https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:58:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2703126 Sun, 26 Feb 2017 20:03:09 +0000 caterw 2703126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Second (and third...) PPs saying that everyone has to eat the same thing. DD gets the same meal as me and DH with possibly one swap as long as it takes me no extra time whatsoever to do it (ex: I eat avocado toast for breakfast and she has PB/ she doesn't like cooked carrots or peppers so she gets those raw on the side if I make a dish that has those things).</p> <p>Breakfast around here is carb/ protein/ fruit in some sort of easy combo- bagel/ microwave turkey sausage/ melon and berries or toast/ peanut butter banana </p> <p>Lunches are leftovers or sandwiches- always served with veggies and fruit. I buy veggie trays with prerinsed, precut veggies so I just have to throw it on the tray. I cut all my fruit the day I do my once-weekly grocery shop but you could also just buy precut fruit.</p> <p>Snacks are usually healthy-ish packaged stuff- applesauce pouches, whole grain cereal bars, KIND bars, pistachios, little boxes of raisins, individual cups of guac or hummus with something to dip, and of course the occasional cup of goldfish-type cracker or grahams. Sometimes clementines or apples.</p> <p>I feel like I spend literally my entire day making food, cleaning up food, or sitting with my kid while she eats. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2703005 Sun, 26 Feb 2017 09:33:55 +0000 808love 2703005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms. RV: That's what we do for the grown up lunches. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2702969 Sun, 26 Feb 2017 06:14:50 +0000 Ms. RV 2702969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lunch for DD is leftovers from dinner before 95% of the time. When I am prepping her plate for dinner I also pack her lunch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2702961 Sun, 26 Feb 2017 00:42:58 +0000 808love 2702961@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I toss in an apple or banana a day and I don't feel guilty! Never needs anything but a two second rinse. Slather on something on bread or sprinkle cheese and microwave onto pre cooked pasta (made with another dinner meal). Sometimes she gets canned tuna on leftover rice. Another easy fruit is a handful of berries or pre packaged mandarin oranges. I would rather make lunch in five mins a day than use an hour on the weekend. I used to worry about variety but that's what breakfast and dinner and weekends are for! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2702945 Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:53:11 +0000 ElbieKay 2702945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Chiming in late on this...</p> <p>My husband and I both buy lunch at work, so that cuts down on the workload.</p> <p>I have to pack one snack plus lunch for daycare. Snack is always hummus and crackers plus one extra. Lunch is usually either dinner leftovers or cubed turkey and cheese plus two extras. An extra is typically one of: Cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks, carrot sticks, berries, or an apple. Occasionally I will throw in yogurt instead.</p> <p>My son drinks a ton of milk, so while this lunch/snack formula is low on dairy I am not concerned about that.</p> <p>He is also a great eater so I'm not worried about the lack of variability.</p> <p>We grocery shop once per week to restock everything. We buy nitrate-free roasted turkey breast from Costco and keep single-portion pieces individually wrapped in our freezer. So, on days that I can't find leftovers I just defrost one of those and slice it up in the morning. It'a basically my backup plan.</p> <p>If daycare didn't heat up food then I would not be able to rely on leftovers so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701821 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 15:06:08 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2701821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: I don't pack lunches (sahm) but ds loves "snack" lunches and I bet they would be easy to prep before hand. </p> <p>Today he had crackers, hummus, cucumbers, strawberries, raspberries and half a bagel with cream cheese. </p> <p>Yesterday he had PB and J, peppers, clementine and gold fish. </p> <p>For breakfast every single day we do a smoothie. You could easily peep that the night before and leave it in the fridge and just blend in the morning. We do water, yogurt, banana, frozen mix fruit, half an avacodo or kale. We use this blender and its small, goes in the dishwasher every day: <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Beach-Single-Serve-Blender-With-Travel-Lid/5924588" rel="nofollow">https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Beach-Single-Serve-Blender-With-Travel-Lid/5924588</a></p> <p>For less then $20 it's really awesome. You could also add a waffle or toast if they need more for breakfast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701769 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:23:30 +0000 winniebee 2701769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: we mainly send leftovers - prepping separate meals just for school would drive me bonkers! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701747 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:17:10 +0000 MrsSRS 2701747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It really helps to make the same thing for everyone. My younger child gets what my older child has, diced, and I have whatever it is on top of a bed of spinach. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701736 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:10:33 +0000 travellingbee 2701736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I do tend to buy precut- some frozen and some refridgerated. But I still find it takes me forever to cook and prep everything. I guess I need to start sending the same thing for both kids to make it simpler. It is hard to prepare separate things for me, and each child. I think that is where the craziness is! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701697 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:32:53 +0000 looch 2701697@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: Don't be afraid to rely on some convenience items. It doesn't have to be you chopping all the vegetables, for example, frozen is just as good. </p> <p>I also make myself a tofu fruit smoothie every morning, I use frozen cherries and pineapple cubes, plus a fresh banana. I put all the stuff in the blender jar the night before, so in the morning, I just have to blend it and go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701695 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:31:43 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2701695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup.</p> <p>We do breakfast at home and the kids aren't picky about that so much, but my daughter does lunch at school and we do hot lunch about half the time and home lunch about half, plus I feed my son at home. Then there's dinner. Between budget (we're trying to buy a house soon, need to walk the straight and narrow!) and my not so great cooking skills and my picky kids (especially my four year old) I feel defeated when it comes to food. I wish I had advice but I don't. Just getting by. So just commiseration here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701684 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:14:30 +0000 winniebee 2701684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do breaktfast at home. I pack the boys lunches every night though - I have it down to 15 mins each night. They get: yogurt, fruit, veggie/hummus or cracker/carb, and main dish. Main dish is typically leftovers or a sandwich -- pasta, soup,, meatballs, pizza, turkey wrap, salami or ham sandwich. If I'm feeling up to it, I'll make a grilled cheese. If we are slim on choices, they might get spaghetti o's as a treat. I use the thermos quite a bit. Mama ain't got time to prepare separate meals just for school! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701677 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:03:46 +0000 DesertDreams88 2701677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For baby, I usually pack:<br /> Fruit: blueberries, grapes, clementines, bananas, or fruit cups... nothing that has to be cut AND cored.<br /> Veggie: Frozen mixed veggies or veggie pasta with veggie sauce<br /> Grains: a piece of toast with cheese, butter, or peanut butter (nut free daycare?), puffs, Chex, Cheerios, other dry cereals, pasta<br /> Protein: Cheese sticks (not the peelable kind.... our grocery store has cheddar sticks and colby jack), bamba, yogurt cups</p> <p>I also really like the Mighty 4 pouches because they have everything. Gerber graduates also has some good veggie-only pouches. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701674 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:58:43 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2701674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: We are packing lunch for DH and I and for DD who's 5 in Kindergarten. So not quite so complicated. </p> <p>I actually want to get better at making things ahead of time! DH and I usually do leftovers so we aren't too busy. Or I will make a sandwich with lunch meat. </p> <p>DD loves just cheese and ham and crackers. Carrots and ranch are the veggie she likes the most. I would love to make her some zucchini muffins or something like that to sneak but I haven't had the time. </p> <p>When I do make stuff like waffles or muffins, I definitely double or triple the batch and freeze. That way I'm not re-making them the next week because we do go through them so fast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701670 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:52:53 +0000 gingerbebe 2701670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So the freezer is really what saves my butt during the week. I don't completely stay away from packaged food, but things have to give here and there. I try to make things that can be made in batches and frozen so that I can start working on a stash of multiple things and then that allows me to have variety. Generally, I make double of something and freeze half for later.</p> <p>The packaged foods we DO use are Aidell's organic chicken meatballs, some chicken nuggets, chicken sausage, turkey breakfast sausage, and some frozen waffles. </p> <p>For pasta, you can boil a pound of pasta on Sunday (choosing smaller shapes for babies and toddlers like mini shells, mini wagon wheels, or macaroni), rinse in cold water, drain well, then toss in olive oil. That keeps in a gallon ziploc bag and you can use that for pasta with red sauce and quick mac n cheese during the week (I would probably just eat it for dinner with ground meat and veg in the sauce and then pack up the leftovers in a thermos). </p> <p>I make these egg and rice patties for DS right now that he eats well. Basically, I mix leftover rice, some chopped up leftover meat from the week and some kind of veg (leftover veggies or frozen mixed veggies) and mix with beaten egg and shredded cheese. Then I pan fry them in silver dollar pancake size until golden. These freeze beautifully so I make them in different flavors and combinations using egg and cheese as the binder - that way its different proteins and veggies and flavors, but essentially an all-in-one meal. We always have rice at home or a meal with rice in it during the week, so its not hard. Taco leftovers, Asian leftovers, Indian leftovers - it all works. I haven't tried it with quinoa, but I bet it would work too. I just pack it with some ketchup for dipping.</p> <p>We make this banana bread:</p> <p><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/best-banana-bread-2886" rel="nofollow">http://www.food.com/recipe/best-banana-bread-2886</a></p> <p>This stirs up in one bowl and its delicious - SUPER moist and slices beautifully (or little cubes for baby) - its perfect for little kids. I double the recipe and then use those 3-packs of aluminum loaf pans. They freeze perfectly. I've made it with browned butter (our favorite!) and coconut oil and both are delicious. We usually add cinnamon to the batter and leave it plain, but you can easily add in junk if you like. </p> <p>I would invest in one of those electric griddles - those big ones are only like $25 bucks - and you can just assembly line silver dollar pancakes like a beast and freeze them. I do that for pancakes for the family and freeze them. I can use one master batter and then sprinkle different things on top of the batter for different flavors. Usually I do plain, mini chocolate chip, and then raisins with a sprinkle of cinnamon and then flip.</p> <p>We always keep super easy fruits and veggies in the house. Berries obviously, clementines peel fast, and I usually throw in baby carrots or Persian cucumber sticks into DS1's lunchbox and call it a day. </p> <p>DS1 is slow on the uptake for sandwiches, but you can make a huge batch of PBJs and freeze them. <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-peanut-butter-jelly-sandwiches-day-6.html" rel="nofollow">http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-peanut-butter-jelly-sandwiches-day-6.html</a></p> <p>I make 1-2 big omelets during the week with chopped/shredded veggies beaten into the eggs. Then I just cut them into pieces and pack them for lunch. You can just add a carb on the side.</p> <p>I also plan on 2 dinners a week that are conducive to leftovers. So pasta with meat and veg is an obvious one. If we do taco night, then I can send a thermos with Spanish rice mixed with beans, corn, and some leftover taco meat with a few chips on the side. Pizza night another good one - I just cut up the pizza into crustless bites. Tuna noodle casserole with peas, mac n cheese with spinach and tiny bay shrimp, jambalaya with smoked sausage - all of these are nice one pot meals that go well to school in a thermos. I am a fan of all-in-one type meals because I don't have to worry about veggies separately.</p> <p>Friday is chicken nugget day - Mom needs a break. DS gets a few nuggets, I throw in some baby carrots, peel a clementine, and a few crackers or pretzels. </p> <p>I have a baby that's starting to self-feed, so I rely a lot of frozen veggies. Peas and carrots, corn, peas, mixed vegetables, and broccoli florets - all in nice little bite size pieces. Bite size bits of omelet, those egg patties, small pasta shapes, smaller slices of the chicken sausage or meatballs from the family pasta meal, etc. Add some rinsed canned beans, Cheerios, raisins - you're good. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701644 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:26:45 +0000 Boogs 2701644@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have to pack breakfast, but just being in charge of all meals and snacks everyday is exhausting! I pack similar to you, but some things I cheat and use store bought like mac and cheese, I'll buy Annie's. I try to avoid too much processed, but some things don't seem so bad to me after reading labels. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701636 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:09:50 +0000 Anagram 2701636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>These days we only have to pack lunch and 2 snacks, but when LO was 1-3 we packed breakfast, lunch, snack, water, and milk each day for daycare.</p> <p>DH has always been in charge of breakfast and still is. He used to make breakfast and pack it early morning. Now he makes breakfast and feeds the girls early morning.</p> <p>I got into a routine early on of packing lunch for the next day while I plate dinner. I always use some combination of leftovers for lunches. So if I'm making salmon, broccoli, and potatoes for dinner, when I make the girls' plates I go ahead and put the same thing in their lunch containers for the next day. Sometimes I switch out something for another leftover to get ride of it (ex: salmon, broccoli, and leftover rice). By the time I serve the kids dinner, their lunch is also packed and it only takes a few seconds, is "real" food, and healthy. Snacks, I just throw in a ziplock of fruit or a processed grain--cereal bar or crackers or something.</p> <p>eta: I have always packed the same foods for LO1 and 2. When LO2 was younger, I just made hers into smaller bits. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701632 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:05:05 +0000 travellingbee 2701632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: What do you send in? I think I am overcomplicating things! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701627 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:04:44 +0000 travellingbee 2701627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: For breakfast, I try to make batches of muffins, zucchini bread, "paleo" banana pancakes to send with fruit and yogurt. For lunch, PB&amp;J or pasta (or homemade mac and cheese) or baked chicken nuggets or tortilla roll-ups with fruit, a pouch and cheese for DS1. DS2 is more complicated because he is only 1 but a huge eater so it is a bunch of things like cooked diced squash or sweet potatoes, cheese cut up, diced cooked chicken, veggie-cakes, diced fruit, black beans etc.</p> <p>I definitely use processed stuff (like Dr. Praegers veggie cakes that need to be cooked and cut up) but I try to use higher quality items when I do. My grocery bill is crazy right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701617 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:58:16 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2701617@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would love to hear ideas of what your making/packing now! We have given in and send more processed things then we would like but it does simplify our life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/prepping-breakfast-and-lunch-for-3-people-has-me-exhausted#post-2701610 Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:52:35 +0000 travellingbee 2701610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Y'all, I'm TIRED of packing breakfast and lunch every day for me and the two boys. They eat A LOT and I try to not do too many processed foods, and I try to give a bit of a variety and provide fruits and veggies and proteins. They aren't picky and I don't want them to become picky so I feel like variety is important but... man. I have been packing them for the week on Sunday, but it takes me a LONG time to make everything for breakfast and lunch for three of us for a week. Like HOURS. But I am too exhausted to do it each night after work so I feel like it is better to do it all at once. Is this killing anyone else? </p>