Breakfast...healthy

My favorite go-to make ahead breakfast is these whole wheat oatmeal muffins: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action...

You can vary the dried fruit, add nuts, etc. I like to double it and freeze the leftovers. Pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds and they're good to go!

I like to cook a lot of extra pancakes, French toast, scramble eggs, and bacon or sausage on the weekends and put them in some sort of Tupperware for refrigeration. As long as you let the pancakes and French toast to cool before piling them on top of each other, they won't stick when you take them back out. Even the scramble eggs reheat really well.

I haven't read the other answers because I tend to forget all my previous answers. So I'm sorry for any repeats!

Breakfast: toaster waffles with peanut butter (you can even make a pb sandwich with waffles... I love it!); bananas; muffins from the night before (I make low sugar pumpkin muffins); grapes; yogurt (if you get it in large containers, it's a lot cheaper); cereal with milk (Kashi is my favorite); scrambled eggs; applesauce

Lunch ideas: hummus with zero trans fat crackers and cut-up vegetables; cheese cubes (cheaper than string cheese); boiled eggs; lunchmeat roll-ups; fruit (bananas, cuties, grapes, apple slices, etc); trail mix with dried fruit, cereal, and nuts; toasted natural peanut butter and jelly; rice-a-roni style rice and veggies; leftovers from the night before, especially if it's pasta. Just make it a pasta salad.

I hope this helps!

PS I love the idea of lunchables, but the crackers, cheese, and meat that they use are just not the best quality for our health. If you find natural crackers, natural meat, and natural cheese, maybe your girls would like to make their own "lunchables"! Here is a great Web site with recipes specifically about lunch for kids: http://lunchinabox.net/.

For breakfast...
you can't go wrong with fresh fruit, but you'll need some carbs and protein
waffles, make them ahead of time and pop them in the toaster or toaster oven to heat
yogurt
toast or english muffins with peanut butter
hard boiled eggs - my daughter loves egg salad which I make ahead of time and she spreads it on a piece of chibattta bread
bagel w/lowfat cream cheese
scrambled eggs - they really don't take much time to make, you can add some cheese or veggies

For lunches, I always tried to send foods they like and not worry alot about nutrition. To me it was more important that they ate their lunch rather than throw it out. A few things to include other than your basic sandwich...

cut up cubes of cheese
string cheese
crackers
yogurt (note: you can put one of those blue freezer things in their lunch box)
my daughter likes the ramen noodles with cheese, make it in the morning and put it in a thermos, it does stay hot - I would think you could try mac & cheese
pasta salad (no mayo)
grilled chicken cut in cubes
veggies and dip
granola bars
pudding (not very nutritous, but good for an ocassional treat)

This is what I feed my son for breakfast and I got it from a health care worker who got it off their company's wellness website. It said something about having everything in it that you need for a balanced breakfast. I also do NOT cook in the morning. Pancakes are dinner food for special occasions at my house. :)

It is basically Muesli. Oatmeal, juice, and yogurt mixed, with fruit added. I will add ground up nuts to it too when I make it. Or ground flax seed or wheat germ.

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (whole milk for babies, lowfat for older kids, and I prefer plain and will add my own honey if I need to, it is a lot less sugar that way)
1 cup regular uncooked oatmeal, not instant, (instant has all the good stuff already cooked out, like minute rice)
1/2 cup apple juice or white grape juice

Combine all ingredients. Let stand overnight in airtight container. Mix with fresh or frozen, thawed chopped fruit for breakfast. Keeps well for about a week.

You can play with the measurements to get the consistency you want, it's a forgiving recipe. If it is too thick in the morning, just add more juice. I think I have used up to a cup of juice. The oats absorb all the liquid and don't need cooking. I make it on the thicker side and mix it with a different fruit everday. I keep bags of fruit in the freezer, pop a couple pieces in the microwave, mash or chop it up and mix with the muesli. Chopping before you defrost works well- easier to handle. Fresh would be even better, and I use fresh when it is on hand, but frozen works just fine.

my girls like waffles, i buy whole grain with low sugar syrup and a can of fruit thats in juice. They also like bran flakes and corn flakes with fruit cut up in it. Grits are also very easy, we put butter and salt and pepper in ours. My girls dont always like the best things for them but they like fruits and veggies so I always try to give them some at every meal! My kids always want lunchables but i dont buy them so i make my own! My kids love having whole wheat crackers, with 2% chunck cheese and lean ham or turkey and salami. I pair it with grapes or apple wedges. I also try to teach my girls that they can have anything, in moderation. Its ok to have a glass of root beer but only a glass a day, or we can have a piece of candy, after we eat our fruit. I hope I could help!

We love eggwhites.. (I don't cook either)... You literally buy a container of eggwhites, spray pan in a bowl, pour some of the eggs in it, pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes...Eggwhites are GREAT for you.... Along side the eggwhites, I give my son either cut up strawberries, blueberries, oranges (something that's in season and not super expensive).. also low sodium "turkey" bacon..
For lunch- he gets the Organic Honest kids juice packs (I buy them in bulk at BJ's), rolled up slices of turkey or chicken (cold cuts), greek vanilla yogurt, and a all natural fruit strip (a fruit rollup but better for you)..

My fall back position for breakfast has always been whole grain toaster waffle with peanut butter and some fruit. My son also loves bean burritos for breakfast.

Lunchables is high fat lunch meat and cheese and full of salt and preservatives. I buy deli meat for my son (he doesn't like sandwiches), put it in a baggie. I add a yogurt or string cheese, a crunchy/salty (like pirates booty or popcorn), some veggies and piece of fruit. My guy is 11 and eats like there will never be another meal.
S.

My daughter is fussy but she likes cereal mixed with yogurt. Her favourite right now strawberry yogurt with Captain Crunch, but why not use Cheerios or even Rice Krispies?
For lunch try wraps. If they are allowed to have peanut butter at school try that. Peanut butter is very healthy, spread some on a wrap, maybe sneak in some banana and you're set.
My daughter also likes those breakfast cereal bars. I use them for lunch snacks instead of actual breakfast. Throw in a piece of fruit and a little treat and you're all set.
Hope that helps.

Lunchables are the worst. You can make your own with lower fat meat and "good"cheese along with whole wheat crackers. With lunches you really want to think "protein, veggie, fruit". They get so many carbs during the course of the day they don't really need more. A look at the food pyramid will give you a better idea.
As far as breakfast, I've raised my kids not to expect much. They get a bowl of cereal, oatmeal and if they are lucky a bagel. There is nothing wrong with not focusing on food options.

We eat fruit a lot for breakfast (and snacks). Wheat toast with cut up strawberries, cereal with bananas in it, cottage cheese with berries and honey and cinnamon. When I bring the fruit home from the store, I wash it all and get ready to be used from the fridge. i.e. strawberries: cut off stem, grapes: take off of vines...I do the same with veggies. We also do hard boiled eggs. I never thought to offer it to my kids because I hate them, but they had some of my husbands and they loved it. Good protein too. But, don't feel bad if you are in a hurry and have to give them cereal. Just try to choose cereals that don't have "candy" in them. Honey nut cheerios are pretty good. I've tried to give my kids really healthy cereals and they wont go near it :)

My kids are not quite to school age, but we usually have sandwiches or quesadillas or something easy like that. Just by switching your breads or crackers to whole grain makes a huge difference. And what I try to remember is...If it comes in a box, it may not be the best. So if your kids like lunchables, make your own. Ritz crackers make really yummy whole wheat crackers. Then, just buy your own meat and cheese from the deli. Just take a day to prepare everything so that it's all ready to go. Good luck.

Eggs can be made the night before and microwaved in the morning. Easy! Then just throw in some toast or a yogurt.
My kids like Nutrigrain bars and fresh fruit.

My kid is not picky eater but breakfast is my biggest challenge. Right now he's digging sliced fresh strawberries with a little sugar sprinkled on them with a bowl of cereal. Also, he will have a waffle, jelly toast, cheese & pepperoni (I know--gags me in the morning!), string cheese.
Have you tried Nuttella for your girls? Yogurt?
Oh--my son loves those cottage cheese doubles for breakfast, too.

As for lunch--pray for me. My son always wants to take a Lunchable but he rarely eats much of it. He also takes peanut butter and jelly...I'll be checking your answers for some better ideas too!

For breakfast my kids eat cereals like Bran Flakes or Weetabix , or they like toasted bagels with cream cheese , toasted english muffins again with cream cheese , sometimes they will have pancakes (frozen ones). For lunches I make them a sandwich or roll with ham or cheese , they also like cream cheese (my kids like cream cheese) , they will have croissant aswell , this along with some crackers , a yogurt drink , a piece of fruit & drink. When they are at school all day you are limited as to what you can send in a lunch bag so I make sure they eat a better selection for the evening meal.

oh lets see what my daughter likes in the morning is this-
fruit and yougurt
mixed fruit
oatmeal and fruit
pancakes with light butter and syrup (you can make a lot of pancakes and freeze them for later use)
eggs and bacon
for a drink we do milk or juice and sometimes she wants her nutrition drink

lunch-
carrot/celery sticks
sandwhich (any your child will eat)
cut up fruit (unsweetened apple sauce or fruit)
cut up fruit
string cheese
to drink- water, juice, crystal light etc.

Hi S.,
You have received some great suggestions.
You can microwave an egg in a coffee cup to make it a round shape to place between whole grain english muffins.
Also my company makes great meal shake that my boys grew up drinking. Let me know if you are interested in that.
Victoria

I know you said you don't like to cook but, this breakfast casserole is actually very easy, I call it my garbage casserole b/c you can put almost anything in it. I have one in the fridge now.....

8 eggs or egg beaters or egg whites, whatever
scoop of cottage cheese (if you have it)
grated onion (this adds a lot of flavor)
chopped spinach (you can't taste it - honest), this is also optional
breakfast meat of your choice, already cooked (4-8 links)
handful of shredded cheese (sharp cheddar has more flavor) but, almost anything on hand will do.
4 small potatoes,chopped (microwave for 2 minutes so they won't be crunchy)(you can also cooked and shredded tator tots or leftover au gratin potatoes)
salt and pepper

Mix altogether in a bowl, and pour into a casserole dish sprayed with Pam and cook on 350 for about 45 minutes.

It heats up nicely the next morning(s).

Good luck.