Healthy "Summer" Dinners & Snacks

[WDWorBUST]

DD has decided she wants to eat "snacks" and not meals here lately. She and I are constantly "fighting" about her wanting a snack and going and standing with the refrigerator door open. I know it's an independence thing...and I truly don't think it's something to fight about (within reason). So my question is what are some good healthy snacks I can stick in the refrigerator for her to be able to pick out for herself. (IT's happening as we speak - She is driving me CRAZY with this). Also with it being summer I just don't feel like cooking and it's definitely showing up in our budget. Sandwiches are quick and easy and I'm okay with them....but you can only eat so many sandwiches. I was thinking maybe some pasta salads....we like rotini, ranch, bacon, & black olives as a summer side and I was thinking I could throw in some chicken and have a somewhat healthy easy cold summer meal. The other thing is DH is umpiring and right now is doing that every night of the week so something I can slap together and he can eat on his way up there would be good. Last year he ate a lot of chicken wraps - but the "easy" fajita chicken seems a lot more expensive this year. I guess I could make some of my own up and use that. How long is meat good for in the refrigerator after it's cooked? I am trying to lose weight so healthy and filling are the major prerequisites - and not having to turn the oven on is the other. So what snacks do you stock for kiddos (she's 3 1/2) and what are your favorite summer meals?

 

[CastleCreations]

My girls are 4 and 5. The only snacks they are allowed to have are healthy stuff. Yogurt, cheese, raisins, some fruit, as long as it's fresh, water, pretzels, carrots with ranch dressing (we call them carrot dippers), piece of watermelon, cucumbers and tomato cut up on plate and spritzer dressing. In the summer they can have sugar free ice pops, and watered down juice.
I feed them healthy because I'm overweight, and I don't want that to happen to them. They also aren't allow to even open the fridge or get their own snacks.
Meat, um... I really don't eat it, but I think I used to use it, within 3 days. If I didn't use it the first day I bought it, I would freeze it.
I don't cook a lot, so I couldn't help you on the meals part. My guess would be potato salad, regular salad, blt's, my version of lunchables, (soy cheese, sliced turkey or ham cut into little pieces, whole wheat crackers, and some grapes or cantaloupe. They love that. They get to create (put it together)themselves.

 

[MoeFam]

I dont know if your kids will eati t- but black beans are huge for us all year round- and even more in the summer. Throw them in a wrap, salad or blen with Rotel tomatoes, cumin, and little chicken broth and use with rice for a burrito. Fish is great too because it is so fast and you can grill it or stick it in the broiler for just a few minutes and be good to go.

Our kids love the yogurt in a tube, string cheese, hard boiled eggs, cheese cut into shapes with crackers and olives of all kinds. Dry cereal is a good snack too- and our kids will sometimes subsitute a dry cereal snack and fruit for a regular breakfast.

 

[tjmw2727]

I usually grill every other night and make twice what we eat in one meal- so yesterday I did chicken, 1/2 bbq and 1/2 plain. We had the bbq yesterday and tonight I made a salad with the cold chicken. Whatever extras usually get put in a wrap or on a salad. In addition to the traditional salads I do an asian with pea pods and a taco with southwestern dressing and sometimes nacho's on top. For new salad ideas I check the bag salads and copy the ingrediants for a cheaper longer lasting and hopefully healthier salad.

I always have vegies and dip - low fat dressing or yogurt. My dds love carrots (esp the carrots cut like chips), grean beans, broccoli, cucumber, cherry tomato and califlower - all cold. I alternate whats available and just serve them cold with dinner. They also like sliced tomatoes with mozzarella and italian dressing - so does DH.

I try and always have a fruit bowl to make it easy to grab an apple, bananna etc. For a great healthy dessert/treat I freeze the yogurt tubes, kind of like a push pop and my dd's love them. You can also put a popsicle stick into the yobaby yogurt and then freeze them but my dd's like the tubes better.

Like the pp we also make our own lunchables - even now at 10 and 12 they like finger food but they especially loved those at that 3-5 age. They like a rotini or mac salad and I usually put in some chopped carrot, celery and sometimes peas.

Lately they have even had a few breakfast for dinner nights when we are running late. They love a bowl of cereal with fruit and a glass of milk for dinner every once in a while.

I used to put "acceptable" snacks in one drawer of the refrigerator and on one shelf in the pantry. If it was an ok time to snack they could pick out something from the fruit bowl or the snack drawer in the pantry or fridge. Now that they are older I don't do that but they still know what is acceptable and when. I think its important that they learn to make their own good choices.

Try involving her in cooking as much as you can and if she is interested enough try having her help prepare some of the menus. With your guidance she can put together a menu for a simple balanced meal and will probably love eating it.

Have fun
TJ

 

[Princess Roo]

I also loved "fake" lunchables as a kid. I had forgotten about that!

Most of our favorite snacks have been mentioned, except I don't think I saw trail mix, which I'll make in big batches.

I make several different pasta salads. My favorite is to use whole wheat pasta (which doesn't get mushy as fast in the fridge), lite Italian dressing, chunks of mozzarella, halved grape or cherry tomatoes and then some other vegetables that I usually cook just a little before putting in (zuccini, broccoli, snap peas, asparagus - whatever is on sale). Sometimes I add some turkey pepperoni, too.

I also make variations on quesadillas. Usually what I'll do is make extra chicken for dinner one night and then use it the next night for these. We take whole wheat tortillas and the leftover chicken and then do typical "Mexican" style with black beans, salsa, jalapenos and Mex cheese; "BBQ" style with BBQ sauce, green peppers and cheddar, or "Italian" style with pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, tomato, asparagus. They work well for nights DH works late because I can leave the griddle out and have all the components prepared in the fridge for him.

As for meat in the fridge, I don't go more than a week. But, you can cook chicken *that hasn't previously been frozen* and then freeze it cooked for up to 3 months.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Haven't read all the responses, so I may be repetetive. My kids love carrots and celery sticks with dip. I make up a fruit platter with a fruit dip (that always goes quick). The kids like apple slices with fat free caramel dip (they sell them in individual containers-just like applesauce). We are huge on grilling, but meat is not cheap. We do manage to eat the healthiest in the summer because of all the fruits and veggies. DD eats bowls of strawberries the most as her favorite. We also make chicken kabobs (sp?) with peppers, onions and bacon. I cook them ahead and then we eat them for a day or two afterwards (they are fine in the fridge). DD and DS heat them up and dip them in teryaki sauce. Cheap, fun and easy to make. We definitely love cold salads-antipasto, macaroni or tuna salad & potatoe salad. DD and myself also are crazy for deviled eggs, so we pretty much always have them in the fridge. None of this stuff lasts long, usually takes longer to make, but it is all good and healthy food.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just to clarify, DD doesn't just go in and help herself....she says she wants a snack, I ask what she wants - then it gets to the open the fridge and see what's there stage. What I want to do is as someone else mentioned - have a designated area in the fridge that she can pick a snack from - I want to give her some control and choices over what she is eating with my guidance. There is nothing wrong with eating several small meals ("snacks" as she calls them) throughout the day - it's actually encouraged in a lot of weight loss programs - but I don't want her to be snacking on typical snacks and not get good nutrition. So far the one thing I typically have available is chocolate pudding cups. I'm not opposed to chocolate pudding cups (obviously - I buy them), but she isn't going to eat 3 of them a day and then eat one decent meal. Actually I like for her to eat pudding and ice cream - in moderation of course - because she is not a milk drinker and they are both decent sources of calcium. The other thing she really likes is string cheese which I keep and let her have. She loves boiled eggs so I probably need to make sure to start keeping them available - they would be a good one. She doesn't like yogurt so that one is out the window. I just want to give her choices that if she is hungry she can pick out what she wants with permission.

 

[LglBlonde]

Will she eat fruit?

A bowl of fresh fruit on the counter won't even involve opening the fridge!

How about pre-portioned amounts of grapes in ziplocs? Same for carrots, celery, etc.

 

[hollyb]

My girls are 4 and 5. The only snacks they are allowed to have are healthy stuff. Yogurt, cheese, raisins, some fruit, as long as it's fresh, water, pretzels, carrots with ranch dressing (we call them carrot dippers), piece of watermelon, cucumbers and tomato cut up on plate and spritzer dressing. In the summer they can have sugar free ice pops, and watered down juice.
I feed them healthy because I'm overweight, and I don't want that to happen to them. They also aren't allow to even open the fridge or get their own snacks.
Meat, um... I really don't eat it, but I think I used to use it, within 3 days. If I didn't use it the first day I bought it, I would freeze it.
I don't cook a lot, so I couldn't help you on the meals part. My guess would be potato salad, regular salad, blt's, my version of lunchables, (soy cheese, sliced turkey or ham cut into little pieces, whole wheat crackers, and some grapes or cantaloupe. They love that. They get to create (put it together)themselves.

Because your overweight they can't open the firdge themselves? What in the world is that teaching them? That moms fat so we can't get our our snack or drink? You are setting them up for huge food issues later on. YOU need change your life first before you do major damage to your children.

 

[hollyb]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just to clarify, DD doesn't just go in and help herself....she says she wants a snack, I ask what she wants - then it gets to the open the fridge and see what's there stage. What I want to do is as someone else mentioned - have a designated area in the fridge that she can pick a snack from - I want to give her some control and choices over what she is eating with my guidance. There is nothing wrong with eating several small meals ("snacks" as she calls them) throughout the day - it's actually encouraged in a lot of weight loss programs - but I don't want her to be snacking on typical snacks and not get good nutrition. So far the one thing I typically have available is chocolate pudding cups. I'm not opposed to chocolate pudding cups (obviously - I buy them), but she isn't going to eat 3 of them a day and then eat one decent meal. Actually I like for her to eat pudding and ice cream - in moderation of course - because she is not a milk drinker and they are both decent sources of calcium. The other thing she really likes is string cheese which I keep and let her have. She loves boiled eggs so I probably need to make sure to start keeping them available - they would be a good one. She doesn't like yogurt so that one is out the window. I just want to give her choices that if she is hungry she can pick out what she wants with permission.

Once again YOUR the parent YOU buy the food in the house. If you buy junkfood she is going to eat it. STOP buying the junk. SHEESH!!!!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Because your overweight they can't open the firdge themselves? What in the world is that teaching them? That moms fat so we can't get our our snack or drink? You are setting them up for huge food issues later on. YOU need change your life first before you do major damage to your children.

I don't think that would necessarily do any damage to a kid. I like to know what my kids are eating too, although I don't buy any junkfood, so monitoring is not an issue. My mother was 4'11" and a 3X would have been tight on her. She watched what I ate when I was a kid, but she was not overly crazy about it. I do always remember her telling me she did not want me to end up like her and I don't think there was anything wrong with that. It did make me very aware that genetics were not on my side. Never suffered from any food issues and I am 5'9" and a size 4-6. I think we all try to do the best we can with our kids and hope that they will learn from our mistakes in life. I know my mom was very unhappy with her size and just wanted me not to have to go through that. Now if you are shipping your kids off to fat camp and watching their every bite, then yes, I would agree that is a bit much and could be a problem-everything in moderation.

 

[mom2alix]

I also try to control the fridge access - DS2 would eat 6 string cheese in a row if I'd let him, then not eat dinner. I think young kids need mom to control the fridge access, they don't always make good choices - i.e. I caught DS eating hot dog relish straight out of the container the other day Yuck!!!! I DO feed the child, I swear!

As far as snacks go, I keep apples, grapes, yogurt, and string cheese in the fridge. I keep bananas and raisins on the counter. We also do popcorn, cereal, and Goldfish crackers for snacks, but those are up in the pantry because I prefer they only have them once per day.

With the calcium issue for your DD, have you tried freezing the Gogurts? Some kids don't like the texture of yogurt, but they'll eat it as a popcicle and think it's a great treat.

For meals, I use the crock pot and the grill all summer. Super easy tip is to buy the frozen chicken breasts (cheap on sale) take out the number you need and put in a ziplock, then add a little Italian dressing (or whatever sounds good to you), seal and set in the refrigerator. Overnight, the meat will thaw and marinate and be ready to place on the grill. Try Kraft.com and order their free cooking magazine, they had some great burger ideas for the grill in the last one. For rainy days, I use the crock pot and make all kinds of things. Last night we had BBQ beef sandwiches, I'm doing sweet n sour pork tomorrow night. I try to keep some type of pasta salad or other side dish in the fridge at all times and then slice up some melon or tomatoes and maybe add a green salad and dinner's done!

 

[WDWorBUST]

Once again YOUR the parent YOU buy the food in the house. If you buy junkfood she is going to eat it. STOP buying the junk. SHEESH!!!!

Ummm......I didn't see anywhere I was complaining that she was eating junk food. I was asking for SUGGESTIONS on some additional healthy snacks I could offer a 3 1/2 year old. I don't think chocolate pudding or ice cream is bad - in moderation as I already said. If you do - well to put it politely - I don't really care.

As far as the fridge thing - I don't think there is anything wrong with making sure your kids are eating healthy - I'm trying to do that very thing myself, I'm just approaching it differently because I'm wanting her to learn to make healthy choices on her own and letting her express her independence.

 

[MoeFam]

I cant believe how hurtful some people are on this board- the woman has every right to keep control over what her child eats- like another poster said some kids would eat six string cheese and then not want anything else. Does anybody think before they type???? I know I cant be the only one who considers the feelings of the HUMAN being on the other side of the computer monitor? Sheesh

To the OP- Kraft Food and Family is a great magazine and they do have some awesome burger recipes this month... a few that can be made with ground turkey as well. Their meals are simple, easy to prepare, made with things you probably already have in your pantry and very family friendly.

 

[tjmw2727]

ITo the OP- Kraft Food and Family is a great magazine and they do have some awesome burger recipes this month... a few that can be made with ground turkey as well. Their meals are simple, easy to prepare, made with things you probably already have in your pantry and very family friendly.

Just wanted to say thanks MoeFam for the kraft food and family suggestion. I just went to the website and got so many great ideas. My dd's love to make snack mixes and they have some great ones. We usualy have two going here - a healthy morning breakfast type and a snack type with somthing sweet

I haven't even started with the meals but I have to go and actually make one before I can head back to the site for more ideas.

OP my oldest can't drink milk so I also make sure she gets calcuim from other sources. Usually between the calcium fortified OJ or Cranberry juice, cheese and yogurt she gets enough. She also likes chocolate soy once in a while. I wouldn't worry about a pudding now and then either . FWIW my dd's won't eat any of the kids yogurts either but they will eat the regular yoplait and like a pp said they do like the tubes when frozen.

TJ

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I make for the kids for lunch peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I put them on a potato hot dog roll, put peanut butter on it and put a banana in it like a hot dog. The kids think this is the funniest thing and it's good for them! I also but alot of cut up fruit. It is more expensive but if I buy it and buy a good variation of it they eat it nonstop. I also buy tons of other fruit like grapes, cherries, oranges, grapefruit etc. When they ask for a snack I have a ton of different offerings so they can usually find a fruit that they like. I also buy chewy granola bars for the occasional snack as well as fruit rollups. Not the healthiest thing but it's not too bad and the portion size is fine. I make my own ice pops with the ice pop tupperware. My Mom used to do this and we had yogurt pops, kool aid pops, orange juice pops etc. The ones we have now have Mickey Heads on the stick so the kids like to look for the hidden Mickeys! The kids love these pops and we can make them together so it is a little project as well as a treat! Mandarin oranges in the can are also really good. They can eat these with their hands and I love them on a salad. I also buy veggie hot dogs for lunch. The kids like them and they are better for them then regular hot dogs (which they have occasionally). I also buy veggie burgers which they like too. I will admit I spend alot of money on healthy snacks but I feel it's worth it. My kids do eat chips and ice cream and candy etc., it's just that we eat alot less of that stuff. I'd rather they get a taste for healthy stuff and really consider that stuff a treat. Another thing I buy is the small bottles of water. They are just the right size for the kids. They even have ones with sports tops so they don't spill as easy. Good luck! It is very hard to keep a healthy diet and I am not always the best at it but I try.

 

[CastleCreations]

Because your overweight they can't open the firdge themselves? What in the world is that teaching them? That moms fat so we can't get our our snack or drink? You are setting them up for huge food issues later on. YOU need change your life first before you do major damage to your children.

Boy you really have issues when you have to attack other people's posts. It's called having control over your children. I respect other people's ideas, but I can't have a 4 and 5 year old in the kitchen getting snacks without permission or with out supervision. Yes, they can have snacks, but I decide what and when.
If anything, exposing them to all sorts of food at a young age, is better than me giving them peanut butter and jelly every day... They are willing to eat almost everything, without complaint, and I'm thankful.
When they are adults and decide to drink soda, or eat sugary cereal, that will be their decision, but they won't be allowed as children.
As for you, I'm lowering myself to your standards by even replying to your post. You shouldn't even be allowed to post on these boards with the way you attack everyone. I've noticed a theme to your posts...and it's not nice. Maybe you need a life change....or just a life...

 

[ehrn]

I make for the kids for lunch peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I put them on a potato hot dog roll, put peanut butter on it and put a banana in it like a hot dog.


How CLEVER!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MoeFam]

That PB and banana idea is awesome! I am totally going to try that!

 

[tjmw2727]

I make for the kids for lunch peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I put them on a potato hot dog roll, put peanut butter on it and put a banana in it like a hot dog.


How CLEVER!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree MHM - I often make my dd's sandwiches on hot dog rolls but that PB bananna is a great one I rollup with chicken or turkey breast and cheese to place in the hot dog roll or fill with tuna or chicken salads, they are a great size for kids. They also hold up very well in a lunchbox.

I also do my own "uncrustables" with whole wheat bread pj and jam or honey and cut them with a cookie cutter. Pampered chef also has a round press that makes them come out just like an uncrustable.

TJ