With the dog days of summer coming to an end, it can be overwhelming for parents to put three square meals on the table now that school and sports are back in session.
Lifestyle expert Limor Suss shared some of her favorite meals and food hacks that are both kid-friendly and time-friendly to help make the days go a little smoother.
“Back to school is a stressful time for everyone, and the more you plan, the easier the days go,” Suss, a mother of two who lives in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS FOR KIDS HAVE A HEALTHY, INTERACTIVE TWIST
“Meal planning is a great way to ease the stress of figuring out what to serve,” she said.
It doesn’t have to be complicated or even require much foresight.
“One of my favorite tricks is to take last night’s leftovers and turn them into mason jar salads for lunch the next day,” she said.
Leftovers from dinner can be turned into a mason jar “salad” for lunch the next day. (Limor Suss)
This is done by putting a dressing or sauce in the bottom of the jar and layering the remaining foods on top. The next day, the glass can be shaken or poured into a bowl and consumed at lunchtime.
Getting kids involved in meal planning — and creation, to an appropriate degree — is another way to make the meal go more smoothly, Suss said.
3 COOKS REFUSE THEIR FAVORITE TALK TO SCHOOL — AND EACH HEALTHY BOD FOR KIDS TAKES JUST MINUTES TO PREPARE
“My son knows how to make omelettes now and claims his omelettes are the best, so he wants to make them all the time,” she said. “It’s about getting them involved.”
Getting kids involved is one way to make meal planning easier, said lifestyle expert Limor Suss (not pictured). (Limor Suss; iStock)
Meals like a taco board or taco bar—where a person can put together their own tacos—are a way to both get dinner on the table quickly and give kids a degree of independence in their food decisions.
BE GOOD: SLOW BACK-TO-SCHOOL ANXIETY FOR KIDS WITH THESE EXPERT TIPS
These taco bars “don’t have to be complicated,” she said, but should include a protein filling and other toppings.
An even easier taco night variation is the “walking taco”, which is made using a bag of chips as a shell on the taco.
This is a “taco board” made by Suss. By letting people fill their own tacos, dinner is on the table faster and less work is required of the parents. (Limor Suss)
“A quick after-school idea is to make walking tacos,” she said. “Just grab your favorite bags of chips, add ground meat, cheese, sour cream, avocado and any of your favorite toppings.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Changing out frozen or prepared foods for another dish is a big time saver on busy nights, Suss said.
One of her favorites is something she called “DIY Chinese Takeout.”
Using frozen chicken nuggets is a great way to save time, Suss said. (Limor Suss)
A healthier and cheaper option than ordering in, Suss’ version of “takeout” uses frozen food as its base.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
“I love taking some frozen chicken nuggets and turning them into a completely different meal,” she said.
For more lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle
This is much faster than breading and frying chicken by hand – and it comes together very quickly.