Hi friends! The long days of summer are nearly here and I am officially in my “do not want to cook whatsoever” season. Everything has to be made simple and easy and quick these days. My summer meal planning habits allow us to spend more time outside and adventuring than being stuck in the house with the stove on. One thing that has been working really well has been lunch platters. Instead of a hot meal like we normally enjoy during the fall and winter, I am keeping things simple with a few different components and tossing it all together on a platter to share. My kids have enjoyed it and I think they really love the idea of picking and choosing for themselves.
I want to share my master list below for each component: sandwich, veggie, fruit, dip, protein, healthy fat, and fun snack. I hope you enjoy the ideas for your own kids. There are endless ideas and combinations and possibilities. Seriously… just grab whatever your family loves or has on hand and you’ll be good to go. As long as those kids are happy and fed, you are doing great.
Here are some ideas to get you going:
Grain/carb: crackers, tortilla chips, pretzels, fries, sandwiches (we like pb&j, grilled cheese, cream cheese/cuke, hummus/veg)
Protein: baked tofu, edamame, chik’n fingers, roasted chickpeas, bean dip
Veggies: cucumbers, peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower
Fruit: berries, grapes, apple slices, orange slices, pear slices, melon, peaches, nectarines, cherries, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, kiwi
Dips: vegan ranch, queso, blended beans, honey mustard, guacamole, savory hummus, chocolate hummus, vanilla hummus, salsa
Healthy Fat: olives, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, almonds, guacamole
Fun Snack: hippeas, chips, chocolate chips, fruit leather, nature’s bakery fig bars, annie’s fruit snacks, annie’s chocolate/vanilla bunnies, popcorn, applesauce pouch, vegan cheese slices
Sometimes I make a fruit smoothie in addition to their platter if they are feeling that instead of fresh fruit to switch things up. You can pack a lot of nutrition into a smoothie by tossing in a handful of greens or something like chia seeds, ground flax, nuts, etc.
I found this platter on Amazon (affiliate link) and added it to my wish list. I think this would be awesome, especially for on the go. But for now, we are just using a plate I have and a few smaller containers that I scrounge up. It doesn’t need to be fancy!!
I hope this was helpful! Thank you for tuning in. x
