Packaged Breakfast/Lunch/Snack Food for Kids
September 9, 2020 4:26 PM Subscribe
We don't eat a lot of packaged/prepared foods but I'm about to have to juggle ALL the things and it's time for my 9 year old to start making her own meals sometimes. We have a few things she can make and she's used the microwave a bit and the toaster oven but I'd love to know what you keep on hand to get the kids to "help themselves." We are going to have a small pod of kids here somewhat regularly and I want to be able to let them do it themselves as much as possible.
I'm looking for healthy grab-and-go options as well as things which are just super easy to microwave or toast. Or easy no-cook options! What's the favored stuff in your house?
I'm looking for healthy grab-and-go options as well as things which are just super easy to microwave or toast. Or easy no-cook options! What's the favored stuff in your house?
It sounds gross to me, but the teens in my house love pepperoni hot pockets for easy breakfasts.
posted by thatone at 4:30 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by thatone at 4:30 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Mini cucumbers, mini peppers, baby carrots, berries, grapes, apples, cheese strings, babybel cheese, other packaged cheeses, pepperoni, salami, ham, apple sauce cups, granola bars, fig bars, crackers, pretzels, nuts. Bread, buns, bagels. Peanut butter and jam. (And now I have my grocery list for the week.)
posted by rozee at 4:30 PM on September 9, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by rozee at 4:30 PM on September 9, 2020 [5 favorites]
Something I started doing with my kids more than a decade ago that's stuck around for all of us: "the salad that lasts all week."
On Sunday (or whenever), purchase, clean, and *dry* your greens. Add them to a big refrigerated bowl with all the chopped dry-ish ingredients (carrots, bell peppers, rinsed chickpeas, chopped nuts, etc.). Throughout the week, you pull out a bowl full of this mix at a time and add in the wet/cooked components (dressing, veggie chicken strips, hummus, sliced grapes/tomatoes/pears/apples, cooked lentils, cucumber slices, etc.). Kids are really good learning this approach, since it teaches a really straightforward approach to meal preparation that breaks big things (like a big ol' juicy salad with a dozen ingredients) to the "dry base" and the "fresh, wet last minute add-ons."
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:41 PM on September 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
On Sunday (or whenever), purchase, clean, and *dry* your greens. Add them to a big refrigerated bowl with all the chopped dry-ish ingredients (carrots, bell peppers, rinsed chickpeas, chopped nuts, etc.). Throughout the week, you pull out a bowl full of this mix at a time and add in the wet/cooked components (dressing, veggie chicken strips, hummus, sliced grapes/tomatoes/pears/apples, cooked lentils, cucumber slices, etc.). Kids are really good learning this approach, since it teaches a really straightforward approach to meal preparation that breaks big things (like a big ol' juicy salad with a dozen ingredients) to the "dry base" and the "fresh, wet last minute add-ons."
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:41 PM on September 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
From Sweet Peas and Saffron - Kids Snack Drawer Meal Prep
posted by Juniper Toast at 4:46 PM on September 9, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Juniper Toast at 4:46 PM on September 9, 2020 [4 favorites]
When I was that age, I lived on frozen waffles, cheesy toast, and carrots dipped in honey. Today, I'd add an ever-changing range of dried and fresh fruit.
Trader Joe's microwavable aloo chaat pouches are the hot pockets I wish existed when I was a teenager.
posted by eotvos at 4:53 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Trader Joe's microwavable aloo chaat pouches are the hot pockets I wish existed when I was a teenager.
posted by eotvos at 4:53 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Applesauce cups, yogurt/gogurt, string cheese, apples (I like the really small apples for kids), cut up veggies, trail mix, deli meats, sliced cheese, bagels, pita pockets, steamers (frozen veggies, pastas) you just throw in the microwave, cup of ramen, tortillas (for cheese crisps, cinnamon crisps, PB&J rolls), quick oatmeal, hard boiled eggs.
posted by Sassyfras at 4:55 PM on September 9, 2020
posted by Sassyfras at 4:55 PM on September 9, 2020
Nachos: microwave canned refried beans, cheese, and salsa. Add vegetables if you're fancy.
posted by metasarah at 5:20 PM on September 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by metasarah at 5:20 PM on September 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
Keep tortillas, beans and cheese on hand for easy quesadillas (my son makes them in the sandwich press) Or just beans/spaghetti-os on toast. Hard-boiled eggs in the fridge. Noodles.
posted by slightlybewildered at 5:28 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by slightlybewildered at 5:28 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
We gave my 10-year-old this breakfast sandwich maker for Christmas. It's fast, easy-to-use, and healthier than a lot of the pre-packaged breakfast options. She uses eggs, pre-sliced cheese, english muffins, and sometimes a pre-cooked sausage patty.
posted by belladonna at 5:51 PM on September 9, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by belladonna at 5:51 PM on September 9, 2020 [7 favorites]
My kids love a lot of the Trader Joe's microwavable meals like orange chicken, chicken tikka masala, pork bean buns, and burritos. We (er....more often I) also make up a dozen or so quesadillas from scratch and freeze them once a month. Their current favorite no-thinking-required meal is ramen, which means I need to press hard to get veggies into them. One way is with juices & smoothies, so I keep frozen spinach on hand, and try to make sure we have cucumbers, apples, and carrots. TJ's also has frozen squares of ginger which I toss into smoothies and juices. Quick breads with carrots and squashes are also good, and in my experience you can often reduce the sugar by half and still have a loaf appealing to kids.
Eggs and cheese are like air and water here. My kids'll make eggs of all sorts: scrambled, on english muffins, on bagels, (American) toad in the hole, with meat and without, etc. You can also oven-cook a bunch of bacon once a week and use that on egg sandwiches, too. Egg salad is a favorite, as is tuna fish and tuna melts. They're both high protein and easy to make.
Like late afternoon dreaming hotel, we also make a big salad and poach from it all week.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:01 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Eggs and cheese are like air and water here. My kids'll make eggs of all sorts: scrambled, on english muffins, on bagels, (American) toad in the hole, with meat and without, etc. You can also oven-cook a bunch of bacon once a week and use that on egg sandwiches, too. Egg salad is a favorite, as is tuna fish and tuna melts. They're both high protein and easy to make.
Like late afternoon dreaming hotel, we also make a big salad and poach from it all week.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:01 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
My teenage perpetually hungry sibling used to eat entire cans of soups as a snack. This depends how comfortable you are with hot soup. Tortilla roll-ups of many sorts would be easy to pre-make a bunch of and let them snack.
Some people are horrified by the smell but making a microwave cooked egg 'patty' in a bowl is easy and can then go on an English muffin, as cocoagirl said.
posted by nakedmolerats at 6:04 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Some people are horrified by the smell but making a microwave cooked egg 'patty' in a bowl is easy and can then go on an English muffin, as cocoagirl said.
posted by nakedmolerats at 6:04 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
My 9 year old makes smoothies using the Magic Bullet blender. Usually it has yogurt, blueberries, and kale. We also premake pasta and mac and cheese, which the kids will reheat in the microwave, the latter often with extra milk and (velveeta) cheese.
posted by odin53 at 6:10 PM on September 9, 2020
posted by odin53 at 6:10 PM on September 9, 2020
Might not be the most healthy thing, but sausage sticks (we buy the Vermont brand). Whole grain frozen waffles. Hard boiled eggs. Carrot sticks.
posted by Kriesa at 6:57 PM on September 9, 2020
posted by Kriesa at 6:57 PM on September 9, 2020
One possibly useful thing as far as motivation might be if characters in any of her favorite media have foods they eat/mention frequently. For example, there was a character in a book I loved as a kid who subsisted for a while on nothing but potatoes, which I found very sad and compelling. After I repeatedly asked for potatoes (...just potatoes) for dinner, my dad showed me how to prep a potato for cooking in the microwave and then mash it with milk and butter and salt and pepper, and that really cut down on my begging for snacks in the afternoons. And the first thing I learned to bake was gingersnaps because I wanted to be like Pippi and they were the closest recipe we had to pepparkakor. My niece is similar and her current favorite (which she makes herself) is kimchi on cubes of tofu. So your daughter may be able to give you some ideas which can then be simplified.
posted by notquitemaryann at 8:18 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by notquitemaryann at 8:18 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Go Oats makes frozen oatmeal bites/balls which are great for breakfast or snacks (the blueberry is a favorite).
Prepackaged cheese sticks are always good for snacks (if you are near a Trader Joe's, they have some good ones.) Larabar also makes some decent kid bars.
For lunch, Red's Organic Chicken Cilantro & Lime Burritos come frozen and are microwavable and very tasty. If cilantro is an issue/aversion, they also have an Organic Chicken & Cheddar Burrito.
posted by gudrun at 8:48 PM on September 9, 2020
Prepackaged cheese sticks are always good for snacks (if you are near a Trader Joe's, they have some good ones.) Larabar also makes some decent kid bars.
For lunch, Red's Organic Chicken Cilantro & Lime Burritos come frozen and are microwavable and very tasty. If cilantro is an issue/aversion, they also have an Organic Chicken & Cheddar Burrito.
posted by gudrun at 8:48 PM on September 9, 2020
If your kiddos like Chinese food, I order Lo Mai Gai in bulk for delivery, from any authentic Chinese restaurant that serves Dim Sum. They work out to about $2-3 each.
Each Lo Mai Gai is a flattened ball of sticky rice, ground meat, and bits of shiitake mushroom, all wrapped in a giant lotus leaf and then steamed to blend the flavours. The ones I get are about the size of a tennis ball. The flavour is mild and salty, with somewhat chewy rice, and the lotus leaf adds a scent like tea to it. The flavour is slightly unfamiliar-tasting to Western palates, but very palatable once you get used to it.
Some places put a small chunk of Lap Cheong, or Chinese dried sausage, into each one. Personally, I don't like that flavour so I avoid that little bite and prefer to buy from the place that doesn't include it. But lots of people like it- it's kind of like very strong proscuitto.
I store the lo mai gai in their styrofoam clamshell in the fridge, then put a few in a bowl (still wrapped) and microwave them for about a minute to take the chill off. Unwrap completely and eat with a fork, or unwrap halfway and eat it out of the leaf like a chocolate bar.
They keep in the fridge for 4 days or so, and make a great quick breakfast.
Another great Chinese quickie food is Bao, which is a bun stuffed with meat filling. There are many kinds; get any kind where the exterior looks like bread, not like pasta - the yeasted dough will retain its texture a lot longer in the fridge. Red barbecue pork filling, or Char Siu, is a fave with kids as it's a bit sweet. Just keep them in the fridge and microwave. Put a teaspoon of water into the bowl and balance the bao above, not touching the water, to help steam them if the dough starts to get hard.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:47 PM on September 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
Each Lo Mai Gai is a flattened ball of sticky rice, ground meat, and bits of shiitake mushroom, all wrapped in a giant lotus leaf and then steamed to blend the flavours. The ones I get are about the size of a tennis ball. The flavour is mild and salty, with somewhat chewy rice, and the lotus leaf adds a scent like tea to it. The flavour is slightly unfamiliar-tasting to Western palates, but very palatable once you get used to it.
Some places put a small chunk of Lap Cheong, or Chinese dried sausage, into each one. Personally, I don't like that flavour so I avoid that little bite and prefer to buy from the place that doesn't include it. But lots of people like it- it's kind of like very strong proscuitto.
I store the lo mai gai in their styrofoam clamshell in the fridge, then put a few in a bowl (still wrapped) and microwave them for about a minute to take the chill off. Unwrap completely and eat with a fork, or unwrap halfway and eat it out of the leaf like a chocolate bar.
They keep in the fridge for 4 days or so, and make a great quick breakfast.
Another great Chinese quickie food is Bao, which is a bun stuffed with meat filling. There are many kinds; get any kind where the exterior looks like bread, not like pasta - the yeasted dough will retain its texture a lot longer in the fridge. Red barbecue pork filling, or Char Siu, is a fave with kids as it's a bit sweet. Just keep them in the fridge and microwave. Put a teaspoon of water into the bowl and balance the bao above, not touching the water, to help steam them if the dough starts to get hard.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:47 PM on September 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
Well, what does she like to eat already?
Leftovers
Salad, once she knows how to hack a tomato, celery, peppers and cucumber or zucchini into pieces convenient to munch off the tines of a fork.
Anything in a can: asparagus spears, olives, chick peas, tuna, salmon, clams, peaches, fruit cocktail etc. Try to train her to put the leftovers into glass jars in the fridge rather than putting the open can in the fridge.
Smoothies made with canned and fresh fruit and maybe frozen berries. She needs to know about not lifting the immersion blender out while it is running and which bowls are suitable to make it in.
Precook macaroni for her to heat up with butter and pepper or with bottled pasta sauce.
Cold roast chicken, or roast pork or roast beef, precooked and sliced by you. Cheaper than cold cuts and no nitrates and preservatives.
Heat and eat rice pouches. The plain ones make a good base to go under that canned salmon and those olives. Or some cold roast meat.
Toast, or sandwiches. Crisp bread like ryvita.
Cottage cheese and applesauce.
Salsa, tortilla chips and sour cream or tortilla chips and cheese briefly melted in the micro.
Fruit salad
Banana splits made with plain yogurt instead of ice cream.
Canned chicken with rice soup for when someone is sick.
Instant pudding. Works well if there is a small pod of kids to appreciate it.
Hot cocoa.
Slow cooker meals like rice pudding or chili.
Mug cakes
Cold boiled eggs to turn into egg salad.
Ramen noodle cups are often popular with kids. See if she like to throw in dehydrated vegetables or bits of pre cooked roast, or snipped up green onions, or some of that boiled egg in order to make it more than just carbs and salt.
posted by Jane the Brown at 10:13 PM on September 9, 2020
Leftovers
Salad, once she knows how to hack a tomato, celery, peppers and cucumber or zucchini into pieces convenient to munch off the tines of a fork.
Anything in a can: asparagus spears, olives, chick peas, tuna, salmon, clams, peaches, fruit cocktail etc. Try to train her to put the leftovers into glass jars in the fridge rather than putting the open can in the fridge.
Smoothies made with canned and fresh fruit and maybe frozen berries. She needs to know about not lifting the immersion blender out while it is running and which bowls are suitable to make it in.
Precook macaroni for her to heat up with butter and pepper or with bottled pasta sauce.
Cold roast chicken, or roast pork or roast beef, precooked and sliced by you. Cheaper than cold cuts and no nitrates and preservatives.
Heat and eat rice pouches. The plain ones make a good base to go under that canned salmon and those olives. Or some cold roast meat.
Toast, or sandwiches. Crisp bread like ryvita.
Cottage cheese and applesauce.
Salsa, tortilla chips and sour cream or tortilla chips and cheese briefly melted in the micro.
Fruit salad
Banana splits made with plain yogurt instead of ice cream.
Canned chicken with rice soup for when someone is sick.
Instant pudding. Works well if there is a small pod of kids to appreciate it.
Hot cocoa.
Slow cooker meals like rice pudding or chili.
Mug cakes
Cold boiled eggs to turn into egg salad.
Ramen noodle cups are often popular with kids. See if she like to throw in dehydrated vegetables or bits of pre cooked roast, or snipped up green onions, or some of that boiled egg in order to make it more than just carbs and salt.
posted by Jane the Brown at 10:13 PM on September 9, 2020
As a kid and teenager I made my own breakfast and lunch most weekdays. I usually made cheese toast or frozen waffle with peanut butter or pb&j for breakfast in the toaster oven. I packed a sack lunch of cheese and crackers or a sandwich, maybe some fruit, baby carrots or sliced bell peppers, and a treat like a cookie. I ate this pretty much every weekday for years (we had veggie heavy dinners, don't worry). I still eat like this...
Cheese and crackers is a really easy lunch for a kid to make if the cheeses are pre-portioned (like Babybel, string cheese, or even sliced cheese) or if you help cut it up. Additions could include salami or lunch meat, nuts, dried or fresh fruit, sliced veggies, and dip. It's a homemade lunchable. Show your kid appropriate portions of everything or have her prep lunch kits (containers with all of the components except crackers bc they get soggy). At lunch time she can grab a container from the fridge and some crackers.
posted by Red Desk at 11:06 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Cheese and crackers is a really easy lunch for a kid to make if the cheeses are pre-portioned (like Babybel, string cheese, or even sliced cheese) or if you help cut it up. Additions could include salami or lunch meat, nuts, dried or fresh fruit, sliced veggies, and dip. It's a homemade lunchable. Show your kid appropriate portions of everything or have her prep lunch kits (containers with all of the components except crackers bc they get soggy). At lunch time she can grab a container from the fridge and some crackers.
posted by Red Desk at 11:06 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
A suggestion from across the pond. Don't go packaged... go Dutch. Embrace the simplicity of eating bread for breakfast and lunch. Choose wholewheat, and add some protein options such as fish, meat, egg, cheese and hummus. Supplement with fruits, vegetables (anything that can be eaten raw). If desired: add sauces and other condiments, olives, pickles...
Many people in several European countries eat this kind of food for breakfast and/or lunch. It's fine. There is no rule that these meals need to be cooked.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:26 AM on September 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
Many people in several European countries eat this kind of food for breakfast and/or lunch. It's fine. There is no rule that these meals need to be cooked.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:26 AM on September 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
Cutting an apple requires knife skill, but every kid I know prefers them cut up. Practice with supervision.
Teach her to scramble an egg or 2, boil an egg.
also, wash dishes, care for knives, etc.
posted by theora55 at 10:51 AM on September 10, 2020
Teach her to scramble an egg or 2, boil an egg.
also, wash dishes, care for knives, etc.
posted by theora55 at 10:51 AM on September 10, 2020
As a small child I made my own breakfast, and on cold days that was microwaved Quaker Oats in the paper packets (microwaved in a bowl). I was supervised the first few times. Then when there were inevitable boil-overs, I was taught how to clean the microwave.
posted by Hypatia at 11:38 AM on September 11, 2020
posted by Hypatia at 11:38 AM on September 11, 2020
« Older What's the best platform for selling online... | Typical day for a junior software dev Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by aniola at 4:29 PM on September 9, 2020 [1 favorite]