Hi everyone, it’s Debbie and I’m so glad to be back with another 1 Lunch + 2 Snacks post (cause I kinda love it around here). As parents one of the things we all experience is that life gets busy. With 3 kids of my own and a home daycare, I’ve learned a few tricks to save some time, here and there, when it comes to feeding the whole gang. So along with some delicious and family friendly lunch and snack ideas, you’ll also find a couple of tips and tricks that will help you squeeze a little bit of extra time out of your day.

Happy lunching (and snacking:)

Debbie.

Blueberry & Granola Yogurt Parfaits // There are so many simple and delicious breakfast, snack and dessert options with a jar of homemade granola in the pantry.

I’ve mentioned before how convenient it is to have a jar of homemade granola in the pantry. There are just so many options for breakfasts, snacks and desserts that can be made with this wonderful stuff. Plus if you make it yourself, you get to choose what your family is eating and not the cereal companies.

These parfaits are layered with natural yogurt, blueberries and granola – twice! They make a wonderful healthy breakfast, snack or dessert option and are perfect for a fun make-your-own dessert. Set out a larger bowl of yogurt, along with smaller bowls of whatever toppings your family likes (you may even want to add a bowl of something new) and let everyone create their own. Berries, cut up stone fruit, dried fruit, nuts and seeds are all good options. If you are serving these for dessert, you could even add some chocolate chips for a special treat:)

Chicken Meatball Skewers with Coleslaw on Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds // Leftovers from last night’s dinner, reinvented slightly to keep things from getting boring and to add a little fun:)

Last night for dinner we had chicken burgers with coleslaw and roasted sweet potatoes. I doubled the Chicken Slider recipe, which I almost always do, so I could make burgers, sliders and meatballs all at the same time. The burgers we ate for dinner, the sliders went into the freezer for another time and the meatballs went into the fridge to be used for lunches.

This lunch is good both warm or cold. Here we had it cold, I simply skewered a couple of meatballs on a 4″ food pick, then sprinkled on some parmesan cheese and topped the sweet potato rounds with coleslaw. The coleslaw is a mixture of shredded cabbage & carrots with some raisins added in, all tossed with Creamy Coleslaw Dressing.

My girls have it cold in their school lunches too, we just pack the meatballs, sweet potato rounds and coleslaw in three separate containers. To serve this lunch warm, I place the meatballs and sweet potato rounds on a baking sheet and reheat them in a 350°F oven for 5 or 10 minutes, before assembling everything.

To make the sweet potato rounds at dinner, I sliced the potatoes width-wise, creating circles about 1/4 inch thick, tossed them in a bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil, transferred them to a couple of baking sheets (because I always make lots, so we have leftovers:) Then I sprinkled them with salt and roasted them in a 400°F oven for about 15 – 20 minutes per side, or until they start to turn golden brown.

Roasted Carrot & Cauliflower Hummus with Veggies & Pita Chips // Making up a batch of hummus, means an easy grab for making lunches and snacks during a busy week.

Hummus isn’t just for dipping…spread it on sandwiches or wraps for lunches (or a light dinner), top up crackers or flatbread then add some slice cucumbers or radishes and of course it’s always great for scooping up with veggies. There are so many ways to use hummus.

A batch of this Roasted Carrot & Cauliflower Hummus or other  spread/dip waiting in the fridge, can save loads of time during a busy week. Whether you are trying to ward off pre-dinner meltdowns, pack up work and/or school lunches, or serve up some nibbles for impromptu cocktails – just pull it out and put it to work!