Menu Plan Monday & After school Snack Ideas

This week, I am trying to plan again from what I have on hand in the freezer/frig and cupboards. I will make a trip to the store to pick up some fresh vegetables and fruit to round out the meals and for snacks. To save on produce, I usually try to shop for fruits and vegetables that are .99 cents per pound (or as close to that as possible). (You can read more about that in this post.)

Apples are in season and on sale for .88 cents per pound right now. Lots of ideas there: applesauce, apple crisp/pie, apple slices of course, baked apples, applesauce bread, apple cake or coffee cake...

Scroll down if you're looking for new after school snack ideas.

Breakfasts:

• Overnight caramel rolls
• Oatmeal, bananas
• Oven baked omelet, toast, grapefruit
• French breakfast puffs, Greek yogurt, granola and honey
• Cold cereal/granola, bananas
• Hot cereal (Cream of Wheat, Coco Wheats), orange juice
• Pancakes

Lunches:

• Stromboli, veggie tray
• Leftovers
• Beefy biscuit casserole (carry over), corn, apple slices
• Sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks
• Cheesy beef and rice, green beans, bread and butter
• Saturday:  leftover pizza and snacks

Dinners:

• Beef tips over noodles, salad, rolls, apple pie
• Cranberry chicken, rice, broccoli
• Hamburgers, fries, tossed salad, jello, maybe chocolate cake for dessert
• Pork roast, acorn squash, Normandy blend vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, yellow squash)
• Homemade Pizza night
• Beef stroganoff, green beans
• Roast chicken, butternut squash with butter and brown sugar, brussel sprouts

 I would also like to share some great, healthy ideas for after school/late afternoon snacks.

• Peanut butter baked oatmeal (tastes like a soft granola)--my kids eat the entire 9x13 pan in a few hours
• Lazy Granola
• Cranberry-apricot granola bars (using homemade granola recipe above)
• Apricot-oatmeal cookies
• Applesauce bread (could also do in a bundt pan) (make your own applesauce using all the yummy apples in season and on sale now!)
• Ranger cookies (whole wheat flour, coconut, Craisins, oats)
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Ants-on-a-log (or celery with strawberry cream cheese)
• Graham crackers with strawberry cream cheese
• Fruit slices with or without dip
• Veggies and dip
• Wholegrain Crackers and cheese
• Almonds/walnuts/pistachios (for children old enough), apple slices, cheese cubes
• Whole-grain muffins, plus lots of other ideas in this post

What are some of your favorite after school snacks?

Be sure to visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas!