Meal times can be super stressful; especially if you have picky eaters, dietary restrictions, allergies, or toddlers. I’m not saying all toddlers are picky eaters or all picky eaters are toddlers. I’m just making an assumption based on personal experience that having toddlers makes meal times more challenging in general. One of my solutions – build your own family meals.

Build your own meals are a great way to bring the family together over meal time AND help make an otherwise stressful time fun. Plus, it’s  also an easy way to get rid of whatever odds and ends are left in your fridge. You decide what options will be offered, but you let your family decide which ones they choose.

Because this way, you’re all guaranteed to eat with way less work for one person. 

 

Favourite build-your-own meals

1) Taco bar

2) Pizzas

3) Falafel/shawarma wraps

4) Grain bowls

5) Salads

6) Stuffed sweet potatoes

7) Pasta salad

8) Egg muffin cups

9) Breakfast parfait

10) Breakfast burritos

 

Favourite add-on ingredients

There are so many amazing ingredients you can use and these are my top 20 for sure. But when it comes down to the moment I’m cooking, I use whatever random crap I have in my fridge and cupboards. Download my kitchen staples list, because it’s a great way to ensure you always have at least a few of these on hand.

1) Greens – lettuce, arugula, kale or spinach are all great options

2) Tomatoes – whether they’re halved cherry tomatoes, whole grape tomatoes or diced vine tomatoes they are all a great addition to any of the meal ideas above.

3) Avocado – they’re easy to prepare, add texture,  and healthy fats. They’re great in everything, but I usually toss them on top of my eggs, not in them.

4) Fresh herbs – are the perfect way to add a TON of flavour to any meal. Some of my faves – cilantro, basil, dill, mint and parsley).

5) Red cabbage – add this to your tacos, wraps, bowls, sweet potato and even your pasta salad. It adds colour, crunch, a ton of nutrients and a nice mild flavour.

6) Pineapple – is probably one of my all time favourite ingredients because it’s good in so many more things than you would think.  They’re great in tacos, grain bowls, stuffed sweet potatoes. But they’re also good on pizza, in noodle salads, strifries, smoothies, chia pudding, and yogurt.

7) Oranges – are similar to pineapple for me. They are super versatile, adding a tart sweetness to so many meals.

8) Pickled vegetables – like onions, radish and peppers.  They bring a nice tangy flavour to almost anything. I love using them in tacosm grain bowls and pasta salads.

9) Dried fruits – are surprisingly versatile and can add a great flavour and texture. They are a favourite ingredient of mine in grain bowls;  but make great a great addition to yogurt and oatmeals too. My go tos are dates, apricots, cranberries, blueberries, and apples.

10) Olives – a fun way to spice up a boring pasta salad, pizza or egg muffin. They add healthy fats and a nice salty flavour.

11) Grains – are great for bowls. But, they can also be used in tacos, stuffed sweet potatoes and even breakfast parfaits and breakfast burritos.

12) Crispy chickpeas – a little protein, a little flavour and a lot of crunch. They are a great addition to grain bowls, salads and stuffed sweet potatoes.

13) Canned beans and/or lentils – a great way to add protein, fibre and texture to so many meals. Some of my favourite ones are black beans, chickpeas and red lentils. They go great in grain bowls, sprinkled into a salad, added to stuffed sweet potatoes, pasta salad and breakfast burritos too.

14) Edamame beans – these are all about the ease. I take frozen ones and throw them into almost everything on the list above (except parfaits of course).

15) Cheese – if I could only choose one, it would be feta. It’s amazing in everything on the list above (except the parfaits). It’s truly one of the most versatile ingredients. It adds a nice subtle salty tang and pairs up well with almost anything.

16) Nuts & seeds – there are so many to choose from, and that’s what makes it so fun. Some of my favourites include pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, chia seeds, almonds and cashews. Sprinkle them on top of your bowls, salads, sweet potatoes; and definitely on your breakfast parfaits.

17) Hummus – great in a grain bowl, in a falafel/shawarma wrap, with a stuffed sweet potato.

18) Greek yogurt – is a go to for our family. We always have plain greek yogurt in our fridge and use it on tacos, pizza, wraps, bowls, sweet potatoes, pasta salad, breakfast parfaits and breakfast burritos.

19) Salsa – I will admit that I’m not a huge salsa person unless I make it myself. But, it can add some good flavour in a pinch to breakfast burritos, egg muffin cups, sweet potatoes, grain bowls, and obviously tacos.

20) Everything bagel spice – the name says it all. Sprinkle it on your meals to add a boost of flavour in an easy and simple way.

 

Favourite combinations

Here are my favourite combinations for each build your own meal idea.

Tacos

Shredded kale, avocado, cilantro, red cabbage, pineapple, pickled onion, feta cheese and roasted chickpeas or chipotle chicken.

Pizzas

Feta, spinach, roasted garlic and if I’m in the mood – pineapple and dried chilies.

Falafel/shawarma wraps

Spinach or arugula, tomatoes, dill, parsley, red cabbage, pickled turnip, pickles, feta cheese, hummus and greek yogurt with falafel balls on naan bread.

Grain bowls

This is so tough, because there are seriously so many incredible combinations – but if I have to choose my all time favourite – it is quinoa, roasted sweet potato, shredded beets, pineapple, shredded kale, basil, red cabbage, feta cheese, edamame, pumpkin seeds, and hemp hearts.

Salads

Also seriously tough. We eat salad A LOT, and we have something different every time. So I can’t tell you my favourite combo of exact ingredients, but I’ll tell you what I think a salad needs. Some greens, some red cabbage (adds great texture and nutrition), a few of your  favourite veggies, nuts and/or seeds, fresh or dried fruit and cheese (feta is our favourite addition but there is a place for almost any kind of cheese in my books).

Stuffed sweet potatoes

There are so many delicious combinations for stuffing your sweet potatoes with. I will give you my fave savoury and my fave sweet editions. Savoury – black beans, tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, cilantro and Valentinas hot sauce. Sweet – almond butter, bananas, pecans, coconut flakes, greek yogurt, maple syrup, cinnamon and chopped dates.

Pasta salad

Such a great one for families, because pasta salads are so filling. Plus all you need to do is make a big pot of whole grain noodles (or whatever kind of noodles you like) and choose a variety of other ingredients you know your family will like.  Our favourite – is a Greek style past salad. Cucumbers, tomatoes, yellow peppers, kalamata olives, red onions (I’m the only one that likes those), and tons of cumbled feta.

Egg muffin cups

We love these because not only are they great for breakfast/brunch, but you can make extras and freeze them for another day.   A combination that our whole family likes is feta cheese, spinach, and italian sausage.

Breakfast parfaits

Definitely like a thousand combinations here, but we like to keep it simple. Plain Greek yogurt, homemade granola (whatever kind we happen to have made), whatever berry is in our fridge, hemp hearts, chia seeds and a little drizzle of maple syrup and dusting of cinnamon. Otherwise we just make a big batch of pumpkin chia pudding, omg it’s insanely good.

Breakfast burritos

These are awesome, because you can make extras, wrap in tinfoil and freeze for a later date. It’s so worth the effort to make your next busy breakfast a breeze.  Our favourite build your own combination is scrambled eggs, feta or aged cheddar cheese, black beans, spinach, sweet potatoes and sometimes sausage.

 

Easier meal times

You don’t have to have twenty ingredient options for your build your own meals, a few will do just fine. I try and make sure there is at least a couple things that each family member will enjoy, and that’s as far as I take it. Honestly though, it’s usually a shit mix of whatever fruits and veggies and things we have left in our fridge that need to be eaten.

Like I said, meal times can be super stressful but they don’t have to be; at least not all the time.  I think its near impossible to take the stress out altogether, but it is definitely possible to add a little ease and maybe even a little fun.

I hope my top ten build your own family meal ideas make the witching hour just a little bit easier for you and your families.

 

Till the next post,

 

Kristen xo