My children are bottomless pits!
Ahhhh Summertime...for many this means exotic vacations, relaxing days at the pool, and seaside BBQs. For me, twice-weekly trips to the local supermarket to replenish my constantly dwindling supplies of snacks and juice boxes. I have two little ones at home with Dad this summer while I work fulltime. I won't even discuss the mess that is made daily in the house caused by two dogs, and two whirling dirveshes (read: kids) and a Dad rendered practically useless due to a third-shift job -- that's a post for another site. I'm talking about how in the world to keep these kids fed all summer without breaking the bank! I've tried to stock up on pretzels and cheese crackers and packets of instant oatmeal and popsicles and fruit and peanut butter/jelly, but I'm looking for any other suggestions on somewhat healthy, easy to prepare/serve snacks for a 10 and 8 year old. I love the idea of fresh fruits, but these can get mighty expensive when my kids are going through a pineapple and big bunches of grapes every two days. I hesitate to allow them to cook on their own (aside from microwaving and toaster-ovening) quite yet, but hate processed foods like bagle bites, etc. What types of things do you keep on hand for your kids during the summer? Do you have prepare-ahead foods that are good reheated and fussy-kid-friendly? Tips and tricks appreciated!
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35 Comments:
string cheese or cheese sticks (you can easily make your own by buying big hunks of cheese and cutting them up).
hummus (if they like it) or other healthy dip with carrot/celery/their favorite veggie sticks.
pre-make some snacky type foods (a la bagel bites) and freeze them with instructions on how to reheat them.
keep healthy sandwich fixings around and easy for them to get - whole wheat bread, turkey or other meat, pre-sliced cheese, pre-sliced tomato, chopped lettuce, condiments, etc. or, you can make some pinwheel wraps and leave them in the fridge.
hope some of these ideas help!
NYCEater at 2:29PM on 06/09/09
Off the top of my head...
On the weekend make a extra large batch of waffles or pancakes and freeze. Reheat in microwave or toaster
Make a large batch of burritos (breakfast, bean, meat, cheese) wrap individually and freeze. Microwave to re-heat. You will have to test the cook time but a few minutes on defrost and another min. on full power usually does the job.
You might get some additional ideas from Mark Bittman,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/dining/06mini.html?pagewanted=all
For snacks
Pop your own popcorn - do it every few days and store in ziplock bags
Veggies and dip - I make up a batch of the packet ranch dressing and pre-cut veggies in baggies. The dressing will last up to a month, just replenish the veggies.
GrimChef at 2:40PM on 06/09/09
I like all the above suggestions - you can also make and freeze a schwack of burritoes, small servings of just about anything. I think with kids you have to take advantage of economies of scale. Make huge batches of stuff and freeze.
My best friend has three boys at home, they are eating like grown men (still pre-teens), and she told me to:
- join a CSA or any other bulk food program
- warehouse shop, esp. when stuff is on sale
-some things are only worth it when you make your own - fruit rolls ups, dried fruit, etc.
Good luck!
tatianak at 2:41PM on 06/09/09
i hear on the bottomless pits. mine are (almost) 7 and 4 and i'm a SAHM -- i feel like i spend my days opening and closing the refrigerator!
-for quick breakfasts, i like to make a large batch of waffles or pancakes, then put the leftovers in a ziploc bag in the fridge. easily warmed in the micro or toaster oven.
-i also keep baby carrots on hand. easy to throw into a bag and take to the pool.
-english muffins with a swipe of tomato sauce and a handful of shredded cheese could make an easy lunch (a lot less preservatives than bagel bites).
that's all i can think of for now -- the 4 year old needs a snack! ha! good luck!
kristygarr at 2:42PM on 06/09/09
I have fallen in love with mass producing burritos for my freezer. Ok, so I don't produce the quantity I would like to, but having stuff around ready to go is a HUGE help, even with just one bottomless pit of a bf (who is 6'2" and weighs in at about 145lbs ahh!).
I make them big enough for an adult breakfast, but you could get medium-sized flour tortillas and make more smaller ones. My favorites are egg/refried beans/cheese/salsa for breakfast burritos and refried beans/cheese/salsa/rice for non-breakfast ones. They take a little bit of time to make, but if you have a clear view of the tv or like to jam out on music while you cook, just throw something on and go with it.
Fresh veggies might work, depending on your kids. Having them cut up (again, some prep required for sure) and available next to ranch dip or hummus might help as well.
joyyy at 2:44PM on 06/09/09
Of all the salty, crunchy snacks, pretzels are about the healthiest. I favor Snyders of Hanover. They are available at either Sam's or Costco if you need a large supply. They taste great and as junk food goes, they aren't bad.
If the spirit moves you, make the kids English Muffin Pizzas on some days for lunch. I loved them as a kid (who am I kidding - I like them now too). They bring back fond memories of my mother.
Make your own ice pops with your own juice and one of those contraptions you put in the freezer.
If you have an ice cream maker, make some nice sorbets or ice creams.
Not sure how "evolved" your kids are but if they like smoothies, you can get frozen fruit for dirt cheap at Sam's or Costco. Whir it up in a blender with yogurt or evaporated milk. Depending on the fruit's sweetness, you might not even have to add any sugar.
Enjoy your bottomless pit kids. Believe it or not, you'll miss that sweet innocent need for mommy - even if it's when their mouths are open like baby birds and they're shouting "FEED ME" in unison.
therealchiffonade at 2:53PM on 06/09/09
The burrito idea is great. My kids love ground turkey/taco meat, and I could wrap those up in some flour tortillas with cheese and they could have those with salsa.
I also love the idea of making up some english muffin pizzas that they could throw in the toaster oven...better than processed foods.
Forgot about string cheese...another great snack idea.
They don't like hummus, but they like ranch dip and cukes, so I could have a bunch of that made up with the cut up cukes...
pinwheel wraps are another great idea -- didn't think of that.
See, this is why I love this site. Keep those ideas flowing!
Does anybody have a good granola bar recipe? They love granola bars but again, they go through about a box a day, and it's getting pricey!
juliebugsmama at 2:54PM on 06/09/09
I'll add my vote for the make your own frozen burrito idea. I'm eating one right now...it's so nice to have something in the freezer ready to snack on. I also like that I can put in it whatever I like! Most of the ones available in supermarkets taste odd to me, but I add what I want and leave out what I don't.
ceebee at 2:54PM on 06/09/09
Also, I want to applaud you for trying to feed your children so well despite your schedule. A lady I work with who has 3 girls and a husband who also works full time once talked about how she doesn't even cook because they're so busy. I don't have kids, but I feel busy enough just taking care of myself so I can't even imagine what it's like to wrangle kidlets on top of it all, so it only seems obvious that a busy parent would be too tired to cook. But when that lady told me that they just keep the house stocked with ramen and instant mac 'n cheese because the girls could make it themselves, I died a little inside. Your family is lucky that you're keeping their health as a priority - good luck and more power to you!
joyyy at 2:54PM on 06/09/09
@joyyy -- thanks for that. I am trying and it's paid off so far...the kids definitely do like healthy foods...it's just keeping them in the pantry without going totally broke that's tough. (the food...not the kids! LOL)
@therealchiff -- good idea for the smoothies! I like the idea of frozen fruit because it's cheaper, but still healthy. I bet they could even work the blender themselves if I gave them a lesson on "it's NOT okay to stick your hand down into the blender while it's plugged in".
juliebugsmama at 3:05PM on 06/09/09
I do not have kids... but I have 2 nieces I like to feed in interesting ways:
I like to make them Pita Pizzas - they're round and look just like a pizza dough and I buy the whole wheat version too. Have some sauces (tomato, pesto, etc.) shredded cheeses and possibly cut veggies like onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, olives... and they can fix themselves some pizzas. And if you want to fancy it up... place a green salad on top of the hot pizza... it's really nice.
I like to make some no boil-ahead pastas... the older one (or even you in the morning) can throw the ingredients in a casserole dish and place it in the toaster oven to bake. No need to set up a boiling pot of water for the pasta... I have a whole set of pyrex dishes that fit my toaster oven. I have turning on the large oven just for myself...
I have a slowcooker I do not use at all... but I am sure that if you have one you can maybe make a lasagna or some meatballs in sauce they could just put into a hoagie roll to make meatball sadwiches, etc.
I like to make strawberry/banana sorbet in ice cube trays... I like to make brown rice krispies treats using almond butter instead of marshmallows and my mom makes sometimes a carob granola...
I like to go to Costco and buy fruit (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.) at really good prices in comparison to the grocery store and freeze half of it individually and use it in smoothies or shakes... the cheese at costco is also half the price as the regular store... 2 large logs of fresh mozzarella at the same price of just one at the supermarket...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 3:28PM on 06/09/09
my friend, dana, has a wonderful granola recipe. i just e-mailed her for it, so as soon as she sends it, i will post it up here for you!
gastronomeg at 4:05PM on 06/09/09
okay, so she had her protein bar recipe on hand, but her granola recipe is at home, so here's what i got for now-hope it helps!
Protein Bars
3 ½ cups quick oats
1 ½ cups powdered non-fat milk
1 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
2 egg whites, beaten
¼ cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
4 scoops protein powder (chocolate or vanilla or whatever you think will taste good)
Preheat oven 325 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl. In separate bowl, combine egg whites, orange juice, vanilla, applesauce and syrup. Stir liquid into dry ingredients. The consistency will be thick and similar to cookie dough. Spread batter on rimmed cookie sheet coated with non-stick spray. Bake until edges are crisp and browned. Cut into bars and store in fridge. Bars will be chewy and VERY filling.
NOTE: I always add dried cranberries and some type of nut (pecans work best in my opinion) to this recipe. You could probably also try cinnamon and dried apples or some other, more potent spices in the mixture (cloves, nutmeg, allspice, etc.).
gastronomeg at 4:15PM on 06/09/09
You say you use juice boxes. Those are pretty expensive. Could you buy large juice bottles instead and stretch by watering down by a quarter and rebottle in a plastic container (one of the recycled large juice bottles) for the day? Also, frozen juice concentrates might be a better bargain if you can find ones without added sugar. Kids want volume. I don't think it registers that they're drinking 100% XYZ juice, or a glass of juice that is the equivalent of having a couple of ice cubes in it. Just a thought.
I'm glad someone suggested granola. Bars are convenient when away from home, but a few recyclable containers of the crumbly stuff is a great snack, with milk poured on or eaten like trail mix. Stretch the granola as well with a few pretzels thrown in, and cereal and/or crackers that don't have too much added sugar products if you can find them.
Mac and cheese individual servings ready for the microwave.
Potato salad in the fridge. Would they eat 3-to 8-bean sweet-and-sour salad?
I hope that Dad could supervise any blender use. Even if you've very specific with the kids about keeping fingers safe, there's always the temptation to stick a spoon or spatula in to help it along. Potentially dangerous.
Luckily, fruits are coming in locally for you so you don't have to rely on pineapples. I wish you could arrange for the kids to go a pick-your-own place and bringing back berries, peaches, whatever is in season for you right now. Eat some, chop and freeze some for later.
zucchini at 5:25PM on 06/09/09
all the above! Reminds me of one of my son that was not allowed to bring grocery in from the car, He'd eat everything in the bag on his way in.
LOL !!
goodcooker at 7:05PM on 06/09/09
I love, love, Madelyn's idea for Rice Krispie treats, or any do-it-yourself cereal bar (Golden Grahams if there is an organic version)--they can make it themselves in the microwave and that will keep them out of your hair for five minutes, too!
What about no-bake cookies?
Or making a big batch of cookies or brownies, muffins, or quick breads with them at the beginning of the week--flour is pretty cheap and those things are quick to cook. Also, getting a cheap waffle maker or ice cream maker, if you can watch them, might save money.
If the kids can microwave, they can make their own potatoes with choices of toppings...like sour cream and ground beef...
I guess it's kind of a no-brainer, but farmer's markets, buying stuff in season and bulk and freezing it...
HeartofGlass at 8:04PM on 06/09/09
Alton Brown has a 3 good recipes on the foonetwork website. A brown rice Krispie bar, one granola bar an one protein bar. The granola bar sounds like it'd be pretty cheap to make, the most expensive thing to buy would pobably be the dried fruit...the protein bar sounds like i migt take a bigger cunk of change...
Good luck with yor efforts an congras on feeding your kids healthy stuff while maintaining a full work schedule. tha is extremely admirable, especially these days.
mayoxqueen at 9:34PM on 06/09/09
I would recommend "busy food", nuts that need to be cracked like walnuts or pistachios, fruit that needs to be peeled like grapefruits or oranges, and as it is summer, perhaps some popsicles (you can make these from juice or buy)...
blizcheetah at 9:59PM on 06/09/09
My mom never let us snack. She gave us three meals and we ate what we were served or went hungry.... I think I would have eaten everything in sight if I had been allowed.
gingercookiewithlime at 10:00PM on 06/09/09
I like to freeze grapes for a summer treat... it does slow them down some, but it's a band aid for the over all solution. My boys are 11 and 15. My oldest runs track and cross country. He's been running around 7 miles a day, but over the summer will hit around 10 + miles a day and weights etc. Talk about a bottomless pit!! I hear ya juliebugs!
In the past summers, I generally have had microwave popcorn, peanuts and frozen soft pretzels that you nuke for savory snacks.
I have done different dips/spreads for crackers and veggies and the most popular one was with a pureed mixture of drained cottage cheese, roasted red peppers, sour cream, salt and pepper, garlic, onion and then either a Tex-Mex twist with cumin and chiles etc. or Italian with basil and sundried tomatoes...and some feta and lemon for Greek. You get where I'm going.
Something a little sweet but still good for them? Try your favorite pumpkin bread recipe (I'll give you mine if you'd like) but instead make it into mini muffins and top each off with a bit of wheat germ. And as the zucchini season hits, consider the same approach. They freeze well, and you can just get out what you would like the kids to have each day.
dhorst at 1:27AM on 06/10/09
@ Joyyy... SHEESH! 6'2" and only 145 lbs?! You better feed that BF of yours or he's gonna fall through his own ass and hang himself! Or is he just one of those lucky people with a metabolism?
@ Juliebugsmama... Good luck trying to keep the nose miners fed! instead of juice boxes, here's something they could try.... Grab cold water handle on faucet, turn on, fill glass, repeat as necessary. I like the burrito idea, just hold the beans!
Pavlov at 5:50AM on 06/10/09
@Pavlov -- LOL! "fall through his own ass and hang himself..." I'm so going to use that one, hope you don't mind.
And yes, my kids drink lots of water, and I do buy juice concentrates and make big jugs to keep in the fridge...problem is that Dad often drinks that stuff as well, and it just doesn't last long -- they probably go through a huge 2 gallon jug a day. But there isn't much to be done about that, and I'm glad they are staying hydrated with how hot it gets down here in Atlanta.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions and recipes. I'm going to make some homemade granola and protein bars this weekend, and some homemade mac and cheese and put it in tupperwares for them to heat up for lunches. I'm also doing the burrito thing, and I'm going to show them how to make their own english muffin "pizzas" using whole wheat english muffins, homemade marinara and some shredded cheeses. I think they'll have fun with that and they can toast them themselves in the toaster oven.
@dhorst, I'd love the recipe for the pumpkin bread, thanks! Incidentally, I made some carrot cake the other day for a somewhat healthy-ish dessert. I tried to tell them it was like spice cake (which they love) and for a minute that almost worked. Yesterday I came home from work and found a half eaten slice of cake on the counter, and one very peturbed 8 year old comes into the kitchen with an accusatory tone, "Mummy, you didn't tell me the cake actually had CARROTS IN it!" I said, "Well what did you think carrot cake was made out of?" She said, "I don't know, but I thought it was supposed to just TASTE like carrots...there are actually little pieces in there!!! Mum, it's just not my favorite."
I wonder if they'd notice zucchini?
juliebugsmama at 7:15AM on 06/10/09
Meat nuggets! Kids love foods in nugget form. If you make them at home you can use quality meat and breading so they're not the black hole of nutrition. Cook them, freeze them, and pop them in the microwave.
joeqboo at 8:20AM on 06/10/09
@joyy & @Pavlov--yes, I was actually a bit worried when I heard your bf's weight, to the point I plugged it into a BMI calculator--it's 18.6, which is actually underweight but normal, though ;)
@juliebugsmama: carrots in carrot cake? Who can notice given that it's usually a vehicle for cream cheese icing? In fact, perhaps that is what you should call it--cream cheese icing topped with cake...
HeartofGlass at 8:43AM on 06/10/09
instead of all that juice why not show your kids how to make sun tea, Hubby could probably so with less juice as well. Everyone thinks juice is so good for you but its a high calorie bomb, even the no sugar added stuff. Hit up farmers markets and make a huge salad and let the kids make their own dressings for the week, same with fruit salad, individual containers are a fairly inexpensive way to control intake, especially if labeled with person and date. Most of all encourage them to get away fromthe fridge and go outside and play. Alot of mindless eatting goes on in the summer, and its a bad habit to get into.
huneybumper at 9:02AM on 06/10/09
here's that other recipe i promised yesterday
Fruit n' Nut Granola
4 cups regular oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup water
2 tblsp veggie oil (can use applesauce)
cooking spray
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup raisins or cranberries
Preheat to 325. Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Combine honey, molasses, water and oil in saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Pour over oat mixture, stirring well to coat. Spoon mixture onto pan coated with cooking spray; spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; stir in dates and raisins. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.
gastronomeg at 10:06AM on 06/10/09
how about baked oatmeal squares? very healthy (real oats) and also a kitchen-sink kind of recipe that you can jazz up to suit your tastes/contents of fridge. easy to make last minute with ingredients you have on hand AND pretty inexpensive
2 c old fashioned oats (not quick or instant)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk (I have subbed equal amount of coconut milk with success)
2 eggs
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c sugar, or splenda, or maple syrup... you get the idea
1 tsp vanilla extract, or other
1 tbsp cinnamon (or whatever flavorings you like)
combine wet ingredients, then add dry ingredients. mix it all up and bake in a sprayed 8x8 pan @ 350 for 35-45 mins. Refrigerates and freezes/reheats really well.
good mixins include nuts, dried fruit, various spices, mini chocolate chips, some citrus zest, etc... very portable so a good grab-and-go snack as well.
wasliche at 11:55AM on 06/10/09
@Pavlov & HeartofGlass: he's healthy, he's just one of those lucky bitches with a raging metabolism and a smattering of scandanavian genes. His one sister actually modeled for a while. When he's *really* active, he'll put on 5-10 lbs of muscle, though then he's eating EVEN more so the challenge just increases. I know better than to compare any aspect of my life to folks who have kids in their house, but he's like a gigantic kid in many, many ways, especially when it comes to food (though I'm proud to report that he cleans and has *always* done his own laundry).
and "he's gonna fall through his own ass and hang himself!" Hilarious. I didn't know you piloted the roflcopter.
@HoG - also, a prime example of the shortcomings of the BMI scale as an indicator of overall health.
joyyy at 12:10PM on 06/10/09
Gum and popsicles
smokey07 at 12:54PM on 06/10/09
I agree with smokey, homemade or some healthy store bought ones.
pjracz10 at 2:03PM on 06/10/09
@joyyy: those Scandinavian genes! Mine has the same and holy cow is it hard to keep him from withering away :-)
We keep frozen homemade cinnamon buns and corn muffins--they heat quickly and well in the microwave or (better) toaster oven for easy snacks and I imagine they would work for kids, too...
littlestcapy at 2:46PM on 06/10/09
My kids love yogurt (any kind) and cottage cheese mixed with cut-up fresh fruit (I cut up some apples and bananas, toss it with lemon juice and leave it in tupperware in the fridge to mix in with the cottage cheese right before they eat it) -- it's healthy, low fat, and easy. For a special treat, I'll dribble a little honey on top of greek yogurt -- my 5 year old thinks it's the best treat. They also like apple sauce, nutrigrain bars, and microwave popcorn, which is easy and inexpensive (the greek yogurt can get pricey!).
gbania at 3:00PM on 06/10/09
@gingercookie, it was the same when I was growing up. There were random treats, but those were for special occasions. And we did 2 meals a day instead of three. Does this conversation sound familiar? Kid: "I'm hungry. Can I have a ___?" Mom: "No, we're going to eat in an hour. You'll ruin your appetite." I remember hearing that all the time.
Honestly, I have no idea if that was better than the current trend where there are snacks available all the time. Is it better to graze or to eat discrete meals? Is it good to go to the dinner table really hungry, or is it better to have a snack an hour before?
I guess it depends on the kid and the parents. But I probably snack more now than I ever did when I was a kid and I had no control over the contents of the refrigerator.
dbcurrie at 6:53PM on 06/10/09
Try some couscous with currants and sliced almonds, or roasted veggies. We also like it with leftover grilled chicken.
Spicy at 7:35PM on 06/10/09
Thanks for this thread. I have a 15 y/o boy at home who eats constantly. He'll eat dinner and 20 minutes later he's making a PB&J. Then an hour later he's having a bowl of cereal. I'll have to spend more time going through this at home tonight- maybe I'll make him help me with a bulk cooking session this weekend so he can earn his keep!
AuntJone at 4:09PM on 06/11/09