NOTE: Please check with your Food Program Representative to make sure what you serve is crediable. In A Pinch Meals And Snacks First of all, I am not suggesting that anyone should eat this way on a regular basis due to the fat and sugar content of these foods. We do eat these meals about once or twice a week when things get really busy or we have one of those low food budget weeks. I am working on how to have healthier meals but also be cost effective and easy. Please email me with your low cost, easy, healthy foods! What I try to keep on hand: Noodles & Rice Canned Goods Frozen Refridgerator Pantry Ramen noodles vegetables corn dogs apples & grapes Ritz crackers macaroni & cheese fruits fish sticks bananas saltines macaroni vienna sausages pizza baby carrots graham crackers Rice apple sauce French fries cheese slices animal crackers potato flakes chicken noodle soup juice eggs Kix or Cheerios noodles & sauce pork & beans sausage links hot dogs pretzles What I make ahead and freeze: banana or blueberry muffins French toast pancakes corn muffins biscuits When I say I try to keep the above items on hand, it's more like I try to have a few items in each category on hand each week, not all the items all the time. If we just finished off a box of corn dogs, I'll get fish sticks the next time. (Hopefully this is making sense.) Also, when I say I make stuff ahead, I usually make only one of the listed items per week. Here's the process I go through to put together a quick, inexpensive meal: Okay, I know it's not crediable to count macaroni & cheese as a protein, so I can add a half slice of cheese. I just need fruits and/or veggies and milk. I usually pull out some canned corn and slice an apple. Not only did it take me about 15 minutes to put the above meal together, it cost just over $1 to feed 4 or 5 toddlers: Mac-N-Cheese -- $0.30 milk and margarine -- $0.10 cheese slices -- $0.20 canned corn -- $0.33 apple -- $0.10 --------------------------- Total = $1.03 Here are other inexpensive and time saving meals using the "on-hand" items listed above: BREAKFAST French Toast *** Grapes *** Milk Banana Muffin *** Apple Sauce *** Milk Kix *** Banana *** Milk Graham Crackers *** Apple Slices *** Milk Pancakes *** Orange *** Milk LUNCH Vienna Sausage *** Corn *** Banana *** Ramen Noodles *** Milk Chicken Noodle Soup *** Grilled Cheese *** Baby Carrots *** Grapes *** Milk Pork & Beans *** Hot Dogs *** Celery Sticks *** Bread & Butter *** Milk Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich *** Cheese Slice *** Peaches *** Baby Carrots *** Milk Macaroni & Cheese *** Cheese Slice *** Corn *** Apple Slices *** Milk SNACK Apple Slices *** Peanut Butter Banana Muffins *** Milk Graham Crackers *** Milk Ritz Crackers *** Peanut Butter Cherrios *** Milk Want more EASY ideas? Crocpot Got Leftovers? Friday Fun Dinners Become a Pamm's House Member and get Menus & Recipes EVERY WEEK, including Suppers. Find Recipes Here. Where would you like to visit? -------------------------- Home Play Room Preschool Resource Room Study Home Office Library Kitchen Family Room Bathroom Scales Backdoor Mailbox -------------------------- Pamm's House Web Design -------------------------- Site Map -------------------------- Disclaimer & Copyright I would like to hear from you! Online Graphics by Debbie's Doodles (now closed) © Copyright Since 2001 ♥ Pamm's House ♥ All Rights Reserved All praise and glory go to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, I could do nothing. (John 15:5)