaloupe
91. Ear of (non-GMO) corn wrap in damp paper towel, pop in microwave, add fresh ground salt and pepper
92. Canned soup Lentil and black bean are particularly filling (look for organic varieties, stock up when on sale)
93. Pecans
94. Mixed veggies Easy to keep on hand in freezer, pop a cup or two in the microwave for a delicious quick snack/meal
95. Black Bean Hummus Puree drained black beans with garlic clove, and a dash of lemon juice, tahini, and cumin
96. Apple Quesadillas put thinly sliced apple and a tiny bit of grated cheddar on a whole wheat tortilla, quickly warm in a pan and serve
97. Easy Tzatziki blend organic Greek yogurt with sliced cucumbers, garlic, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Let flavors combine then scoop up with raw veggies.
98. Acai bowl blend unsweetened frozen acai pulp (available at many supermarkets) with just about any liquid (recommend almond milk or coconut water) and some greens of your choice. Put in bowl and top with diced fruit, nuts, etc.
99. Cucumber salad Sliced cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper
100. Grated carrot salad Grate a carrot or two, add some bits of red onion and sprinkle with a mix of red wine vinegar and dijon mustard.
101. A softly scrambled egg, with a little freshly ground salt & pepper ... simple and delicious!
https://apps.facebook.com/mylistfb/u/ughh?a=st&mlrdr=t

"For many busy people (including me), the most dangerous time for lapsing into a bad habit (junk food) is when hunger strikes at an inconvenient moment. And the most dangerous of all could be pseudo-healthy packaged foods (non-fat chemical pudding bars, "diet" desserts, etc.) Keep these ideas on hand for when that happens, and you'll be ready to power through in a healthy way!"
1. Spicy Black Beans add 1 tbsp salsa to 1/4 cup black beans; top with greek yogurt for a creamy kick
2. Raw veggies and Hummus (with red/green pepper strips is easy and delicious)
3. Jicama sticks sprinkle with lime juice and dip in chili powder - crunchy and delicious!
4. Avocado cut in half, remove pit, sprinkle with lime, salt and olive oil and eat (I could live on this)
5. Plain Yogurt topped with nuts and/or fruit
6. Use cucumber slices as crackers Spread them with hummus, super-thin cheese slices, or olive tapenade
7. Apple dipped in Nut butter Almond, sunflower, peanut, etc.
8. Fruit "pie" Take whatever fruits you have in the freezer and pop them into a microwave-safe container. Microwave until bubbling, add complementary spices (vanilla, cinnamon, etc.), sprinkle with some chopped nuts. Instant happy!
9. Applesauce sprinkled with fresh cinnamon
10. Banana, kale, and almond milk smoothie
11. Almonds Raw, unsalted, organic
12. Carrot-Mango Smoothie Two Carrots, 1 cup frozen mango, 2 tbsp lime juice, and about a cup of water. Blend until smooth and thank me later -)
13. Homemade frozen pops blend real fruit (strawberries, mango, banana, watermelon - or a mix of whatever you have!) and freeze as-is, no need to add anything at all, particularly sugar!
14. Coconut-Chia "Pudding" Few tbsp Chia in Coconut Water or Coconut Milk, wait 10 minutes, then eat or store in fridge
15. Quick Quesadilla Whole wheat (or corn) tortillas with any leftover veggies inside (keep pickled jalapeƱos on hand for this) - throw in cheese, or not, and microwave until warm
16. Hard Boiled Egg cut in half, add salt/pepper, and enjoy
17. Sunflower Seeds
18. Cottage Cheese
19. Trail Mix - make your own! Mix dried fruit, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, granola, whole-grain cereal, etc.
20. Raisins
21. Lemony Avocado With Endive Dippers ⅓ chopped avocado + 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Scoop with endive leaves.
22. Rice Cakes
23. Asian pear slices
24. Dried Fruits
25. Mixed fruit salad Cut up whatever you have, and toss with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
26.Air-popped non-GMO popcorn
27. Inside-out mango Cut crosshatches into a (pitted) mango half, and sprinkle with lime juice and cayenne pepper. Turn inside out and eat! (yes, this is messy but worth it)
28.Clementines
29. Sweet Potato Fries one small sweet potato sliced in thin sticks, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° (or hotter if your oven allows) for 10 minutes
30. Handful of olives
31. Veggie wrap Wrap a lettuce leaf around an organic pickle spear, and any veggies you have on hand (peppers, carrots, etc.), add mustard or hummus if you like
32. Blueberries
33. Ants on a Log Spread sunflower seed butter on celery and top with raisins
34. Steamed Veggies Delicious as-is, with a splash of olive oil, garlic, lemon, etc.
35. Peanut Butter and Bananas On whole wheat bread
36. Dr. Gupta's Calming Creamy Turmeric Tea
37. Rosemary Mash Hand-mash canned white beans with olive oil and chopped fresh rosemary. Serve over radicchio leaves for color/flavor contrast.
38. Cherry Tomatoes
39. Organic String Cheese
40. Small Green Salad Add a spritz of lemon/olive oil dressing
41. Bean salad Whatever canned beans you have, plus diced onion, any herbs on hand, and add a glug of olive oil and vinegar
42. Kabobs veggies on a stick, lightly broiled in the oven
43. Organic Carrots slice on the bias into "chips" for fun
44. Grilled Pineapple Put on the grill or a skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes or until golden
45. Baked Apples One smallish apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and baked until tender
46. Warm Pumpkin Seeds 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.
47. Strawberries
48. Veggie Egg Salad Whole wheat tortilla rolled around egg salad and shredded carrots
49. Warm Tomatoes Cut plum tomatoes in half, broil with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese
50. Bowl of bran flakes Add 1/2 cup milk (or substitute) and berries
51. Guacamole with veggies
52. Trisquits (the original ones with just 3 ingredients) dipped in cottage cheese or hummus
53. Cashews
54. Sugar Snap Peas I love to put a bag of these out instead of popcorn on family movie night - they disappear!
55. Half of a fresh peach with a scoop of cottage cheese in the middle
56. 2-Ingredient Creamy Garlic Broccoli
57. Strawberry Salad 1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and a dollop of dijon mustard
58. Baked (or microwaved) potato topped with salsa
59. Apricots
60. Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with fresh fruit
61. Frozen Grapes Red and green, seedless
62. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus drizzle asparagus spears with olive oil and grated parmesan cheese, bake for 10 minutes at 400°
63. Banana Smoothie ½ cup sliced frozen banana (or add a little ice), ¼ cup plain yogurt, blended until smooth
64. Fruit Chips Crispy dehydrated apples, pears, etc - YUM!)
65. Tropical Juice Smoothie ¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, apple juice, and any frozen fruit you have on hand, blended
66. No-Chop Gazpacho Combine tomato juice, cucumber, bell peppers and onion in a mini chopper/blender; pulse just until chunky. Add a splash of red wine vinegar.
67. Frozen Banana Peel before freezing
68. Oatmeal simple and delicious
69. Sliced tomato with a sprinkle of feta and olive oil
70. Kale Chips Tear kale leaves into large pieces and place on a baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil and bake at 375° until crisp. While still warm, sprinkle with salt.
71. Stuffed Mushrooms Briefly microwave button mushroom caps until softened. Fill with leftover pesto or tomato sauce
72. A couple of squares of dark chocolate 70% cacao or more
73. Sun dried tomatoes (real ones - click here for the best explanation I've seen)
74. Chickpea Poppers Completely dry canned chickpeas. Mix with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, season with dried oregano and garlic salt and roast at 400° until crisp.
75. Cocoa nibs over canned pears
76. Pecans
77. Frosty Melon Blend honeydew with plain yogurt, and ice if desired.
78. Nutty Banana Blend Blend frozen banana with fresh peanuts and a splash of almond milk.
79. Orange or Grapefruit slices
80. Pistachios
81. Stuffed Figs Split plump dried figs and stuff with toasted hazelnuts. (this is from Rachel Ray, and is DELICIOUS)
82. Strawberry-Banana Smoothie Frozen strawberries and bananas blended with a little almond milk (or similar). Easy peasy and delicious.
83. Edamame Easy to keep on hand in freezer
84. Baby potatoes Microwave them for 3 to 5 minutes, sprinkle with pepper and sea salt
85. Roast Cauliflower Sprinkle with olive oil, pop in oven and pull out when browned. Eat.
86. Radish slices slice thinly and enjoy all the crunch of a potato chip, with none of the nasty.
87. Tortilla "Pizza" Add thin tomato slices (remove seeds/liquid) and finely sliced/diced fresh veggies to a basic whole wheat tortilla. Bake directly on the rack in a toaster oven for about 10 minutes at 350 - delicious even without cheese!
88. Whole grain cracker smeared with goat cheese Add an apple slice or grape for extra deliciousness
89. Watermelon + pistachios + lime juice
90. Sliced Cantaloupe
91. Ear of (non-GMO) corn wrap in damp paper towel, pop in microwave, add fresh ground salt and pepper
92. Canned soup Lentil and black bean are particularly filling (look for organic varieties, stock up when on sale)
93. Pecans
94. Mixed veggies Easy to keep on hand in freezer, pop a cup or two in the microwave for a delicious quick snack/meal
95. Black Bean Hummus Puree drained black beans with garlic clove, and a dash of lemon juice, tahini, and cumin
96. Apple Quesadillas put thinly sliced apple and a tiny bit of grated cheddar on a whole wheat tortilla, quickly warm in a pan and serve
97. Easy Tzatziki blend organic Greek yogurt with sliced cucumbers, garlic, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Let flavors combine then scoop up with raw veggies.
98. Acai bowl blend unsweetened frozen acai pulp (available at many supermarkets) with just about any liquid (recommend almond milk or coconut water) and some greens of your choice. Put in bowl and top with diced fruit, nuts, etc.
99. Cucumber salad Sliced cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper
100. Grated carrot salad Grate a carrot or two, add some bits of red onion and sprinkle with a mix of red wine vinegar and dijon mustard.
101. A softly scrambled egg, with a little freshly ground salt & pepper ... simple and delicious!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Best Pita Filling recipe
8
oz. softened cream cheese,
1/2 cup plain yogurt,
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar,
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese,
juice of 1/2 lemon,
1 can kidney beans (drained & rinsed),
1/2 cup chopped scallions,
1/2 cup shredded carrots,
1 cup chopped cauliflower.
Mix well & pour into greased casserole.
Bake at 325 for 30-45 minutes.
Spoon warm or cold into pitas.
1/2 cup plain yogurt,
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar,
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese,
juice of 1/2 lemon,
1 can kidney beans (drained & rinsed),
1/2 cup chopped scallions,
1/2 cup shredded carrots,
1 cup chopped cauliflower.
Mix well & pour into greased casserole.
Bake at 325 for 30-45 minutes.
Spoon warm or cold into pitas.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
James Island Splash Park
The last time we hit this waterpark in Charleston, we had just recently relocated from Wisconsin to South Carolina, and my girls were only 4 and 6, as pictured here.
Now my girls are 6 and 8; and what a difference two years makes! My six year old is now tall enough to go on the tubes down the "big" slide by herself. And my eight year old was able to somewhat walk around the park and do the rides without a parent by her side at all times (there were life guards everywhere, and this is a small enough park; she wouldn't get lost. And it's a very safe park.)
The next change was, even as a homeschooling family, I'm adopting a "Bento" style lunch for us. Grab and go...fantastic! For this trip, I actually packed 8 containers....because I knew we'd be hungry when we left the park at 6:00 closing!
1 little monkey climbing in a tree....
Here they are!!! four lunches and four dinners, Bento style...to go; using water bottles that I had stuck in the freezer the previous evening, to keep everything cold. I was so proud of me:D
Labels:
snack pack lunch,
water park
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Fruit Burritos (snack pack lunches)
1 cup of vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup peanut butter with honey
4--8 inch flour tortillas (optional, use whole wheat)
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 sliced bananas
(basically, fruit of choice:)
2 tsp cinnamon sugar (50/50 of each).
combine yogurt with peanutbutter in a bowl. Evenly spread mixture on tortillas. Top with berries, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll and fold filled tortillas. Slice into smaller snack sizes if desired.
***this is mother tested, kid approved! this one is really good!
1/2 cup peanut butter with honey
4--8 inch flour tortillas (optional, use whole wheat)
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 sliced bananas
(basically, fruit of choice:)
2 tsp cinnamon sugar (50/50 of each).
combine yogurt with peanutbutter in a bowl. Evenly spread mixture on tortillas. Top with berries, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll and fold filled tortillas. Slice into smaller snack sizes if desired.
***this is mother tested, kid approved! this one is really good!
Labels:
recipe--appetizer,
snack pack lunch
Crescent Veggie Pizza (snack pack lunches)
2 packages of crescent rolls
2-8 oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup of mayo
1 package of Hidden Valley Garden Green Onion dip
2 tbsp of dill weed
veggies of choice, black olives, etc
preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread crescent rolls on a cooke sheet, press together to for the crust. Bake 8-10 minutes, til golden brown.
Mix together cream cheese, mayo, dill weed, and Hidden Valley dressing. Spread on cooled crust. Add veggies. Top with grated cheddar cheese (optional).
***the original recipe called fro Hidden Valley Ranch Original Dressing. I tried it with the green onion dip--holy moly is this super yummalicious!
2-8 oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup of mayo
1 package of Hidden Valley Garden Green Onion dip
2 tbsp of dill weed
veggies of choice, black olives, etc
preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread crescent rolls on a cooke sheet, press together to for the crust. Bake 8-10 minutes, til golden brown.
Mix together cream cheese, mayo, dill weed, and Hidden Valley dressing. Spread on cooled crust. Add veggies. Top with grated cheddar cheese (optional).
***the original recipe called fro Hidden Valley Ranch Original Dressing. I tried it with the green onion dip--holy moly is this super yummalicious!
Labels:
recipe--appetizer,
snack pack lunch
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Snack Pack Lunches----SUCCESS!!!
Either I recently experienced a stroke of pure genius, or I'm finally starting to get the Mom thing! EVERY mom has been through this! The meal struggle; and of course it's exaggerated when you have growing kids who go through varying stages of pickiness. And that struggle is even more intesified when you have a very slim little girl who pretty much refuses to eat anything mom makes, with the exception of dessert (ok, she will eat broccoli and she'll drink chocolate milk, but this vegetarian kid needs more protein!) I've tried everything! The biggest problem, she likes something one day and looks at it like it's Satan's spawn the next! The next struggle is one that only the stay-at-home mom gets---you do need to provide all the meals for your children. I have a previous neighbor from up-north who intentionally left her children in daycare longer so that she didn't have to provide breakfast or lunch! And the beauty of it is, she had at least 3 hours to herself each day. Of course I'd LOVE that, but I still wouldn't trade what I have for anything. I know how lucky I am. Then the next challenge is, we are homeschooling, it's real now! I know I know, make meal preparation part of the homeschooling experience--great learning opportunities. Well, the reality of it is, when you have two children close in age, it's not that easy--but once n awhile, we'll bake together or do simple things. We are vegetarians afterall; which means I'm often using butcher knives for chopping and dicing-- I'm not interested in any unintended slicing (and I mean me--I need to concentrate:) And they are still a bit young for stove top work--but we're working towards that. In fact Daddy's taken this on with Saturday morning cakes and eggs (or is that eggs and cakes:). Also, once school's done, these girls are hungry! Anyway, more later on Kids in the Kitchen--we shall revisit this, as we found a really neat Goose Berry Patch cookbook for kids when we were in the Smokies.
So, what is this blog posting about? Where was my sheer genious? Snack Pack Lunches! I saw these lock n lock plastic containers which have optional dividers (as seen in the photos above), so that you can change the size of the inside as needed. What I started doing was during the week, preparing some healthy appetizer type items, that I pack up each night into these containers. So that when school's done--lunch is ready! Also, I've been spending WAY too much money (and calories) on eating out, when the girls and I go out on our little excursions and field trips. Voila, these lunches were packed the night before, I can just throw them in a cooler for our trips!
Do you know what else is working!! Fairy Girl LOVES this--I don't pack the same items everyday--so it's a fun mystery--and she actually eats--they are both very excited for lunch time! I could put all the same stuff on a plate, and I believe she would snub the same meal! I've carefully researched and prepared a list of ideas for my lunch (and yes, I actually put my list onto an excel spreadsheet, along with a general grocery list--it's a big time-saver, which we need. You'd think that as a mom who doesn't work outside of the home, it would be easy--but I am their full-time teacher--so it takes organization. Below you will find a list of some of my ideas:
| Main | Side | dessert | other |
| roasted red pepper hummus and pita chips | celery sticks filled with cream cheese | fig bars | smoothies w/whey |
| veggies and dill dip | celery sticks filled with peanutbutter/raisins | cookies | |
| Nacho Bites | apples and peanutbutter | granola bars | |
| egg salad with crackers | bananas | pudding | |
| hard boiled egg | dried fruit | ||
| deviled eggs | candied nuts | ||
| cottage cheese with chives or garlic seasong | mini muffins | ||
| bagel bite crisps with cream cheese | string cheese | ||
| cold ranch veggie pizza | cheese slices and whole grain crackers | ||
| mexican snack squares | trail mix | ||
| fruit burriotos | parmesan popovers | ||
| taco rollups | taffy apple salad | ||
| mexi dip and chips | party snack mix | ||
| savory cucumber sandwiches | nutty carmel apple dip w/ apples | ||
| Italian-style pasta salad | marinated mozzarella bites | ||
| crostini w/ hummus | roasted pumpkin seeds | ||
| white bean dip w/pita chips | mini frittatas | ||
| walnuts, grapes, cheese cubed |
Labels:
food,
kids,
organization,
snack pack lunch
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