I am planning on making my own little in home salad bar in order to get my kids more choices. We HAVE the stuff, but it just doesn't get set out regularly enough to get the kids to try something new. So... here is what I am working on getting together.

Breakfast Tray:

yogurt, mini bagels, cream cheese, cut up fresh fruit, granola, eggs, english muffins (r), jelly (r), muffins (r), waffles (r), hot cereals (oatmeal, 7 grain, etc), brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins.

Each morning this would be set out on the counter in the kitchen. This would be all that the kids could choose from that morning. Some things would be staples, while others would be rotated in/out (r). All would be things they could put in the toaster oven themselves or fix themselves. My 3 boys can use the stovetop to fix eggs and hot cereals.


Lunch Tray:

lunch meats, sliced cheese, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, condiments, peanut butter, jelly, honey, bread, tortillas

Everything would be in a container and stored on a tray in the fridge. Easy to get out, easy to put away (key in anything!). This would be put on the table at lunch time, and everyone could make his/her own concoction of a sandwich for lunch. Right now they are all eating PB&J every single day... for years.



Veggie tray:
pea pods, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, black olives, baby carrots, other assorted cut up veggies

The veggei tray would be available at ALL times. It would be placed on the table for lunch, and then on the counter at snack times. They could pick from that tray whenever they are hungry.



Fruit Tray:
cut up fresh pineapple, cut kiwi, sliced apples, sliced peaches, sliced nectarines, apricots, grapes, berries, orange slices

I'd like to have 5-7 options always available for them. Again, this would be put out at lunch and snack time.


Salad Bar:
I'd like ot get a tray filled with salad options also. Not sure what I would include, but I am thinking:

salad mix, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, black olives, sliced onions, croutons, sunflower seeds, bacon bits, dressings, etc.

This would be placed on the table at dinner, and each person could make his/her own salad.




Each of the trays would be placed on a shelf in the fridge.

I got some plastic storage containers in various sizes to use. They are all one brand, and stack well to save space.

I'm eating at your house, Heather! Yum!:cuc:

Great ideas,too!

I want to see pics!! :)

Great idea. You could add some hummus to the veggie tray, too :)

This sounds totally cool but like a lot of work. Would you do all prep work on the weekend? Do you think it would lat all week without going bad? estimated cost per week for all of this?

Nice idea.:smooch:

These would all be assembled one day - then added to as needed. So if they run out of baby carrots on Wednesday, then I could refill it easily. My goal is to get the kids (and me) eating a bigger variety of good foods. The trays would be kept in the fridge with the items in individual containers. So all the kids would have to do is pull the tray out, then put the tray away.

Grocery shopping tonight... so when I get the trays completed, I will take some pics.

MMMmm I love pretty food on a tray! It makes me feel like I'm at a party.. which *is* what a large family feels like a lot of the time! So much fun, so much mess.

what a great idea!! :thumbsup: can i eat at your house???!! ;)

Did you take pics yet? And how cost effective was it?

Did you take pics yet? And how cost effective was it?

I haven't taken pics.

I also didn't spend any extra on it. I used grocery budget money. We have a freezer FULL of dinners (from going to Let's Dish a few times and also from using the Saving Dinner freezer plan) so I didn't have any dinners to buy for. I had $100 left over from last payday's grocery budget - so I had $500 to spend. I only spent $230, and we are pretty stocked on good healthy foods. I got a bunch of fruits, veggies, driet fruits, nuts, etc. I'll restock as needed.

Not sure if this is what you are meaning. We have a grocery budget of $800 month (including cleaning supplies, pet foods, soaps, etc). We have $400 set aside from our 2 checks (1st and 15th). So, that is what I start with. I had $100 left from last payday's grocery budget.

The reason I am doing it isn't financial. It's to get the kids eating better/more. They had been eating ONLY pb&j for lunch for years. And fruits (usually only apples and oranges) only for snacks. I want them to have a better variety of food throughout the day.

Hopefully I can get a couple of pictures this evening. :)

No no I was not meaning were you doing it because of budget. I knew your reasoning but was just wondering how much additional this would cost you or if you were replacing other items you would normally buy with more variety and fruits and veggies. :)

Do you have a link to the Saving Dinner Freezer Plan? Does it take a lot of prep work?

Can't wait for pics...:)

No no I was not meaning were you doing it because of budget. I knew your reasoning but was just wondering how much additional this would cost you or if you were replacing other items you would normally buy with more variety and fruits and veggies. :)

Do you have a link to the Saving Dinner Freezer Plan? Does it take a lot of prep work?

Can't wait for pics...:)


Just regular grocery money. :) I did get some more variety than usual. I got lots of nuts, dried fruit that I don't usually get. But I was able to stay well within my alloted grocery budget.

Welcome to SavingDinner.com (http://www.savingdinner.com) then click on the freezer menu link. It cost me about $150 (if I remember correctly) to get the stuff to make the dinners. I made 18 dinners. I spent about 1.5 hours one evening, then another hour one afternoon to prep the dinners. You don't cook them, they go in the freezer uncooked.

One week I spent more money on meats, then the next pay I was able to put my money more on extras. We've been coming in under budget for a couple of months because I filled the freezer with their plan.

Can you tell me which meals you tried of the saving dinner site? Did you like them?

Hey what happened to the pics mama?