Help...need recipes for 16 yo

[newbie]

I have to leave dd alone for lunch while I work, need simple lunch recipes, that only involve micro or no bake.

 

She wants lofat, but does not like salad apparently.

 

Key word is simple. Have lil time to train.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

You say you don't have much time to teach her, but at 16 she can probably learn to cook on her own.

 

Motivation could come from having nothing but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (that she makes herself), fruit, and milk until she learns how to cook.

 

I would provide her with two trips to town:

1. First, to go to the library to choose easy cookbooks

2. Second, to go to the grocery store after she makes a list based on the menus she has chosen.

 

Or you could write out recipes for foods that you usually cook, that she is used to eating. Be very clear in the directions, make sure she has all the ingredients she needs, and let her try. Make sure she knows that cleaning up after herself is part of it.

 

If she is disabled or truly unable to learn to be self-sufficient, you could prepare meals to freeze that she can thaw and microwave.

[Annie G]

Mine eat leftovers a lot. I put them in serving size containers and they reheat, stir, and eat. That's how I store leftovers- in grab and go form for lunch or late night eating.

 

Failing that, wraps can be lowfat, and paired with fruit, very tasty.

[Jenny in Florida]

My son has been making his own lunch for a couple of years, now.

 

One thing I do is make "intentional left-overs" when I make meals he especially likes for family dinners. So, when I make spaghetti, I make a double batch of sauce and an extra loaf of bread. I put some of the sauce in a container in the 'fridge and the rest in the freezer. To make lunch, he just has to cook some pasta, warm up sauce and slice bread.

 

He also really likes Indian food, as does my daughter. So, when I make that, I double every component and refrigerate or freeze in single-servings that they can microwave when they wish.

 

Baked potatoes can be reheated. And, if she doesn't mind the difference in flavor, she can even just cook them in the microwave.

 

We've vegans, so specific recipes likely won't help you much. But maybe the idea of making ahead so she can just warm stuff might work for you?

[TheReader]

I'm a little perplexed that a 16 yr old can't think of food ideas for herself, but some suggestions --

 

baked potato can be done in the micro if you aren't opposed to plastic. Poke holes in the potato, put inside a plastic baggy, microwave. Many these days (microwaves) even have a Baked Potato button; if not, I think it's something like 5 minutes. She can top with cheese, lo fat sour cream, salsa/picante sauce, etc.

 

Sandwich? She can do a hot sandwich by toasting bread in the toaster and the topping with cheese, meat, etc. and eating right away or micro to melt the cheese.

 

Wraps. tortilla, various fillings.

 

Microwavable soups, canned beans, etc.

 

Leftovers from dinner the night before can be reheated in the microwave; make a little extra if you don't usually have leftovers.

 

Can she use the stovetop? Mac & cheese, etc. would be good. Or simple pasta salads; you could get canned chicken (or save leftovers, or boil a whole chicken and split into daily portions for her lunches) and then she could do pasta, chicken, some vineagrette dressing or oil based dressing and whatever veggies she wants to include. Tomato, cucumber, etc. are good. Or if you do not want her cooking, you can make these ahead with her the night before and she can either eat cold or reheat in the micro.

 

Cheese and crackers is always an option.

 

I'm sure at 16 she'll figure out something so as not to go hungry.

[Tammyla]

Cheese Quesada

 

Soups

[AK_Mom4]

Wraps. Wraps are a total win - no bake, easy to make, and lots of different choices. I saw even different flavors of wraps in the store yesterday - green ones, tomato ones, whole wheat, etc.

 

You can mix up tuna, chicken, or egg salad and leave in the fridge. She scoops out a serving, wraps it in a tortilla, adds some lettuce and poof! a healthy lunch.

 

You slice veggies and leave them in the fridge in the morning. Or sliced meat and cheese. Want a warm lunch? A scoop of refried beans and cheese and a few seconds in the microwave.

 

Other big hits here are bagel pizzas (spaghetti sauce and cheese on a toasted bagel), yoghurt and sliced veggies, and toasted cheese sandwiches (toast bread and top with cheese slices).

 

Also - breakfast makes a great lunch. Cereal, muffins....

[amy g.]

My girls like to half a bell pepper, and fill it with tuna and salad dressing.

 

I would suggest cooking extra food at dinner and just having her reheat that in the microwave.

[Ferdie]

Make and freeze an extra dinner, Progresso soup, Morningstar veggies burgers (my dd like the black bean and mushrooms lovers version), wraps with sandwhich meat or rotassarie chix, and canned turkey chilli.