How to Meal Plan as a House Guest (Menu Planning Monday 2012-14-11)
1:00:00 PM
During the holidays, many of us will be visiting family and friends and
traveling from out of state. Does that mean that meal planning is not necessary
for that week? I don’t think so. My reasons:
You may be doubling, tripling or even quadrupling the cooking for your
host. Any effort you may take in alleviating the stress of providing so much
food will be welcomed.
You may have special food needs. Does your child only eat noodles? Does
a family member have allergies or sensitivities? Are there special snacks that
you prefer?
Your kids want a little bit of familiarity. Any children who are
houseguests are already on edge because they are out of their routine. Getting
familiar food on a regular basis (like snacks) will help their behavior for the
duration of the stay be more pleasant.
I’m not saying that you should plan what should be cooked every night
(because that would be rude unless previously discussed with your host), or
even that you should bring the makings of a meal. But an easy dessert or
breakfast that you can stash in your trunk already made—or just the
ingredients!—can help any visit go a little smoother. And you can always stop
at a local grocery and pick up favorite snacks, but you will save money if you
pick them up on sale a week or two prior with a plan in mind.
And don’t forget snacks for the trip. I know I always do better during
a long car ride with some snacks stashed away—and so do the kids. Definitely
beats the convenience store prices.
So instead of a day by day menu plan, here are some ideas that I'm implementing this holiday season as we're visiting people.
Ideas for snacks for families with preschoolers or toddlers:
Nilla Wafers
Fruit
Fruit or Veggie Puffs
Goldfish and other crackers
Meals and Desserts You Can Bring:
Spaghetti
Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Bread
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2 comments
I love kale chips! :) I have a menu Monday link up if you want to link up every week. Have a great week! Erin
ReplyDeletehttp://erinbrans.com/2012/11/menu-monday-whats-for-dinner-2.html
Thats a really good idea. I go to Idaho to visit family every summer for 2 weeks and we always spend so much time figuring out dinner. Maybe I will go this year with 10-15 suggestions :)
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