I usually try to make everything from scratch, for both health and money, but sometimes I genuinely don't have the time/energy and like to grab something quick, but I don't really know what to get at the store. At work I usually just get a Smart Ones or Lean Cuisine if I didn't pack a lunch (which is rare) but what convenience foods do you guys keep at home? Again, I don't plan to serve these often, but it is nice to have at hand for those crazy days.
Not many frozen ideas but here's a couple of my "quickies":
Triscuits spread with refried beans, salsa and sometimes sour cream and shredded cheese.
Refried Beans spread across a tortilla and topped with Enchilada Sauce and shredded cheese then nuked until the cheese melts.
Chicken (canned or cooked/frozen), tortilla, Enchilada Sauce, cheese then nuked.
Chicken or turkey, a little bacon (I partially cook all our bacon, freeze it then finish in the microwave for a minute or so when we need it), lettuce and tomato.
Chicken, Blue Cheese Dressing, Buffalo Sauce, carrots, celery in a tortilla.
Tortilla spread with cream cheese and any fruit or jam. Apples sprinkled with a little cinnamon are really good as is fresh sliced strawberries. You could probably eat them room temperature but I like to heat them in a dry skillet so the tortilla crisps a bit and the cheese warms up.
I never get packaged meals because I don't like the taste. As for snacks, I enjoy Wheat Thins, especially the spinach/garlic and sweet potato flavours. I don't buy them often because they keep whispering in my ear when they're in the house.
We have a "snack drawer" in the kitchen. I take all the little granola bars, tiny bags of pretzels from Halloween, 100 calorie treats, nuts, etc, open the boxes and dump them all in there. It's mostly for my preschooler to grab something after school during all the post-work/ school chaos to snack on. I take one or two to work each day to snack on.
My favorite frozen meal is Lean Cuisine chicken garlic alfredo pizza. I could eat it every day.
I also make most things from scratch but a few splurge snacks might be crackers with cream cheese and smoked salmon, laughing cow cheese. The kids get cold cereal or maybe even (gasp) boxed mac n cheese when I'm feeling especially lazy. I bought a bunch of lean cuisines to try and get back on track but they are pretty sad.
Quaker granola bars - I eat them instead of cookies!
Quaker chewy Dipps - I eat them instead of candy bars! Only 140 calories, and to me they taste like candy bars!!! LOVE them!!
Nutri-Grain bars - I eat them instead of cake!
I cannot bake because I will eat the whole batch, so I must rely on packaged single serving desserts. These items REALLY help me to keep on track! I eat them and do not feel deprived (most of the time!)
The healthy choice "baked" line is really good too. I think it's new. The lasagna tastes just like restaurant lasagna. I haven't had restaurant lasagna though in a long time though so who knows.
What packaged meals/snacks do you enjoy?
