Being such a health and fitness geek, I get asked all the time if I make 2 meals every night for dinner. My answer is always No. My kids are expected to eat the same food I prepare for my husband and me. I do make adjustments such as adding Garlic Expressions salad dressing to Couscous to make it more flavorful, Ranch dressing on their baked chicken, etc. Although they eat the same dinner, it is easy to make some adjustments to their diet for breakfast and lunch.
Honestly, It all starts at the grocery store. I admit, I prefer grocery shopping alone so I can concentrate and take my time finding the best deals.
At home, I take advantage of nap time to do some food prep. I don’t always jump for joy at the idea of doing it and I don’t always get to it to be honest, but I am grateful everyday of the following week when healthy food is ready to go.
- Choose a grain for the week. Quinoa or Couscous is a good choice, which cooks in 30 minutes or less.
- Prep several veggies. I don’t know about you, but these are the toughest to grab in a hurry. Red pepper sticks and hummus usually work. My girls also LOVE guacamole and that is an easy grab when in a hurry. By taking 30-40 minutes to roast broccoli or another hearty vegetable, I know I’ll have an easy-to-grab veggie for quick lunches or dinners. By steaming the vegetable, it truly loses it crispness and my kids don’t necessarily “love” veggie leftovers so roasting the veggie is a better option.
- Create a chopped blend of peppers, onions and sometimes mushrooms.
You can throw this blend in a pan with a little butter or Olive Oil spray in the mornings to create a quick veggie egg scramble. Top with cheese (I encourage you to try goat cheese) or add a teaspoon or so of cream cheese to the egg scramble to make it extra delicious for your kiddo!
As for the prepped bean, grain and green, you can throw them together in multiple combos throughout the week. The beans are great to add to cheese quesadillas. The broccoli is delicious on it’s own as a side.
***I also keep a few favorite staples on hand at all times.***
Frozen berries are often eaten in yogurt or on their own. Or roll the berries in yogurt and freeze them for an extra special snack…seriously tastes like candy!
Chia seeds can be sprinkled on everything! You can add them to yogurt, on peanut butter toast and on your morning hot or cold cereals.
Looking for a good protein to amp up the meal, edamame is a great choice. A sprinkle of salt might be necessary to make them disappear quickly.
And there it is! The basics used to prep for a week of healthy meals for young kiddos.
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