Having been quarantined with 3 kids for almost 5 months now (!!), I thought it might be time to write a post with some feeding hacks I’ve come up with to make meal times easier for everyone! Honestly, these quarantine feeding tips are great whether you’re under a stay-at-home order or not!
1. Grocery Delivery is a Necessity
While grocery stores are still open because they are, of course, considered essential businesses, grocery delivery services have been invaluable during this time and throughout my life as a parent! I cannot (will not) bring my children to a store right now because it is too much work trying to social distance with 3 children under 6! So, either my husband goes alone (which he did for a while) or I place an order (much preferred!) I use AmazonFresh (paid link) but there are other delivery services available as well if you prefer (PeaPod, Instacart, etc.) I even learned recently that Costco has grocery delivery!
2. Set Meal/Snack Times
Having the kitchen “open” from sun up to sun down is exhausting so we have set meal and snack times to keep things under control! Our schedule is:
7:00am – Breakfast
9:30am- Snack
11:30am- Lunch
3pm- Snack
5:30pm- Dinner
These times may shift by 15 minutes or so from day to day but having a general idea of eating times is a life saver. Kids love having a sense of routine. Setting meal and snack times is one way to normalize the day’s events for them. If they ask for food in between try using the phrase “the kitchen’s closed right now” and redirect them to another activity. You might also offer them some water (see #4 below) since sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger.
3. Make Snacks Ahead or Buy Prepared/Grab n Go Snacks
My youngest is just under 6 months old right now, so cooking food 5 times a day is not an option. Snacks consist of no-cook options like fresh fruit (we always have mandarins, apples and bananas in the fruit bowl), pretzels and hummus, or mini muffins we do our best to make once a week (try these banana oatmeal muffins) I also keep yogurt cups, fruit pouches (try the fruit & vegetable ones from Costco), goldfish crackers, and granola bars in our pantry.
Here are some of my make-ahead recipes that are quick & easy:
4. Give each kid a water bottle in the morning and refill throughout the day.
I usually try to use cups at home, but the dishes are already piling up enough as it is. I decided to use the kids’ water bottles from school and just refill throughout the day, so much easier and we don’t wind up with 15 glasses on the counter at the end of the day.
Try these stainless bottles from Simple Modern
5. Don’t Be A Short Order Cook
“For breakfast today you have a choice of yogurt with berries or scrambled eggs and toast, which would you like?” Your morning should sound a bit like this. Give your child a simple choice so they feel like they have some control over their meal. Choose two options you’re prepared to offer, and try not to ask them open ended questions at meal time, especially if you have more than one kid! “What do you want for dinner?” might elicit three different responses likely to be not of the healthiest variety. “Mac and cheese!”, “Hot dogs!”, “Pizza!” Sound familiar? By limiting their choices, you’re also saving yourself some work. Also, when it’s not meal time try the phrase “Sorry, the kitchen is closed until X o’clock, let’s go read a book (play cards, play outside)” instead.
What quarantine feeding tips and tricks have gotten you through this challenging time? Comment below, I would love to hear some more suggestions!