Meals For Busy Healthy KidsHere’s one of the things I dread the most: My kids coming home from school/activities wailing, “I’m starving!!”

Usually, they only have 15-30 minutes before they have to rush off to a sports event. Sometimes, we have to bring them food in the car, because they have to eat on the way from school to the gym.

My daughter trains gymnastics for 3 hours, my sons play basketball or soccer for 2 hours – we’re not just talking about a snack, they need a serious meal to fill up their energy tank before they go burn it all off!

So, after much frustration and trial and error (that I will spare you) I’m just going to share my SOLUTIONS. This is how I’ve learned to run my kitchen/freezer so that we can provide quick, yet nutritious meals for 3 kids who love delicious food.

First, here’s what I keep my freezer stocked with. You can either do this yourself, or hire someone (or ask mom, friend, sister) to come in and cook for 2 days/month to prepare and freeze all this stuff for you:

  • Chicken strips (GF or regular)
  • Grass-fed beef burger patties
  • Lasagne, cut and frozen in individual portions
  • Single-sized pizzas, made with spelt dough, raw cheddar, mozzarella, natural meats (no nitrates)
  • Chili
  • Tomato Veg Soup (made from all fresh roasted veggies – zucchini, round yellow squash, parsnip, onion, tomato – pureed together)
  • Chicken Broth

This is the stuff I buy from my local organic grocery store (no preservatives, organic ingredients) and throw in my freezer:

  • Frozen perogies
  • Ravioli stuffed with Goat Cheese
  • Tortellini stuffed with Organic Chicken

For my tomato sauce, here’s my cheat: Use 1 bottle of store-bought organic Marinara Sauce (my kids like Muir Glen or Simply Organics brand), mixed together with 1 can of tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, and about 1/2 cup water. This doubles the sauce, so I use half and pour the other half back in the bottle to refrigerate for next time. The kids love it.

Wherever cheese is used, I use RAW cheese. Organic and ideally pasture-fed butter, lacto-fermented mayonnaise, or keto gut-friendly mayo, lacto-fermented ranch dip, and homemade Caesar dressing ensure extra nutrients and high quality good fats. Raw milk provides those vital tooth and bone-building nutrients, along with probiotics. If you don’t have time to make your own mayo, then buy one made with cold-pressed olive oil or avocado oil – no canola! – read the label.

And then this is the list I tack on the fridge. This is VERY IMPORTANT to have printed out and up on the fridge for all of us when the crunch is on and no one can think of what to make!

MEALS FOR THE KIDS

Chicken Burgers – warmed chicken strips on a bun with cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato

Beef Burgers – burger patty, bun
for Hugo w/ cheese, pickles, ketchup, lettuce
for Oscar w/ double cheese, ketchup
for Zara with cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo (NO ketchup)

hugo-soccerTortellini or Ravioli with tomato sauce, cut veggies, ranch dip

Bowtie pasta with organic butter & lots of fresh grated parmesan cheese OR with tomato sauce, Caesar salad

Chicken Strips with Caesar salad

Perogies with cut veggies, ranch dip

Lasagne – in freezer; unwrap wax paper, place on square white plate, put in toaster oven on lowest rack at 375F degrees for 45 minutes

Ramen Soup – see my recipe for ramen with whatever veggies you have on hand. Add chicken, beef, or shrimp to quickly boost protein levels

Pizza – in freezer, place directly on rack in toaster oven at 400 degrees for 8 minutes

Chicken Melts* – diced chicken with tiny diced celery & pickle, mixed with mayo. Spread on half a toasted bun, top with cheese and place in toaster oven on BROIL for 3-4 minutes. I usually make this easy roast chicken dinner and then dice up leftover chicken to make the chicken salad used in these chicken melts

Chicken Curry – I may also use meat from that same roast chicken dinner to make a kid-friendly chicken curry. Can be frozen in individual portions to heat quickly later on the stove top with frozen naan bread thawed in the toaster oven at 250F degrees for 15-20 minutes. Or make some fresh rice if you prefer

Annie’s Natural Mac ‘n Cheese – make with extra organic butter (cell membrane is 40% fat!) and add 2 egg yolks for a super creamy sauce and boosted nutrition. Don’t let kids see you add the yolks and they’ll never know

Chili with grated raw cheddar sprinkled on top

Tomato Veg Soup with grated raw cheddar sprinkled on top

Teriyaki Chicken – my kids’ favorite recipe along with a veggie (green beans, carrots, asparagus etc) and steamed rice

Chicken Noodle Soup – chicken broth with diced carrots, diced chicken, maybe a handful of frozen green peas, 1 bouillon cube and thin German egg noodles

Tuna Melts* – canned tuna with tiny diced celery & pickle, mixed with mayo. Spread on half a toasted bun, top with cheese and place in toaster oven on BROIL for 3-4 minutes.

Hot Chocolate – heat one mug of raw milk with 1 tsp. cocoa and 1 tiny scoop (1/32 tsp) of stevia. Whisk until warm (NOT hot – so don’t leave pan and walk away – or probiotics in milk will be killed).

Chocolate Protein Shake – 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein powder in 1 cup raw milk, 1/4 cup water. Shake well in BlenderBottle

Chocolate Smoothies – Blend together: 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein powder, 1/2 cup ice, 1/2 cup raw milk, and:
5 strawberries, stevia if needed (1/2 scoop)
or
1 tablespoon peanut, almond, or cashew butter, stevia if needed (1/2 scoop)

*If you can’t make your own healthy mayo, then replace the half the mayo in the chicken and tuna melts with plain Greek yoghurt. Kids won’t be able to tell the difference.