Fresh Food Friday

I spent most of this week in a hurry as the marking period for both daughters ended and as a result, they had tons of homework, quizzes, tests and projects due at the last minute.

Today's post is to show you all how I navigate a week like that while keeping us eating well.




First, I buy carrots and divide up the package into multiple grab and go sandwich bags.  My kids love the mini carrots and since they are so sweet and delicious, no other dip or sauce is needed.  Just crunch and munch!  This is the best way for the kids to be motivated into eating vegetables too.  I f you have it bagged up into an individual portion size, the kids are much more likely to choose that as a snack.  Going green?  At the beginning of the year, I bought several reusable sandwich wraps that double as place mats.  The carrots can be added to those as well.  Just make sure you dry off the veggies before placing them into the wrap. 





When the week is going to be very tricky, we take a dozen eggs and hard boil them on Sunday night.  When the girls were little, I would peel the egg and stick it in a bento box or a sandwich baggie.  However, somewhere around age 7, both girls said that the best part of eating a hard-boiled egg was taking off the shell.  What a bonus for mom as it made packing for snacks and lunches a hit!  The other nice thing is that on busy evenings, a quick meal can be lunch with a hard-boiled egg salad sandwich.  No fast food needed.




Baked Naturals by Pepperidge Farm are great!  Only 21g of carbohydrates in 17 crackers!  My cost was the regular price on the box which is $3.49 at most grocery stores.  One nice way to handle the preparation is to pull out your trusty Sharpie Marker and while you are waiting for the eggs to boil, make up several individual packages of crackers with the correct carb amount.  I have these handy for grab and go snacks, lunches and even after dinner treats.  We also like these crackers in soup or as a crumble on salads.  Delicious!




Lately, it has been just easier to buy the giant fruit bowl at Costco and bring it home.  Sadly, my kids tend to eat right through this, so I rarely have time enough to pre-bag for snacks and lunches before it is gone!  This is only $9.00 at Costco and very worth it!  I love that my kids choose this over most any other snack in the house.




Pickled ring bologna.  Have you tried this?  Zero carbs and so good!  My husband introduced this to the family as he remembered his grandparents buying it when he was a little boy.  The taste is a bit like a tart pickle but with the flavor of bologna.  $3.00 at Meijer.  Plain ring bologna is also available at most grocery stores.  Please note that I do tend to cut it and remove the outside skin before serving.  Once it is ready to eat, be prepared for it to be gone in about oh, 30 seconds!





Provolone by Sara Lee.  This is the one cheese that tends to beat out all others in popularity.  At just $2.50 (on sale this week at Meijer), the cheese is mellow and delicious.  The trick is to pop some cheese into the bag of Wheat Crisps as you are heading out the door.  No more need for the processed cheese-like snacks when you can have the real thing, and as a bonus, it is also carb free and light in calories.  Enjoy!