My freezer and pantry are FULL, but there's nothing to eat!!

[nsmith]

I think one important thing is to get out of the mind set that all lunches have to be a full meal! I know it has taken me some time to realise that it is okay to eat a yogurt and apple or pear (or some kind of fruit) and not have the sandwich or salad all the time. Basically, have finger foods, snack type foods and that is all.

also need to get out of the mind set that kids lunchs have to have snacks with them. My two skinny minnies/picky eaters would eat the snacks, drink the juice. take a bit or two of the sandwich and come home starving for... you guessed it MORE SNACKS/ I changed the drink to water and packed a sandwich they can have a snack when they got home from school.

 

[crisi]

Our snacks, fruit and air popped popcorn.

And I hate the snack thing, too.

For quick meals, we do the soup sandwich thing, breakfast type foods (eggs are very versatile), spaghetti, tacos with refried beans, and tofu dishes (because you don't need to defrost it - shelf stable box )

 

[rnorwo1]

Thanks so much for the great ideas! I may have insinuated that I was a bit healthier than I really am though We're all picky eaters, so while I have tried my hardest to like hummus and cottage cheese, I just can't get past the texture! I have learned to eat lots of vegetables over the years, so I'm getting better. Even so, I have a long list of ideas now, and I'm going to ask a few relatives who never throw anything out if they have an old air popper... my kids would love popcorn every night, I have no idea why I didn't think of that.

You are all so right about "mindsets" too... unfortunately, my mindset has been that a snack is something you grab out of a package and open, so I'll have to plan a bit more to have better things. I crave something sweet and salty each night, so after wandering around the kitchen for awhile last night I came up with edamame and then for the sweet I dipped peanuts and raisins in melted dark chocolate chips (I often buy chocolate covered treats from Whole Foods, but not in the budget now!) It was so good!

Another mindset that I'll have to change is how much choice to give the kids. They all eat so differently. When I cook, my motto is "Eat what you get and don't throw a fit!" so I've always let them choose their own snacks. But I do want them to broaden their horizons, so maybe just serving a few options will help them to do that.

I'll also look more at healthier cakes and cookie recipes too, b/c my DH is the pickiest of all and he will not eat fruit and stuff like that. I'm baking cupcakes right now for my DS5's birthday tomorrow, so I doubled the batch and will freeze them! I've never done that with cupcakes, hope they turn out well!

Thanks again for the ideas everyone!!!

 

[100AcreWood]

Cheese... you buy a big chunk of it at the deli and then cut it into cubes.

Yogurt... actually something you can make yourself and then keep some fresh fruit cut in a baggie to go into it.

Dehydrated fruit

Nuts

Those things work for us.

you buy big chunks of cheese at the deli counter? wow, I never thought of that. I always buy the cheese cubes and they are expensive.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Please help! What do you snack on or have for quickie lunches that are economical and won't cause me to have to buy a larger wardrobe?!
Thanks!

I make a huge batch of chicken salad and get some multigrain or wheat crackers -- then have that as a snack or lunch. high protein and it satisfys the hunger too.

 

[Maddie2]

LOL! We "try" to eat healthy too and in a perfect world we would eat only the best and healthiest ... that being said ... that is not the way it is around here.

We eat many of what other posters mentioned - fruit, veggies, cheese sticks, popcorn, yogurt etc. But, when cereal goes on sale (recent Kellogg's 50% off sale), I do buy a few boxes of sugary cereal as a treat - Froot Loops, Reese's Cocoa/PB, etc and these are put aside as after school snacks. I don't allow so much sugar in the morning, but if I know they will be playing outside soon after, I let them have the sugary cereal as a snack now and then. They know it's a treat and appreciate it.

 

[bah782]

I have the same problem with the full cabinets & fridge but NOTHING to eat. I can go to the market and come home and think this too. It sure is frustrating