5 Breakfast, 5 Lunch and 5 Dinner Recipes

Easy Fix Meals For Dads & Kids

5 breakfast, 5 lunch and 5 dinner recipes packed with good nutrition and great taste.

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WHY BOTHER WITH BREAKFAST? Breakfast is a great way to give the body the refueling it needs. Kids who eat breakfast tend to eat healthier overall and are more likely to participate in physical activities. Eating more protein and less sugar at breakfast also supports the morning learning tasks at school and helps to avoid the mid morning head on desk crash!!

Instant Oatmeal This recipe lets you make a few days worth of breakfast in advance for quick morning meals! Think whole grains and whole fruits. Ingredients: 3 cups quick oats 1 teaspoon salt 8 sandwich-size plastic zipper top baggies Directions: Process 1 cup of oats (in batches if necessary) in blender or food processor until powdered. In each plastic bag combine 2 tablespoons of powdered oats, ¼ cup unprocessed oats, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. To serve: Empty contents of one bag into bowl. Add ¾ cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water – for thinner, use more water. Stir-ins (per bag): 1 tablespoon white or brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons chopped dried fruit, 1 tablespoon dry milk (for creamy oatmeal), 1 tablespoon granola. Add banana or apple chunks after mixing with hot water.

Chocorazz Smoothies Ingredients: 1 medium banana, sliced and frozen 1 cup fat-free chocolate milk ½ cup raspberry low-fat yogurt Directions: Place banana, chocolate milk, and yogurt in blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and serve immediately. Quick Tip: When bananas get too ripe, don’t throw them away! Peel, slice, and freeze in baggies so that you always have bananas to make smoothies. More for breakfast…. Cheese & Fruit Kabobs

This recipe provides a serving of fruit and some calcium as well. Ingredients: 3 oz. cheese cubes, any variety 1 cup strawberries, quartered if really big 1 cup grapes 1 apple cut into chunks 1 kiwi sliced 1 cup non-fat fruit yogurt (any flavor) or pudding wooden kabob skewers (in the kitchen aisle of the grocery store) Directions: Wash fruits, cut or dice to bite-size pieces. Cube cheese (or buy the already cubed kind). Place all the ingredients on the skewers alternating cheese and fruit (older kids can help do this, but watch the sharp points!). Arrange skewers on a small plate with yogurt or pudding for dipping.

Waffle Sandwich This is a quick breakfast food that you can make many different ways! Ingredients: 1 heaping tablespoon fat-free cottage or whipped cream 1 cheese tablespoon of all fruit jam 2 Whole grain waffles dash of cinnamon and sugar Directions: Toast waffles in toaster until crispy. Spread cheese on one waffle and jam on the other. Add a dash of cinnamon and sugar. Quick Tip: Substitute other fruit, jam, or preserves. Try different kinds of waffles. Good with toaster French toast as well.

Apple Bagel Sandwich This is good when you want something other than cereal, again… Ingredients: ½ whole-wheat bagel (sliced like you want to toast it) 1 slice cheese (cheddar, American, Swiss – your favorite) 1 apple (green is good, or try something new and different) dash of cinnamon Directions: Slice the apple so that you make a round apple slice (horizontally). Next, put the slice of cheese on top of the bagel half. Place the apple slice on top of the cheese and sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the apple. Bake on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. Watch to make sure you don’t burn it! It’s done when the cheese starts to melt. LUNCH TIME FOR LUNCH! Family meals don't always have to be evening events. They also can be weekday or weekend lunches. What's most important is communicating the importance and desirability of these family meals. When warm weather comes, pack up lunch and low sugar cold drinks and take it to the park with a Frisbee or a book to read aloud. Spread an old sheet out under a shade tree and enjoy a mini vacation with your kids.

Alternatives to Ordinary Lunch Down on the Farm: Your toddler or preschooler will love eating an animal-shaped sandwich. Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then cut out a cow, pig, or duck shape with a cookie cutter. Pack in a lunch box along with some low-sugar cereal mix and small containers of applesauce and mile. Brown Bag Bonanza: You can throw lunch together using things you already have in the kitchen! Individually wrapped cheeses (cheese sticks or Babybel), whole grain crackers, mini-fruit cups, fruit, and a container of juice. Do-It Yourself Lunch: A healthy alternative to a sandwich, a buffet of finger foods that your kids can mix and match. Try mini whole-wheat pitas, sesame bread sticks, baby carrots, hummus in a resealable container, one yellow and one white cheese stick, and fruit, like red or green grapes. Quick Dip Desserts: Banana slices and chocolate pudding cup; vanilla wafers or ginger snaps and applesauce cup; chocolate graham crackers and strawberry yogurt; strawberries and chocolate syrup.

3 Shake-Up Salads Mandarin Chicken: ¼ cup drained mandarin oranges 1/3 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (leftovers from a whole chicken) 1/3 cup steamed broccoli ¼ cup chow mien noodles Macaroni: ¼ cup pizza sauce 1 cup cooked elbow macaroni (or your favorite shape) 1/3 defrosted frozen peas and carrots ¼ cup diced or shredded Mozzarella cheese Tasty Taco: ¼ cup salsa 1/3 cup rinsed black beans ¾ cup chopped lettuce ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/3 cup baked tortilla chips, broken Directions: Layer ingredients in a plastic container. Shake to mix, then eat! More for lunch… Sandwich Switcheroo Are your kids tired of the same old sandwich? Try one of these instead. Directions: . Instead of PB&J, try peanut butter (or try almond butter) with apples . Instead of PB&J, try peanut butter (or almond butter) with bananas and raisins . Instead of turkey with mayo, try turkey with French dressing . Instead of tuna salad with celery, try chicken salad with grapes . Instead of bologna, try a chicken hot dog. . Use a flavored tortilla wrap or whole wheat bread. Serve sandwiches with baby carrots and cherry tomatoes and ranch dressing dipping sauce.

Pinwheel Sandwiches Half a roll-up is the perfect size sandwich for a child. Veggie Wrap Ingredients: 1 8” spinach-flavored flour tortilla 2 Tablespoons whipped cream cheese 1 Small carrot, shredded (you can buy pre-shredded carrots) 2 Tablespoons raisins Turkey Ingredients: 1 8” whole-wheat flour tortilla 2 teaspoons apple butter 3 slices turkey 2 slices American cheese (or your favorite) 1 large lettuce leaf Directions: Spread tortillas with cream cheese or apple butter, leaving a small border. Top spreads with remaining ingredients (either veggie or turkey). Roll up sandwich, cut in half (if you slice it in one inch slices you’ll have pinwheels!). To transport, roll tightly in plastic wrap. Serve with veggie sticks or fruit.

Rainbow Pizza Ingredients: 3 English muffins, split (6 halfs) ½ cup pizza or pasta sauce Pizza toppings (choose any 3) Grated carrots, sliced mushrooms, chopped broccoli, pineapple chunks, chopped pepper (green, yellow, red, or orange), sliced zucchini ½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread about one tablespoon sauce on each muffin half. Arrange your favorite toppings on the “crust” in a single layer. Use at least three colors. Sprinkle one tablespoon cheese on each pizza. Place pizzas on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Dinner WITH DAD. Eating together means fewer behavior problems in families with young children. Turn off the TV, radio and phone. Don't let interruptions spoil this special time. The family meal is best when it is a relaxing, pleasurable occasion. Unpleasant topics, negative criticism, and passing judgment are not appropriate dinner conversation. Laughter is the best “dinner” music! Young people who eat with their families are more likely to: report that their parents are very proud of them; more likely to report lower levels of stress and tension at home.

Chicken Squares Ingredients: 1 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons butter (or margarine), melted 2 cups pre-cooked grilled chicken (leftovers work here!) ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls (like Pillsbury) 2 tablespoons low-fat milk ¾ cup crushed seasoned croutons (buy bags in produce section) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend cream cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter, milk, salt, and pepper; add cubed chicken and mix well. Separate crescent rolls into four rectangles, sealing the perforations by pressing together. Spoon chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull four corners of dough into the center of mixture and press to seal. Brush tops with the remaining butter and sprinkle with crushed croutons. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a Caesar salad.

Veggie Tortilla Lasagne Ingredients: 2 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 large zucchini, cut in half and sliced ¾ cup frozen corn, thawed 1 7 oz. jar roasted red peppers, sliced 1/3 cup ricotta cheese (near the cottage cheese in the dairy section) 1 ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or your favorite) 1 cup salsa, drained of juice in a colander 6 6 inch corn tortillas Directions: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini, corn, and peppers and sauté until soft (5 minutes or so). In a separate bowl mix ricotta and shredded cheeses. Trim the sides of the tortillas to fit into a loaf pan (they will be rectangles). Spray pan with non-stick spray, layer one tortilla, some veggies, some cheese, and some salsa, repeat until tortillas are gone. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. 15-Minute Chicken Chili An open and “dump” recipe. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 1 large can chicken (near the tuna in the grocery store) or used left over from the night before 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder 1 ½ tablespoons cumin 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes 1 15 oz can black or red beans 1 cup frozen yellow corn salt and cayenne pepper to taste Directions: Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium high heat. Sauté chicken with chili powder and cumin for three minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and heat through. Serve with tortillas or corn chips and a salad.

Impossibly Easy Taco Pie Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey 1 medium onion, chopped 1 envelope (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning mix 1 can (4.5 oz.), chopped green chilies, drained 1 cup low-fat milk 2 eggs ½ cup Original Biscuit mix Toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions. Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Cook ground beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (dry). Spoon mixture into pie plate; top with chilies. Stir milk, eggs, and Bisquick mix until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with toppings.

Pigs in a Blanket Ingredients: 6 crescent rolls (like Pillsbury) 6 Hot dogs (try reduced fat or turkey) 6 slices American cheese (or your favorite cheese) Directions: Slice hot dogs and stuff with cheese (fold cheese in half and place in sliced hot dog). Wrap each hot dog in a crescent roll. Bake according to directions on crescent roll package. Don’t forget the ketchup and mustard. Serve with baby carrots and cherry tomatoes and ranch dressing dipping sauce.