I’m pretty sure our house isn’t the only house with out a maid or lunch fairy. When you are helping your high schooler with their Algebra (ahem) and your middleschooler is working on their school (that you just got them started going on), there is most likely no one to get lunch for your littles. They just end up throwing a fit or decide to decorate your walls with a Sharpie while no one is looking.
Most homeschoolers have days where they feel like they need a maid… or five. Fortunately, we can cure the lunch time madness by planning ahead a little bit. On the weekend, go ahead and write out lunch ideas for the week and make sure you have the ingredients on hand.
Some quick lunch ideas:
- Burritos – You can freeze these and reheat as needed.
- Breakfast burritos – You can stick these babies in the freezer and use them for lunch or breakfast.
- Ham or Turkey and cheese roll-ups (for the littles) – Just roll up some ham or turkey and cheese and put with whatever fruit you have on hand. You can roll a bunch of these up ahead of time and store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.
- Leftovers – While your high schooler is working on that Algebra, take a minute to put out your leftovers on the counter and warm some up. Leftovers never hurt anyone.
- Potato Skillet – Grab those leftover baked potatoes from last night out of the fridge. Dice ‘em up. Throw those bad boys into an iron skillet with a little (a tablespoon or two) oil or bacon grease. Now, grab that 1/2 of an onion out of the fridge and dice it up. Throw that into the pan. If you have have some leftover turkey or chicken, throw that in there. Let it sit on medium heat while you throw in a load of laundry. Once the potatoes are brown on that side, flip ‘em over and go get that pen away from your toddler. Once they are nice and brown all over, sprinkle some salt, pepper, garlic powder, Rosemary, and a tiny bit of chipotle powder on them and stir in. Sprinkle cheese over them and serve.
If you have an itch to get out, grab your children and some sandwich things and head to a park or a creek and have a picnic.
How do you manage the meal time chaos at your house? What are your favorite meals?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
There’s some great ideas here. I especially love the sandwhich roll-ups idea. I never feel creative at lunch but you’ve presented lots of inspiration here. Thank you
You are so very welcome! I’m glad you got some useful info and inspiration by stopping here!
My kids love Pigs in the Blankets
use Crescent Rolls and Hot dogs
cut the hot dogs in half roll them up in the crescent roll
throw on baking sheet and put into the oven when they are golden brown pull out and add a fruit on the side and BINGO !!
A fast lunch…
They also love Turtles
you use Biscuits & Hot dogs
Pull the biscuit in half & then you cut your hot dog into 6 pices
use the pieces for the head , 4 legs, & tail.
Than put the other half of biscuit on top , put on baking sheet and bake till done… ( The biscuit is supposed to look like a turtle). Than add whatever you want to go with it … Another fast lunch.. My kids loved these when they were younger… ♥
Thank you for sharing those!
We have the same lunch on the same day each week (unless we have leftovers). That way, if it is Tuesday, I immediately know what to make and everyone knows what we will have! All of these meals are super easy, like sandwich wraps with chips and a side of fruit. We often do have leftovers, so it adds variety each week.
I also cook a ton of ground beef at the beginning of the month and make taco meat, sloppy joes, chili, etc. I store it in quantities that are just right for me and the kids for lunch. I also can grab one of those if we are too hungry for our usual tomato soup and grilled cheese that might be on the schedule that day.
Lunch is crazy around here…not only do we homeschool with a toddler-in-tow but I am also a part-time nutrition student. My dh has a great schedule where we rotate who is home, etc. Without a meal plan in place, we would be lost….or at Chick-fil-a everyday.
I love to have these things on hand, ready-to-to:
Hard-boiled eggs (quick protein topping for a salad)
Grilled Taco Chicken (cooked and in small baggies in freezer…for wraps, salads, quesadillas, couscous salad, etc)
Pasta Salad (super easy and can get lots of veggies in too! Make a big bowl on weekend and enjoy all week)
Quiche-This is one way my kids will eat eggs, they are not big fans. Plus, this can be frozen and reheats nicely. We love ours with spinach and bacon or ham.
Potato Wedges/Fries- A staple in our house…we love slicing up potatoes, put in ziploc bag with olive oil, salt/pepper and any herbs you like…spread on baking sheet..cook at 400 for 20-35 minutes (depends how crispy you like) and enjoy! Also great with sweet potatoes!
Now, this is not our standard, weekly fare. We do love our PB&Js around here but when we need to mix it up, it’s great to have a go-to list. Thanks for the great post!
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