Ahhh summer … Picnics, graduation parties, weddings, backyard gatherings with neighbors. Children at home. ALL. DAY .LONG.
I am certain that my children don’t eat constantly at school, but in the summer, it seems that someone is always in the kitchen looking for food. Now that my children are teenagers, they are able to make themselves food. This is nice but has some drawbacks as well.
They are also able to help themselves to food from the pantry, the freezer, and only as a last resort, the fruit and veggie drawers of the refrigerator.
I go through periods where I don’t buy any “snacks” to keep them out of the house. However, packing lunches for school, camp, and days out is easier with some prepackaged snacks. If there aren’t any snacks, then the complaints increase and no one eats the veggies I have cut up and prepared.
I know—if they are hungry they will eat. But they will also tell me six times a day that there is “nothing to eat” in our house.
So what to do for summer?
We can meal prep, cut up veggies, and portion fruits and snacks. There must be a balance between prepping food that gets eaten and prepping food that gets wasted. I also can’t just dial it in and leave a freezer full of frozen chicken nuggets and a pantry full of EZ mac and cheese. These are things my teens eat occasionally. Not every day, or even every week.
Variety does not matter to most kids. They can eat a PB&J sandwich every day.
How to mix it up?
– Change the jam
– Slice bananas or strawberries into the sandwich.
– Sub Nutella for the jam or for the peanut butter.
– Add a handful of crushed potato chips.
Protein shakes and milks can be a good addition for busy kids on the go. However, be aware of added sugars and preservatives.
Aim to make a healthy dinner as many nights per week as your schedule allows. And don’t stress about takeout or meals on-the-go when there are games, practices, or other activities the other nights. It happens.
Remember, kids can make pasta and mac and cheese during the day, so I aim to serve different grains at night. It is easy to make a big batch of farro or barley at the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge for a few days. Then toss some in salads, mix with white rice, or use as the base for a grain bowl (maybe even topped with chicken nuggets).
My final tip is to cut up veggies and/or fruit and leave it on the counter. I often do this and by mid-morning, or late afternoon. It always disappears.
Only two months until school starts again.
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of (585) Kids.
Views: 1
