Here are 12 easy, nutritious recipes to make with your kids when you’ve got a lot of time (and limited sanity) on your hands.
When you find yourself at home with your kids during a world-wide pandemic, you might need an ongoing list of activities to do to keep little minds (and hands) busy. You may also be trying to balance both household and career tasks with parenting responsibilities all-at-the-same-time. You might be thinking “I’ve got to get shit done” (insert work, laundry, cleaning, cooking, physical activity etc.) simultaneously with “I’ve got to homeschool my kid and make sure they feel stable and secure”. Oh… not to mention the “should I be feeding my kids special immune-boosting foods or giving them nutritional supplements right now?” dilemma. Ugh.
We’re not superhuman, you guys. But I’m the first to admit, I had a fairly detailed daily schedule drafted up on day one of our family quarantine. Which, by the way, lasted a total of about 0.75 days. Sigh.
So I succumbed to the fact that I need to chill the eff out and give myself a break. So, I decided to let my kids sleep in a little, have a little bit of screen time while I focused on work, and create daily goals that didn’t completely overwhelm me (or my kids). They looked a little something like this:
- Play a game
- Read a book
- Experiment in the kitchen
- Do some physical activity
- Get outside
- Learn something new
Doable.
We’re all navigating extreme circumstances and a whole lot of uncertainty, which can be stressful. We need some room to process what’s going on and take care of our physical and mental health.
So without recreating the wheel or putting too much pressure on myself to develop new recipes right now, I rounded up our favourite go-to, kid-friendly yummy and nutritious recipes for you to try.
Here’s the thing: you have to prepare food everyday. And eat. And feed your kids. Oh, and you also have to keep your kids busy. So combine all of these and this list just might come in handy! That’s my hope anyways 😉
Enjoy!
One-Bowl Whole Grain Banana Muffins
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Chia Protein Balls
Egg and Banana Mini Muffins
One-Pot Vegetarian Mexican Mac and Cheese
Easy Kid-Friendly Vegan Lentil Bites
Easy Weeknight One-Pot Thai Peanut Noodles
Clean-Out-The-Fridge Fried Rice
Easy Peasy Caulitots
Tropical Green Smoothie
Sweet and Salty Chocolate Lentil Granola Bars
Flourless Chocolate Lentil Protein Muffins
![[AD] Who else loves a quick, one-pot meal for the busy back-to-school season? 🙋♀️
As a dietitian and mom, I’m all about recipes that are quick, affordable, nourishing, and of course, delicious. That’s why I’ve teamed up with my friends at L’Ancêtre Cheese to bring you my Homemade One-Pot Hamburger Helper—perfect for weeknight dinners and makes awesome leftovers for lunchboxes too!
What I love most? You can toss everything—beef, pasta, veggies—into one pot, saving time and dishes! Plus, @ancetrecheese , made locally here in Canada from pasture-fed cows, adds that perfect cheesy touch. It’s organic, sustainably produced, and absolutely delicious. 🧀
What you need:
* 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
* 4 cups uncooked whole grain, regular or gluten-free pasta noodles (like rotini or macaroni)
* ½ yellow onion, diced
* 2 cups veggies of choice, diced (eg. mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc.)
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp pepper
* 1.5 cups milk of choice
* 1.5 cups chicken broth
* 1-680 mL jar tomato pasta sauce
* 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
* Tsp red pepper flakes
* 3 cups L’Ancêtre’s Marbled Mild Cheddar
Put it all together:
1. Cook beef in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned, then drain. Add onion, garlic, red pepper, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; cook until veggies are tender-crisp.
2. Mix in milk, broth, tomato sauce, and uncooked macaroni. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring often. Adjust liquid as needed.
3. Remove from heat, stir in frozen peas and 1 cup of cheese until melted. Transfer to a casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake at 375°F for 5-10 minutes until golden. Cool before serving.
Make sure to pick up L’Ancêtre cheese (either a family-sized block or pre-shredded) at a local retailer near you! Visit https://www.fromagerieancetre.com/en/cheeses/ to find out more!
#Ad #Partner #BackToSchool #LunchboxIdeas #OrganicCheese #FamilyMeals #LAncetreCheese](https://www.sarahremmer.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/459558167_1543212989903442_998663133378052381_nfull.webp)
![👇[AD] Dietitian-approved “snack lunches” that my kids love, in partnership with my friends at @naturesbakery 💜
Make sure to comment “snack lunch” and I’ll send you a free school-lunch cheat sheet 🙌🏻
Let’s be honest, the items kids get most excited about in their school lunches are the... snacks! So, why not build a meal-worthy “snack lunch” that your kids can be excited about opening and enjoying?
We do this often, and for good reason. It’s quick and easy for me (yay!), and my kids love helping pack them. Plus, these lunches can be just as nourishing as a “traditional” lunch. Bonus: the most often get eaten!
Here’s my “rule of 4” for building these lunches, ensuring they’re packed with the nutrients my kids need for the day:
1️⃣ Whole grains/starches
2️⃣ Protein-rich foods
3️⃣ Fruit
4️⃣ Veggies
As a dietitian Mom, I’m a huge fan of including @naturesbakery Fig Bars in my kids’ lunches. Not only do they always get eaten (aka my kids love them), but I love that they contain a simple ingredients list with whole grains and real fruit. They’re also plant-based, dairy-free and nut-free (making them perfect for school lunches!).
A typical “snack lunch” might look like this:
Charcuterie-Style
* Meats, cheese and crackers; for plant-based families, you could swap the meat and cheese with smoked tofu slices, tempeh strips or plant-based deli slices, plant-based cheeses, and hummus, roasted chickpeas or edamame.
* Cut up fruit
* Chia pudding
* A Nature’s Bakery Raspberry Fig Bar (plant-based, dairy-free, and nut-free!)
Mediterranean-focused:
* mini naan bread/pita
* Hummus
* mini caprese salad skewers
* Nature’s Bakery Blueberry Fig Bar
* Fruit
* Dried chickpeas
Fun Finger Foods:
* energy bites
* edamame beans
* Seed and banana roll-ups
* string cheese (or dairy-free alternative)
* Nature’s Bakery Raspberry Fig Bar
* Mini carrots
If you think your kids will love snack lunches, comment “snack lunch” below for a free school lunch cheat sheet ❤️
#Ad #Partner #NaturesBakery #SnackLunch #SchoolLunchIdeas #DietitianApproved #PlantBasedSnacks](https://www.sarahremmer.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/458372728_522285503507501_4269903014098073865_nfull.webp)
Comments
Lakhbir Singh Multani says
Very interesting recipes. Will surely give them a try