Summers can be a little tricky because we’re at home cooking for all the kiddos all day, every day. If you’re out of ideas, take a quick peek at these three easy and fast ideas for meals.
Pasta Salad!
After you grab some pasta, some veggies (we like to use broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes, but you can use whatever you and your family like! The beauty of this recipe is that it’s fully customizable), and some low-fat Italian salad dressing, you’re all set!
Cook your pasta and allow it to cool completely. Chop your veggies into small pieces (if needed) and add to the pasta. Smother the veggies and pasta with the dressing of your choice (the more you use, the better it tastes so do not be afraid to use a lot--that’s why we use low-fat). And with that, your pasta salad is all done! Pair with some fruit like oranges, blueberries, or apple slices/chunks.
Tortilla Wraps!
Get some whole grain tortillas (or spinach/veggie wraps, whatever you’re liking these days), turkey, tomato, lettuce or other greens, and honey mustard or mayo if you want some condiments. This is another customizable recipe, so you can try it with other lunchmeats or protein options. We’ve tried cucumbers in this as well, and it’s heavenly! All you have to do for these are drop your ingredients onto a tortilla and roll it up pinwheel-style and cut into kid-size portions. We like to pair these with celery or carrots and some grapes or other fruit.
A bomb smoothie.
Kids almost always like smoothies because they’re so sweet! So if you have a picky eater at home, this is an awesome way to sneak in some greens. Find a frozen fruit mix that you enjoy (Costco has the best options with everything from tropical mixes to berry blends) and that can be your quick throw-in for your smoothies. Frozen bananas turn your smoothies gourmet--they’re creamy and perfect. Usually, I peel and cut a bunch in half to put in the freezer for a go-to stash. Drop your fruit, the milk of your choice, some greens if you wish, ground flax or chia seeds, and some yogurt into a blender and let it whirl. Serve, or if you’re looking to turn it into a smoothie bowl, add some freshly-cut fruit and granola on top. All done!
We hope these spark your creativity in the kitchen and give you some good ideas. Best of luck with your cooking this week!