No-Cook Meals

[craftymissbeth]

I'm going on vacation next weekend and I want my meals for next week to be super easy. I still have a lot to get done around the house before we leave so I want the least amount of daycare dishes possible (dishes are my nemesis).

I need all your no-cook meals STAT! I'm planning on not cooking a single thing all next week if I can. I don't want to wash a single pot or pan. My kids will eat any pretty much anything I put in front of them.

Thanks, awesome daycare people!

[Mom o Col]

Sometimes I do homemade Lunchable type meals...cheese, crackers, and turkey or ham. Then add in apple slices or whatever fruit you have on hand. Veggies with ranch. The kids love it.

[Blackcat31]

Sometimes I do homemade Lunchable type meals...cheese, crackers, and turkey or ham. Then add in apple slices or whatever fruit you have on hand. Veggies with ranch. The kids love it.

We do this ALOT! My kiddos love it!

We also do lots of sandwiches, tortilla roll ups and pancake or waffle "sticks".

You could also make little pockets...like pizza roll or hot pocket type meals.

I don't cook (at home or daycare...DH does it ALL) so I am not much help.

On a side note....where you headed for vacation?

[craftymissbeth]

Those are all great suggestions. I was thinking of preparing some casseroles or something in disposable pans, but now I'm thinking just cold lunches all week. I feel kind of bad... but my kids do eat our cold lunches better than anything else.

DS and I are flying down to Orlando and meeting my parents and my two sisters (with their families). My parents rented a vacation home a couple miles from Disney and I am SO excited!

[Meyou]

Rice cakes with pb and banana (or raisins)
Rice cakes with egg or tuna salad
Sandwiches
Tortilla rollups
cold breakfast for lunch (cereal, smoothies with yogurt, cheese, veggies, fruit)

That's all I have.

[DaveA]

No cook meals? "Hello Little Italy? I would like 2 large......." Oh wait- that's not what you mean.....::

Yogurt bar (greek yogurt in various flavors with dry cereal, fruit, nuts) and crackers and veggies is always a big hit with dcks

[Blackcat31]

You could also just use the microwave a lot and use disposable plates, bowls and cups.

Have oatmeal or cereal or soup, casseroles etc....

If you prepare some casseroles or hot dishes now all you have to do is serve and then throw the dishes away when you are done.

[craftymissbeth]

oh, I guess I should have mentioned that I don't own a microwave. And my dishwasher broke down on me hence the reason why I don't want to do dishes :: I know many providers do it, but handwashing dishes + pots and pans 3 times a day is seriously burning me out. I've been using disposable plates for a couple of weeks now and I seriously don't think there's any turning back... even when I do get a new dishwasher.

Dave, I would seriously consider at least one day of delivery if I wasn't on the food program ::


These are all great ideas! Thank you guys so much!

[Meyou]

I always break out paper plates when I feel a need a little break in my day. It's so nice to do no dishes and still have a clean kitchen at the end of the day.

[Heidi]

my latest favorite for my toddlers is whole wheat pita bread, cucumbers, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes serves with a big blob of store-bought hummus (my food program accepts that as a protein). They love it! I cut the pita in 8 pizza shaped slices. You could add some cheese slices if that's not enough food for your group. Since mine are toddlers, I'm a little limited on my raw veggie choices yet, but you could also do others.

How cute is this? You could modify it.

[AmyKidsCo]

Tortilla/cheese quesadilla in microwave. (IMO microwaving isn't cooking.) Tortilla roll ups with deli meat, cheese, random veggies, homemade cracker Lunchables, chunks of cheese & veggies with whatever bread/bun you have around.

[craftymissbeth]

Is it ok with the food program to serve veggies w/ dip every day for a week? Between my two older dcks they will eat a whole head of broccoli with ranch or half a bag of baby carrots. They'll actually eat anything with ranch... but I think raw veggies every day would be so easy and I won't have to throw any leftovers away before I leave.

[SignMeUp]

Is it ok with the food program to serve veggies w/ dip every day for a week? Between my two older dcks they will eat a whole head of broccoli with ranch or half a bag of baby carrots. They'll actually eat anything with ranch... but I think raw veggies every day would be so easy and I won't have to throw any leftovers away before I leave.

Serve different veggies each day, maybe? Broccoli & carrots. Cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Cauliflower and snap peas. Etc. Change up the combos or number of items too. Include things you haven't eaten raw - green beans, jicama, etc.