We are all looking for inspiration to make these long days at home fresh and new. New learning ideas, new activities inside and outside, new ways to move our bodies during a time that encompasses a lot of the same day in and day out. One way I have found to bring some variety and flavor to our days is to switch up our lunchtime routine! With my kiddos all home it can get pretty redundant making a PBJ every single day for every single person so I have gathered up a few new theme ideas for one of our all time favorite ways to eat lunch (and use up leftovers and produce!): the snack plate!
What is a snack plate? Think charcuterie, for kids. But not just for kids because I personally find myself enjoying them right along with my kiddos and they are a way I can add variety to my diet as well! I can get into a leftovers rut when it comes to lunch (or eating off my kids plates!) so having a family snack plate prepared ensures I eat something nutritious for lunch and offers a fun change from the norm for my kids. I personally like to lay out our snack plates on a big cutting board, platter, or a muffin tin. Then you put it in the middle of the table and everyone can make their own plate off of the platter. It is a fantastic way to use up produce that is about to go bad, the last few slices of lunch meat, or incorporate new foods in a less threatening way for those picky eaters! If eating off a snack plate isn’t your thing, I have also included a more grown up lunchtime idea for parents that uses most or all of the ingredients from the snack plate!
Here are a few of my favorite themes for snack plate lunches:
Snack Plate 1: The Big Dipper
Contents:
-Carrots
-Celery
-Chicken nuggets
-Romaine lettuce
-Cherry tomatoes
-Cheese
-Crackers
-Ranch
-Hummus
Mom lunch alternative: wedge salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, chicken and drizzled with ranch
Snack Plate 2: The Cracker Stacker
Contents:
-Salami
-Cheese
-Crackers
-Grapes
-Strawberries
-Olives
Mom lunch alternative: Spinach salad with strawberries, cubed salami, crumbled crackers, and balsamic vinaigrette
Snack Plate 3: Hit the trail
Contents:
-Almonds
-Cashews
-Carrots
-Raisins
-Yogurt
-Banana (dried or fresh!)
-Pretzels
-Granola
-Chocolate chips
Mom lunch alternative: Yogurt bowl with granola, banana, cashews (and maybe a few chocolate chips for good measure!)
I hope these lunch ideas offer your family a fun change during this time! I have also found the snack plate to be useful because it is a good way to bring together a bunch of seemingly random ingredients into a more cohesive presentation. If you try out your own family snack plate I would love to know!
: the snack plate! ){kind=link}