Need help packing meals for when I go back to work.

Ava is mostly eating table foods now except when we go out because I guess its just easiar to pack a jar when we're on the go. But now I go back to work in about two weeks and Ava will be at the babysitters for the majority of the day. So what are some healthy things that I can pack for her that can just be heated at the sitters house?

Re: Need help packing meals for when I go back to work.

Sorry I took so long to reply. I read it but never had time to post a response.

I know some of the choices are not exactly "healthy" but they are pretty good.

Pancakes (microwave ones, I'm sure they have organic ones) I buy the multi-grain ones. I microwave them in the morning and put them in a tupperware. He eats them room temparuture.

Boil chicken pieces with lemon, carrots and onions. Remove the chicken and boil some elbow pasta. Then just cut up chicken, carrots and elbows. They could reheat it the next day. If you don't want to boil a chicken you could use the boullion cubes. I usually keep the elbows for about a day or two. Then I warm them up in the microwave with some butter and grated cheese.

Hash browns with melted american cheese.

Dole cut up fruit cups.

Boiled eggs. I spread the yolk with butter on toast.


Chopped meat (my mom usually picks the meat and the butcher chops it in front of her very fine). Mix with wet bread or bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Then you can either broil them or grill them. The next day the could just warm it up with cheese and mush it with the fork.

If I think of anything else I will let you know.

Alexia

Re: Need help packing meals for when I go back to work.

We are going through the same thing. The things that she does eat that are super easy are things like bananas, mangoes and yobaby yogurt...those I know I can easily pack for her breakfast since that's a typical breakfast for her here.

Also she likes french toast sticks and those frozen pancakes -- not the healthiest thing in the world but I could make them homemade if I had the time and that would be healthier since I could put whole grains into them.

For lunch I'll be packing mac & cheese already made in little containers that the babysitter can just heat up. The same with pastina with tomato sauce, grilled cheese sandwiches, spagetti w/ meatballs, and again, fresh fruit.

Emily is picky and I'm worried about it so I am also going to make sure the babysitter has plenty of cheerios, puffs, wagon wheels, goya cookies (she loves these) and earth's best cereal bars, just in case. Oh, and juice and sippy cups. We didn't need them so much before but now it's a regular part of her day.

ETA that Emily isn't much of a meat eater but she does LOVE turkey -- so I'll also be sending turkey meatballs and turkey burgers -- which are great for sneaking in veggies -- you can chop up tomatos, peppers, zucchini, carrots VERY fine or even grate them and just mix them into the turkey meat and they cook up deliciously.

ETA-again to add that Rice and Beans are a really easy heat up and babies usually love them -- plus they are super easy and nutritious. I use black beans.

Message edited 8/16/2006 11:07:39 AM.

Re: Need help packing meals for when I go back to work.

If you're looking for things to heat up, I would make more for dinner & be creative with leftovers.

My kids loved lentils that my mom used to make for them. Easily heated up, tons of protein. If you want I can get the recipe for you.

Breakfast for my kids are things like corn toasties, blueberry muffins (I use a mix), cereal, oatmeal, bacon & eggs (that would be tough to do), fruit, zucchini bread.

Lunch is anything from PB&J, turkey sandwiches cut up, hotdogs cut up (VERTICALLY & HORIZONTALLY -otherwise hot dogs are a big chocking hazard), browned chopped meat & rice, meatloaf, chicken cutlets, fish sticks, tortellini w. peas.

Re: Need help packing meals for when I go back to work.

We're having the same issues lately, which is especially more difficult because we are raising our daughter without meat. The past few days, for breakfast, she'll eat yogurt with fruit, then for lunch she'll get fresh vegetables (peas, carrots, corn... sometimes I give her Campbell's vegetarian vegetable soup... etc). I make sure I give her some additional protein for dinner, usually fresh broiled fish that DH and I eat for dinner. Tonight I'm going to cook up a batch of elbow pasta with red sauce, and some beans and rice, and freeze it for next week... hope that helps!

Re: Need help packing meals for when I go back to work.

Thanks everyone.....this has been a big help.

Do you think if I cook an egg at night it can be re-heated in the morning?

Melissa....I've never seen the Earth's Best cereal Bars.....where did you find them?

Re: Need help packing meals for when I go back to work.