Just for fun! Are you having anything good for lunch?

Dell

I'm 36 weeks pregnant a mother of two and still proud of myself when I manage to put together a healthy, nutritious lunch that my kids and I both enjoy.

Suppers are easy-meat, starch, vegetable... And I have all day to prepare and think about it.

Lunch on the other hand seems to sneak up on me. It always seems like I'm cleaning up breakfast and last night suppers dishes, sweeping or doing whatever chores need to get done- and BAM! it's 12:30 and my four year old is "staAarving" or my two year old is "ungry"... So I whip together some pb&j or make mac and cheese.

BUT once in a great while I manage to actually think about lunch and pull something good together. Today it was homemade vegetable soup with whole wheat grilled cheese sandwich. I just took a can of tomato juice and added some frozen veggies and pasta. I even finished it off with warm oatmeal raisin cookies and a glass of milk! YUMMO!

SO...
My question is- Are you having anything good for lunch today? Or have any good healthy lunch ideas?
emrod- Thank you for being perfect! I wish I could be just like you and had children who ate everything I cooked and loved nothing but healthy food!
Unfortunately I live in the real world and I'm sure you do too.

Answer
I had our leftover tomato soup - it was actually from a can, Wolfgang Pucks, tomato basil, and it was awesome. We call it Pizza Soup to the kids. And also a grilled cheese.

Both were leftovers from yesterday.

The other thing our kids are into now is soybeans. Edame (sp?) We get them in the shell, and they are fun to shoot out. And put just a little soy sauce on them.
We also do a lot of frozen mixed veggie bags, the archer farms brand from target. They have some with fun shapes, like carrots in balls, and mini corns.

What are some quick and easy school lunches to make for kids?

nids1995

i need some good school lunches to pack for my kids.
they have to be quick and easy that i can do ahead of time.
like i have to out them in brown paper bags

Answer
cereal!!! put it in a plastic container with lid. when they get to the lunch room, they can buy the milk to add (35 cents now?). they can rinse it out (or just close it up if they are lazy) and bring the container home to reuse.

healthy cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar (raisin bran, special k) are gonna be the best choice. the milk adds protein at a low cost, while the fiber in teh cereal will fill the kids up.

add sides of fresh fruit, baked chips, veggies, or other healthy snacks to fill out the meal. maybe a box of juice, or they can buy this at school also. trail mix makes a good hearty snack-type thing too, target has a lot of options. (just don't give too much, because nuts are nutritious but high in fat and calories).

of course, also the usual pb&j, lunchmeat & cheese, dinner leftovers, & ready made foods (microwavable containers of pasta & sauce, etc).

easy mac now makes bowls that all you do is add water to the bowl. or get the kind that needs your own bowl (cheaper) and just give the kids a plastic bowl to cook it in, with a lid so they can close it back up and not get everything all dirty when they bring the container home. (ps lines for the microwave might be too long for this to be a good option, your kids will be able to tell you).

i hesitate with the lunchmeats and/or leftovers ideas because those things need refrigeration (unless lunchtime is really early!). either buy an icy pack, or freeze their beverage (capri sun works great!!) to keep the lunch cool.

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How do I have a great weekend with my 21 month old son?

kids lunch bags target image

john

I am keeping my 21 month old son for the weekend. I am pretty excited about it, but don't really know what to do with him. The weather is going to be horrible. What kinds of things might he like to do? I don't want to ask his mom because I want to seem like I know what I'm doing. Help please!

Answer
If you decide to go somewhere, here are a few options:

1. Indoor playground; your son will love interacting with you and other kids. There may be slides, tunnels, bounce houses, etc. Google what is in your area

2. If you dare, Chuck E Cheese or another child friendly restaurant. It can be very chaotic, but every kid should go there at least once. They do have toddler rides like tunnels and a mini merry-go-round

3. What about the mall? Some malls have activities like train rides, carousels, the little rides in the center of the mall. It's nice just to get out of the house and walk around sometimes.

4. Fast food restaurant with playground; I know, fast food isn' the best option. However, many have healthy options now. For example, substitute the french fries for apple slices. Their playgrounds are a lot of fun and I haven't met a kid that doesn't like it there.

5. A Children's Museum or Aquarium. You really can't go wrong with either. Be sure to take pictures.

6. A pet store. Once again, doesn't cost you anything. However, kids love to go in and look at the fish, dogs, and other animals. We take our daughter there and she stares at the animals forever!

Stay at home options:

1. Bubbles keep my child and my dogs busy for a long time

2. Fingerpaints. Yes, a bit messy. Just make sure you use an apron or trash bag (turned upside down with holes cut out for head and arms) and make a couple pictures. Frame them and keep one for you and give one to his mom to show her you know what you're doing!

3. Puzzles; my daughter is just shy of 2 years old and loves playing with her puzzles. You can get them for about $3 or less at Wal-Mart and Target. It's educational and fun

4. Watch a movie together. Almost anything Disney is good. Don't be surprised if your child doesn't make it through it, but it's a nice activity around naptime. The Incridibles and Lion King is a favorite in my house.

5. Let your son explore in the kitchen. My daughter loves to get out all the pots and pans when I'm cooking and bang on them. Cheap and fun. A little noisy, but it doesn't last all day. I keep her entertained by letting her help me make lunch and she enjoys it

6. Mega blocks or legos. Build together and use your imaginations.

7. Wrestle. It's okay to rough house, just don't let it get out of hand. He will enjoy wrestling with you and you will wear him out. Kids at that age have so much energy!

How often do your kids get junk food?

fedfanfore

Like sweets, candy, chips, pop tarts, fruit snacks like gushers, soda, etc
Also cake, cookies, anything unhealthy.

Answer
Easter, Halloween, Christmas, birthdays... (just a couple things: maybe a candy cane after dinner or a piece of fudge after nap, chips with lunch, etc. on each of those "relaxed" days). Other than that, my kids may get to split a small bag of french fries as a treat if they're super-good during a marathon shopping trip (you know, one of those where you have to go to two grocery stores, the drugstore, Target, and three other places to pick something up and the kids have been really patient waiting in lines and being shuttled from store to store). Other than that, my kids favorite snacks "treats to eat" are dried cranberries (unsweetened), grapes, and whole wheat crackers with slices of gouda cheese (don't ask how they got started on that). My son also really loves eating a huge whole carrot (it takes him forever)... I think it's just such a treat because he's used to eating those little snack pack sized carrots. My daughter likes munching on persian cucumbers (the mini-ones) dipped in red pepper hummus.

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What do you like to bring on a road trip with children?

kids lunch bags target image

T3Vs

We are taking a long road trip (about 15 hours drive) with a 4 year old and 1 and a half year old.

Answer
Bring plenty of not messy snacks. So crackers might be good even though they are crumby, but applesauce would be bad because you can't just vacuum up a sauce stain. Fruit is also good. You may also want some meal type things such as lunch meat and bread, because the kids may need to eat a meal 6 times a day and you only want to stop for meals 2 or 3 times a day.

Bring a portable DVD player if one is not attached to your car. Bring a few DVDs from home that you know they love. Also bring a few new ones that you think they will like.

Bring 2 coloring books and 2 packs of crayons. If you make them share, there WILL be fights and thats just not something you want to happen on the road.

Bring each child a blanket and a small pillow for the car as they will fall asleep. One of those neck pillows would be best for the little guy, so his head doesn't flop to the side.

Bring each child a bag of toys from home. Put these toys away a week or two before you leave for the trip, so they will seem new to them in the car. Be sure not to hide their favorite toy though, or you will have melt downs. Chances are if it's their favorite, they will still like it in the car. Buy a few new toys for each child, wrap them up and keep them up by you and hand them out in intervals as melt downs begin.

Remember to save some tricks for the way home too.

For snacks, things like goldfish, teddy grahams, and cheerios can be fun for little ones to eat so they will take longer to eat them. Also things that they can dip like those little crackers with cheese are fun for little guys. They aren't very good for you, but what is one day going to hurt? My kids are very healthy eaters, but while traveling I allow unhealthy snacks and fast food. If you go to a fast food place like McDonald's, get them each a happy meal. This way, they each get a toy. Plus it makes them feel grown up to get their own meal.

Stop at parks along the way every once in a while so the kids can run around. Make sure to have a few things on hand that they can play with outside such as bubbles, a ball, and a frisbee. This would also be a good time to have a picnic. You can pick up things to eat at a grocery store and make a little picnic.

If you have run out of tricks and your kids won't stop crying and complaining, stop at the nearest Walmart or Target, run in while your husband stays with the kids in the car, and grab a toy for each of them. It's cheap and those stores are everywhere. If you see a snack or drink they would like while in there, grab that as well.

Be sure to have plenty of drinks on hand such as 100% juice boxes, small bottles of water, small bottles of milk, and other things.

Remember to bring a cooler for all of your drinks and food. You can either fill it up with ice at the hotels and buy ice at gas stations or buy a plug-in cooler.

I could go on and on, but that pretty much covers your bases. Have fun and good luck!

How do I have a great weekend with my 21 month old son?

john

I am keeping my 21 month old son for the weekend. I am pretty excited about it, but don't really know what to do with him. The weather is going to be horrible. What kinds of things might he like to do? I don't want to ask his mom because I want to seem like I know what I'm doing. Help please!

Answer
If you decide to go somewhere, here are a few options:

1. Indoor playground; your son will love interacting with you and other kids. There may be slides, tunnels, bounce houses, etc. Google what is in your area

2. If you dare, Chuck E Cheese or another child friendly restaurant. It can be very chaotic, but every kid should go there at least once. They do have toddler rides like tunnels and a mini merry-go-round

3. What about the mall? Some malls have activities like train rides, carousels, the little rides in the center of the mall. It's nice just to get out of the house and walk around sometimes.

4. Fast food restaurant with playground; I know, fast food isn' the best option. However, many have healthy options now. For example, substitute the french fries for apple slices. Their playgrounds are a lot of fun and I haven't met a kid that doesn't like it there.

5. A Children's Museum or Aquarium. You really can't go wrong with either. Be sure to take pictures.

6. A pet store. Once again, doesn't cost you anything. However, kids love to go in and look at the fish, dogs, and other animals. We take our daughter there and she stares at the animals forever!

Stay at home options:

1. Bubbles keep my child and my dogs busy for a long time

2. Fingerpaints. Yes, a bit messy. Just make sure you use an apron or trash bag (turned upside down with holes cut out for head and arms) and make a couple pictures. Frame them and keep one for you and give one to his mom to show her you know what you're doing!

3. Puzzles; my daughter is just shy of 2 years old and loves playing with her puzzles. You can get them for about $3 or less at Wal-Mart and Target. It's educational and fun

4. Watch a movie together. Almost anything Disney is good. Don't be surprised if your child doesn't make it through it, but it's a nice activity around naptime. The Incridibles and Lion King is a favorite in my house.

5. Let your son explore in the kitchen. My daughter loves to get out all the pots and pans when I'm cooking and bang on them. Cheap and fun. A little noisy, but it doesn't last all day. I keep her entertained by letting her help me make lunch and she enjoys it

6. Mega blocks or legos. Build together and use your imaginations.

7. Wrestle. It's okay to rough house, just don't let it get out of hand. He will enjoy wrestling with you and you will wear him out. Kids at that age have so much energy!

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