I sometimes receive feedback that what I feed Hailey looks elaborate, which makes me giggle.
Don’t let me fool you — I often am running into the kitchen to throw her dinner together while she follows me around telling me she’s hungry over… and over… and over again. Because of that, most of her meals come together in less then 5 minutes 99% of the time.
(Leftovers help with that, and sometimes peanut butter and jelly helps with that, but there are a few other short cuts I’ll use to help make a fast, healthy meals when I’m short on time.)
4 Shortcuts to Healthy Meals Your Kids Will Actually Eat
1. Make a mini-version of your meal.
Two birds, one stone and bonus points if you do a little Sunday food prep and already have healthy foods ready to go. Having boiled eggs and one cut veggie makes it incredibly easy to throw together a balanced meal quickly.
2. Keep a healthy, quick helper on hand.
I don’t often buy convenience foods because the cost adds up so quickly, but having a few high-quality sides tucked away that can heat up quickly is such a nice safety net. I usually keep a microwavable grain (below), Applegate Farm’s frozen chicken nuggets and frozen organic vegetables on hand.
3. Utilize the salad bar.
This is also a great idea to introduce variety without committing to say, a whole pineapple? Sometimes I’ll swing by the grocery store and grab some beans, vegetables, fruits or pasta from the salad bar to help out with a last minute meal.
[Tweet “The salad bar can be a busy mom’s best friend when it comes to quick, healthy meals!”]
You can create a heck of a nibble tray with all the options and it usually is really cheap. Bonus if you bring you child along and let them pick out some options, too. Hailey loves pointing out new foods to try because it gives her control.
4. Use their old favorites in new ways.
Looking to switch things up for a less-than-adventurous eater? Take a food they already love and alter it slightly. Instead of a quesadilla, I added refried beans to tortilla chips with shredded cheese, then stuck it under broil for 2 minutes. Hailey helped top it with diced red pepper and I added plain Greek yogurt for dipping.
You could also roll it up or put it in a taco.
If you’re looking for more about what busy moms feed their kids, check out “What Busy Moms Feed Their Kids” from Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean!
What helps you throw together healthy meals in a pinch?
emma @ be mom strong says
I have been making breakfast, lunch and dinner for my toddler the night before. Because you KNOW when it comes to eating times I’m starving, newborn is starving AND toddler is starving… this cuts down on SOME of the stress!
Heather says
#1 and #2 I do on a regular basis, but I have never thought about #3 and #4 is great b/c I feel like we do the same thing all the time! I love these munchkin meals now that my daughter is eating people food only. They help give me some ideas, so I’m not feeding her the same thing everyday.
Katie Harding says
I am ALWAYS impressed with the meals that you throw together for Hailey! But with three kids now, I have been trying my best to prepare kids meals ahead of time and keep ahead! I have been chopping veggies and deli meat and throwing them in zip lock bags for quick snacks and lunches, it’s not easy but it sure does help when I have a hungry 3 year old tugging on me!
Laura @FitMamaLove says
#1 is what I do for my kids all the time! Other than breakfast when I make us all our own thing, they’re pretty much getting whatever I’m eating too. #2 is important! Even if it’s not what you usually go for, it’s good to have quick fixes on hand in a pinch for when you need them.
My kids’ eats were getting pretty repetitive to do a usual munchkin meals post, so I did a favorite kid’s menus post instead.
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama says
Thank you again for more great tips… I have to admit I haven’t done the best job feeding my first child so I’m hoping to make up for it with my second one, and maybe she will be a less picky (and more adventurous eater). When she gets to eating solids, I hope to start employing variety using these quick-get-it-on-the-table tips!
Heather says
Love the tips! Especially the salad bar – I’ve never even thought of just grabbing a few things from there when I’m in a pinch! I’m a big fan of leftovers for saving time. My son insists on pre-school lunch (which is a time saver in itself), but my daughter still happily eats the leftovers that I make the night before and that prepping saves me much needed time in the morning when things are apt to not go as planned. 😉
Carrie (This Fit Chick) says
While I dont have kids, these are cute ideas! I usually like to have easy to cook things on hand.. easy to cook veg and already cooked meat etc… if I have to wait long, its a no go!
Alex says
My biggest key to success in getting healthy meals on the table is food prep. Knowing I don’t have much time during the week, I try to make 1-2 dinners and snacks on Sunday to grab and go throughout the week. I also think picking easy foods makes me more likely to eat healthy:nuts, fruit I don’t have to spend a whole lot of time on (aka pomegranates) and even pre cut veggies.
Ashley M (never)homemaker says
Great post. I do #1 all the time (so I added my link from a few weeks ago) — Ada won’t eat assembled foods, so we “eat the same meal” but never in the same way! 😉
Yuliya says
What great tips! I need to work on #4 some more, especially with foods my tot refuses to eat. Thank you for hosting!
Tiff @ Love, Sweat, & Beers says
I usually make a mini-version of what I’m making, or at least something quite similar. Like he’ll have the same veggies, but if he can’t pick up the quinoa, I have some Garden of Life tortillas I can tear up for him from the freezer. Ethan’s good with his veggies and meats… at least for now.
Sorry my linkup was late. I didn’t realize you were doing these again. We’ll be ready next time! haha
Juan Carlo says
Thanks for sharing these awesome healthy meals. I badly needed this for my little brothers. Thanks for the inspirations.