4 Simple Tips to Make Back-to-School Mealtimes Easier

1. Choose the dinner direction earlier

You do not need to plan every detail. Decide the general direction earlier in the day—or while you are already making tonight’s dinner.

• Chicken tomorrow night
• Use the ground beef in the refrigerator
• Leftovers need to be eaten
• No-oven dinner
• Breakfast for dinner
• Quesadillas or wraps

Melanie’s tip: While making tonight’s dinner, move something to the refrigerator to thaw or jot down tomorrow’s dinner idea.

2. Repeat lunches they will actually eat

Find two or three lunch combinations that reliably get eaten and rotate them. Change the fruit, crunchy side, yogurt, cheese, or treat instead of reinventing the whole lunch.

Turkey roll-ups, PB&J pinwheels, cheese and crackers, mini bagels, snack boxes, and dinner leftovers all work.

Extra shortcut: Pack tomorrow’s lunches while you are already in the kitchen making dinner.

3. Keep a grab-and-go snack area

Create one snack zone in the pantry and another in the refrigerator so hungry kids—or adults—can quickly see what is available.

Pantry ideas: crackers, pretzels, popcorn, granola bars, applesauce, fruit snacks, mini muffins.

Fridge ideas: cheese sticks, yogurt, washed fruit, deli meat, mini bagels, leftover quesadillas.

4. Keep a couple of backup dinners ready

Even a good meal plan can fall apart. Keep ingredients for two or three reliable backup dinners in your pantry or freezer.

• Pasta and sauce
• Bean and cheese quesadillas
• Breakfast for dinner
• English muffin or mini bagel pizzas
• Snack plates with cheese, crackers, deli meat, and fruit