In a rut from weeks of illness, need breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas....

[iamme]

I hs and am in a terrible rut when it comes to daytime food planning. I am disgusted with what I've been feeding my dc over the last several weeks of our family being ill. (And,yes, I'm aware that our diet hasn't helped our health.)

Restrictions are no eggs and little fruit. Funds are way low, so food needs to be economical.

Please help me get back on track!

TIA!

[BetsyS]

We are boring here. Breakfast tends to be: oatmeal, grits, cheese toast. Sometimes muffins. Occasionally eggs and fruit, too.

Lunch is: leftovers, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, macaroni and cheese. I usually serve fruit, too. And a vegetable (spinach in a quesadilla, carrot sticks, celery and ranch, cucumber slices are all easy).

Snacks are: fruit, vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumbers, frozen peas and corn straight from the freezer), cheese and crackers, occasionally yogurt (they go in fits and starts on yogurt), string cheese, peanuts, craisins, raisins

My kids aren't big on a snack tray. They don't get the idea of leaving the rest for later. They finish their part, then feed the rest to the dog. It makes for a fat dog and a frustrated mama (who is thinking, "didn't I make enough to last the whole day??!!!??"). So, for us, it doesn't really work. But, in other households, it works well.

[Chicky2]

I was needing something the other day so I took some chana dal and some quinoa and chopped veggies (I used garlic, onion, orange and red bell pepper, carrot, and celery), some masarepa and eggs to bind, but you can use something else to bind it. I added some thyme and oregano and cayenne and salt and black pepper. I made them into patties and fried them up and served w/ketchup. MMMM! You could use any kind of lentil instead of chana dal, and rice instead of quinoa. They'll work w/anything!

[calebsmommy25]

Breakfast for ds is typically oatmeal and/or yogurt, normally mixed with a fruit or a banana on the side. If we are in a hurry, it is a kashi bar. Sometimes he snacks on cherrios, honey sticks as long as he has fruit or a veggie on the side. Ds really likes to snack on plain ww noodles with either peas or spinach. Hummus and pitas or crackers are a big hit. Ds loves soup, so I usually try to have some on hand. It is easy and very economical. I throw together any veggies, meat, beans, etc. with some broth--we are good to go! He loves his fruits and veggies, so sometimes he is content with a big bowl of broccoli for a snack. Weird, I know. Another easy thing I like to make is homemade pizza. It is an easy snack when it is left over. We make white garlic, kale, cheese and onion pizza sometimes, regular sauce with spinach, cheese sometimes onion, once in a great moon some of dps homemade sausage.

[wookie]

we're vegetarian so i only have veggie ideas but one thing i make quite often in a pinch is store-bought taco shells filled with black bean filling. basically saute onion, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, cumin (optional), lemon juice, canned, slightly mashed black beans. shred up some lettuce or cabbage, cheddar and make tacos. can be used as lunch or snack.

- grilled cheese (w/ or w/o tomato)
- pulao (cook rice tossed with whatever veggies on hand with cumin, paprika, salt, pepper). eat with yogurt.
- stir-fry with rice.
- tortilla kebabs. mash boiled potatoes with steamed beans, peas, carrots, any other veggie made soft, make cylindrical batons and fry them. roll into tortillas and top with a chutney or salad. yum.
- homemade pizza. sometimes even bread pizza (same fillings on slices of ww bread rather than a pizza base).

[iamme]

Thanks, mommas! Yum!

Anyone else?

[mumkimum]

breakfast - also do a lot of oatmeal, yogurt, and pancakes (all kinds of variations and these always leave us leftovers to freeze - favorites are oatmeal, pumpkin, and banana pancakes).

lunch - Favorites for kiddo are variations on grilled cheese (so quesadilla or toasted cheese pita) which I usually do with carrot sticks or other veggies and salad dressing. We also really like quick fried rice (with leftover rice, frozen veggies and some fresh, a little soy sauce), we usually do egg with it - you could do leftover chopped meat or something else. Crackers and cheese with some veggies and/or fruits also goes over just fine. We'll also do 'smash potato' which is a microwaved whole potato that I cut up and add cheese, butter, yogurt, herb sprinkle, black beans or whatever to and let dd smash with a masher and eat out of the bowl.

[iamme]

Thanks!

I was able to get to the hfs to buy bulk pancake mix and nuts. I am going to make a huge batch of pancakes tomorrow that have ground walnuts and yogurt in them and then freeze them between wax paper.

I found my eggless muffin recipe and am going to have dd bake a "sweet' type and a "veggie-sweet" type.

I need to keep trying to incorporate more protein and keep whatever I feed all of us just as clean(plain) as possible.

One of my dc is strongly protesting any kind of whole foods. Refusing to eat anything but carbs and junk. He will just not eat he is *that* picky. It makes my task so challenging.

Anyone else?