With summer only a month away and the final days of school rapidly approaching it might be time to think about some summer lunch options that your kids will love. Although its always tempting to rely on the classic chicken nugget and french fry diet, it often isn’t cost effective for your budget and is never entirely healthy for your child. It’s also time to start eating lighter to help make meal time more enjoyable in the heat. Although coming up with a menu for your kids can be difficult with a few hands menu suggestions your kids will be on their way to a healthier summer while you save money on their time at home. With any luck it might also help you find your healthier self so you can lead your kids into a healthy lifestyle by example. So, forget shopping for countless boxed meals and relax with simple, fast and cheap summer time lunches.
1. Smoothies
After a long morning of enjoying the sun nothing will be quite as appreciated as a nice cold meal to relax the body. Smoothies are great way to make your kids believe they’re getting a sweet treat without having to give them actual sweets like ice cream. When you go shopping try to load up on both frozen and fresh foods as well as some of your favorite vegetables. You can have the kids help out making their own special smoothie blend, or you can prep them on your own. When you make the smoothies make sure you add a healthy serving of leafy greens to the mix as this will help make your child’s meal nutritious as well as delicious. If your child has problem with the green color then add a little food coloring and they will be none the wiser. You can usually fit in a full serving of vegetables in a smoothie so choose which you want your children to have wisely. Carrots are also an easy food to add to the mix without sacrificing flavor. You can even add almond or coconut milk to add more nutrients or cut down the fat in the smoothie which will help your kids stay fit.
2. Burritos
One of the cheapest and easiest foods to make in a hurry in the burrito. The best thing is you can totally mix up the ingredients to create a different taste for each child. If you’re looking to save a lot of money on your meal then try to make the tortillas from scratch. This might add a bit of labor and time to your meal prep, but your food will taste better and you’ll end up creating the meal for a whole lot cheaper. Burritos can even me pre-made and frozen so you won’t have to worry about cooking every single day, which is particularly good when the temperatures seem to sky rocket. There’s a lot of inexpensive ingredients you can use for your burritos, such as eggs, beans, potatoes and even bulk meats and cheese. Make sure you add plenty of vegetables to the mix too to make them a delicious and healthy meal. By the time you make a lot of these burritos your kids will be set for lunches for the next few weeks. They also make a great meal for kids who tend to be on the goal much of the summer. Simply pull one out of the freezer each night and pack it for your child’s busy day.
3. Build a Pizza
Kids love to be a part of the kitchen activities which is why build your own pizza day is typically a hit. Although this might seem like a pricey meal you may find that if you buy the materials in bulk you won’t spend as much money. Of course, you don’t always have to think inside of the box when it comes to your homemade pizzas either. In fact, you can easily utilize bagels, french bread or any other bread items you have around the house for your pizza dough. You can even use leftover spaghetti sauce to help keep the price tag down. Try to encourage the kids to use more vegetables and healthy meats on their pizza rather than loading it up with cheese too. If you have a convection oven you may want to try to cook the pizzas in it as it will cut down on the oven heating up the home. Of course, you could always put the pizzas on the grill for a unique meal that will make your kids feel like little chefs.
4. Eggs
Eggs are a good way to give your children an excellent amount of protein without worrying about their lunch sitting heavy on their tummies. Eggs are fairly cheap at just about any marketplace and can be transformed into a number of dishes that will please your kids. One of the more popular egg dishes is egg salad, which can be adjusted to suit your kids taste buds. There’s lot of free recipes online and making a batch of egg salad can last a couple of meals, so you won’t have to worry about cooking every day. Another simple kid friendly dish is the omelet. Although it is often a breakfast dish it can be used to power your kids through baseball practice that usually takes place later in the day. Omelets are fun to customize to your kids taste and can even be a great way to add some vegetables to their diet. Frittatas are another fun dish that kids can help out with, plus their total hands on food so your child can eat it on the go.
5. Crepes
Making a crepe might sound intimidating at first, but once you try it you’ll realize just how fun and easy it is to make. Usually the batter is very simple to pancake batter and is simply made with a thin layer that cooks quickly. Crepes are an excellent treat for kids because you can fill them with an assortment of different things. One of the best things to do is look up recipes for seasonal crepes which will show you how to utilize some of the best vegetables in your meal. This is one really simply way to get kids to eat the foods they never before would. Of course, you can always fill the crepes with fruit to make a cold meal that will please everyone in the house. As long as you shop seasonal fillings this meal should be incredibly inexpensive and might even become a household favorite. When everyone’s finished eating you can always freeze the excess filling to use at a later day, which will help save even more money.
6. Sandwiches
When it comes down to lunch time food nothing satisfies a craving quite like a sandwich. This quick and easy meal is one of the best ways to keep kids fed at a price that satisfies everyone, after all it won’t change the budget too much from when your child was eating sack lunches at school. You don’t have to keep your sandwiches limited to cold cuts and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches either though. In fact, there’s a wide assortment of cheap sandwiches to choose from so you won’t have to repeat a recipe twice unless you absolutely want to. Sandwiches are another great way to sneak in the vegetables too especially with the different ways of seasoning them to suit the meal. The best thing is your leftovers will always have a place thanks to the sandwich. This is especially true with leftover brisket or pulled pork from your barbeque. You can also mix things up with different types of breads and wraps to ensure you won’t have to keep eating the same meal over and over.
7. Snack Plate
Kids love having a little control over what they eat which is why creating snack plates is the perfect summer lunch. You can fill the plate with just about anything you want, but try to keep it light and healthy. Cut fruits, granola, veggie sticks and sliced cheese are some great options for your bunch. Of course, you can add your own special touch to everything though, so your kids will be delighted by the choices you present them. One good thing about a snack plate is often kids won’t eat as much because the plate will force them to slow down their eating. This will ensure you won’t have to worry about weight gain due to overeating, nor will the meal sit heavy while they are outside playing in the sun. Choosing a snack tray is also great for your childrens’ future nutrition. It will teach them to make wise decisions when it comes to a meal opposed to going for the fattier and less healthy options.
8. Beanie Weenies
Everyone who has been camping has probably experience beanie weenies. This summer, instead of just leaving it on the trails you may want to consider bringing the family favorite to lunch time. You can easily whip up the classic recipe with a can of beans and a package of hot dogs, but this might be a bit too tedious by the time summer is over. Instead of creating the same beanie weenies over and over try mixing in new ingredients. For instance, after your barbeque you might want to take some of your sausage links and add it to baked or ranch style beans for an entirely different experience. You may even want to try your hand at making your own beans in the crock pot which could save a whole lot of money in the long run. If you start with a big patch you can always freeze some of the leftovers for a later date.
9. Veggie Pasta
When it comes to pasta kids are usually right on board, but the noodles are high in calories which isn’t exactly the best thing in regards to your family’s health. Instead of using noodles try investing in a vegetable pasta maker. This amazing device will turn your vegetables into thing noodles. This works best with items like squash of zucchini, but you can try out a wide assortment of things. Once you’ve created your noodles you can easily boil them for a matter of seconds and serve them with your favorite pasta sauce. This amazing pasta dish will cut down calories significantly and will help kids who hate eating vegetables find a way to fit them into their diet. If you grow tired of pasta style meals then you can always mix things up by using the noodles in a ramen or stir fry. The sky is the limit so make sure to browse recipes that are cheap to fulfill.
10. Salad
One of the easiest things to whip up in a hurry without sacrificing nutrition is a salad. Salads might not be the idea for kids, but if they start eating them early they’ll learn to enjoy them for the rest of their lives. Salads can be pretty inexpensive to make as well as long as you steer clear from the pre-packed salads. Instead buy each piece of the salad separately which will save money and help keep everything fresh. You can always add some of your children’s favorite foods to make the salad a little tastier, such as chicken, cheese or even fruits. By the time summer is over your family will be in great shape and your children will have learned to eat healthily.
Lunches can be a simple thing if you know how to keep them under budget. With these ten menu items you’ll be able to rock your children’s lunch menu so you’ll have smiling faces all season. With a little luck they’ll pick up some healthy eating habits that will keep your food budget low all year.
