What's For Lunch?

A new year means a fresh chance to get organized.

And no area pays back better, in my opinion, than meal organization. Whether it is planning grocery shopping or making menu plans before 5:00 - any time I spend streamlining food prep is time well spent.

In recent months I have gotten some bad habits. Far too often I ran to the store for one or two items that I forgot the day before or scratched my head in late afternoon trying to figure out what to eat with minimal time to prepare.

So it won't be hard to make an improvement at my house.

To start I made a list of ideas for breakfast and lunch. We tend to cycle through the same meals. A simple card on the fridge is helping me be more efficient in planning ahead so we don't fall into the rut. Just a little forethought this morning meant that I had tortillas and cheese out of the freezer so we could make breakfast burritos this morning.

Several months ago I wrote an article for a homeschool magazine on lunch. I'm sharing it here and hoping to put more of the ideas to practice myself.

What's For Lunch? Tips for the Homeschool Mom

The clock strikes noon. The children push aside their math books and dash for the kitchen. I open the fridge and wish for lunch to appear. Even half-dried leftovers will be accepted with gratitude. But I've learned that wishing doesn't fill plates or stomachs. I hear that lunchtime is a challenge for many of us homeschool moms. This is a list compiled from my own experience and the suggestions of other moms to help meet those hungry groans with a smile instead of panic.

Leftovers. Make extra food the night before and serve the leftovers for lunch. As my family has grown, this has become a challenge, but I often make a huge pot of soup or chili in the winter. Cook extra rice and make fried rice. Bake extra potatoes and make hash browns. Grill extra chicken to serve on a salad.

Shop. Plan for lunch when shopping. If I plan on having taco salad Tuesday, I can have the ingredients purchased and the meat thawed.

Rotate. Write a weekly plan. If I know that we will have macaroni and cheese every Thursday, the work feels half done.

Slow Cooker. If I think ahead, I can use my slow cooker. I like to cook dried pinto beans with garlic and onions and serve them in tortillas with cheese for bean burritos. Baked potatoes in the slow cooker can be served with leftover chili or taco meat.

Freeze. Spend a day making lunches to freeze. Options include hot pockets, calzones, and burritos. Freeze par-baked pizza crusts. They thaw quickly and can be topped and baked in minutes.

Pack. Even if you are eating at home, pretend you pack lunches. Make sandwiches in the morning, stock your fridge with baby carrots and your pantry with granola bars, cookies, or a salty snack. On nice days, my children love to pack a lunch and eat outside.

Breakfast. Waffles, baked oatmeal, eggs and toast, french toast, or one of the many make-ahead breakfast casseroles are great options for lunch as well as breakfast.

Emergencies. Sometimes I didn't plan for lunch and find the refrigerator bare. I like to stock at least one emergency lunch in the pantry that doesn't need thawed and can be prepared in less than fifteen minutes. Favorites at my house are canned tomato soup or salmon cakes from a can of salmon. Another winner is quesadillas which can be made with tortillas, refried beans, and shredded cheese.

Delegate lunch to a child who could use some kitchen experience. The year I graduated, my mom assigned me the job of making lunch each day for the family. She could focus on homeschooling while I gained valuable homemaking skills.

Take a poll to find your children's lunchtime favorites. Tape the list to the fridge. Stock your pantry with a few basics. Prep your lunch at breakfast (that's the tough one). Then you can smile when you hear “What's for lunch?”

What are your ideas to streamline meal planning?