what would you eat if. . .

[durafemina]

Your home life was going to be in serious disarray for 6 weeks?

This fall (in 2 weeks time actually - eek!) we are:

having baby #3, I have to travel to another city 3 hours away for up to 5 days a week to fulfill requirements for midwifery registration in this part of Canada (don't even ask, I have no choice but to do it now) and my partner will be working mostly full time night shift at a new job he just started and therefore can't ask for much time off from.

Normally we strive for wholefoods, local, organic, homemade. However, I see this is probably going to go out the window.

We have great family support - my mother will feed us when she can - the other family members are well meaning but, er, think pasta topped with mayo is a meal. We just moved back to the country so we don't have an established network of people to ask for a meal chain, etc.

What should I stock up on that will keep us fed and relatively healthy and be truly no-prep, fast, minimal dishes even? I am seriously in panic mode!

(btw My kids are 4 and 2 and generally eat everything)

[mumkimum]

Pizza (with extra veggies?) and bagged salad.  

Noodles & okay jarred marinara (make it fancier for later by putting leftovers in a baking pan and top with mozzarella for a noodle bake).

Yogurt & berries (with grocery muffins & danishes, possibly).  Or maybe bagels, cream cheese, berries/fruit.  

Keep easy veggies (like bagged baby carrots) around instead of going totally without.

Make meals of guacamole, salsa, and tortilla chips sometimes (if acceptable to all - maybe throw together some cheese quesadillas).

I have a canned vegetarian chili that I like to get because the kids all like it, and I can use it as it is, make chili fries (with homemade oven fries) or chili veg dogs or baked potatoes with, so stuff like that's a good choice too if your family like it.  Sometimes flavored black beans, or even baked beans can work out similarly.

I also personally like an egg sandwich too for easy days (which is fried egg, cheese, handful of spinach, bread) and it is pretty fast, moderately healthy and not to heavy on the dishes.

[craft_media_hero]

Quesadillas
Salads
Cook a whole bunch of chicken breasts and freeze to throw in everything
Veggies and greek yogurt herby dip
Refried bean dip and whole grain chips
Pre-pattied hamburgers
Kosher hot dogs sans nitrates/ites
Yes, canned soups and store-bought fresh bread
Whole grain pasta and hearty veggie/meat sauce, heavy on the sauce, light on the pasta
" homemade" pizza with bought crust, canned sauce, pre-shredded cheese, pre-sliced olives and shrooms, etc
Tacos with premade tortillas
Cook mass amounts of ground beef/pork and freeaze in 2C portions for topping the quesadillas, tacos, etc
Oatmeal, easy peasy one pot breKfast, add in nuts or milk for complete protein
Snack on pre-roasted nuts and seeds if sans weird additives
Lots of egg dishes
Uhhh, I've been known to buy a boxed lasagna now and again
Hummus with store bought sprouts and dressing on store bought pita, bread, or tortilla
Cream cheese a ww bagel
Crockpot a whole chicken with root veggies, shred it next dau for soup, 24 hr cook the bones the next day for bone broth--delish with salt, garlic, squirt of lemon, even for breakfast

That's all i've got for now . . .

[craft_media_hero]

Also, I would definitely rock the paper plates temporarily!

Maybe buy some spirutein which is seriously yummy, just to round things out, fill in for a snack or breakfast.

Oh, taco salad, we love it and it is so easy! Gotta have ranch, tho

I know they are not the healthiest, but a box of clif/luna/lara bars for when the blood sugar is dipping.

PB n J!

[kitchensqueen]

If you can pull it off in advance, make up some of your family's favorite dinners and put them in the freezer. There is nothing better in times of stress than being able to sit down to a home cooked meal that you love. Having it in the freezer ready for you means all you need to do is heat it up. 

Having healthy snacks on hand will help too - peanut butter and crackers, edamame, fruit leather, nut mixes, etc.