Unfortunately, many parents must be at work during much of the day, even when their children are home for the summer.  Rather than leaving them to subsist on pizza rolls for three months, though, we try to keep a variety of easy to prepare food options available.

Bread:  Yes, this is obvious, as the sandwich is one of the most basic summer staples, but rather than buying the same bread all of the time, try a variety to spice things up.  For example, the ciabatta rolls in your grocery’s bakery section, can become the basis for a delicious submarine sandwich, just like the pricey restaurant chains serve.

Of course, you will need meat for a sandwich, too, and my family loves Carl Budding’s thinly sliced honey ham.  It is available in a large, resealable bag, which lasts for weeks and stays fresh.

Cheese: To create a great sub sandwich, try Sargento’s baby swiss slices with honey ham.  This cheese tastes better to me than many other name brands, and can be lower in fat.  

Tortillas: Variety is the spice of life, and a plain old sandwich can become something out of the ordinary when made with a tortilla instead.  Try mixing a teaspoon of Miracle Whip with a teaspoon of Pace Medium Picante sauce and spreading this on the tortilla with shredded cheese and thinly sliced deli meat.  So tasty!

Fruit: One of the joys of summer is the availability of fresh fruit.  Keep peaches, plums, apples, oranges, grapes and strawberries on hand for summer snacking.  These may be used to create fruit smoothies and shakes, too!

Convenience foods:  Yes, they can be expensive and unhealthy, but not all are.  Lean Pockets are a staple at our house, and California Pizza Kichen’s “white pizza,” too.  These provide much more nutrition than many typical junk food options and they are still kid friendly and easy to prepare. 

So, if you have been serving your kids ramen noodles and pizza rolls day after day, I hope that this has inspired you to try something different.  Good luck!