Do you have an efficient breakfast, lunch, and chore routine?
Not having a set routine for meals can steal a huge amount of teaching time from your day! If meal time is always a big production, and it comes around three times a day…think how much valuable teaching time is lost while preparing meals! It is equally easy to have your time, focus, and joy stolen by a messy house and half-done chores. So, let’s talk about ways to conquer these time stealers. (You may also want to check out my previous post on Keeping a Similar Routine Each Day.)
As you ponder an efficient breakfast and lunch routine, I will share some examples of what we’ve done in the past. Hopefully that will get you thinking of possibilities that might work at your house!
Having a set breakfast and lunch routine saves you time!
Through the years, we have changed what we eat for breakfast and lunch. One thing that has remained the same is to have a set breakfast and lunch routine Monday – Friday. I write the routine on paper and post it on our refrigerator in a magnetized plastic page protector. That way I can change the menu easily whenever I feel we need a change.
Having a posted breakfast and lunch menu helps you plan ahead.
You can easily use any rotation you desire for breakfast and lunch, but having the routine written and posted helps you plan ahead. It also means you have a routine shopping list for the bulk of your meals each week. Keeping the rotation the same each week allows you to become efficient at preparing those particular meals. As your children get used to the routine, they can look ahead and help you prepare the meals.
Our Breakfast Routine as of 2018:
Monday: Pumpkin Pancakes (with cinnamon/sugar/Reddi-Wip) and Eggs
Tuesday: Yogurt Parfait (yogurt with granola, honey, berries) Toasted English Muffin (with butter and jelly)
Wednesday: Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Hashbrowns
Thursday: Whole Grain Eggo Waffles (spread with Nutella/cut up bananas/Reddi-Wip) and Applesauce
Friday: Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie and Toast with Peanut Butter
Our Lunch Routine as of 2018:
Monday: Tortilla Chips, Shredded Cheese, Ground Beef, Salsa, Sour Cream, Corn, and Grapes
Tuesday: Ham n’ Cheese Croissants, Carrot Slices, Blackberries, and Gold Fish Crackers
Wednesday: Bagged Caesar Salad, Shredded Rotisserie Chicken, Apples (cut up with peanut butter), and Yogurt
Thursday: Tuna (open-faced on toast), Cheese Slices with Wheat Crackers, Craisins/Almonds, Grapes
Friday: Rotation of Frozen Pizza, Salmon, Pot Pies, Mac n’ cheese, Soup and Toast, Hot Dogs with Pears or Peaches and Go-gurt
Basic menus become an efficient part of your daily routine.
As you can see, our menus are pretty basic. Yet, we typically keep the same menu for quite awhile, because it has become an efficient part of our daily routine. Our boys actually look forward to certain days based on the menu. They go to bed at night saying, “Tomorrow we have pancakes for breakfast. I love Mondays!” Or, “Tomorrow is my favorite lunch!” Try developing your own rotation for breakfast and lunch and see what you think!
Blessings,
Carrie
This Post Has 7 Comments
Great idea!
Having a menu planned out!
I read this tip a few years back and it has been a joy saver, for sure! We have created a list of our favorite lunches and have added to it over the years. I then let my kids (14, 12, 10, 6) fill in the weekdays of a blank calendar each month with the approved lunch list. Since they do it together, there is no grumbling when one of their not-so-favorite lunches come up during the week. I love having it all planned out for grocery shopping! Thanks so much for motivating us to do a little planning ahead. It really makes the homeschool day go so much smoother!
I love the idea but am stuck with what is quick. My son has A LOT of food allergies including wheat, rice, tomatoes, chicken eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, hemp seed, and artificial coloring. Does anyone have suggestions for an easy AIP (autoimmune protocol) Paleo plan?
Oh, that is a lot to consider! My heart goes out to you, as I am sure that feels time consuming! All the more reason to make a set breakfast and lunch menu though, right?
Thank God you are homeschooling and having meals at home. My youngest son has an epi-pen for fish allergies, and I know that would worry me all the time if he was eating lunches at public school.
Well, in the past 25 years of making fast breakfasts for homeschooling my 3 sons and now for getting them out the door to work super early, some of my favorites have been banana pancakes, yogurt/fruit parfaits, waffles in our $15 waffle maker, smoothies and a protein like ham slice, and baked oatmeal or oatmeal on the stove. To help you out, and also because I love recipes in general, I found these similar AIP approved recipes that look good! Be sure to check if they fit your son’s specific needs though. Hope you like some of them!
AIP Banana Pancakes (make multiple batches and freeze flat on paper plates in large Ziplock freezer bags for easy reheating and a quick breakfast)
AIP Pumpkin Pie Coconut Parfait (easy to make the night before for a quick read-to-serve breakfast in the morning)
AIP Waffles (quick to make in the morning, or can be made before/frozen/reheated in microwave; can be served with berries or bananas)
AIP Smoothie with a Slice of Ham or Sausage Patties (5 different kinds of smoothies in the link, take 5 minutes to make but can be made ahead of time and frozen in individual portions too)
AIP Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal (quick to put together, but takes 50 minutes to bake; can be made the night before and reheated, can be frozen/reheated)
Not sure why the links didn’t pull through, but here are the direct links instead…
Banana Pancakes:
https://healmedelicious.com/aip-banana-pancakes/
Pumpkin Pie Parfait:
https://thrivingautoimmune.com/aip-breakfast-pumpkin-pie-coconut-parfait/
Waffles:
https://thrivingautoimmune.com/aip-waffles/
Smoothie with Protein of Choice:
https://www.fwdfuel.com/aip-breakfast-smoothie/
Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal:
https://eatbeautiful.net/baked-peanut-butter-jelly-oatmeal-gf-egg-free-vegan/
We are in a similar boat. While not AIP, my daughter is celiac and I have one son who has a lot of sensory issues with food so he does not eat any fruits are vegetables. I’ve followed this tip for having set meals for years but it does get discouraging sometimes with the limited options , especially when many gluten -free options just aren’t very good. Thanks for the links, Julie! I am going to look into them too!
Hi. These do take a lil more effort so perhaps you can do it like meal prepping and just choose 1-2 per week. But here are some ideas. Of course you can make changes according to his palate.
1️⃣ Ground Turkey Veggie Bowls
• Seasoned ground turkey
• Roasted sweet potatoes
• Steamed broccoli or green beans
• Drizzle with olive oil + a little sea salt
2️⃣ Beef & Avocado Lettuce Wraps
• Leftover shredded beef
• Butter lettuce or romaine leaves
• Sliced avocado + cucumber
• Side of baked plantain chips
3️⃣ Salmon + Roasted Veggies Plate
• Baked or canned wild salmon
• Roasted carrots & zucchini
• Side of applesauce (unsweetened, no additives)
4️⃣ AIP “Snack Plate” Lunch
• Nitrate-free turkey or beef slices
• Fresh fruit (grapes, berries, apple slices)
• Cassava or plantain crackers
• Guacamole or olive oil dip
5️⃣ Soup-in-a-Thermos Day
• Homemade bone broth
• Shredded beef or turkey
• Sweet potato cubes + kale
• Add sea salt & herbs for flavor