Summer has come and is almost gone. School is just around the corner. We just have 3 weeks! We are reaching a new milestone in our house. A middle schooler! Boy does the time fly. Last year I floated through the year in a daze; slightly removed from things as I dealt with grieving a miscarriage and setting up a new house. This year I want to be more mindful about what my kids are eating at home and school.
The state of our nation’s health is something we must become concerned with. It starts with you and your family, and then sharing what you know with others. That is what we are focusing on this year in our house, our family.
This summer we ditched fruit juice, kool-aids, and energy drinks. The kids were plowing through them too fast and refusing to drink water. Now that is all they get. Our new fridge that has an ice maker has made it a bit easier. They think it’s cool. Unfortunately I can’t control what they get when they go through the lunch line but I hope I am teaching them good habits at home so they will make wiser choices when they are not home.
So that leads me to school. Let’s be real; I keep crazy hours to work from home and be with my kids. My sleep habits are really out of whack and I am trying to work on that. However, until I tackle that beast I want to make sure my kids have a healthy filling breakfast instead of sending them to school to eat sugary cereal and processed foods. While it is easier on our budget to let them have the free and reduced breakfast and lunch at school, I really don’t like what is being served. It is my hope to come up with some quick simple options for both the kids and I to prepare to make sure we are successful this year. When they are well rested and fed, it is much easier to be focused and productive at school.
If you are like me and not an early riser, then might I suggest taking one day in the week to prep several dishes so that you or your kids can easily grab what they want and warm in the microwave. Some of the recipes you will find also are nice served cold.
Pancakes & Waffles
Saturdays are Pancake Day in our household. It is simple to just double the batch and cook up extra. You could either then freeze or keep in the fridge. We just keep in the fridge and then either pop in the toaster or microwave.
I was raised on Bisquick pancakes mix but when one of my sons needed to become gluten free we found 2 great alternatives: Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix and Young Living’s Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix.
Eggs
Eggs can be relatively quick but sometimes you just don’t want to cook. Consider boiling a few eggs. I have also taught my kids how to make an egg in the microwave. Coat a glass bowl with butter or oil, crack an egg and lightly scramble in the bowl. Place in the microwave for 1 minute. If your child does not like the yolk cracked it still only takes one minute to cook.
When you want something of sustenance egg casseroles can be easy. One of my favorite ways to have eggs is a traditional Spanish omelet.
TRADITIONAL SPANISH OMELET
- 10 eggs
- 3 medium potatoes shredded
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tsp salt
- Olive Oil
Shred potatoes and sauté until cooked but not brown in a bit of olive oil with the onions. Drain. Mix all ingredients together.
Now we depart from the traditional preparation due to ease of cooking and less mess. I have found it is easier to simply grease my glass 9×13 pan and pour everything in it. I put it in the oven on 375 for roughly 15-20 minutes until the egg is cooked. I then cut into squares. You could also use muffin tins. I have just found it easier to clean the 9×13 pan.
I also like to mix things up a bit. I add about 8 cloves of garlic and saute with the potatoes and onions. Then to the mixture I dice up equal parts green pepper and mushrooms. I also like to add in 2 fists full of bacon. You could add cheese or any other ingredient. I also add ½ tsp of pepper.
They taste great hot or cold. I find that 3 small squares are very filling and actually I am typically not that hungry til mid-afternoon when I eat these.
Meat
Another thing I like to cook in bulk, especially in the summer during grilling season is meats. I have found when following a meal plan that when I had prepped my meats and other common foods used I was better at sticking to my eating plan. I like to have a variety, as well to keep things interesting. Some of our favorites are grilled chicken strips, bacon, sausage, thinly sliced steak, and meatballs/patties. These can easily be eaten alone with a piece of fruit and eggs or tossed/cut up into a tortilla with eggs and veggies to make a wrap.
MEATBALLS
We use ground beef, ground pork or ground turkey. We also like to combine ground beef and pork together.
- 1 lbs ground meat
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Form into uniform balls or patties. Space evenly in your pan and bake in the oven at 400 for 25-30 minutes. I like to turn them halfway through the cooking time. You can also grill them.
Fruits
I try to keep a variety of fresh seasonal fruits on hand. I also like to keep frozen fruits on hand to be added to smoothies. I plan to have pre-measured bags of fruit and protein mix so that smoothies can be easily made by me or the kids.
Another family favorite is quick breads and muffins. Get a clean version of Pumpkin Poppers.