Social distancing has parents everywhere working from home while heading up their children’s education. I’m coping by taking things one day at a time, but I realize this will likely continue through the end of the school year. It’s only early April. And who even knows what summer will look like and when normal life will ever return.
While staying at home is what’s clearly needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are overwhelmed and maxed out. It’s a grind, it’s messy and working parents have never worked this hard before. Many mom’s (myself included) totally identify with the What’s Up Moms article about failing at quarantine. It seems like the day is punctuated by when it’s time to eat and everyone’s ALWAYS eating. Breakfast rolls into lunch and lunch rolls into snack time, and then more snacks, and after all that who really feels like cooking dinner anyhow?
School lunch is an important part of the day during a normal school year. I’m trying to use lunchtime as a chance to take a real break and connect as a family. Plus, if the kids eat well at lunchtime, we can likely get through the afternoon with less snacking (and less clean up).
Here are my top picks for kid-approved healthy quarantine homeschool lunches that we can all pull off. This easy two-week lunch plan is made with many nonperishable and frozen ingredients that you can stock in your quarantine kitchen for the weeks to come.
WEEK ONE
MONDAY
Grilled cheese and Tomato Soup
Dave’s Killer Bread Thin-Sliced with sliced cheese served with canned tomato soup
TUESDAY
Black bean and cheese quesadillas with salsa
Canned black beans, drained with shredded cheese, tortillas served with salsa
WEDNESDAY
Turmeric egg salad with whole grain crackers, pickles and bell pepper slices
Hard-boiled eggs, chopped and mashed, seasoned with turmeric, salt, pepper, and a touch of plain yogurt or mayo served with crackers, pickles and sliced bell pepper
THURSDAY
Pesto pasta with broccoli and Parmesan cheese
Boiled bow-tie pasta tossed with homemade or packaged pesto and steamed broccoli and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
FRIDAY
Fish stick tacos with shredded cabbage and lime wedges
Baked fish sticks served in small tortillas with shredded cabbage, salsa and lime wedges
WEEK TWO
MONDAY
Mini bagel with cream cheese, lox and cucumber
Toasted mini bagel or half of a regular bagel with cream cheese, lox and cucumber slices
TUESDAY
Ranch edamame broccoli pasta salad
Boiled penne or corkscrew pasta tossed with lightly steamed edamame and broccoli with a squeeze of Ranch dressing
WEDNESDAY
Mezze plates with hummus, pita crackers, cheese, olives, cucumber and grapes
A family-style plater of hummus and other dips with cheeses, olives, sliced veggies, fruit and crackers or bread
THURSDAY
Tofu fried rice with peas and carrots
Seasoned marinated tofu cubes, frozen peas and carrots, egg, and steamed rice stir-fried with soy sauce and garlic
FRIDAY
Bell pepper tuna cups with celery
Tuna salad served inside bell pepper halves with celery sticks