OK, So I know its summer time and I'm used to my kids eating at school, but I'm dying here! My kids eat breakfast and are STARVING, not just hungry but "I don't have any strength because your STARVING me" hungry by 10:30am. Every Day I'm getting more and more frustrated that I can't keep them on a better schedule as far as eating goes and they are eating me out of house and home. They eat breakfast at 7am and are hungry for lunch by 10 or 10:30, which makes them want to eat again around 2 and dinner no later than 5. Its easy for me to tell the older kids to eat an apple or plum or something to tide them over, but when I have Briar screaming at me because she's starving! It breaks my heart. I'm out of ideas. Keeping groceries in my house has become such a chore. I know, I know... y'all are sitting there thinking....."first she hatches 7 kidletts THEN she complains about it".... I'm really not, I just need some advice and or ideas.
And secondly, I'm out of ideas for dinner. For 14 years we've rotated between several of the same dinners. PLEASE HELP!! Anyone who reads this and doesn't mind PLEASE post one of your favorite EASY dinners or lunches and recipes, I will LOVE YA for it!!
7 years ago
15 comments:
same problemo here! :) kiersten eats all day long, cz she is my grazer. brendon eats a ton @ meals, but will still eat more later on. i lose either way. if they still stay hungry (and i'm already annoye) i tell them to find a yogurt, applesauce, pretzels or granola bar. sometimes if i'm already pissed i hand them a bag of doritos! nice huh?? and as far as dinner goes, can't help you. i'm on a strict diet, i mean way of life, right now--so my pickin's are slim. i can't imagine your grocery bill. probably goes right along w/ all your other bills. when does dan go back to work? and thanks for the drink. it made me smile. maybe i have energy now to go to the gym!
of course the list lover that I am already had this for my own use but will share it with you. It's a month with no repeats and my family is way picky so I'm sure you could add your exotic meals and could maybe go 2 months with no repeats.......
roast
beef enchiladas
meatballs w/ rice
chilli w/ breadsticks
chicken pot pie
chicken patti sandwiches
spaghetti
ham
tacos
ham fried rice
hoagies
breakfast
chicken brocoli cups
hamburger/hotdog
pork chops
blt's
spanish rice
navajo tacos
soup
buritos
pita sandwiches
fried chicken
taco salad
chicken rice casserole
lasagna
pizza
sloppy joe
fish sticks
tostada
stirfry
fajitas
I can stretch it farther when we eat out, there's a cafe rio by you on Gilbert & Baseline, mmm my favorite.
Hey Rach,
We have the same problem with Ricky. He will just get up and go to the fridge whenever he wants something and just dive in. We have found empty boxes of cereal in his closet. Rhonda was looking for a new Angel food cake we had bought so she could make our FHE dessert and we couldnt find it. Two days later we find the empty container under his bed!
Anyway, some kids may just feel that urge. But we know he isnt hungry if we give him his 3 meals. Grapes have worked good as snacks. Except when we find ones left on the floor and squished. Crackers, rationed out a few at a time seem to do good also.
Good luck and talk to Rhonda, She's the bomb when it comes to that. Heck, she got me to stop eating everything and all the time. Still working on it though! lol
My kids eat breakfast (cereal and milk plus sometimes yogurt and fruit also) by 7:30 a.m. Then, we have snack at 10:00 a.m. which is usually a fruit or veggie and then something like peanut butter and crackers (proteins and carbs together give them energy and keep them full longer). Then, we have lunch around 12:30 (sandwiches, chips, more fruit). They have another snack sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 that is their junk food snack (popsicle, cookies, or something like that). And then we eat dinner sometime between 5:30 and 6:00...sometimes Jeff makes dinner and sometimes I do. Sometimes the kids eat and sometimes they don't...if they choose not to then they go to bed hungry but this is rare. I make things like chicken enchiladas, hamburger helper meals, spaghetti, chili casserole (also known as frito pie), Little Caesar's :), McDonald's :), different variations of chicken casserole, BBQ ribs, porkchops and rice, breakfast for dinner (cinnamon rolls or pancakes with eggs and bacon), mac n cheese with hotdogs, tostadas or burritos or quesadillas, tuna casserole, soup when it's not summer time, etc.
Good luck!
P.S. It is normal and healthy for your kids to be hungry every 2 to 3 hours...that is how they grow. Your pediatrician will tell you that most kids need more food than 3 meals a day will give them...I know it's not great for the grocery bill but as long as they are given healthy choices it's OK for kids to eat all day long. :)
I feel your pain Rachel! My grocery bills are not easy to stomach but we manage.
I let the kids choose their breakfast and eat around 9 a.m. (summertime they stay up later and sleep in later) and they aren't usually hungry till lunchtime. Like Jed said, Ricky is another story but I think he's more learned that eating is a passtime and not for actual *hunger*! We have lunch between noon and 1p.m. (protein, fruit, dairy are usually included so it's nice n balanced). They get a snack before dinner (fruit or fiber bar, popsicle, whatevah) and then dinner and maybe another snack of light popcorn, whole grain chips or something before bed (if they are staying up pretty late).
I've gotten to the point where I keep the fruit drawer stocked and if they are hungry or don't like dinner then they can opt for that,a yogurt, or a PB&J sandwich or that they make themselves.
If they are really, really feeling actual hunger very soon after a full meal then maybe if you up the fiber content they'll feel full longer (fiber one bars are great!) or maybe they are just WANTING to eat just to eat. I have that problem myself lol!
I agree with what Becky said about it being ok for them to eat every 2-3 hours but along with the fact that it should be healthy choices it also needs to be small portions. It's even better for adults to eat 4-6 "meals" per day but on a plate it should look more like a snack and never make you feel actually FULL but SATISFIED instead. Sometimes it takes practice being ok with SATISFIED. Still working on it over here. ;)
And my dinners are usually very simple for reasons having to do with budget and time. Lots of times we have simple things like grilled cheese sandwiches (fat free cheese on whole wheat bread) with fat free or whole grain chips. We have sandwich nights, potato bar nights, bean burrito nights, black bean and pork tacos in corn tortillas (with salsa, avocado and lime), etc. I back up my laziness with the what nutritionists have said all along, breakfast and lunch should be the bigger meals and dinner light. HA! I have an excuse to only make big huge dinners 2 nights a week.
~Rhonda
I loved your comments Rhonda and I'm looking forward to stealing some of your dinner ideas...the black pean and pork tacos sound extra yummy! (Right now I can smell chicken pot pies in the oven and I'm getting REALLY hungry-lol!)
My kids new favorite meal is sauted potatoes with smoked kielbasa sausage.
First I slice the sausage into little pieces and saute it with garlic and onion small amount of butter. Then, after it's looking done I add the potatoes.
For them I cut how ever many potatoes we need usually 6-7 for our family (i use either the red or yellow yukons) into pieces. Add to the sausage with some minced garlic, salt and pepper with some water in a large frying pan. The water will help it to simmer. I add a couple cups of frozen corn (could use canned corn as well) to the pan. Let it all simmer until the potatoes are soft. Oh, I sprinkle some sage in it as well. This is super yummy,makes a TON and is quite filling.
I have similar problems, there is less of us, but w/the babysitting kids I have them here for 2 meals and 2 snacks a day. We ususally do a pretty decent sized breakfast, wether it be pancakes/frenchtoast/eggs and toast, or just cereal w/yogurt, and they all have like a banana or some grapes. then first snack is usually string cheese and pretzels or crackers or something like that (protien/grain) then lunch, whatever mac and cheese, pb&j, nuggets, ramen etc...w/fruit. then the afternoon snack usually is granola bar, cookie, popsicle etc... like one of the ladies said thats their junk food snack. Anyway its crazy i dopnt know how you do it w/9 people!!
Thanks everyone for your tips and ideas. =o) Much appreciated
Slow Cooked Swiss Steak
3/4 cup white flour
1 tsp pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-2 1/2 lbs of boneless round steak (or cube steak, whatevers cheapest!!)
1-2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 can (10-3/4 oz) oz condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup finely diced celery, optional
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove,minced
1 to 3 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
In a shallow bowl, combine flour,pepper, and salt. Cut steak into serving size pieces; dredge in flour mixture. In a skillet brown the steak in butter. Transfer to a slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingredients. pour over steak, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat is tender. Yield 6 servings.
Ok so for our crazy mormon families I get a bit extra of the steaks and then double the soup and water ratio so there's extra gravy stuff. Make a side of mashed potatoes and call it good.
We always have leftover (even if only one steak there's plenty of soupy gravy) so I save that, crumble the meat and for the next night I make stroganoff. I make the wide egg noodles and then with the leftover gravy and meat I add a splash of worcestershire sauce and a small tub of fat free (naturally yours is the best FF brand) and its delish! Oh and just as a sidenote I use the 98% FF cream of mushroom soups and it's great.
Hope you guys try it and like it. Makes the next nights din-din super fast and easy.
Send them down to the school for the free breakfast and lunches that they serve over the summer. It's free to anyone under 18. When I end up working super late - this is how I serve up breakfast.
alright, so maybe i only have one kid slash husband to keep satisfied...but i figured this one is easy, fast and cheap enough..plus we love it.
tacos.
just brown the ground beef {as if i needed to tell you that} i use salt, pepper and curry powder to season it.
we like corn tortillas crisped on the stovetop with cheese. of course top with meat, along with lettuce, salsa, sour cream and tomatoes.
sometimes i make spanish rice to go along with this if we're feeling extra hungry.
rice:
in a skillet, brown rice along with cut up onions, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley flakes, red hot chili peppers, cumin, tomato sauce, chicken buillon {not really a specific amount...just what you like and or think looks good for the amount of rice you are making} add boiling water and let boil for 2-3 minutes. turn heat down and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until done.
hope you guys like it!
Hi Rach. Thanks for your comment on my site! Yes, that was my son, and he wasn't actually folding, just modeling still poses for the shots! You can tell in some of the poses that he was ready to be done! Anyway, about your meal plight. I live in a situation where my kids have to come home from school for lunch every day. Well, not now, that it's summer, but it was a bummer! What I do in the summer, to try to keep the kids on a schedule, is I will give them breakfast early, if they want it, then a snack at ten o'clock, like fruit and crackers or something, then a good lunch between noon and one. We then have another snack at about 3:30, then dinner between six and seven and, if they're really good, an bedtime snack. Hope this helps! P.S. I also am totally out of ideas for dinner. It's really hard to cook anyway with 5 month old twins!
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