Looking to reduce costs!

[5 Little Monkeys]

Yeah, I wasn't consciously giving 1.5 bananas. It was more like I break off a piece of banana, they eat it, eat the rest of snack, ask for more banana, I give it. Then they ask for more banana and I have half of one sitting there in the peel so I give it only to realize after "hey, they just ate 1.5 bananas!" I think the kids aren't eating a ton at home for dinner so I have greatly reduced my end of day as well.

Totally understandable!! One of my past big eaters was like that. Mom and I would give him fruit while we were getting lunch or snack ready (he was still in high chair so was younger and we would just put food on the tray for him) and the doctor finally told us to stop that!! Lol. We had to start portioning out his plate and when it was gone, it was gone!

[bright sparks]

Wouldn't the kids get 2 meals at home? Breakfast and supper?

Yes total brain fart there lol

[bright sparks]

I'm not really sure what we're discussing?? LOL. Are you saying they aren't getting enough fruit or too much?

I agree with superfun, I know my kids have breakfast, supper and at least one snack at home before bed.

Also, it's really hard to gauge a "piece" of fruit unless it's an apple, orange or banana since we eat a lot of melons and berries so they are cut up or tiny pieces already lol. I think I'm tired because Im really not sure what the point is we're discussing haha!!

You brought up serving sizes so that's all I was responding too just discussing snacks in general

[kindertime]

Thanks for the input. I do some batch cooking however we don't have a chest freezer as we don't have the space. I am curious how you cook and freeze potatoes though. I have made and froze sheppard's pie and the potatoes were still great. I have also froze cooked quinoa, rice etc for fast side dishes.

For potatoes, I usually boil them and then either mash with a bit of butter and milk and put in containers to freeze or I cool them in the fridge and when they are cold, cut them really small for hash browns. Then I put those in small ziploc bags. I have a cast iron frying pan so I can fry them with very little oil (only enough to make the pan shiny.)

I have found if you boil the potatoes and freeze them in pieces, they end up a gross, soggy mess when reheated in the microwave. Frozen mashed, however, as long as they are heated through and steaming hot are just as good as freshly mashed.

[5 Little Monkeys]

For potatoes, I usually boil them and then either mash with a bit of butter and milk and put in containers to freeze or I cool them in the fridge and when they are cold, cut them really small for hash browns. Then I put those in small ziploc bags. I have a cast iron frying pan so I can fry them with very little oil (only enough to make the pan shiny.)

I have found if you boil the potatoes and freeze them in pieces, they end up a gross, soggy mess when reheated in the microwave. Frozen mashed, however, as long as they are heated through and steaming hot are just as good as freshly mashed.

I found the same! The potatoes that I boiled, cut in chunks and froze went brown and mushy but the ones that I mashed and froze stayed white and were fine. I wonder why?? I only did it that once and haven't tried again. I even used my food saver machine and bags so it's not like air got to them.

[kindertime]

I found the same! The potatoes that I boiled, cut in chunks and froze went brown and mushy but the ones that I mashed and froze stayed white and were fine. I wonder why?? I only did it that once and haven't tried again. I even used my food saver machine and bags so it's not like air got to them.

Not sure but I suspect it has to do with the stucture of the starches in the potato. When I mash and don't use milk and butter the result is a mushy mess. I have never tried the frozen pieces in the oven to heat them up, might work. I have also found that for the best results when frying the hash browns, they need to be boiled less than for mashed. Less water absorbed that way.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I can't remember if I used milk and butter to mash mine....I do normally so I probably did