Meal prep for youths and lowering packaged snacks

Sharing a few of my go-to meal prep concepts for youths, particularly as we’re within the again to high school season. We’ve additionally made a mission to scale back packaged snacks, however I nonetheless refill on pantry necessities and faves from Thrive Market. <— my hyperlink will get you 40% off your first order

Hello pals! How are you? I hope that you simply’re having fun with the week up to now. We’re discovering our new routine with the homeschool state of affairs + Liv is taking a break from dance (I’m admittedly slightly unhappy, however positively don’t miss driving half-hour there and again twice a day). Now that we’re on the go and packing lunches once more, there are a few issues I’ve tried to do otherwise.

Meal prep for youths and lowering packaged snacks

– Meal prep a ton.

It’s so useful to have a fridge stuffed with wholesome staples for snacks and meals.

Listed here are among the issues I’ve been making every week:

– Fruit prep. If there’s fruit, able to go within the fridge, they’ll completely eat it as a substitute of grabbing a bar or packaged deal with. Melons are in season and so good proper now, so these days I’ve been choosing up a few completely different melons (the youngsters particularly love Piel de Sapo and golden watermelon) and chopping them to retailer in glass containers. I additionally soak berries in water and vinegar for 2-5 minutes (1 half vinegar to three components water), rinse, and allow them to dry utterly. Then I put paper towels within the backside of a glass container with a lid. They final a lot longer this fashion! We normally do a mixture of berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. I additionally soak grapes and plums in water + vinegar for about quarter-hour, dry, and retailer in an open glass bowl within the fridge. The children will simply seize handfuls of grapes all through the day and I like that we’re all consuming extra fruit!

– Power bites. I’ve fairly a number of completely different recipes right here on the weblog (like these!) however a favourite is equal components cashews and pitted dates, cinnamon, slightly salt, vanilla extract and a drizzle of maple syrup.

(that is why I don’t take meals images for the weblog anymore lol)

– Protein prep: shredded hen, seasoned floor beef, and egg bites

–Veggie prep: I’ll peel and chop some cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots. They’re simple for them to serve themselves and dip into home made hummus or guac. In addition they just like the ready-to-go edamame.

–Dip: hummus and guacamole are the fan favorites round right here.

– Breakfast choices, just like the egg bites, in a single day oats, breakfast cookies (they nonetheless love these!), chia pudding. I additionally make avocado in a snap for a college day bfast and serve with Applegate breakfast sausages.

– One completely different/new/enjoyable factor every week. This may be like a hen or pasta salad, Spanish tortilla, quiche, or chilly noodle dish with veggies and protein that they will simply seize out of the fridge on their very own.

– Scale back packaged snacks.

We nonetheless have our go-tos, which I’ll checklist under, however the actuality is that plenty of packaged snacks are costly and don’t have nice substances. I may make 20 superior home made power bites for the price of 2 little 4 packs at Entire Meals. Our snacks have been an enormous portion of our insane grocery funds and it’s really easy is to make them at dwelling, and customise them for the youngsters.

A number of the packaged snacks we nonetheless purchase:

– Nuts, dried fruit, path combine

– Canned beans (for hummus!) and so they additionally love the Lupini snacking beans from Thrive Market

– Seaweed snacks

– GoMacro bars

-Poshi veggie packs

– Snack-sized cheeses

– Cottage cheese

– Chia pouches

– Jerky

– Popcorn or Siete chips

– Deli meat – they’ll roll it up with cream cheese or mayo

– Sardines. I normally make a sardine soften, however the youngsters will eat them out of the can straight-up

– Easy Mills merchandise (just like the crackers, cookies, and baking mixes)

Some of my favorite Thrive Market finds and healthy brands are in this post. 

– Return to planning dinners and prepping as a lot as I can in the course of the day.

We’ve been doing plenty of on-the-fly dinners since we bought dwelling from Spain, particularly for the reason that Pilot has been working/touring a lot. Again to high school was the kick within the pants I wanted to begin planning and making extra dinners, as a substitute of last-minute takeout or random hodge podge meals. (Additionally, I’ve discovered that I actually need to plan and prep dinners after I’m solo parenting as a result of by the point we get dwelling from sports activities, it’s time for dinner.)

Some of my favorite solo parenting dinners are in this post!

So inform me, pals: what are a few of your go-to home made snacks for the youngsters?

xo

Gina